I recently wrote about the Wii Ware retro sequels that appeal to me but there are even more on Xbox Live. Unlike goddamn Wii Ware, Xbox Live has DEMOS so I’ve actually played all of the games on this list that have been released. This list ONLY contains games that I have determined to be good and possibly worthwhile. This means that Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix will not be listed – it’s a good game but barely an update and probably worth $7, not $15. At the bottom of the list are some upcoming releases that interest me.
PRE-ARTICLE CLARIFICATION
On several, previous occasions I claimed that one must have a paid membership to Xbox Live to buy download games. NOT TRUE. A free account membership gives one access to both paid games AND demos.
RELEASED GAMES
Prince of Persia Classic
$10, Gameloft/Ubisoft
I bought the full game and it’s great. It’s a remake (in the true sense) of the original PoP. The story is the same, the levels are similar but everything’s been made from scratch, with very different control mechanics. The graphics are full 3D and based on the designs from the 2003-2005 PoP games. I really recommend this one and it’s definitely worth the $10.
Bionic Commando Rearmed $10, GRIN/Capcom
Another one that I bought – it’s sort of a remake of the NES Bionic Commando, but the levels are (mostly) different, there are many new features, bonus areas, the bosses are really wild, and the dialogue is hilarious. The price is nice!
Pac-Man Championship Edition
$10, Namco Bandai
This game kinda started the recent trend of taking an old-ass game, keeping the old, pixellated sprites and enveloping it in neon effects and techno music. This game is highly recommended for fans of the old Pac-Man games. It has the same gameplay but somewhat more complicated and with many different modes. A worthy release but at $10 it’s definitely overpriced.
Mega Man 9
$10, Inti Creates/Capcom
Just like the Wii version (which I’ve been playing lately). It’s just like the NES Mega Mans but with some new – but not drastic – elements. At $10 it’s a bit overpriced but it is long and challenging.
1942 Joint Strike
$10, Backbone/Capcom
I’ve only played the demo, which is fairly long, but it seems to be pretty tight. It has a lot more variety than the original 1942 and has great boss fight action and a chase sequence. I might buy it someday.
Space Invaders Extreme
$10, Backbone/Taito
This is actually a conversion of a DS and PSP release from 2008. The Xbox Live version has improved visuals that might give you a seizure. This game shows how effectively a really old formula can become fresh. The action is much more intense than in the original with waves appearing right after the other and crazy boss fights. Compared to $30 for the DS version, $10 isn’t too bad.
Galaga Legions
$10, Namco Bandai
Every Galaga sequel has some twist to bring the old fans back in and this is no exception. Now you have 2 auto turrets that you can position and reposition to your heart’s delight all over the play field. The action is non-stop. Another one I may get someday.
FORTHCOMING GAMES
The Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition LucasArts
Announced at E3, this game is a remake-from-scratch of the original Monkey Island. It will have brand new graphics and full voiceover work with a complete overhaul of the command system.
Tales of Monkey Island
Telltale Games/LucasArts
On the heels of the Monkey Island remake comes a new episodic release developed by a team of former LucasArts adventure game folks. It sounds interesting but I’m only tentatively excited mainly due to Telltale’s modus operandi: 1) they seem to be really hit or miss and 2) the game will be released in 5 installments, likely at $10 apiece. God!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled Ubisoft
And now we have a 3D remake of the 1991 arcade hit, originally by Konami. Not much is known but it seems interesting.
Metal Slug 7
SNK Playmore
Wow, I’m glad I didn’t waste $30 to buy this on DS last year! It’ll probably only be $10 from Xbox Live. Sweet.
QIX original platform
arcade developer/publisher
Taito America key personnel
Randy Pfeiffer (program/design)
Sandy Pfeiffer (concept)
The player controls a cursor that navigates through an empty, rectangular field. Pursuing the player are two enemy cursors and the eponymous Qix – a psychedelic energy field that aimlessly rambles around the field. The player’s objective is to “draw” rectangles, large or small, that cordon off at least 75% of the field.
Moon Cresta‘s contribution to the space shooter genre is an absence of uniform behavior, with villains moving in maddeningly random patterns like leaves in a breeze. The star of the game is a large, powerful ship that detaches into three sections. The player begins with the fore section, rather small with only a single beam. If this section is destroyed, the middle section takes over, armed with two beams. Finally, the third section features two beams spread far apart. If the player can keep the sections intact through a few assault waves, an opportunity to combine some of them is offered in the form of a delicate docking maneuver, creating the ultimate weapon.
PHOENIX original platform
arcade developer/publisher
Amstar/Centuri
Phoenix begins with a black screen and a sombre, minor-key melody pulled straight from a 19th Century music box. A surprisingly detailed outer space scene scrolls by and suddenly the action begins. This sequence establishes the bleak, likely hopeless undertaking facing the player, as earth appears to be under attack by aliens. These invaders are much more aggressive and and less predictable than their those found in Phoenix‘s space shooter peers. Some attack waves replace the enemy ships with giant swooping brids while a bonafide boss fight rounds everything off.
NGR will return very soon. I’ve basically just been very busy with the evaluation part. I decided to do arcade games for awhile because they’re shallow and easy to evaluate but what I wasn’t counting on were the many conversions of some games. As an extreme example, Street Fighter II has like 20 ports out there. However, I should be wrapping up the ports evaluations soon and articles will resume. I told Scott I would resume writing this week but maybe I should wait until Monday and avoid the week-end.
More details have emerged on the new Metroid game, and it’s all good. Contrary to what I wrote earlier, it’s not just Team Ninja that’s developing the game. What’s actually happening is something like this: the internal Nintendo team that developed Metroid Fusion and Metroid Zero Mission is designing the game but they don’t really have any experience working in 3D so Team Ninja was recruited to execute the design. Their influence seems to have made the game more oriented toward frantic action than previous games but Nintendo promises that adventure elements are still an emphasis. A third company called D-Rockets is working exclusively on cinematic story sequences, which will apparently be plentiful. The best news of all is that Yoshio Sakamato, the director and/or producer of Metroid, Super Metroid, and the previously mentioned 2D games is in charge of the whole thing.
So this is officially the Nintendo game I’m most excited about from this year’s E3. Even though it’s an old series it’s being approached in a very different way, just like Metroid Prime showed us a new style of Metroid game back in 2002. Meanwhile, we haven’t seen any real innovation in the Mario or Zelda series since the 90s. Wah!
The Last Guardian (PS3, Sony)
This is from the development team that made Ico and Shadow of the Colossus so chances are it will be beautiful, emotional, and unusual. It appears to feature a boy and his gigantic, griffin-like companion.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (PS3 & X360, Konami)
Konami is attempting a 4th 3D Castlevania game, this time supposedly being overseen by Metal Gear Solid’s Hideo Kojima. I’m only mildly excited because the previous 3D Castlevanias have been mediocre and the preview vid looks like Devil May Cry or God of War and those series suck ass.
So, the Electronic Entertainment Expo is going on right now in LA. In 2007 and 2008 it seemed to have lost some of its luster due to an altered format and competition from big game shows in Japan and Germany. It seems to have regained some of its clout as several of the big gaming companies have used the last couple of days to debut a bunch of upcoming games. Here are the games I’m most interested in (note: this list contains ONLY games that were debuted at this year’s E3. There are many other upcoming games that interest me that are not listed below.)
New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Nintendo, Wii)
Just like 2006′s New Super Mario Bros. for DS, this game is a 2D old-school platformer. The gimmick is that it allows for up to 4-player cooperative/competitive action, and players 2-4 can enter and exit the game at any time. It had better be a lot fucking longer than the DS game. It will hit stores late this year.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Nintendo, Wii)
Mixed feelings on this one. I love a new Mario game but the space theme again? I already felt that the first Galaxy was basically Super Mario 64 in space. More of the same is cool but it almost seems like it should have been downloadable expansions instead of a full sequel.
Metroid: Other M (Nintendo, Wii)
My, how things have changed when I’m more interested in this game than the previously mentioned Mario games. It’s being developed by Team Ninja, the team from Tecmo that make the Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive games. I’m confused because these guys all quit the company – so is Team Ninja independent now or did Tecmo just replace all those guys? Anyway, this title looks to be very story-heavy for a Metroid game and also pretty action-oriented.
Golden Sun DS (Nintendo, DS)
Oops, I never played the 2 GBA Golden Sun games but by reputation they’re supposed to be very, very good so perhaps I’ll play this one in 30 years.
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (Konami, PSP)
I don’t know much about it but I really liked the previous MGS for PSP so there!
Metal Gear Solid Rising (Konami, Xbox 360)
This is the first big MGS game debuting on a non-Sony system since 1990. Too bad MGS4 will apparently still be PS3-only.
Left 4 Dead 2 (Valve, Xbox 360)
I haven’t even played the first Left 4 Dead (it’s too new and I’m too cheap) but it’s chock full of zombies and is made by a beloved development team.
Shadow Complex (Microsoft, Xbox 360 Live Arcade)
A downloadable game with 3D graphics and 2D gameplay, with exploration and nonlinear action in the vein of Metroid and Castlevania. However, the settings look like deserted cities.
HARDWARE
PSP Go: A new handheld from Sony that is meant to coexist with the regular PSP. It’s quite small and games are download-only. There will be some crossover with the PSP library but eventually most PSP Go games will be exclusive. So far, I’m not sure if it’s actually more powerful than the regular PSP or what.
“Project Natal”: An interesting development from Microsoft and basically their answer to motion controls. It’s basically a camera that monitors your whole body’s movement so essentially your body is the controller – you don’t hold anything at all. They demoed it with some racing games. It seems cool but looks can be deceiving – the Wii motion control looked a lot better than it really was three years ago.
konkluzions: My biggest disappointment is a lack of anything NEW from Nintendo. They haven’t launched any great NEW properties since 2001. Everything they’ve introduced since then has been aimed “non-gamers” – I’m referring to releases like Nintendogs, Wii Fit, Wii Sports, Brain Age, etc. At the same time they seem content to milk their hardcore franchises in ways they never have before. Evidence:
’91-’00 ’01-’10
Mario games released 3 5
Zelda games released 4 8
Metroid games released 2 7
When Wii Ware was announced 2 or 3 years ago it was suggested that the service might offer brand new sequels to longtime franchises. As of 2 weeks ago, over a year into the program, there were only 2 such games that interested me. But a slew of releases over the last week, plus a couple of games coming very soon, seems to indicate that this potential is being fulfilled. The best part of all this is that these games are cheap, BUT with a few unpleasant pricing surprises concerning add-ons.
MEGA MAN 9 (Capcom)
-$10
-downloadable content: endless attack stage $3, play as Proto Man $2, hard mode $1, super hard mode $1, extra time attack stage $1
-grand total if you want everything: $18
Capcom kind of got the whole retro sequels ball rolling for WiiWare with their ridiculous fanservice game, Mega Man 9, released last year. It looks and plays just like the 6 NES Mega Man games, which I guess could be good or bad. If you’re familiar with the old Mega Man games then there’s not much more to say about it. The price point may have been slightly high considering the technical aspects and all those dumb extra downloads should have been included in the main release at no extra charge. This is the only game in this article that I have downloaded as of 6/2/9. I’ve only played it occasionally in short spurts without trying to beat the game so far.
SPACE INVADERS GET EVEN (Taito/Square Enix)
-$5
-downloadable content: level 2 $5, level 3 $5, level 4 $5
-grand total for everything: $20
So this one is a mixed package. Unlike the other games in this article, the gameplay is actually innovative for its series while being true to its theme and roots. This time around, you get to play as the Invaders and destroy those places we all hate, like Paris. The graphics aren’t nostalgic; instead featuring full 3D. That $5 price point seems very nice but that’s only for the first level. The three additional levels have to be downloaded separately for $5 apiece, which is pretty stupid. I may just get the first level and destroy whatever I can.
BUBBLE BOBBLE PLUS (Taito/Square Enix)
-$6
-downloadable content: 50 level super mode $2, another 50 level super mode $2
-grand total if you want everything: $10
PLUS contains an upgraded remake of the original Bubble Bobble as well as a new 100 level arrange mode that allows for 4-PLAYER Bubble Bobble action. For all of that, $6 is quite reasonable. The expansions seem pretty reasonable, as well, offering another 100 total levels for only $4 more.
RAINBOW ISLANDS TOWERING ADVENTURE (Taito/Square Enix)
-$6
-downloadable content: to be determined
This game doesn’t hit the US until mid-June but it’s been released everywhere else already. Unlike Bubble Bobble Plus, it messes with the Rainbow Islands formula a bit more, adding new playing mechanics and speed challenge levels. The character designs are pretty different from previous games in the series, as well. And the price is nice.
FINAL FANTASY IV: THE AFTER YEARS (Square Enix)
-$8
-downloadable content: a bunch of chapters
-grand total for everything: $37!
This one troubles me a bit. It’s a sequel to FFIV and was even written by the dude that scripted the original. However, this episodic content release method, plus the pricing, is just stupid. Downloading all of the chapters will run you $37 and these chapters not just add-ons; the game is incomplete without them. Considering we’re dealing with SNES-level graphics, this is definitely a ripoff. I should expect as much from Square, which charged a whopping $40 for their DS Chrono Trigger port (with minimal upgrades and the same old SNES graphics). I visted a message board for this game and all the fanboys were DEFENDING the price, even saying that spreading it out made it okay. wtf? Give me my fucking game now – not in pieces – and don’t rip me off. Maybe in 15 years there will be WiiWare emulators.
ADVENTURE ISLAND: THE BEGINNING (Hudson Soft/Konami)
-$8
This one snuck up on me and was a real surprise. Unlike the other series in this post, Adventure Island has been mostly dormant (except for a Japan-only upgrade of the original installment) for 15 years. And then BAM, a WiiWare sequel. What I like about this game is that it seems to focus more on exploration than the earlier games. Some of the environments look pretty nice and the price point is pretty decent.
CONTRA REBIRTH (Konami)
-$10
Oh, kewl, a new Contra game. It just came out in Japan a couple of weeks ago and there’s no US date announced yet. The graphics are 2D but more advanced than SNES and with, dare I say it, a slightly more cartoonish look? The DS release Contra 4 was a little too slavish in recreating the early 90s Contra vibe so hopefully this one can change things up a bit.
KONKLUZION: The Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Islands have good prices but they seem more like remakes than sequels compared to the other games listed. The Final Fantasy and Space Invaders games seem awesome until you stumble across the sneaky download pricing model. So, even though they’re not super innovative, I’d say the Mega Man, Contra, and Adventure Island games appear to occupy the preferred middle ground.
Okay. I’ve said this before and by the grace of Satan I’ll say it before: why is American comic book publishers so dumb and why have they STILL not adopted the Japanese manga publishing format? In case you don’t know, manga is released in big-ass telephone book sized anthologies over in Japanz. They’re stocked in newstands and all over the damn place. Popular manga publications sell millions of copies and feature all the hot, piece of shit anime, video game, toy, whatever properties. They’re printed on shitty paper to cram in as much stuff as they can. There are lots of ads, usually BETWEEN the various stories. I mean TONS of fucking ads. Ads means money.
So let’s say Marvel wanted to give this shit a shot. They’d throw together a book with stories starring all of their biggest properties, slap a bunch of headshots on the cover, solicit every company they can find that markets to males between 5 and 35 and put that shit on the stands at a low, low price. I’m talking 200 pages for $5. I guess Marvel and DC are too fucking stupid to realize this, but it ain’t like the old days. In the 80s I could grab a 22 page comic book printed on shitty paper from the magazine rack at the grocery store priced at 75 fucking cents, show it to my grandma, and there was a good chance she would buy it for me. Now the pieces of crap are $3, still only 22 pages, but now on deluxe paper. When a kid runs up to their parent with this horrible value they are quickly slapped in the face.
So put out anthologies, in black & white, on shitty paper, chock full of ads, at a reasonable price. Use stories that are six months old – the dumb kid at the supermarket won’t know the difference because he’s not a 30 year old guy that hangs out at comic shops. By reprinting older stories you can avoid pissing off the comic shops and you wouldn’t even have any new material costs to go against your budget. Your only expense would be compiling the stories and printing the books.
"Being Strangled" b/w "Us Mere Mortals" (02/08/11)
"Billy and the Black Spot Under an Ugly Moon" (01/11/11)
"Radio Prohibidas" b/w "Never Know" (01/11/11)
"Merry Christmas (Don't Forget To Write)" (12/25/10)
"I'll Take The Bullet For You" b/w "Zenith/Nadir" (12/14/10)
"Warholism (Is Polaroiding)" b/w "Among The Saints" (11/09/10)
"Frantic Prayer" b/w "Kicking The Tires" (10/12/10)
"Gravitational Collapse" b/w "Carcinogenic Kiss" (9/14/10)
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