New Games |
- Live show: Rayman Origins tomorrow on Mash Tactics!
- Super Meat Boy speed run puts us all to shame
- Nintendo offices have rupee pillows!?!?
- This is why Street Fighter X Tekken isn't on Wii U or 3DS
- Mega Man X skin coming to Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3
- A lovely look at videogames through Persona 4
- Contest: Win these Saints Row themed ASTRO A40 headsets!
- Review: GoldenEye 007: Reloaded
- New River City Rampage/Renegade game makes me joy-barf
- Jimmy Fallon does NOT deserve that Link on Epona statue
- Interview: I Got Next, a fighting game documentary
- Comments of the Week: Em Double-Yew Triple Funbus!
- Mega64 presents Modern Game Journalism: The Movie
| Live show: Rayman Origins tomorrow on Mash Tactics! Posted: 13 Nov 2011 01:00 PM PST That's right! We're playing Rayman Origins, live, tomorrow on Mash Tactics! You won't want to miss out on Ubisoft's amazing four-player, co-op, 2D platformer -- a game our own Conrad Zimmerman says is "one of the best of its kind." From 4PM to 7PM Pacific, our live show Mash Tactics over on Destructoid's Twitch TV channel will be streaming the limbless hero in all his HD glory. Come join the most trusted man in gaming, Jon Carnage, and myself as we set out on this mystical adventure a whole day before the game's official November 15 release. Watch this space for the livestream embed starting at 4PM on Monday! |
| Super Meat Boy speed run puts us all to shame Posted: 13 Nov 2011 12:00 PM PST People are talking about Dark Souls, saying that it's all hard and stuff. While I don't disagree with that claim, the kind of difficulty that Dark Souls offers isn't the kind I can easily appreciate. Though I'm far from an expert on the title, from what I've played, the game is about staying smart with your combat and level up strategies, while taking the time to grind, and deal with plenty of "gotcha" deaths. While I respect that, I have to say that watching an expert Super Meat Boy play through does a lot more for me. Observing the a master Dark Souls player at work is like watching a brilliant composer write music, while watching a top tier playthrough of Super Meat Boy is like watching an vintage Yngwie Malmstien solo. As someone who once spent over 8 hours trying to beat this game, seeing it done in less than 20 minutes (minus warp zones) is more than a little mind blowing. Also, Hamza wants to know, what's up with that muscle meat at the end? |
| Nintendo offices have rupee pillows!?!? Posted: 13 Nov 2011 11:00 AM PST I don't know who this "Andrew Kelly" cat is or how he managed to breach the impenetrable walls of Nintendo's headquarters, but none of that matters! People! People! People! There are rupee pillows in the Nintendo offices! Again, there are rupee pillows at the Nintendo offices! Why does this get me so hot and bothered? I don't know! Rupee pillows at Nintendo by Andrew Kelly [Hipstamatic] |
| This is why Street Fighter X Tekken isn't on Wii U or 3DS Posted: 13 Nov 2011 10:00 AM PST Earlier this week, Gematsu posted an interview with Street Fighter X Tekken producer Yoshinori Ono. Questions plucked from both the site's readers and NeoGAF were addressed, including the fear of a "Super" edition appearing soon after the game's release, the possibility of 360-exclusive characters to compensate for Sony's exclusives, and the chances of new Rival Schools or Darkstalkers games. My Nintendo News tore through the BS and managed to boil down the interview to its base. It extracted the most eye-opening, most shocking bit of news from the article -- the reason behind the lack of any announcement regarding SFxT coming to either the 3DS or Wii U. Ono's response? "There isn't any reason in particular actually." What madness! Such gall! The nerve! Boycott, boycott, boycott! Capcom Explains Why StreetFighter X Tekken Isn’t Coming Out For Wii U And 3DS [My Nintendo News] (Thanks for the tip, ShadowboyT!) |
| Mega Man X skin coming to Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 Posted: 13 Nov 2011 09:00 AM PST [Update: Hit the gallery for a look at all of the game's costume DLC. Talbain Amateratsu, Elvis M.O.D.O.K. and O.G. Rad Spencer just made my week. Thanks GeneRamin!] According to the official guide for Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, the game will feature a DLC Mega Man X costume for Zero. Pretty cool, though it's a little nervy that this wasn't included in the main game. Nervy or not, it's up to Capcom to decide how they sell their games. If they want to take the risk of turning off customers by disincluding some content from the initial retail pacakge, then that's their risk to take. Same goes for if they plan to rerelease Mega Man 8 with new audio that includes Dr Light screaming "No!" at the top of his lungs as Proto Man shoots first. It's their game, so it's their call. It's our call to decide if we think those decisions are worth supporting with our hard earned bucks. Of course, not everyone sees it that way. Plenty of fans are already taking the situation personally, claiming that Capcom is including this DLC skin in the game just to antagonize fans who want a real Mega Man character in UMvC3. Never mind that Zero is a Mega Man in everything but name (he even got his own series, aptly titled Mega Man Zero!). Never mind that if Capcom were to release Mega Man X via DLC as a full character, fans would complain that he wasn't in the game at the start, that it will ruin the balance, etc. Never mind that if people really want to play a Vs. fighting game with Mega Man, they can pick up either Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 on XBLA/PSN, or Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom on the Wii right now. Never mind all that. What matters here is that Capcom isn't doing exactly what the fans tell them to do all the time. Therefore, they are trolling. Remember that the next time you say or do something that doesn't 100% satisfy the recipient of your actions, you God damn trolling bastard! Not How It Looks Theater presents: Mega Man X (isn't) in UMvC3 [Joystiq] |
| A lovely look at videogames through Persona 4 Posted: 13 Nov 2011 08:00 AM PST [Editor's note: Community member Byronic Man (a.k.a. Stephen Beirne) presents a fascinating, intelligent look at videogames through classic RPG Persona 4. Enjoy! -Chad] Much can be gained from the analysis of videogames. Whether you’re a reviewer, a gamer, or a maker of games, identifying and analyzing what makes games good or bad can help you to better pursue games with the former qualities while avoiding those with the latter. Perhaps most importantly, analyzing games can be quite interesting and fun. As with every other, this medium has the potential to express meaning. Alongside down-to-earth issues of humor and relationships, hoity-toity questions of philosophy are also identifiable within the course of countless videogames, ranging from the nature of morality to social purpose and ontology. A game’s plot is not the sole vehicle of expression -- well designed gameplay mechanics can (and often do) offer the player meaningful experiences. When a variety of different game elements successfully come together to convey meaning to the player, it can be tremendously enriching. One particular game that embodies this conflux of elements is Persona 4. This critically acclaimed RPG features a wonderful mesh of gameplay mechanics and narrative content which can provide an astounding insight into game design. Although Persona 4 manages this in a way that is especially pleasing to break down and examine, the principles it follows are shared across all videogames. By using Persona 4 as a major example, we can easily uproot the manner in which game elements conspire to impart meaning to the player and the ways we perceive the games we play. In 2006, Ian Bogost published a book titled Unit Operations, wherein he attempted to devise a method of understanding videogames that could also be implemented in any other analysis of any other media. A videogame, he wrote, is ultimately the product of an array of individual units of meaning that cooperate to form a complex system. The units in question are intentionally vaguely defined: they could be anything, varying from the visualization of an enemy on-screen, to an optional act in a moral dichotomy, to the function of the X button. More important than the unit as an isolated metric of meaning is the network they create through their combination. This network is what the player interacts with, when all the individual units kick into action and form a world with which we can inhabit by means of an interface -- an interface which is itself a network of collaborating meanings (a control scheme, a HUD, knowledge of the rules of a game, etc.). When the operation of several units in a system corresponds to the way we are expected to understand what each of the units tells us, the network seems to flow smoothly. Units are not restricted to being individual nodes; a system comprised of many operating units tends to interact with other systems in the network, in which case each interacting system is itself a unit in another system. Like cells and organs in an organism or a sequence of notes that produce melody, videogames are comprised of an infrastructure of interrelated parts and meanings. Taking Persona 4 as a prime example, this game is largely divided up into dungeon sections and school day routine sections. The latter sections present the player with a variety of activities that can upgrade the player-character’s prowess in numerous Social Links, grant him a monetary reward, or increase his statistics thereby unlocking further activities. The player can also spend this section trading money for weapons and items, discovering sub-missions (usually fetch quests with item rewards), or otherwise exploring the city. Many of these activities absorb the rest of your character’s daytime while some take up nothing at all, and since the plot follows a calendar deadline these sections are largely dictated by the player’s timekeeping decisions. One activity that eats up your day is a dungeon section which must be completed before the deadline passes. Here, all the items and money you have gathered and Social Links you have ranked up come into play: items and weapons work to your advantage as you fight monsters on your way to the heart of the dungeon, money can be used to restore your health and SP (ability points), while high Social Links grant you the power to combine and birth Persona (the creatures you use to fight monsters) of much higher levels than you can otherwise obtain. The gameplay mechanics work in such a way that daytime sections enable the player to take on the dungeons, while progress in the dungeon sections likewise determines the player’s timekeeping habits. Each section plays off the other, while each action determines and is determined by other actions. Bogost called his methodology unit operations to emphasize the importance of both the individual components that make up the game and the concerted whirling of the units that ultimately is the game. In order to understand the latter, you must understand the nature of the composite units. Although so far this only really accounts for the various mechanisms of the game, Bogost makes no attempt in his model to undermine the role of the player. Inevitably, the unit operations of a game depend on the agency or participation of the player in order to be recognized. Whether or not the network flows is up to the player to decide under his or her own prerogative. The tenet of subjectivity is one held by many videogame critics so that should come as no shock. What Bogost wanted to invigorate was not a new era of objective criticism but rather an understanding of the methods by which players experience games. In doing so, he hoped to bridge the gap between computation and the humanities, between videogames and literature and film and music. As wonderfully abstract as the defined "units" are, they can take the form of much of anything and serve multiple purposes in one fell swoop. The old perception that narrative in videogames brings about a distinct divide of gameplay and cutscenes is now horribly outdated. Narrative is just another form of meaning that collaborating units can impart, often side by side with information that tends to be more practical for the purpose of the game. In the upcoming Lollipop Chainsaw, boss characters spurt gigantic swear words that fly at the player-character Juliet, dealing damage if they connect. More overtly, in the Ace Attorney games narrative elements are inseparable from the flow of gameplay. A far more subtle unity of narrative and gameplay is the ladder scene in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, which serves as a reprieve after an intense sniper battle with The End, breaking up the action and heralding the beginning of the final leg of the game. (A game’s music is also an operational unit -- consider the cheesy Snake Eater theme song or the amazing melancholic powers of some of the Ace Attorney tunes.) There is no natural schism between units of narrative and units of gameplay -- as often as not they are one and the same, so closely entwined they might be “form and function.” Returning to Persona 4, each of the gameplay mechanics mentioned above work together to form a cohesive narrative framework. They operate in such a way that either they are tied into the progression of a narrative element or promote the game’s distinctive narrative theme, sometimes doing both simultaneously. Social Links -- and thus your affinity for creature types -- are increased by hanging out with various NPCs in the game world: deciding to spend the day with one such character will advance their relationship with the player-character through an in-game cutscene. The resultant process is that as you engage with the other characters and learn more about them, your Social Link in their category increases and your propensity to create Persona of that category strengthens. On top of that, these systems are so named to propagate the theme of social identity. The player-character also has statistics indicating character traits (Courage, Understanding, etc.) that increase as you partake in relevant activities; with higher statistics you can avail of new activities (usually introducing an NPC pertaining to a new Social Link) and unlock more courageous or caring options during narrative sequences. Furthermore, as said earlier the various sections follow a calendar timeline -- certain activities are only available on certain days, and the dungeon sections must be completed before a certain date, whereupon the narrative either progresses or ends in a game over. Since the player is working against the clock in such a manner that his or her decisions spur on the deadline, each narrative decision he or she makes (to spend the evening in a dungeon, at work, or with one of the many sociable NPCs) is characterized by a feeling of narrative impulse and impending consequences. Persona 4 is a particularly wonderful example of the operations between gameplay and narrative. The effect of a unit operational narrative/gameplay framework on the player’s gameplay decisions is a huge one to consider per videogame. It is one we already perceive but seldom formulate in our reflections. Among other things, this collaboration between narrative elements and gameplay elements is utilized to a great degree in world-building and player participation – that is, it characterizes the player’s ability to participate in the fictional world of the game. Say, in Persona 4, you take a shine to one particular NPC and pump extra time into developing this character’s relationship with the player-character. As you develop your friendship with the character and level up that Social Link, your ability to create powerful Persona of that Arcana (Persona type related to that Social Link) increases. Meanwhile, for one reason or another, you may find another NPC to be uninteresting and so forsake developing that NPC’s Social Link. Each Persona category has general abilities and propensities: one Social Link may relate to Persona attuned to elemental magic, while another Social Link relates to physically tough Persona. Focusing on one NPC over another will inhibit your reliance on the underdeveloped Arcana, so you might have to do with an overdeveloped physical-type Persona in an area where you would much rather have a debuffing Persona. It’s a trade-off you might opt for if you really disliked the relevant NPC, but the gameplay consequences are yours to bear. In this particular example, narrative elements influence the player’s desire to engage with various gameplay elements, and as the gameplay elements are utilized and extrapolated to the player’s benefit the narrative elements likewise extrapolate and expand the fictional world. The opposite can just as easily be true, where engagement with the narrative is determined by the player’s gameplay preferences. Whether you feel pressured to hang out with a dull NPC so as to later give you an edge in a dungeon, or whether you decide to put up with a tactical disadvantage so long as you can avoid that NPC’s company, your participation with the game world changes depending on your personal preference, as does the meaningful content of that game world. As elements of a game spin and collude with one another, various patterns begin to emerge. These might be patterns of gameplay mechanics or narrative techniques or controller configurations – the list is nigh endless. We already harbour tremendous knowledge of currently existing patterns which facilitates a prompt understanding of games that build on from them. For instance, Persona 4 is a JRPG with turn-based combat, while Grand Theft Auto III is a sandbox game. This identification of patterns is inherent throughout our understanding of games as a medium and as individual products of entertainment and/or meaning. Fans of Persona 4 who have watched an episode or two of the anime based on the game are able to recognize which elements have been retained for the show (plot, music, the calendar screen and eyecatches, etc.), which have been dropped (gameplay elements, naturally) and what has been added or changed (a vocal protagonist, more appropriate pacing to suit the show’s structure, etc.). Our identification of configurations within the medium is never more prominent than when a piece is being adapted for another medium, as we solemnly understand that some unit operational instances (e.g. turn-based combat) cannot be transferred across. On that same note, we appreciate when an element that made the original piece great survives the adaptation. Anybody who has played a videogame based on a familiar movie can attest to this (consider The Thing, The Italian Job, Ghostbusters, etc.). Ultimately, what unit operations describes is nothing new. We employ the model in our everyday understanding of any piece from any medium and we do so naturally. What we have to gain from unit operations – or from any other model that seeks to explain videogame analysis – is a discussion on the way we experience the games we play, the manners we perceive different elements and patterns, the roles a player adopts as a participant and as an audience member and how the two alternate, where subjectivity comes into the equation and when videogame analysis slides into introspective analysis, and so much more. By talking about which configurations operated smoothly and which did not, and why we feel as much, videogame designers can churn out games that capitalize on this knowledge. There doesn’t need to be an assumed vast chasm between games as silly entertainment and games as an expressive medium – along with enjoyable gameplay mechanics we will continue to discover incisive narrative techniques and further unify the two. Then, maybe some point down the line, we will finally get our Airplane! of videogames. |
| Contest: Win these Saints Row themed ASTRO A40 headsets! Posted: 13 Nov 2011 07:30 AM PST Saints Row: The Third is arriving November 15 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. For those of you just dying for the game, Voliation and THQ released the Initiation Station to everyone and it lets you create your character right now to give you a head start or just share it with the world. To enter our Saints Row/ASTRO A40 giveaway, you'll just need to go download the Initiation Station on your Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, upload your creation to SaintsRow.com by linking your Gamertag/PSN ID to the website and then share a link AND embed the actual photo to your creation in the comments below. Your SaintsRow.com name needs to be the same as your username as it appears on Dtoid or must start with Dtoid*YourUserNameHere* (Like DtoidCTZ, for example) for your submission to count! The two best submissions will each win a special limited edition Saints Row: The Third themed ASTRO A40 headset (either the Saints Purple or Decker Blue), 4-pack Saints Flow Energy Drinks, full 8 set of Bobble Budds and a I <3 Rim Jobs t-shirt. Four runner-ups will each win a I <3 Rim Jobs t-shirt (either male or female sizes). Contest is open to anyone with a US based address that the prizes can be sent to. You have until November 20 at 11:59PM CDT to enter. Good luck! |
| Review: GoldenEye 007: Reloaded Posted: 13 Nov 2011 07:28 AM PST Last year James Bond returned to videogames in both GoldenEye 007 for the Wii and Blood Stone on the PS3 and 360. In a change from the standard outcome when a franchise hits multiple platforms the Wii game was the one that was more polished, better made and more fun to play. Even more surprising is the fact that GoldenEye was a perfectly satisfactory follow up to its namesake and by far one of the best FPS experiences on the Wii. Of course even before GoldenEye 007 came out people were crying foul that it was a Wii exclusive (mostly because people like to cry fowl whenever they get the chance). Now all those fowl criers can stop as the game has come to both the PS3 and the 360 in glorious hi-def with a new engine, extra content and a more robust online. Worth picking up if you played the Wii version? Or if you didn't, worth picking up in a holiday market crowded with FPS and other shooters? GoldenEye 007: Reloaded (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 [reviewed]) This review is going to feel a little bit like a DLC review because in all honesty the single player aspect of this game is exactly the same except for the graphical improvements and new hidden medallions to collect. The new aspects, MI6 challenge mode and multiplayer content, could easily be considered some robust DLC if the were delivered digitally post release. That explained if you really want to read a full review on the single player just head on over to my original Wii review because most of what is in there still stands. This is the exact same game, reworked for more powerful systems and with extra content put in and a more robust online experience. There are, obviously, changes in the single player experience. Eurocom rebuilt the game engine from the ground up for the more powerful PS3 and 360. This isn't just a straight port with "upgraded" graphics that don't actually look any better, but the same game based on a much more powerful game engine. While I thought the game looked perfectly fine on the Wii and I'm no graphics whore I must say playing through the exact same levels only much prettier is not something I'm going to complain about. The new engine, and more powerful systems not only make the graphics more hi-defier, but also make the levels far more alive. Details like rain, water effects and far improved lighting just make levels pop in ways they couldn't on the Wii. In fact the nigh club section I raved about in the Wii's review looks absolutely fantastic thanks to the fact that the engine can handle more things on screen at once. So when the entire scene slows down and the debris starts flying like a John Woo action scene it looks really, really good. Compared to the Wii that is. Graphically the game is no slump, but it isn't stand out either. As I said, this isn't a Wii game polished up, but that doesn't mean its one of the best looking games out now. The graphics are definitely middle of the road overall, and while they look fine you won't be blown away by anything. This is especially apparent in the textures, which don't seem to have gotten as much love as the lighting and other aspects. Now, on to the new part. The major addition to the game is the MI6 Ops mode, which is basically a bunch of challenges for the player to try to complete in the fastest time they can. There are three types of challenges (and an extra one that unlocks): stealth, defense and elimination. All of them take place in slightly varied sections of single player levels or in multiplayer levels. The modes are all pretty much exactly what they sound like. Stealth involves getting through levels without alerting any guards. Defense tasks the player with downloading information from three computer terminals while waves of enemies attack. Each terminal takes three minutes to download the info from and enemies flood in at set time points in the downloads. Finally elimination has the player attempting to kill every bad guy in the level as quickly as possible. By completing challenges fast enough or on high enough difficulties you're awarded with a higher score and higher scores get you more stars, which unlock more challenge levels. It's pretty standard stuff as far as challenge modes go, but what sets it apart from most other challenge modes is in how adjustable the challenges are. Instead of simply having easy, medium and hard difficulty is set by a plethora of variables the player can adjust before jumping into the challenge. You can pretty much adjust everything from enemy damage to rag doll physics. Bump up the enemies strength and you'll get more points as you start the level off. Remove your radar capabilities and your score goes up. Increase your own life and your starting score goes down. Implement paintball mode and... well, nothing happens, but its way more fun. Thus to get the best score you have to balance out challenge and time. Make it too hard and you won't be able to complete it in any decent amount of time, too easy and you won't start off with a high enough score. For instance some of the stealth levels have snipers that need to be shot from a distance. Bump up their life and it becomes outrageously harder to get rid of them, especially if you've made it so only headshots count. That trade off probably isn't worth it. In theory its a great idea, but from my play it seemed like completion time outweighed challenge points by too much. Thus beating the game on a really difficult collection of settings wasn't as good as speeding through it on an easier setting. There's no way to really know this ahead of time since its unclear how the time scores work and believe me its incredibly annoying to redo a level over and over on a difficult settings just to have it not pay off in as many stars as you thought it would. I suppose the online leader boards help to assuage this annoyance since you're competing against others, but I'd rather have a better idea of what I'm going to score ahead of time. MI6 Ops isn't the only new stuff in the game. Multiplayer has not only gotten a graphical overhaul, but four new maps and a plethora of new game modes. Some we've seen before like Elimination where players progress through a pre-set series of guns each time the eliminate someone, but with a Bond twist since slappers melee is the final weapon. Others are a bit fresher like Data Miner where one player has to download data while he fights off all the others and every kill he gets increases his download speed. I have to say the the online multiplayer is quite fun and thanks to the fact that more of the random multiplayer options are present in this version it feels a whole lot more old school GoldenEye like when you're online. Of course all of the random fun settings (paintball, golden gun, etc) are back in multiplayer in this version, but they've also included some other random stuff like a mode where Jaws' metal teeth can deflect bullets or Dr. No's metal arms make him not take damage from shots to the arm. The game also features more Bond villains to choose from including Tee Hee, Max Zorin, Auric Goldfinger, Dr Kananga and Hugo Drax (exclusive to the PS3). All these definitely make the game a bit more fun, but again can't be considered much more than some DLC to an already complete game. The question then becomes (if you haven't already played the game on the Wii) why you would pick this up over the plethora of other FPS out there that are admittedly better in almost every aspect. Do me a favor and walk over to your game collection and check out the back of all your FPS for how many players can play at once on one console. I'll put good money that the majority of your FPS don't allow you and three other friends to sit around in the same room and shoot each other. Four player splitscreen just doesn't show up on the PS3 and 360 anymore, but its here in GoldenEye 007: Reloaded and just like the Wii version its just plain fun to play with your friends in the room. Yes, the same flaws exist, but with the ability to split your screen into four equal parts and shoot your friends in the same room being such a rarity on both systems these days I would argue that Reloaded sets itself apart from the pack in a major way by actually having what seems like should be a standard feature. With Reloaded you're basically getting GoldenEye 007 plus a bit more. This leaves me in a bit of a quandary when scoring the game. Technically it should get a higher score than its Wii counterpart since its graphics are better, it has more content and its online is more robust. However, I can't say that any of this actually makes the game any better, it just makes for more of it. More of an 8.5 is still an 8.5. What it comes down to is that if you own this on the Wii I can't really see that big a reason to pick up this version. If you don't own it, however, this will be a great pick up to actually get some split screen action on your hi-def console while also getting a really solid game at the same time. I understand its the holiday season and there are a plethora of other games to pick up, but if you come across GoldenEye 007: Reloaded a little down the road when the influx of games passed and the price has dropped a bit you (and your friends who can finally play videogames with you when the come over) won't regret it one bit. |
| New River City Rampage/Renegade game makes me joy-barf Posted: 13 Nov 2011 07:00 AM PST I was a little worried when our man in Japan Allistair Pinsof previewed Hot-Blooded Tough Guy Kunio Kun 3D a few months back. The mode he had the opportunity to play was based off of the original Renegade, and as Conrad Zimmerman always says, "Renegade was never, ever awesome". I can't wholly disagree with Conrad there. Though I love the Renegade's wanna-be 50's greaser jukebox soundtrack, the game itself is pretty dull by today's standards. What I really want from this game is a new River City Ransom/Scott Pilgrim-styled action-RPG. Thankfully, this trailer confirms that the game has both a River City Ransom-inspired mode, a Renegade-inspired mode, (including Super Dodgeball and Crash and the Boys), a mission mode that features battles against ridiculous oversized bosses and some volleyball players, a Battle Royale mode, a complimentary soundtrack, and crap loads more. There are even tiger-headed men! Yes! The game comes out next month in Japan. If it never gets localized, I will buy a Japanese 3DS in order to review it for Destructoid, just to make you're all sad that you never got to play it. Hot Blooded Tough Guy Kunio-Kun Special 3DS - more footage [GoNintendo] |
| Jimmy Fallon does NOT deserve that Link on Epona statue Posted: 13 Nov 2011 06:00 AM PST This week on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Reggie Fils-Aime once again made a guest appearance, this time to showcase The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Not only did Jimmy get some early playtime alongside the Meat Man, he also received a special video message from Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma and Nintendo composer Koji Kondo. In addition, he was gifted one of the first molds of First 4 Figures' Link on Epona statues, which won't be made available until next year. How does Jimmy repay this undeserved generosity? He swings the sword around like a spastic chimp and ignores all of Reggie's gameplay assistance! I would kill to get my hands on a $425 figurine for free, Jimmy! You don't deserve that statue, Jimmy! You are making my cry into my Cheerios, Jimmy! Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword with Reggie Fils-Aime [Late Night with Jimmy Fallon] |
| Interview: I Got Next, a fighting game documentary Posted: 13 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PST As someone who covered Evo this year, I became enchanted with the fighting game community. There is just something about the competitiveness, drama, and camaraderie of the fighting game scene that is infectious to those share a passion for fighting games like I do. It's something that must be experienced to be understood, and sadly not everyone has had that opportunity yet. Thankfully, the new documentary I Got Next, which is about the fighting game community that captures this spirit, has been made available to watch on Hulu. Directed by Ian Cofino, this film follows several of the most well-known players in the fighting game scene, such as Justin Wong, Mike Ross, Gootecks, and Joe "iloveu" Ciaramelli, as they journey to compete in Evo 2009. I really enjoyed watching this documentary and highly recommend it to fans of the fighting game scene or even those interested in seeing what the hype is about. I had a chance to ask Ian a couple of questions about the documentary, so read on to get an inside scoop straight from the director! What prompted you to start your documentary of the fighting game scene? I was just starting to get further into the competitive scene back in late 2008. At that time, I was coming up on my final semester in college at SUNY Purchase (State University of New York). Each graduate of the arts program is required to complete a "senior project." I was also starting to become heavily enamored with motion design and animation, so I Got Next came from a mixture of two interests very close to my heart. At first, it was going to be a short documentary, more of a five- or ten-minute informative piece used as a platform for me to experiment with motion design. As I started filming more, though, I was encouraged by the community and inspired by the documentary's potential to create something much larger in scope than what I originally envisioned. How long did the whole process last, from inception to completion? What took the most time? Well... It was a pretty long process. Filming started at NEC 9, an annually held tournament in Philadelphia, in December 2008 and finished in late 2009 (with some pick ups in 2010). Post-production was most of 2010, which included the editing, music, mastering, and motion design. Coming out of 2010 and into 2011 was festival submissions then finally talks for distribution, which finally gets us to today, where it's out on Hulu. By far, the longest process was getting it out the door. The most energy and work on my end went towards the shooting and editing (more towards the latter), but I never would have guessed it could take so long just to find a distributor for the film and then get it out there. I have to thank people like Jeremy and Andrew from Mattoid Entertainment for their help, 'cause I'm honestly in the dark when it comes to distribution. Without those guys, it might have been something more like I Got Next Fall 2014! Why did you focus mainly on the Street Fighter world for your documentary? That's an interesting question. At the time, Street Fighter IV was being released and it was the perfect catalyst for the scene. There are definitely other interesting people that I could have profiled from other communities with the fighing game scene, but SF4 was kind of the perfect storm. It brought people from all different games together and revitalized the tournament scene. The players I ended up filming with (Justin, Joe, Mike, and Ryan) all were deeply entrenched in the SF scene as well, so I had almost no choice once I stuck with them to center the film more around SF. Ultimately, I never worried after a certain point about game representation, because the film is less about SF and more about the people that make up the community. And within the film, we have the four of them acting as a great representation of a cross section of that community. At least, that's how I perceive it. What sort of reception of this documentary have you received from those involved in the fighting game community? What sort of reception have you received from those who aren't as knowledgeable about the community? It's been almost all positive, which is fantastic. I think people are excited to see the community profiled like this, and I'm ecstatic that I not only got the chance to do it but was able to make something that people enjoyed. Well... it's been almost all positive except people outside the US who can't currently see the film on Hulu, but we're working on getting it up somewhere else! I tried my best to bridge the gap between the mainstream and the hardcore when creating the movie. I wanted it to be enjoyed by people who are within the scene and can identify themselves in the background, and by people who have never picked up an arcade stick but can identify with some of the struggles Mike, Joe, Ryan, and Justin are dealing with. I'm not quite sure if I hit that mark. I'll have to see when more feedback comes in as it reaches a wider audience. Finally, what would you say was the best part of filming this documentary? The best part by far was forming relationships with people in the scene that I have to this day. I'm really happy that I got the chance to create the documentary, because it opened up a culture to me that I also didn't know much about at the time but that I'm now a part of and really enjoy. Some of my best friends now are within the community, and I never would have made those connections had I not started the project. |
| Comments of the Week: Em Double-Yew Triple Funbus! Posted: 13 Nov 2011 04:00 AM PST Get ready for the happiest comments on earth!
From The Bar I really hate it when where did you come from, where did you go, where did you come from Cotton-Eye Joe? that happens.
Th-Th-Th-Th-Th-That's all folks! *drops mic* *picks up mic* oh, one more thing. Do you ever find yourself saying "where is comment x Sean? You are a terrible person for missing that one!" If so, here is a Suggestion Box. It's a private community blog that you can add your suggestions for next week's Comments of The Week to. It includes some instructions on how to suggest a comment. If I use it next week, you will be credited! So don't say I never give you anything. |
| Mega64 presents Modern Game Journalism: The Movie Posted: 12 Nov 2011 04:00 PM PST Ladies and gentlemen, this may be the most important film you will ever see. It's raw, it's gritty, it's real, it shakes the very foundation of the enthusiast gaming press. This is a movie that will change not only the future of filmmaking but also the very fabric of social constructionism. Modern Game Journalism: The Movie: The Trailer [GameTrailers] |
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