Guess what time it is? Time to comb through a whole bunch of video game items from the past week, some of it old, or new depending on whomever, along with my two cents along the way.
EDIT: Okay, so even I realize that there’s just too much stuff this time around, plus I also remembered that I forgot to be a bit more organized like I said I would, hence why I threw things around and added headers as some might have noticed. But if anyone still thinks the posts are too long, well, one can voice their opinion via the new poll question that’s just been added…
Video Game: Headlines
- What was the big news in my book? The Super Columbine Massacre RPG/Slamdance controversy. Long story short, the homebrew game that’s based on the nation’s deadliest school shooting, and which has always made people feel uncomfortable, was recently pulled from Slamdance’s Guerilla Gamemakers Competition due to a a number of sponsors pulling financial backing, as well as other entities being upset with the infamous title’s inclusion.
Shortly afterwards, several other finalists ended up pulling their entries from the competition as a sign of protest. Oh, and here’s an interview with the creator of the game who reveals several noteworthy things, such as how it was Slamdance’s idea in the first place for him to submit his game. Though some of the other things he says that has folks rather upset, but more on that in a sec…
Needless to say, there’s been a great deal of discussion and debate all across the web for the past week regarding the validity of the game, as well as censorship. Those who applaud the decision feel that the game was an ultimate act in poor taste and that it both trivialized and capitalized on a tragedy, and most certainly not worthy to be in a valid competition. Though its rather easy to tell that almost none of these folks have actually played the game to see what its all about. Meanwhile other feel that the decision is a blatant act of censorship, and speak of people’s close-mindedness, of their inability to recognize a valid piece of art, one that deliver social commentary in a new and dynamic way. Though unfortunately, a lot of those folks also admit to have never played the game either.
From what I’ve heard, the game is not that great. BTW, it was created in RPG Maker, a program that allows people to compose role-playing games with the use of simple tools and templates. Its also from Japan, with the look and functionality of the games in the end being rather simplistic, harkening back to the days of old school JRPGs, such as Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy for the NES/Famicom. And that’s what Super Columbine Massacre RPG looks like, which has been enough to infuriate folks; many believe super-deforming real life killers is rather tasteless, and while I disagree, there certainly is a certain shock value to it all, which is part of the point. Though that’s also been one core point of contention; I’ve read from more than one source that the guy behind the game made it for less than noble intentions, but once he got such massive attention, he had to change his tune to avoid looking like a dumbass. Who knows, and even if that’s true, does it even matter?
All I know is that I might have to side with the folks defending its artistic integrity. After-all, just because something is in poor taste and makes people uncomfortable doesn’t mean its not art. Since after all, that’s what its all ultimately about, yada, yada, yada, and I also frown upon the notion that video games can’t be art in the first place, and doesn’t deserved to be viewed alongside books, films, music, etc. But at the same time, the game could very well suck as well. Not in the sense that its just not my cup of tea (yeah, I think Madden “sucks” too, but that’s because I don’t like sports games) but it could just be a poorly executive game.
- The next big bit of news is that Sega is suing YTMND for all the wacky Sonic related crap that they host. Which, of course, is pretty ridiculous.
The official reaction is pretty interesting, as well as pretty damn funny (albeit kinda homophobic, as well as a tiny bit racist… oh and be sure to have headphones plugged in, otherwise its totally NSFW).
BTW, this is the YTMND that has Sega all pissed off in the first place: Sonic giving advice on anal rape. Anyway, as its already been pointed out by numerous parties, given the atrocity that Sonic the Hedgehog for PS3/360 turned out, they easily deserve all the shit they get.
What’s Coming Out (And Not) For The Handhelds
- Sticking with Sega, Crazy Taxi is back, and its coming to the PSP. Its going to be called Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars, and here are some screens. I guess they look good for PSP shots? I dunno… I guess I’m just finally sick and tired of seeing that San Fan hill stage.
At this point, I also already doubtful since its a port of a Sega racer that’s NOT being handled by Digital Sumo (the amazing talents behind all the OutRun 2 ports) but Sniper Studios, and I still have no clue what they’ve done, even from their website.
- The Consumer Electronic Show recently went down in Vegas, which used to be the big video game trade event till E3 came along. And now that the Electronic Entertainment Expo is dead, I wondered if the CES would try to reclaim that title. It would appear not, hence why I didn’t really pay too close attention. And not much happen, unless you like keeping up with the mud-slinging that Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft are heavily engaged in these days (to the point that its so down and dirty that its ceased to be entertaining but just plain annoying).
But there was one small, under the radar game that caught my eye, since I’m such a big Cooking Mama fan: Cake Mania! It sounds just like Cooking Mama, but instead of making of mostly rice dishes, all one really does is… you guessed it… make cakes!
- Unfortunately, another handheld game, one that I had been looking forward to, as well another potential reason to pick up a PSP, is now no more: Traxion has officially been cancelled.
Not sure if anyone else remembers it from this past E3 (or if I actually remembered enough to write about it), but its basically another music based game with the ability to play with any song stored on the system’s memory stick. Its pretty shocking that system doesn’t have its own Vib Ribbon yet. And will it ever?
- Insert Credit brought along news that Kuri Kuri, aka Cookies ‘N Cream on the PS2, which happens to be one of the best damn two players games on the PS2, even till this day, is coming out on the DS. Excellent!
- Yet another DS title I’m really looking forward to is Hotel Dusk, which comes out very soon (the 22nd to be exact). Well in the meantime, here’s the Japanese site for Wario: Master of Disguise, with all sorts of clips in his new “wacky” get-ups.
- Though one DS game which never made it to the US, which I’ve talked about before, is Daigasso! Band Brothers, that game where you make music, and others with the game can play along, each with their own “instrument”. Well here’s a vid showing the title in action, and playing a medley of classic tracks from Sonic 1.
And What Fans Are Cooking Up Themselves (Or Helping To Just Deliver)
- Going back to homemade games: check out Shadows of Lylat, a fan created Starfox title. The trailer can be viewed here. Its being created with the Freespace 2 engine, hence why it looks like every other PC space combat sim (and a very generic one at that). Translation: I think it looks utterly lame (and the music is pretty bad too… if you’re gonna rip off the IP, you may as well go for the whole ten yards and take the musical compositions as well, which to be honest, is pretty much the only thing the series has going for it right now).
Also, I have to wonder how “true” fans they are since the game is another fucking free roaming fuck fest and NOT on-rails, like what every Starfox loves and demands.
- The world of fan translation seems busy as always” Wonder Project J2 is the latest “no longer only enjoyable if you know Japanese” gem from the past to be made English friendly. The game for those who don’t know is an old first-gen N64 game where you have to teach a freshly created robot, who happens to look like a cute young girl (of course, since this is after-all, a Japanese game) how to deal with world at large, primarily interacting with people. The thing that got me hooked was the Gamefan coverage in which apparently she asks you, her creator, “What is God?”
- Meanwhile over at Select Button, you’ll find a thread dedicated to the development of the Segagaga translation project, including a pair of videos from the game that shows what everyone can come to expect. Puppets!
Rumor Control
- IGN has reported that Gradius 6, or whatever the next game in the series will be called on the PlayStation 3, has not been cancelled as some had been led to believe. That’s good news!
- Though IGN also reported that Metal Gear Solid Trilogy, remakes/revamps of the first three MGS games for the 360, was coming out, but that was based on a rumor/fake news posted over at NeoGAF, which got lots of people angry, and GAFfers howling in delight. And you know, I gotta say, it is true: folks like IGN should really get their facts straight and do some fact checking before passing along some rumor they heard on a message board as news.
Or maybe at least credit the source of the information, which has been something that’s also been a recent topic of debate, ever since a 1UP-ite brought it to the table last week once again (and you’ll see what else I had to say in the comments section of the article).
- Here’s another one from yet another gaming board, though it hasn’t been labeled as bullshit, though it certainly sounds like: Microsoft is set to purchase Capcom. Again, highly doubtful.
- This one’s from EGM: apparently a special edition of Guitar Hero is coming out, called 80′s Edition, which include, you guessed it, only 80′s music. So I’m guessing Duran Duran, at least (or at last, depending on your tastes).
I think they also said that Guitar Hero 3 is being developed by Neversoft (the folks behind Tony Hawk, which only makes kinda sense due to the Activision connection), and I have no idea what the hell that’s about.
- Also via the Gaming Age Forums, a thread whose time has come: a place to disclose and discuss gaming rumors from 2ch (or 2chan). Plus some stuff from Quiter can be found as well; remember him? Best stuff thus far: Sega Saturn games running on the Wii, Mother (Earthbound) Online, and “Street Fighter 2 Restart”.
People NEED To Know This Kinda Of Stuff
- Bonus GAF thread! That age old debate has popped up once again: what’s the deal behind Ms. Pac Man’s name? Instead of going with the single parent route, this time incest is brought, which have to admit is a new one (though I’ve already heard that its Pac Man in drag theory before).
- Meanwhile, back over at SB, another age old question is once pondered: what’s the deal with power-ups?
YouTube-A-Rama!
- Time for the YouTube game vid of the week, and this one requires a whole lot of backstory. First we learn about some Mario related in-joke in Japan, one which I had no idea existed. Basically, its the act of making Mario look as if he’s testicles are exposed or is taking a shit. The author of the vid demonstrates this via Super Mario Bros on the Wii’s Virtual Console. Then he boots up the Wii’s web browser, goes to YouTube (how meta, I know) and plays a vid from Wario Ware Smooth Move and points out one of the characters doing the same thing, along with some commentary. Then to show how well known this in-joke is (enough for Nintendo to make a reference themselves), the author goes to Google, again via the Wii, to point towards one fan-created page. Weird huh?
I hope at least one person out there found it as interesting as I did. And let me take it one step further by direct linking the vid in the vid, which happens to be a five minutes plus look at the 9 volt & 18 volt stages in Smooth Moves, which makes the desire to play all the more intense. As expected, there even more super-powered mini games fueled by countless neat-o Nintendo references, including nods to Animal Crossing, Pikmin, Nintendogs, Balloon Fight (in 3D!), and the original Star Fox (attention Shadows of Lylat creators: this is what Starfox is supposed to be like). Plus it?s the Famicom iteration, so expect changes in the American version.
- Also, here’s yet another crappy YouTube game review show, which for whatever reason, I fiund rather enjoyable.
- And here’s something I originally spotted over at GameSetWatch a short whiles ago, and also a reminder that, as someone who lives and breathes games, I sometimes takes things for granted when playing. Hence why I found these series of video so fascinating, created by a major fighting game player fro the Capcom Classics Collection Volume 2. The intend behind them, in the creator’s words were: “to help new players see the game in a way they might not have thought of (as a collection of rectangles dueling for control of space).” Is watching rectangles fight each other fun? Believe it or not, yes!
Previously at GameSetWatch…
- Two more GSW oldies but goodies: first a link to an eBay auction for a special SNES light gun game that, instead of using the Super Score utilized a modified M16. Second, and maybe its already happened, but Comiket is supposed to see the debut of at least twelve shmups! Once again, I’m pretty surprised, given all the comic book nerds I know, many of them being into the anime and manga scene, as well as all stuff WACKY JAPPY, none of them have a single idea that Comiket exists, which as far as I can tell is far bigger than even the San Diego Comic Con. I’ve yet to hear a single peep from them! Strange. And speaking of…
Especially Crazy Random Crap You Maybe Have Already Heard Of (And Something For Cat Lovers), But Just In Case
- Now for something completely unnecessary: for those of you whose necks hurt from excessive looking down at your handheld, here comes a special cushion called the Game Dutch. Its 20% “well that’s kinda neat”/80% “oh God, WTF”.
- BTW, for those who haven’t discovered it yet, not only are people using their Wiis to play YouTube videos (mostly at parties I hear… at least the kinds that gamer geeks throw), but they’re using it to surf for porn, and a few peddlers know this as well.
Actually, it would appear that that the Wii and sex are intrinsically connected; for those who missed it before during the holidays, here’s a tale of some woman so desperate for the system that she was willing to provide blowjobs for one.
- Oh, and since I also know that some folks that read this site, at least ones that I know personally, like cats, they apparently really like the Wii as well. I haven’t even checked out the link the site for more than three seconds, though it isn’t meant for me, but for folks, so knock yourselves out.
- Something else that I forgot to pass along during the Xmas rush: new Sega shirts from Japan! And apparently, they’re coming out in the US! Sweet!!!
- Going back to the E3 for just one moment: the replacement show as envisioned by the folks behind GamePro and MacWorld, has a name at last: E for All. Kinda gay. And why no E for Everyone? Too obvious? Plus its $100 a ticket. Holy crap. Yet people will probably pay.
Time To Visit Insert Credit (And Have Some Chocolate)
- Let’s take a look at what’s been reported over at the IC shall we (which, for-whatever reason has become totally revitalized)? Well first we have info on the Sonic Rush prototype that recently hit the web, which has different music from the very Jet Set Radio-esque Hideki Naganuma soundtrack that everyone likes, but many which many also feel isn’t every Sonic-like (and I’m somewhat in agreement with those folks).
Next comes word that the upcoming Twin Bee compilation pack for the PSP (which, you guessed it, is yet one more reason why I’m itching to get a PSP) will include an enhanced version of the Game Boy game. I guess it goes without saying that I’m also eyeing the Life Force pack as well.
And finally, here’s info on a block of chocolate shaped like a NES cartridge, including instructions on how to make your own. Neat.
Enough Words, More Pictures
- Time to wrap things up with a quick glance at noteworthy stupid boxarts, neat ads, or fan art. Kinda of a dry week.
Here’s a pair of print ads for the Wii version of Cooking Mama…
And here’s a pair of shitty box arts of shovelware PS2 titles from Europe. First you got Iron Chef the game…
Then something called Paccie…
Oh, and did anyone else know that there’s a Little Britain video game coming out?
Finally, since I’m a big Viewtiful Joe fan, here’s a piece of fan art that combines that and Zelda…
