Kirby’s Dream Land 2

There’s honestly very little to say about Kirby’s Dream Land 2. All you need to know is that it’s a black and white skinned Kirby title using the same template as Kirby’s Adventure. Because of this Kirby’s Dream Land 2 feels more like a sequel to the polished NES classic than the Game Boy original, and manages to individualize itself well by introducing three peripheral characters. Those characters – Rick the Hamster, Kine the Ocean Sunfish and Coo the Owl – cut in and out of the adventure and work as appropriate substitutes for a number of consumable abilities absent from Kirby’s Adventure. Since your animal friends layer on top of whatever ability Kirby has on hand they do add another tier of complexity to the title. Team this with a series of hidden rainbow pieces in each level (which open up an alternative ending) and despite it’s loftier hardware, Kirby’s Dream Land 2 is expanded enough to form a more than competent sequel to Kirby’s Adventure which, considering the polish of Kirby’s Adventure, says a lot. Other familiar tropes of the series are kept in tact such as the wonderfully characterized introductions preluding each world and mix of familiar characters.

The one thing that Dream Land 2 lacks (colour) can be compensated for on the Super Gameboy. Like Pokemon and Donkey Kong, whacking Kirby’s Dream Land 2 into your Super Game Boy will give the game a unique colour scheme different from the default swatches. Supposedly there’s some added spiff elsewhere too, not a bad deal if you prefer playing it on a TV. I played it on both.

Lastly, it’s nice to see Nintendo fix the disparity between the boxart graphic and in-game designs with this title. Kirby’s Dream Land 2 in this regard matches the game wonderfully, instead of appearing like an attempt at realistic abstract.

Half-Life 2: Episode One

If Half-life 2 were put to VHS, then Episode One would be the extended long-play. In a nutshell it’s more of the same gameplay from Half-life 2‘s later half, delivered in a remixed fashion with greater emphasis on set pieces and Alyx who now accompanies you throughout the 5-6 hour experience.

One might think that her part as a co-operative buddy might work in as another gimmick to colour the vanilla base of the series – in the same way that vehicles, ant lion bait and the gravity gun operated in Half-life 2 – unfortunately her presence surprisingly affects the core gameplay very little. You don’t need to babysit her much at all. She rarely dies, always follows you and can hold her own in a gun fight.

So what exactly is it that makes Episode One all that great? As discussed previously, the framework requires some sort of gimmick to make itself interesting, so what is it this time? Well…there isn’t really any prominent tricks, per see. What Valve deliver is a greater emphasis on improved moment-to-moment confrontations, teamed with a remix of some old mechanics from Half-life 2. Fundamentally the game offers very little new material, yet it’s approach to general gameplay is greatly overhauled. In Half-life 2, the game gave you an instrument (antlion bait, vehicle, gravity gun) and then pushes you out into a landscape largely composed of filler – it’s like you have to make your own fun. In Episode One, the wide lose-yourself-in-them landscapes are replaced with tighter quarters which is mostly dominated with more interesting segments of gameplay. Filler is now the glue between the action sequences rather than the other way around. Examples of these sequences may include a scenario where the lights go out while you need to survive an onslaught on zombies, where Alyx covers you as a sniper while you barge on ahead, where you see the gravity gun to grab falling debris there’s even a similar set piece to the cascade resonance from the original Half-life. Compare this to walking/driving around for extended periods of time to stumble upon an enemy camp, shoot a handful of Combines, zombies or Combine zombies and then continue walking around in the middle of nowhere. It’s easy to see in which game the fun lies?

This new found emphasis on moment-to-moment gameplay also serves to break down the chapterized feel of the game. In Half-life 2, each chapter sported a gimmick and stuck in the player’s mind as a series of compartments which the game organized as such. In Episode One, that structure shifts to a more scattered approach, relating to individual moments more so than instruments. This makes the title, although short, feel more endearing and continuous. Unlike Half-life 2 I have a difficult time ordering the events of the game. Valve have in this sense changed to way we consume the game.

Overall though, it can be seen that Episode One should be evaluated on the moment-to-moment action. While it does provide an assortment of interesting sequences which maintain a high enough pace, Episode One flounders in the end with a lame squad shifting exercise and a shortsighted boss battle. Furthermore there’s nothing much in Episode One that wasn’t in Half-life 2, which is disappointing. The best part is ultimately the re-evaluated approach, by spreading emphasis between gimmicks and confrontations, this gives Valve greater design leverage. Episode One does a good job at capitalizing on this, but not enough so to overcome what I believe to be Valve’s persistence to make these games realistic to the point of uninteresting. It’s a more accomplished and organised title, no doubt, but it’s a game in transition.

2009 is my final year of playing the role of student chump, before too long, life will force me to man up and join the world’s diminishing work force. For these reasons I want 2009 to best be remembered as the last year of my youth and to fulfill this aspiration I plan on consuming and creating a hell of a lot of media before my leisure time is sacrificed to the man.

The following selection is of surplus titles I’ve completed in the past 2 months which actually haven’t seen coverage on my blog. Looking at the number of games and discussion topics I have for each, I’ll likely have to chunk this out over several posts.

Flower

No, it didn’t make me cry, but it sure was a lovely featurette of a game. Much like thatgamecompany’s previous effort fl0w, Flower is a game with elegant mechanics, whimsical aesthetics and an engrossing musical score. The two games share a common ground in that they’re primarily centred around the concept of kinetics and movement. In fl0w you controlled a small, organic life form in a sea of solid colour, in Flower, the pond is replaced with open fields of grass and flowers yearning for life. You’re a pettle caught in a gust of wind which you steer with the six-axis motion control and accelerate by holding any of the buttons. Touching lifeless flowers bred-crumbed throughout the environment springs them to life, where pollinating a complete field is usually the goal of the game.

The motion controls work beautifully, previously when I’d used the six-axis in other games, I always felt that the controller couldn’t pick up anything beyond shaking, but Flower executes without a hitch, giving me unexpected faith in the motion control.

Like fl0w, Flower has no tutorial except an icon indicating that you ought to try rotating the controller. The premise is just that simple, you’ll probably never notice the exclusion of tutorial, or text for that matter. Besides the title and credits, Flower has no text to it, yet communicates a quaint, eco-friendly narrative through the use of in-game presentation and some light landscape scenes sliced before each level. The powerful message narrated by minimalist presentation and mechanics is the single greatest merit to the game.

(And here’s the part that everyone missed when they were busy writing their personal anecdotes and love letters)

By controlling nature itself (the wind, not the pettle) you’re breathing life into a dry environment, which I found very empowering. As though my play is doing a good deed for mother nature, this obviously makes me feel special. Flower achieves this through clever use of visual and aural design. An environment begins in a lifeless state, weak hues, dry colours and an empty wind all express this. Your pettle then becomes something of a paint brush as you begin to colour in the environment. Others have said that Flower has apt level design, I disagree, rather I think the use of contrast used to lead your eye is what makes the navigation so breezy. The colour is aided by the geography of the landscape which is also used as visual hints to point you in the right direction. If you’re ever stuck, follow the natural topography of the landscape. In order to navigate the rolling fields, curling crescents, the player needs to trust the visual aura of the landscape (and to a lesser extend the aural and design) . It’s this constant reliance on landscape (the game’s sole protagonist) that allows Flower to suck you into the narrative and atmosphere. You feel at one with nature and hence when the later stages show the protagonist on the cusp of death (again, highlighted through design; unsaturated colours, soleless music, dangerous hazards), the emotional strings are pulled (if they weren’t already tugged by the general whimsy, feel good nature of being a servant to mother nature). When you push through those darker stages, the game reveals itself again with an exhalation of hope and the music steps up like the song of tweeting birds. The light piano keys and momentum of the soundscapes also play an enforcing role in Flower‘s suction. The aural mood winds up and works down in tandem to the momentum of the play. This is most apparent in the final level. The effect the mechanics bear on all this is self explanatory; using the motion control is suitable and liberating, aiding the vibe of the game. It’s the presentation that is the draw card though.

The game has a few slight design issues, where it can occasionally be difficult to tell where the next marker is as it’s either absent or too far away to be visually distinct. Some of those darker levels tend to be weaker, again mainly due to the less distinct visual cues. The credits also go on for far too long I think, minor quibble perhaps.

Not a negative criticism, but this is the type of game that feel like completing only once. Due to the length of the game, finishing it was similar to watching a movie; there’s no need to revisit the material so quickly. Lastly, I find it interesting how Flower was influenced by Jenova Chen’s experience of moving from Shanghai; a concrete jungle.

^{You can download Flower from the Playstation Store.}
That gamecompany Flower website (videos, additional screenshots and information).

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards

Kirby 64 is a simple game as well, but unfortunately its simplicity is to the game’s detriment. A 2.5D platformer, Kirby‘s worst asset is the blindingly slow pace. Kirby’s default walk is painfully slow and his (ultra cute) run isn’t much faster. This is exacerbated by a camera that always seems to be creeping ahead of you. As you’re making your way through a stage with all the haste you can muster, the camera will begin to curve, hindering your foresight and giving lead way to what’s behind you There’s almost no reason for the camera to over work, as there’s never anything worth thinking about behind you. It’s more of a minor pest though, ironically, since it’s difficult to mess up with Kirby’s slow walk no matter what is shown in front of you.

Otherwise you can combine your absorbed abilities with others to create mixed abilities. It’s a worthwhile inclusion, but you never seem to have the right ability at the right time. In fact some of the crystal shards require you first to take an ability from another stage and then enter X stage to combine that ability with another, allowing you to reach the shard. Such long-winded requests of the player are simply uncalled for.

Kirby 64 is broken up into six planets each containing several levels with 3 shards (beginning, middle and end) hidden away in each. You can complete the game without collecting all of the shards if you wish.

The presentation of Kirby 64 is no frills, not particularly interesting despite the Kirby staples. The ultra cute characters and cutscenes are the biggest grab by far. Wow, this series just nails cuteness and Kirby 64 doesn’t let up in that department. Overall though, I find this one a little difficult to recommend.

^{You can download Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards on the Wii Virtual Console}
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards on MobyGames

The cutscenes in Kirby 64 are interesting and not just on the cute factor alone. I have to fess up and say that the animation and facial expressions of these miniature stories drew me into the idea of posting solely about them in the first place. Kirby’s draw dropped curiosity and King Dedede’s sullen pessimism are all so charmingly rendered with the simplest of shapes and textures. They colour the vanilla gameplay sequences with up-beat, positive energy – oodles of happiness. It’s not my key point, but damn, this game is adorable.

The voiceless cast rely on miming actions, and exaggerating facial expressions and body movements to convey their feelings of a given situation. In a way they’re similar to the 8 and 16-bit characters before them, which had no choice but to frantically mime their actions as a way of squeezing personality out of a handful of pixels. There is a distinct difference between the two though. Kirby and pals jesture because they lack a voice, a language (beyond odd ‘yelps’), the 8/16-bit characters did this because they lacked the respective technology and instead leaning  on text. If they had a choice, they’d probably be speaking. Kirby and friends don’t even have text, nor the will or ability to speak.

Kirby is and always has been a children’s game. It’s a game many gamers, including myself thoroughly enjoy, but generally speaking the series is usually light on challenge and saturated in a care free vibe. It’s perhaps aimed at an audience even younger than the general perception of the children’s audience, since not even language is a barrier to entry. Many childrens games and media feature talk and dialogue, Kirby doesn’t. It’s similar to the Teletubbies in a way, except void of any fictional exclamation language. The freedom here for younger children, or at least children still processing language to understand is very accessible.

Kirby 64 like some other media normalizes dumbness – that is lacking the ability of speech. It’s a game that hadn’t vocalized it’s cast in an era where voice boxes were being added to old friends. While I’m no particular expert on the subject, I think there is obvious merit in a game that avoids speech altogether, instead focusing on other means to communicate. I wonder how such games and media like this are interpreted from people with a background of not being able to speak. I guess it would be something of a mild encouragement to see this transition in a medium like video games. Kirby 64 portrays the lack of speech (like everything in the game) in a pleasant nature. It doesn’t focus on the frustrations of miscommunication, rather every exchange is a success. I wonder what effect this has on such an audience, if any.

I discussed this briefly with Richard Terrell from the Critical Gaming blog as well, and he further likened it to the idea of silent films which is another suitable example.

Unfortunately last week wasn’t overally interesting. Thankfully the announcements over the past few days have been a god send, literally flooding my out with creative ideas. With a slew of great releases, Syphon Filter and Final Fantasy Tactics both going fairly well on the PSP and this rumoured bomb shell announcement by Capcom, there are so many possibilities to write about.

But for today I am going to wrapping up Nintendo’s Autumn Conference as there is such a large volume of content to waddle through. The announcements made at here really should have happened at E3, I guess they just weren’t ready. So lets get on with it

Wii Ware takes Centre Stage

It was clear that the Wii Ware announcements dominated this event. Nintendo showed off a number of strong 1st and 3rd party content for the new service. Overall its a pretty impressive list:

• Pokemon Farm
• Minna de Puzzloop
• Dr. Mario & Bacteria Extermination
• Moji Pittan Wii
• Maruboushikaku
• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Young King and the Promised Land
• Star Soldier R
• Okiraku Ping Pong Wii

What was even more impressive was that Iwata stated that they have had around 100 game ideas put forth for the service that is launching in March 2008(Japan).

I just want to elaborate on some of these titles.

• Pokemon Farm = Pokemon Box(GCN) with some neat Mii integration
• Minna de Puzzloop is a Wii version of Magnetica
• Dr. Mario & Bacteria Extermination features Mii integration and Wifi play
• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Young King and the Promised Land is an RTS-esque title, where you build your own country, this is a WiiWare exclusive sold for 1,500 Wii points
• Okiraku Ping Pong Wii is made by Arcsoft, the guys behind Guilty Gear

Extra Media

Pokemon Farm – Video| Screens
Final Fantasy CC – Video | Screens
Dr Mario – Screens
Minna de Puzz Loop – Screens
Maruboushikaku – Screens

More Wii Channels, downloadable DS demos and more!

It seems as though Nintendo is starting to get the message when it comes to online play. With Wifi included in games like Smash Bros and Dr Mario, the online connection is slowly (but surely) improving.

Although Nintendo didn’t announce any real online infrastructure for upcoming Wii titles they did announce some useful Wii channel information. Firstly they are revamping the Everybody Votes Channel to now include ratings for various game titles. Users can go through, rate games and find out what games best suit their taste. The Mii Contest Channel was also announced, this is the Mii beauty contest channel that Miyamoto briefly suggested at E3. But the real news comes from the new Everybody’s Nintendo Channel. This channel allows users to download DS game demos via their Wii. Finally they are getting the message!

New Games Announced

Monster Hunter 3 for Wii

This announcement seems to have been quite overlooked by Wii fans which is a real surprise. The Monster Hunter series is huge in Japan, even more so this game was removed from the PS3 and brought over to the Wii. This definetly highlights Capcom’s once questioned dedication to the Wii. So far only a short clip and a screenshot have been released.

Video

Fire Emblem DS

This really isn’t much of a surprise. The new Fire Emblem is sporting a new look. Firstly the ap is now brought to life with a lovely textured 3D look. Sprite shading effects have been used to add a little depth to the characters. It also appears as though the face portraits are a bit more high res. So its a similar graphical upgrade the Advance Wars Dual Strike but only better.

Screens

Kousoku Card Battle Card HeroThis title sparked my attention, its a card battler made by Intelligent Visions and Nintendo. Looks like we now kno what Intelligent Visions are up to:

1. Kousoku Card Battle Card Hero
2. Fire Emblem DS
3. Advance Wars: Days of Ruin

Screens

Super Mario Stadium Baseball for Wii

Once again, another updated installment in the sporting franchise.

Screens

Kirby Ultra Super Deluxe

Yup, new Kirby platformer for the DS.

Screens

New Information for Upcoming titles

Sonic in Super Smash Bros. Brawl

I have been doing my best to not think about this game. Its just the fanboy following, it really offends me. In anycase, with the recent inclusion of Solid Snake(which got me very hot), I have had no choice but to stand up and pay attention.

Along with Snake we’ll be seeing Sonic, thats right after years of rumours its finally true. Its a pity that poor Sonic’s credibility had to plunge so low before this was announced. With Smash Bros, Sonic Rush 2 and Mario and Sonic at the Olympics this may be another come back.

An online co-operative mode was metioned and two new trailers released. One being for Sonic and the other a general trailer show casing some of the adventure mode of the game(which looks pretty sweet). Although one of the biggest announcements was the Japanese delay, pushing the game back to early 2008. This announcement was followed with the announcement of an American delay till February 10th 2008 at Nintendo’s Media Summit.

General Trailer | Sonic Trailer | Delay | Hands on(Media Summit)

Mario Kart with Motorcycles

Thats right the new Mario Kart game will support the option for motor cycles. Initially this sounded pretty retarded but after watching the clip it looks to be pretty neat. The game will also come bundled with a steering wheel mold.

Video | Screens

Wii Fit and Wii Music

Miyamoto participated in another Wii Fit demonstration, he seems pretty apt about this title. With this he annonced that the game will cost 8,800 yen and be released on the 12/1. Some gameplay video was also shown of Wii Music.

Advance Wars named, screened and dated

Unfortunately not much was said about the new Advance Wars(again) but not much really needed to be said..I guess. The game has a more ‘realistic’ graphical style as it and has been named Advance Wars: Days of Ruin set for an American release on January 21, 2008. Check out the screens.

More Screens for Mario Part DS

Conclusion

Man, so many announcements in such a short time. Overall I think that Nintendo have covered excellent ground, everything from changes to the Wii channel(that actually sound impressive) to new games for all consoles and services. This really is what Nintendo needed at this years E3. But its good to know that these announcements eventually did come.