Metroid Prime

System: Gamecube
Type: Shooter/Adventure/Platformer
Graphics: 9.5/10
Sound: 8.5/10
Gameplay: 9.5/10
Story: 9/10
Multiplayer: n/a

Overall: 9.5/10

This is one of the first console games I have actually completed, why? Not because it is too short, it took me 17 hours, but because it is amazing. Metroid Prime is not just a first person shooter, it features environmental puzzles, some light platforming and huge amounts of exploring. I believe it is this careful mix of genres is what makes this game so good.

The game put you in the shoes of Samus Aran, a female bounty hunter, on her way to a distress call.The distress call comes from a planet called Talon IV, inhabited by the Chozo. However, they all appear to be dead. That is the basic introductory story, I won't spoil the story line, but it is suffice to say that what killed them you will kill. The story in this game isn't well crafter like a Harry Potter novel or as gripping as Zelda, the beauty is the back story. In the game you have a visor called the scan visor. You can use this to scan certain objects in the game. Some of these scannings are compulsory, such as lifts that need activating, but there are many which are unnecessary and have varying significance. You have a log book where you store the back story as it were, in the game there are 17 Chozo Lore, 27 Space Pirate Data and hundreds of items about all the creatures. Each Chozo Lore/Space Pirate Data contains a snippet of information (about 3/4 A4 page) This already adds a huge amount of interesting but in some senses unnecessary information to pad out the story. Furthermore, almost everything interesting can be scanned for more information. For example, early on in the game you will come across half dead Space Pirates, you can scan them and find out how they got injured and where their weaknesses lie. Overall the story is normal sci-fi, but the back story is on the scale of Oblivion, which makes the game feel that bit more real.

Graphically this game is amazing. Considering it came out 7 years ago, and today I regard the graphics as excellent is a credit to the work. It isn't just the great looking graphics, although the various areas of Talon IV are recreated beautifully, but the little touches that are through out the game. When you come out of water, water drips off your visor, when in X-Ray visor, you can see the bones in your hand and when there is a bright flash of light, you can see Samus's reflection. On top of this, there is a fantastic physics engine on the same line as Halos'. Admittedly, there aren't hundreds of boxes flying about, however, each enemy moves realistically and impressively when you blow them up. All this adds up to an excellently presented games with only a few, and almost unnoticeable, frame dips.

Not only this, but the game sounds great too. You various guns make excellent noises, generators make strange pulsing sounds, each enemy makes individual screeches. Even your footsteps are impressive as they vary depending on what you're standing on and how hard you hit it. The games music, although not as catchy or as well orchestrated as say Zelda or Mario, certainly sets the atmosphere and the boss fight music also sounds good. Once again, I conclude that the sounds are fantastic and frame the game excellently.

The game play combines may different genres, and mixes them excellently. Exploring the vast world of Talon IV is great fun. There are so many nooks and crannies through out that chances are you will never find everything, in fact, I have completed the game and put a couple of hours just looking for stuff and I have still found under 75% of everything. Furthermore, you will find new creatures, environments and weapons which will spur you on to continue you exploring. When you find these creatures, you will have to kill them, the difficulty of this task varies considerably. Fighting the enemies is handled through locking on and shooting them. At first this seems a little simple and un-rewarding, but as your enemies get harder, you will be forced to dodge incoming attacks, find and face their weak spots and do all this in a narrow corridor. Space Pirates excluded, the animals fight with animal instincts. This feels really realistic as you will find each creature will have its own methods at defending itself and the colony. Fighting Space Pirates also feels great as they will roll and dodge your shots whilst maintaining a constant barrage of fire on your position.

Another genre that is mixed in with the game is platforming. In most instances this breaks up the combat and fits the adventuring well. However, because the game is in the first person perspective, this can some times be frustrating. As you can not see your feet, you can easily make a jump, but because you believe you may have over jumped you adjust your jump and thus miss the platform that you were aiming for. This problem is exalted by the fact that when you miss, you will invariably be sent right back to the first jump, which as likely as not will be just as hard. Some platform-centric rooms can take you over half an hour to clear, despite knowing that each jump is easy and perfectly possible.

One final genre included in the mix is some basic puzzle solving. Although the puzzles aren't as well thought out as something like Zelda, they do, once again, break up the action nicely and are fairly rewarding when you crack them. Quite a few of them are environment based, forcing you to study, and scan, your environments to find out how to reach an especially high ledge, for example.

Overall the gameplay is fantastic. Some times the controls feel a little dated after spending some time with Halo, but you will soon come to realize that the game isn't focused around the combat, and when it is, the challenge isn't hitting the enemies, but making sure they don't hit you. The only gripes I have are that looking up and down are unnecessarily tricky process and sometimes the platforming feels out of place in the first person perspective.

As for replayabilty, when you complete the single player you unlock the harder mode, which while I have not got very far in, my friend assures me that the difficulty is certainly a mark up from the normal difficulty. On top of this, many players, me included, will be tempted to go back and find all the things that they didn't find on their first time through, and believe me you won't have found everything. The game lets you carry on from your last save before the final boss, making it perfectly possible to do this. The game does not have multiplayer, but because of the lock-on control system, it doesn't feel missing. The main single player will take you slightly less than 20 hours excluding all the time you will spend finding everything.

In conclusion, this game is simply fantastic. This game is so well polished, you can see your reflection in it, literally. The graphics and sound add together to make one smooth game. The gameplay is a beautiful blend of different genres which culminate in great boss fights. While the game may not have multiplayer, the game has plently of single player and replayability to make up for it. Any slight quips about controls can easily be ignored, because this isn't just a great platformer/shooter/adventure it is simply one of the greatest games ever made.

Metal Gear Solid and Civilization Revolutions

Metal Gear Solid is Two Games

I was reading a post about the Wiis success in the gaming market when I came upon an interesting piece of news about MGS that I was unaware of. They are splitting the game in to two. The single player portion and the multiplayer portion. That would be absolutely outrageous anyway but it is the only AAA PS3 title left. Everything else is on the 360. The big PS exclusive was GTA, which will be coming out at the same time on the 360 with bonus content. This leaves the PS3 exclusive looking very weak, with BigPlanetLittlePlannet and Home being the only titles worth owning. A very good quote from the post is:

Imagine if you bought Halo 3, completed the story/single player mode, and then when attempting to go online, you get prompted to purchase an additional online pack for another 40 bucks.

Civilization Revolutions

For those who don't know, Civilization Revolutions is the ever popular Civ franchise ported, no sorry, built for consoles. It is currently confirmed for PS3, 360, Wii and DS. Obviously the Wii and DS seem to be the most suited to the game as they both have mouse like abilities. However, GS recently got to try a version for the 360. You use the joystick as the mouse and the face buttons to issue orders. To me, using the joystick as a mouse has always been a fiddly affair best avoided (as in the case of Red Alert for the PS2) however GS says it works well. Civ has the added benefit of being turn based, so there is no rush, however fiddly controls could put off console gamers as they will, in general, not have played many turn based strategy games, preferring action. None the less, I eagerly await this title as I may be able to use it to get more people playing full Civ on the PC

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Halo 3 First Impressions

I have now played with all the main elements of Halo 3. Readers of this blog will be aware of my disapproval of Halo 2. I believed that it was massively over covered, yes the online was perfect, but the single player was weak, repetitive and short. Overall, I believed there was simply not enough content in the multiplayer to make up for the single player. However, does Halo 3 suffer the same problem? In short, no. Despite my prejudice against this game, I still left after playing this with a desire for more, much more...

The single player, of which I played in co-op mode, seems drastically improved upon. They took the good parts of Halo 2 and blew them out of proportion. The vehicle scenes are back in force, and thanks to the 360s increased power, the battles aren't restricted to corridors and small areas but now take place in massive planes with hundreds of units all fighting. The combat still follows a similar pattern and the game is still short, however repetitiveness is no longer an issue as it is fun all the time. As for the length, there are correctable skulls and Legendary difficulty, but ultimately the single player won't keep you for long.

The multiplayer is fantastic as you would expect. You will be fighting in teams and on your own for flags, skulls and kills online on Xbox Live. Building on the success of Halo 2, match making is easy and there are a wide variety of playlists for BTB (Big team battles) where you have 8v8 and Rumble Pit where it is all against all. One very interesting addition is 4 way matches. You play in teams of two against 3 other teams. As normal as that sounds, the chaos multiplies ten fold and playing in teams of two is loads of fun. My friend and I would go covering each others backs and making sure to avenge all deaths. It works particularly well in games such as Oddball as with all 4 teams going for the same space you get massive fights and one can be very lucky with two teams killing off each other and then you just run away with the Oddball! Overall, the multiplayer is, as to be expected, fantastic and fun.

One of the key elements added to Halo is Forge. Forge allows for on the fly editing. Basically, you can be fighting with a couple of people and then, press the D-Pad, spawn a Scorpion (preferably on someones head) and drive off. It isn't just vehicles you can spawn, you can spawn weapons,grav lifts, teleporters, explosive barrels even respawn points. The more you think about it, the more possibilities you will come up with. Forever exploding barrels (as all items respawn if they get destroyed), a fight on an arena of Grav-lifts etc etc. This feature adds a lot of replayabiltity to the game.

Overall, the game is a significant improvement on Halo 2 in all areas. The single player is much more fun and expansive, the multiplayer just keeps doing what is does so well and features such as Forge, the extended game mode customisation and the replays add up to make this a superb game for the 360 and if you have Live, there really is no reason not to own this game. Even if you don't have Live, providing you have two controllers you can have buckets of fun with offline MP and Forge.

Metroid Prime Preview Channel is out [Blog Update]

It has finally been released in the UK, the Metroid Prime Preview Channel, previously only released in America, has just been released in the UK. It is so cool and I now can't wait for this game, now only 11 days and 17 hours away! Another video will be released on the 17th. Graphically, the game looks quite similar to Metroid Prime 1, however, it is worth bearing in mind that this video is streamed over the internet and also, even if they are only mildly better than MP1, they are still very good.

Talking of Metroid Prime 1, I am nearly finished. I am on the second to last boss fight at the moment. I must admit that I did cheat slightly as I looked up the locations of the Artifacts, but I was pretty much right before, I was just not doing the right thing. However, I will have the game and the review finished by the 25th October.

On the release day of Metroid Prime 3, I will being posting a post that I will update with "Live Impressions". Every so often (5 minutes or so) I will post a sentence or a picture from the game. So, if you are interested, make sure you are here at 9:30ish GMT

My Halo 3 first impressions are nearly finished and I will release that some time today or tomorrow. I am currently doing work experience at my old school, so that is why I haven't posted it before.

I have received many updates for my Wii recently, each time getting my hopes up that it will be the Metroid Preview channel. One of them allowed the Wii to support USB keyboards. I do not have a USB keyboard so was unable to test this, however it has much further reaching implications. Namely, that through the updates, support for other USB items can be released, for example a USB headset or external hard drive.

Secret Nintendo Confrence

Stop the press every one. Nintendo have just held a "secret" press conference and there have been some big announcements. I will do them in least important order. Skip to the bottom for the most exciting

New Wii Game Announced - Super Mario Stadium Baseball

No real information has been released just a short video, which I haven't seen. Besides, baseball isn't a sport I am particularly interested in and Wii Sports Baseball dosen't need any more depth. Even online multiplayer or a proper single player wouldn't add much.

Everyone votes to get up sized

The service is set to expand to allow people to vote on games, and then using this data will suggest games that you like. Sounds good and very web 2.0, but I normally know what games I am going to like, as I do research before buying them. Will be good if you can connect to people with similar tastes to you. Like that will ever happen with Nintendo's policy on Wii Codes.

Some WiiWare titles announced

Main title mentioned is Pokemon Farm, which allows you to take your Pokemon of Diamond (and other versions) and treat them in a farm like environment. Sadly no mention of Gravitronix.

WiiFit Gets Release Date (In Japan)

WiiFit, the game that will feature the board demonstrated at E3, will be released on the first of December for Japan. No release data as of yet for the UK or America. Demonstration given and possibility for WiiWare titles using it announced.

Mario Kart with Bikes

Mario Karts release date is still Spring 2008, however, the game will come with the steering wheel and motor bikes. How this will fit in to the whole "Kart" theme, I am not sure, still I am not complaining.

Monster Hunter 3 Coming to the Wii

Previously a PS3 exclusive and a massive hit in Japan, this 3rd person action role-player is coming to the Wii. Yet another dent in the PS3. No release date has been announced yet

Sonic is joining the Brawl

Well we all knew it was going to happen, but it finally has. Sonic has been confirmed for Super Smash Bros Brawl. Incidentally, this title has been pushed back for Japan till January. No mention of the US release date, but I am sure that if the American release date doesn't get pushed back, there are going to be some raised eye-brows.

Online Co-op on Brawl

Just what I asked for, the game will support on-line co-op. They did not specify whether it would be the Sub Space Emissary but that was what was implied.

Sony dosen't like the UK

Long term readers of this blog will be aware of my dislike of the PS3. Recently, my opinion had started to become less serve. The graphics were improving, I was starting to see the benefit of having a Media centre that wasn't owned by Microsoft (leading to propitiatory formats only) and LittleBig planet looks really good. Then Sony announced the price drop in the UK. The price will be reduce to £349. Still over priced, but it should be worth it now, as HD is about to become the standard for TV, and once that happens you're going to notice the difference when watching non-HD DVDs. This price includes two games.

However, Sony have just announced that the 60GB model will be discontinued, and when it runs out, it runs out. It will be superseded by a 40GB model, no free games and no support of PS games. This will be priced at £299. This is outrageous. Sony takes everything away from the UK. By next year, assuming that these PS3 sell, it will be impossible to get a backwards compatible PS3. Sony should just cut their losses, release the 60GB in Europe for £299, take the losses like a man and reap the benefits of a far more loving community. Sony has lost a lot of money from the PS3, a bit more isn't going to make any difference, but if they shift a million units in the UK, they are laughing.

Wii Remote "Jackets"

When I arrived home from school today, I noticed that my Wii was glowing. I nearly died of happiness, thinking that it would be the Metroid Prime Preview Channel. Alas, it was not, however, it was a message from Nintendo. The message main point was:

"We at Nintendo are continuously researching new ways to improve our products. On this occasion we would like to introduce, our latest development, a protective cover for the Wii Remote called the "Wii Remote Jacket"

The message then details on how you can get your hands on this free piece of equipment. It directs you to this page. I intend to order one, partly because I want to be more safe, partly because it is free but mostly so I can see what it looks like and whether it improves grip, as I will be playing Metroid Prime for very long sessions (in just 23 days!) so I want to improve my Wiimote as much as I can. If and when they turn up, I will take pictures of them and detail how good they are. Personally, I would recommend getting them, so that if anything, heaven forbid, does happen, Nintendo can't say "well you should have been wearing jackets." Besides, its free and could save your expensive TV

Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels

I am going to do this review from the perspective as if you have already read my original review or played on the original game as I don't want to rexplain the same concept

I recently downloaded "The Lost Levels" to my Wii of the shop. These levels were orginally only released in Japan as they were deemed to hard for the Western market. However, for a limited time only, they have been released on the Wii Store. So are they really much harder, and are they worth paying 600pts for?

Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels
Platform: Wii Virtual Console
Type: Platformer
Graphics: 7/10
Story: 4/10
Gameplay: 8.5/10
Multiplayer: N/A
Sound: 10/10
Overall: 8/10


The graphics, although still running in 8bit, have a little bit more detail, most notably in the ground. However, as I have said, the graphics are basically the same. It is nice to see Nintendo put a little bit more attention to their home market thought.

The gameplay has been marked up from the original when it comes to difficulty. Right from the offset you are presented with paratroopa koopas (the bouncing turtles for all you non-nintendo fan boys), chomping plants and a item that was never included in the original; poisoned mushrooms, which do the same as a normal enemy. You will quickly realise that the game is much harder than the original. Once in world 1-2, the jumps start to become a lot more challenging. There is one jump where you have to take a running jump and jump at the absolute last pixel. A few moments later, their is a jump which once again requires this same precision, then you must then instantly jump on to the next platform, where you must sprint and jump on to the next platform and do that one last time before you can even breathe. This because all these platforms start falling the second you land on them. This kind of difficulty continues throughout out where I have got up to and I presume continues through the rest of the game, with jumps that require you to raise a platform to the exact right amount to make the jump possible and others involving jumping not to high or else hitting other structures that will send you to the ground. I consider my self quite good at Mario, having got to world 4-3 on 6 lives and I found this very difficult and still haven't completed it. Occasionally, the game can become quite repetitive because you will keep restarting the game and because of the way the game operates, you have to clear four (very tricky) stages to get to a point where you can restart after you have lost all your lives. This however, is unimportant when compared to the sense of success when you beat a really hard section.

The game, fortunately, does not continue with the charade that was multiplayer. Instead it introduces a different character. Luigi, although can jump much further and higher, slows down much quicker, meaning if you are running fast, you will find your self falling of cliffs etc. He allows you to reach parts of the map which were previously impossible and the harder control makes him more for pros.

The sound has been changed from the original, with a slightly more techno feel. The sound isn't quite as classic as the original, however it stands up and you won't want to mute it. Other than that, the sound track is the same.

In conclusion, if you enjoyed Mario, but have just about finished it, this game is fantastic. If you found Mario too hard, you will find this just annoying. Due to the raised difficultly level, if you found Mario frustrating, this game is still going to be frustrating. Ultimately, if you enjoyed Mario, you will enjoy this, but nothing has changed enough to change peoples minds. I recommend downloading this, even though it is more expensive, because the game is still good value for money and will keep you playing for ages.

Halo 3

The Sun are calling it the game of the decade, Gamespot gave it a 9.5 will very few negative points, and even I, the sole Xbox owner without Halo 2, want to play this game. Yes, that's right, I am talking about the legendary Halo 3. I went in to Game on the way this morning, and it was surreal picking up the box, so surreal, it sent a shiver down my spine. A game I never thought would come out, and I was holding it in my own hands. How can any game be that big? Thanks to Halo, gaming is now a bigger market than film.

What am I most looking forward to in Halo 3? More Xbox Live multiplayer. That is the obvious one. Slugging is best on Halo, so Halo 3 should just capitalize on that. There are some new vehicles, which judging by Bungies track record, will be amazingly fun to use. New weapons will add a new strategies to the game and items such as bubble shields will turn even some of the repetitive maps in to varying and insane. But, that is not all I am looking forward to. I am also massively looking forward to Forge, this map editor allows you to add stuff to the map on the fly. This sounds immensely cool and will open the world right open. I don't know how to describe the excitement every time I think of Forge. I mean, an idea I thought of off the top of my head in about 30 seconds was, how about a normal team game, where you nominate 1 person to be the thing that can add stuff, everyone else must play normally. You could radio in for a Warthog or maybe have a bombing run on the enemy by spawning hundreds of explosive crates. The possibilities are endless. Also, I am looking forward to the type of co-op that keeps score, you get points for killing enemies, more for headshots and even more for multi kills with grenades etc. Also, you can loose points if you kill one of the people. This will make the single player much more fun.

I am not particularly looking forward to the single player. I haven't followed the story, I am not dying to find out what happens and I find that Halo SP is dull, linear and repetitive. Halo 3 will hopefully improve on this, making more set piece battles and vehicle chases (the highlights of 1+2) and less going down a corridor and shooting grunts. However, I struggle to get to excited over Halo SP. I hope I am wrong. I am also not looking forward to the voices of annoying American 12 year olds on Live, we all have out foibles don't we?

In other news, I downloaded the hidden levels for Mario for a hefty 600 points. They are alot harder, but really rewarding when you beat them. Should be properly trying Mario Kart MP this Friday, the review to follow shortly after. Prime is coming up soon!!!

Brawl Online

Well, we all knew it was going to happen, but it has finally been confirmed. Super Smash Bros Brawl will support online multiplayer modes. It will not support voice chat, you can, however, pre-set messages (taunts) and then use the D-Pad to send them. However, these can only be sent when playing friends. When playing unknown opponents, you don't get to see there name and you cannot send taunts. Although this hasen't been specified, all things point to it not being easy to swap Wii numbers if you enjoyed playing with someone, as there is no way of finding out their name. Considering you have no way of contacting them, there is no way that you will ever get to play again, except by extreme chance. Although I am exceedingly pleased that it will be supporting online, this is a major disappointment. Hal Labortory, the people developing Brawl, said that there were to be further online modes to be announced (please co-op) so we will have to see. Read the whole thing here...

Also, if you haven't been keeping up with the updates, which you really should be, a single player mode has been announced called the SubSpace Emissary, it is a side scrolling game. You can read all the updates on the dojo, but it is shaping up to look really good. The character design is outstanding, and considering they aren't even playable characters just makes you realise how much attention has gone in to this game. This, along with other cool things such as my music, is making me eat my foot in anticipation for this game. I simply cannot wait.

Finally, there are many people who can't wait for a different title; Halo 3. For a lucky few the wait is now over, for once, in the UK first! Argos, a retail store, has broken the release date set by Microsoft and released Halo 3. Microsoft are said the be in the process of punishing Argos, I just wish I was one of the lucky few. If just so I could rub it in to every Halo fanboy and then play it at my friends house while he watches in envy. Well done if you got a copy, enjoy it! Read the full story here...

Mario Kart Double Dash First Impressions

I got my second GameCube game yesterday: Mario Kart Double Dash. The game is a lot of fun, and despite feeling like an expanded version of Monkey Race, it is very addictive. The graphics, whilst not being Metroid Prime, are still really good. The sound is really good, hearing your characters voices echo when in tunnels is a really nice touch and some of the music is as good as the original Mario tunes.

At first the game feels a little easy, I completed the first cup in a matter of hours, and there are only 3 cups. However, the second cup, kept me going for some time, and I still haven't completed the last cup. Plus, I discovered that you can alter the car power (I think) to make it even harder. Completing certain things unlocks characters and cars, further extending the game. Furthermore, the time trials are far more addictive than they are in normal racing games because it isn't just about taking corners well, it is about going up golden gate bridge esque sides to shave off a few milliseconds off time.

The tracks, although some what limited in number, are very diverse in style. You will go from city centre to a high speed trek down a mountain, and everything in between. Plus, being a Mario game, the tracks are much more interesting than normal racing games, you will be dodging boulders and cars, avoiding sudden pits and being blasted huge distances at 195mph.

For those who are unaware, MarioKart features weapons to shoot your opponents with. These weapons add a nice twist to the game, allowing for a much more balanced game if you get stuck in last place. The weapons are varied and amusing. Featuring a huge ball and chain to being able to shoot fireballs or drop bananas for opponents to slip on.

The game lets you mix and match two characters and a car to your liking. Each character has its own special weapon and cars each have their own strengths and weaknesses. This choosing forces players to think about how they drive and offers additional challenges to veteran players.

Overall, the game looks good, I hope to complete this in time for the new Mario Kart, coming to the Wii next year. I will post a full review when I have had more time to play with it, but current impressions are good.

Gravitroix Interview

Well, Medaverse has very kindly answered some questions about their upcoming WiiWare title Gravitronix. Without any further ado, here is the interview:

1. Could you give us a brief outline of what Gravitronix is about?

I've found it's difficult to describe how the game will play without going into paragraphs of description which ultimately wind up confusing people instead of enlightening them. To this end, we plan to release a very succinct but thorough video detailing the entire game and how it's played before its release. Yeah, I know it sucks that I'm not spilling the beans right now, but trust me, once we release the preview video, you'll understand why this is an idea that needs to be delivered all at once and not in small portions. If we tried now, we'd fail and more people would come away saying, "I hate the way it sounds." than understanding how the game will actually play.

2. Could you elaborate on the term Action/Battle game?

"Action/Battle" means pitting players against each other directly in a situation where those with quick reflexes and strategic planning will prevail, and while I can't go into the utmost specifics, I can say that randomness will also play a factor in success.

3. How are you using the Wii Remote unique motion sensing ability and will the game use the Nunchuk?

For both the Wii Remote and nunchuk, players will be twisting (like turning a key) and using only the A/B or C/Z buttons to play the game. The controls themselves are immensely simple to learn, but mastering them to achieve the highest effectiveness is another story altogether.

4. What kind of graphics style are you using?

The graphics will have a sharp, rendered look to them, but beyond that, while it's not set in stone yet due to time constraints, we hope to allow the players to select characters to represent them on screen.

5. When is the game set, i.e.. in the future, and will the game feature a story?

It doesn't have a storyline or a setting. If we're going to give a game a storyline, we're going to do it properly and Gravitronix didn't present itself as the type of game where it would be plausible. You're fighting for the sake of fighting and that's where we're going to leave it. If you want a setting, consider it a dimension of its own. Don't get me wrong, we have a laundry list of ideas which involve compelling storylines, but if we're going to do it, we're either going do it right or not at all.

6. You say the game features 1-4 players, will the game support online and offline multiplayer?

The game will easily support four player offline, and while we're looking into Wifi support, I wouldn't count on it. We're only even going to look into online play after all of the core game is honed to the point where we're extremely happy with it, and while I'm pushing hard to get eight player into the game, I'm not going to promise it until we're certain it's doable.

7. Will there be any single player to speak of?

Yes, there will be a single player mode, but as for the complexity, we're not yet certain how far we want to go with it. Gravitronix is an unabashedly multiplayer-focused title. The campaign mode will at least consist of a series of successively difficult battles, but we also hope to have multiplayer co-op support for these as well.

8. How many Wii points are you expecting to sell this for?

We'd opt to charge 500 points for Gravitronix even though I think it'll provide far more than that in a dollar to hour entertainment ratio. This is our first game, after all, and we understand that players will be a bit leery on the subject of trusting a developer they've never heard of before. When many people have tight entertainment budgets, we consider having a $5 price tag meeting our potential customers half way. I don't want people to feel burned on the purchase of a Medaverse game, be it for $5 or $50.

9. What design challenges have you had to overcome when developing for the Wii?

The biggest challenge was coming up with an idea worthy of developing but at the same time simple enough that a small dev team like us can pull it off. We went through two other games before deciding on Gravitronix because the first two ideas were far too complex for a team our size. We want to start small and work our way up and finding the idea that could be our start was probably the biggest challenge.

10. What has been your favourite game on the Wii and have you taken any inspiration from it?

I hate to be cliché and say Wii Sports, but I'm going to choose it anyway. Not only is the game the best viral marker I've ever seen (anyone who tries it at a friend/family member's home will want a Wii shortly thereafter), but it demonstrates how a game can have the simplicity to appeal to anyone while at the same time the depth hardcore players crave. There are some insanely good WIi Sports players out there and I'm quite certain that anyone who wants to pass Wii Sports off as a simple tech demo with no depth will have their asses repeatedly handed to them by the veteran players. Wii Sports struck a perfect balance between accessibility and depth. It is my fondest wish that Gravitronix can achieve even a fraction of that same appeal.

11. What stage of development is the game currently in?

We're still in the early stages: the engine is being finalized, the sprites are being made, the character concept art is being drawn up, the music is being mixed, etc. I realize we have only a few short months between now and the launch of WiiWare, but the project is moving at the best pace capable with the team it has. Everyone on "staff" currently works another job and is doing this on the side in the hopes of living out their dream of game development, but the allure of doing this full time is more than enough to keep us chugging away at it late into the night. I'm even answering these interview questions at 10 PM.

12. When do you hope to have this game finished?

We hope to have Gravitronix ready to launch alongside WiiWare in 2008.

Thanks again Medaverse, I look forward to hearing more about this title in the upcoming months.

Metroid Prime First Impressions

No, don't get your hopes up. I don't have an advance or imported copy of Corruption. I do however have the GC game, Metroid Prime. I am currently waiting on a GameCube Memory card that I bought on Ebay last night. So, there hasn't been much point in playing the game, but it is still fun. Initial Impressions are strong. The game puts you in the feet of Ms. Samus Aran. The training level is very well designed, quickly running you through the controls in a believable manner and throwing enemies at you as soon as your ready for it.

A crucial part of the game is scanning. Although it feels arduous to have to switch in to a different visor (one which you can't shoot in) just to scan items, the scanning works very well. Some things have to be scanned, like computers that open doors. Others have serious advantages, like scanning enemies you can find out what their weak points are. Other items will give you a little piece of literature to fill you in in what looks like in incredibly deep story, finally, some just give you a little pop up briefly describing the object. Although the majority of these scans are unnecessary, they add a nice depth to the game, and the more you scan, the better your final percentage (I believe)

It is difficult to classify this game as at some points. Sometimes it feels like a FPS, others a FPA(first person adventure, and no, I didn't just make that acronym up) You will spend a lot of time exploring and the shooting you do is mainly handled with by locking on to them. The game also has environmental puzzles. The ones I have come across have been fairly simple, but I imagine that they will get more and more complex.

The two boss battles I have fought have been much better than most other bosses I have ever thought. They will have a weakness, but to find this weakness you have to either scan them or be very lucky. Even when you have found the weakness, there is still plenty of skill and timing to defeat the boss. When you beat them it feels much more rewarding than most boss fights.

Overall, the game looks and feels great with some fantastic boss battles as well. I can't wait to get my memory card and give it a proper spin.

Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz

System: Wii
Type: Puzzle/Adventure
Graphics: 7.5/10
Sound: 7.5/10
Gameplay:8/10
Story: N/A
Multiplayer: 8/10

Overall: 7.5/10

Super Monkey Ball was the surprise success for the GC which involved a fun single player a 3 simple multiplayer games that had equal appeal to both veterans and novices alike. This premise makes it an excellent title for the Wii, but how does it hold up?

The single player is a shinning point for this game. The games main campaign feels as if originally intended for the Wiimote. For those who are unaware of the series, the single player involves steering a monkey in a ball (!) along a perilous path by tilting the ground which the ball resides. The game adds a jump button and this fits seamlessly in to the game, allowing for much more imaginative puzzles restricted by nothing. The puzzles are well developed and the difficulty increases steadily throughout the game. It takes about 1 minute to get used to the controls and I have never had any Wiimote malfunctions which would have no doubt ruin the delicate control scheme. The length of the game is, although not breathtaking, will probably keep you going for quite a long time. The game features 7 worlds, each featuring 8 maps. At the the end of each world, you must fight a boss. These, although feel less polished than the rest of the game, are simple and fun. The bosses are amusing in designed and work well. They serve as a very nice ending to the world and offer an extra challenge to the best as collecting the bananas on the boss levels is particularly challenging. There appears to be some bug that inhibits the replaying of certain levels, but this is more of an annoyance than anything else.

The multiplayer is less consistent. The game boasts 50 multiplayer modes This figure is somewhat misleading as there are only 11 you would ever come back to. On the other hand, one must remember that having 11 MP games is very good. Still, it is a shame they wasted time and resources making 'Simon Says' instead of an extra map for 'Monkey Wars' . Highlights in the multiplayer include the aforementioned Monkey Wars, where you shoot other monkeys, the classic monkey race and series favourite that has you parachuting on to a target. Monkey Wars is a fantastic example that even in the individual multiplayer games, the Wiimote has been used well. Aiming is naturally done by pointing at the screen, however, what really makes you feel inside the game is to chuck a grenade you hold c and flick the 'Mote. As simple and insignificant this may seem, it works supremely well. Another good point about the MP is that the classic SSMB games have been adapted almost perfectly to suit the Wiimote. You barely notice that instead of a joystick you are tilting your hand. The maps however, is a problem, the MP lacks any serious re playability, particularly in the map department. For example, 'Monkey Race' has only 5 tracks, and that is one of the most. Creating maps is, compared to creating full blown games, probably quite easy. Why they didn't bundle some extra maps is beyond me. Monkey Wars, as great as it is, loses a lot of value when you realise it only has 3 quite small maps. Simon says in one of the 39 weak titles in the MP line up. The rest range from poor to absolutly rubbish. Some of the games are rubbish because of poor execution, as is the case in Monkey Bowling where you have no determinable effect on the outcome of the game, others are just stupid ideas, like Simon Says. Overall, you have to just ignore the rubbish titles and just pretend there are only good ones.

The game has a very nice graphical feel. The game will not win any awards for it, but with its bright block colours, it comes across as a fun happy game. There are no points where the graphics are ugly. Some of the multiplayer games, particularly 'Monkey Asteroids' look very nice. Compared with the first two titles, the step up is not always noticeable, but the maps feel much bigger as opposed to the enclosed feel of SMB1+2.

The sound in the game is as mixed as the multiplayer. In some cases it fits the world (a group of levels in a particular theme) perfectly. Where as other times you will end up muting it, it is that bad. The noises the monkeys make and the American commentary adds nothing to the game. The game does not feature huge amounts of SFXs, the ones it does feature do not impact on the game a lot, but certainly do not subtract from it. The sound is something that could definitely be improved upon, but does not cripple the game.

In conclusion Super Monkey Ball is a strong entry for the Wii. The single player is well worth the investment if you have enjoyed other SMB titles. If you have not tried the single player in previous titles, I recommend renting this title first, as the fiddly nature of it means that if it isn't your sort of game, you will just find it frustrating. The MP should keep you and your friends amused for a couple of hours. The presentation is good, not outstanding, but solid as one comes to expect from SMB. The game is by no means perfect and any sequels will surly improve upon the hit and miss style in the MP element. I do however, despite my slight qualms, recommend this game to all Wii owners.

Gravitronix Interview Preview

The creators of Gravitronix, Medaverse Studios, have agreed to do a Q and A with this blog (thanks!) I will be sending off the questions this Sunday so if you have any questions you would like asked, please post a comment. The only details to have been released thus far are :

-Gravitronix is an action/battle game for 1-4 players (possibly 8).
-The game takes place in a single-screen arena.
-The objects seen in the logo are the projectiles used as weapons.
-These projectiles will have different physics, making them behave differently depending on how you use them.
-There will be a great deal of depth in the control scheme.
-Veteran players will master manoeuvre's which make rookie players cry "HAX!!!"
-These details are intentionally vague, but we will have screenshots and movies closer to release which will explain everything.

All questions submitted will be considered but I can't promise that Medaverse will want to give away the relevant piece of information . The interview should be out before next Wednesday.

Blog Update

Well we are now entering possibly the greatest autumn/winter in gaming history (for America at least) So what are you looking forward to most. It actually started with the release of BioShock and Metroid, both getting very positive reactions. Unfortunately, GTA IV and MGS launch dates have slipped, but there is still Super Smash Bros Brawl, Halo3, BWii, LittleBig Planet, PGR 4 and Assassins Creed to make this the best (and most expensive) next few months for gamers. On top of that, I will be working my back off to produce the new Veteran Gamer website in time for its launch January 1st. That's right, a release date. So what title are you looking forward to most? Leave a comment below...

Metroid Prime 3 reviews are in following its release in NA last Tuesday. IGN gave it a massive 9.5, 1up and 9 and Gamespot an 8.5 There were some mixed opinions but they all said the game felt epic and the controls were very good. GameSpot criticized some of the motion actions of the Wiimote, whereas IGN said they worked very well. They said the game was overall easier and the boss fights were a lot of fun, if also slightly easier. Another plus is the game will feature lot of cool unlockables including the ability to take and send (through Wii Connect 24) scren grabs of the game, extra clothing for your Miis, bumper stickers for your spaceship and and Super Hard difficulty level. I can't wait to get my hands on this game, but I have to wait till October 26th.
Release: October 26th 2007

On the Halo front. Two very cool developments have come to light. Firstly, Halo 3 will feature a map editor, but not just and old map editor, you can play in this one multiplayer, shooting people as well as changing the map. Aside from the obvious things, like making and saving maps, the thing will actually feature death matches where you can fly around and drop scorpions on your enemy. It is quite difficulty too explain, but trust me, the possibilities are endless. The second thing is Halo Wars, the up and coming RTS for the 360. First off, the graphics look amazing. Literally jaw breaking, although I didn't get to see the actual control scheme, they were clearly well mapped as the guy could move around the map effortlessly, whilst controlling his men with ease. Another great thing, is that the vehicles drive like how they would on Halo. Warhogs will slide about, for example. Overall, this game is shaping up to look amazing. What I want to know, is whether you can play as the Covenant or not. It will be a huge disappointment for me if you can't, as driving armies of Ghosts sounds like fun. Regardless, I am looking forward to this title with eager anticipation.
Halo 3 Launch Date: September 26th 2007
Halo Wars Launch Date: TBA

A slight disappointment for me was when I discovered that PGA Tour 08 for the Wii would not be featuring online play. This has made me decide to just simply hold on until they do(I was planning on getting PGA Tour '07 if it didn't) This is probably a good thing as looking at Metroid 3 reviews has made me realise just how highly regarded the other Metroid Primes were. As a result, so that I know the story and I am not missing out, I am thinking of getting them and a GC controller for my Wii.
PGA Release Date: 31st August
Metroid 1&2 Already Released

Upcoming Posts:
Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz Review - I have already written it, so this is very realistic
[Hopefully] An interview with Wiiware developer called Medaverse, I am waiting for an email back from there
Nintendo Press Conference - Also written

I am going back to school next Tuesday so expect a temporary lapse in posts.

Metroid Prime Preview Channel

A couple of posts ago I said that Nintendo have released a new channel in the US, but not the UK. For everyone who is on the wrong side of the pond, here are all the videos that have been released on it. Enjoy. Thanks Troy for the comment, by the way!

Wii overtakes 360 Worlwide

Well, we all knew it was going to happen, and now it has. The Wii has shipped 10.57 million consoles, overtaking the 360s 10.51 in just half the launch time. So what does this mean? Well firstly, it means Nintendo is that bit richer which it can put to making new games, and when it comes to the next generation, can have a console that makes a loss on each sale (Like Sony and Microsoft) allowing them to put more stuff in their consoles. Also, it means that game developers will see that Wii is where the money is because it has the biggest market so will put more energy in to developing games for it. For anyone who cares, the PS3 is on 4.32 million. All figures come from vgchartz

If anyone knows about the Apple vs. PCs ads, there is an amusing collection of spoofs ones advertising the PC here.

Nintendos First Mistake

So far Sony has been the only company to make major mistakes when it comes to PR. Both Nintendo and Microsoft have steered clear of upsetting me. However, Nintendo has slipped up. I am talking primarily about ignoring the UK. This is almost a cardinal sin as far as I am concerned. Not just because I live in the UK, but because hundreds of thousands of avid gamers do too. What have we done to deserve this second rate service that we always get. PS3 launching at almost twice the price in the UK, not receiving a price drop, getting a downgraded console, much later launches and now this.

So what have Nintendo done. Well, I was on GS in a union (a mini-foum for a particular group of people) and I saw a post by YearoftheSnake detailing of a new Wii channel. If that wasn't exciting enough it was a Metroid Prime preview channel with streamable videos featuring the game. I nearly broke my TV remote in my eagerness to get this channel. I dived for the Wii Shop Channel to go look for it. The shop loaded up. I clicked on Wii Software, wondering when they were going to change it to Wiiware, and it wasn't there. After a brief amount of digging, I found this was a US channel. When I searched Google for it, displaying only UK pages, it found nothing. Through my digging, I also discovered that SSBB wasn't even coming out this year in the UK. However, I can understand that, they know there is going to be a huge amount of demand for it and they do need to physically produce it. However, something which is downloadable, there is no reason. They don't need to make copies of the files for each user. The only reason I can think of is streaming issues. However, I would prefer to have to watch it at an off-peak time than not at all. Seriously Nintendo, sort it out.

Also, I forgot one thing off my list, printed instruction manuals. They are really good as it gives you something to do once you have turned off your PC. Finally, I am going on holiday early tomorrow morning, will be back Thursday week.

7 Most Import Things in a Game

Following a post by Juuso on Gameproducer.net on the 7 most important things to include a game, (although I heard it from Troy Goodfellows post on the 8 most important things) I decided to create a list for there is nothing man likes more than creating lists.

1. Online Multiplayer

This is true for every type of game (except maybe puzzle games) A good online mode can triple a games value. A good multiplayer can make up for an average single player (in the case of Delta Force 2), good muiltplayer can keep players playing a game and thus more interested in sequels and most importantly, multiplayer can extend the games longevity and thus value ad infinitum. Wii Sports is a game that is missing in online multiplayer.

2. Map Editor

Where Troy put random maps in his list, which are undoubtedly important, I think an editor can replace random maps, and improve on their ability. No matter how clever a designer is, the world as a whole is cleverer and will thus make better maps than them. Map editors can keep people tied to a game like multiplayer, on top of the fact it adds to value with out any extra effort on the developer. Map editors need to be well made and easy to use, but with lots of depth, unlike the Civ 4 World Builder. Also in this point is the ability to Mod stuff, this ironically, has been done excellently on Civ 4.

3. Customisation

Customisation should be added wherever it can. I may be alone in this, but I love customisation. From painting cars in Forza, to spending hours creating a character in Oblivion to just changing colour schemes in Dawn of War. Everyone wants to be unique and where online is present, customisation becomes even more important. I get frustrated when customisation is limited when it dosen't need to be(as with Miis) EA is currently leading the way with character development although Forza and Oblivion both need a nod of the hat.

4. Brink of Death

In any action game, you must always be on the brink of death. You must always be checking your health and finding it on one, reloading you gun to find it is the final magazine. At no point should you be comfortable in your position. RE4 does this excellently. Terror can incorporate you in a game like nothing else. This way you are breathing heavily and thank the heavens when you find a pause. Zelda always feels a little safe. You have loads of life and lose it rarely, you always have your trusty sword and enemies never seem to pose much more than a nuisance. Fortunately, Zelda isn't about combat.

5. No locked content

I don't know why developers do this. Why force you to unlock content? You have paid for the game, surely that should give you the right to play with all of it. Ok, I accept that some things should be kept as a reward, such as peripherals and costumes, but completing whatever the goal is should be a reward in its self in a well designed game. It frustrates me when entire modes are locked. For people like me, who often don't complete games, it means that when we review them we can only mark half the content, which will effect the score.

6. Save whenever

Something which is often over looked in anything except long strategy games for PC is the ability to save anywhere. Now I appreciate that developers don't want people saving every 5 minutes so they don't have to go back far, but what if you need to go out. Once again, it comes back to the point that you have bought the game. Yes the game will be more fun if you limit your saving, but that option should reside with the player, who can choose to only save when they quite, rather than the developer who clearly don't have the tasks of real life or know about the individual habits. What does it matter to them if you get less enjoyment from the game because you just want to beat it.

7. Custom Music

A feature often overlooked for people developing for the Orginal Xbox was the ability to use a custom soundtrack. This issue has been fixed with the 360 as music is operated separately from the game. I thought this feature was great. Obviously some games need the tense music to create an atmosphere, but there are some games when their is no reason to have it. Civ 4 does have it, but is quite unique in this. It can't be hard to implement in a game for computers and makes a lot of sense as, thanks to the rise of MP3 players, most people have their music collection on their computer. Not being able to listen to music can often put me off playing a game because I want to listen to some music.

Most of these are small gripes but they really do irritate me when they aren't there. The majority of them their is no excuse not to include them. You can post y0ur 7 in the comments section if you wish.

On a side note, a went on Stealth at Thorpe Park a couple of days, ago, it was terrifying. Go to youtube and type in "Stealth Thorpe Park" and watch the second and third videos for some idea of what it is like. It is absolutely mental, I can tell you that for nothing.