Super Mario Kart turned 25 yesterday! The now renowned and popular series paved the way for fun item-shooting racing games that we've all come to know and love. Allowing players the chance to race as one of their favourite Mario heroes or enemies, the game offered a bunch of truly fantastic tracks, as well as a multi-player Battle Mode.
To celebrate the games anniversary, join me as I share my favourite course from each of the games so far.
Super Mario Kart
Rainbow Road
There's no way I could do a list like this without mentioning Rainbow Road somewhere! The track that has no doubt made plenty of people utter profanities as they slipped to their doom, Rainbow Road provided a challenging final course in Super Mario Kart's Special Cup. Pretty simple in design, this multi-coloured road offered sharp bends, angry Thwomps, and holed-up pathways. The simplicity is deceiving, as when you're trying to traverse this with other players, there's no doubt at one point you'll find yourself being nudged off the side.
Rainbow Road also included some truly memorable music, and has since seen several reiterations throughout the games 25-year history.
It has been announced that the Wii Mini will gain a March 2013 release here in the UK. Effectively a scaled down version of the Nintendo Wii, the Wii Mini is somewhat smaller, but still includes everything the Wii came included with. In the box you will find a Nunchuck and Wii-Remote Plus, sensor bar, Wii Power Supply and AV cable. Additional Wii accessories, such as the Balance Board, are also functional.
However, sadly the Wii Mini lacks Gamecube compatibility and does not support S-Video or Component video cables. Also it lacks an SD card slot and has no Wi-Fi. If you are like me and still enjoy dabbling on the odd Gamecube game every now and then, then it is probably worth just paying that little bit extra and getting the bigger, original Wii.
Yesterday companies were beginning to announce their launch prices, with both Amazon and Game launching the system for £79.99, a fraction of what the original Wii launched for a few years ago. With so many companies competing for the cheapest launch price, no doubt we'll be seeing much cheaper prices than this soon! Watch this space.
If you needed a reason to buy the Wii U...then this is it. Wind Waker, the classic cell-shaded Zelda game for the Gamecube is getting a HD remake!
Fans will see this beloved title get a complete overhaul, including new HD graphics, up-scaled for today's televisions, alongside new controls to integrate the Wii U's controller. In a Nintendo Direct broadcast today, it's been announced that the game is due to be expected sometime in Autumn 2013. But that's not all. As well as the exciting announcement of Wind Waker Wii U, there is another Zelda title in the works for Nintendo's latest console. Producer Eiji Aonuma said their mission is to "rethink the conventions of Zelda", but no further details about the game, and what changes are expected, were announced. A big tease, but quite a welcome one. A new Zelda game is just what the Wii U is needing. Below are nine screenshots from the remake of Wind Waker. A beautiful game on the Gamecube, it appears that Nintendo have managed to improve on this even more. But will it beat the gameplay experience we originally had on the Gamecube? Only time will tell.
Today's Music Monday track comes from Super Smash Bros. Melee.
I've always been a huge fan of the Smash Bros. series. They hold up as excellent fighting games, and I have always enjoyed collecting all the trophies. Here's one of the menu tracks for Melee. Enjoy! Let me know what you think in the comments section below.
Hey all, I am currently planning a new retrospective/feature piece dedicated to the Kirby 20th Anniversary. It'll be in the style of my Metroid and Zelda features (please ignore the missing thumbnails, Blogger unfortunately bugged out for me and deleted EVERY image on my blog, so I'm still in the process of replacing them). As you can see from those two anniversary features, I involve my readers in these pieces quite heavily. I love featuring great fan art, excellent videos, music remixes etc as well as your own opinions on the series. Do you have something to share in my Kirby feature? It'll be going up in conjunction with the anniversary on the 16th September. Perhaps you would like me to feature your opinion on the series or your favourite Kirby game? Maybe you have a Kirby video you would like to share or a drawing? Whatever it is...please get in touch! Word of advice: PLEASE keep comment sizes to a minimum! A SHORT message, no longer than two lines long. I can only feature so many people, and it's unfair to allow paragraphs...it means less of you can be involved! How To Contribute: Please email whatever you would like me to see to kayleighjpowis@gmail.com I'll take a look at it...wait and see if it makes it in! Please send all contributions before the 15th September. Thanks and I look forward to sifting through all the Kirby stuff you guys send me! Kayleigh
Well today is Review A Bad Game Day. Today sees a variety of different gaming writers come together to bring you their take on a particularly duff game. Some may be deemed a little controversial (perhaps YOU liked that game, but they didn't?), whilst many will have us all shake our collective heads and sigh with disappointment. I decided to take part too. Here's mine.
Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions (Gamecube)
Ah Wreckless. Whilst the Xbox version of the game was on the whole, critically well received, and successfully showed off the graphical capabilities of Microsoft's first Xbox, the same cannot be said for the Gamecube version. However, even with the Xbox version, I felt it was more about style rather than substance. Who wants to marvel at a well rendered Hong Kong but not entirely feel the same way about the gameplay?
Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions is a game split into two stories revolving around the Japanese Yakuza in Hong Kong. The first story sees you playing as two female police officers, whilst the second follows two shoddy spies. Each story is spread across ten missions, including tasks such as stealing contents of an armoured truck, chasing down enemies, and so on. All the missions are pretty similiar, leading the whole experience to feel a little too repetitive for my liking. It's easy to get bored when you're "chasing down" the Yakuza (in quotation marks because really...it's not much of an epic chase) time and time again.
For me, the missions were too boring, meaning that I did not engage in the game too much. Seeing as this happened rather early on, it was a bad sign of things to come. Now whilst I admit in games such as this, I'm often an awful driver (I love L.A. Noire, but my driving is rather appalling), but the handling on Wreckless seems to be particularly bad. On looking at other people's opinions of the game online, it seems that I am not alone on this assumption. Not only is the games handling frustrating, but unfortunately, Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions for the Gamecube is poorly rendered. Whilst graphics have never been a huge concern of mine (I'd much prefer enjoyable gameplay, if I had to choose), they can at times benefit the level of enjoyment you will find from the game. One aspect that largely faulters due to this is the increasing difficulty level. Often missions will be scored based on how much traffic you have crashed into, and/or the level of damage you have created in the environment. Well, with poor handling...it's near impossible not to make a bit of a mess! However, in the moments where destruction does count for something, well, like Burnout after it, this is where the fun lies. See? Even in a bad game I have to find a redeeming feature! As well as the main story mode, Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions also includes a two-player mode. Not included in the original Xbox version, this two player mode introduces seven gameplay variants which are played in four different areas of the city. Sadly, here is where the game falls victim to it's boredom and repetition once again. Every mode involves one player chasing after the other, with the only difference being each time that the scoring conditions change ever so slightly. What is so awful about the two player in this game though is the choice of camera. Multiplayer is not player via split screen, but instead, rather bizarrely, sees both players sharing the one screen. This means that the camera is often all over the place, as it cannot follow both players perfectly at the same time. Supposing the chased player decides to quickly turn a sharp corner and the chaser continues to go in the same direction? Well the camera doesn't really know what to do in this situation...so it all gets a little awkward. Not fun. As I previously mentioned, the handling of this game is rather appalling, especially when driving a car. The cars seem to drive so slowly that it actually feels rather sluggish. In an effort to "speed up" the driving, the cars have been given very, very (and may I emphasise again, very) loose handling. This means that they will constantly shift and turn even in the slightest movement, meaning that players are always fighting to simply get the car driving in a straight line. Like much of Wreckless, it's a frustrating experience. In fact, it's not only the driving that feels sluggish, it's pretty much the whole game. Whilst it felt quite fluid on the Xbox version, perhaps the reason for it's slowness is that the game engine of the Gamecube is not as powerful as the Xbox (and don't take that as a criticism...I love the Gamecube), but whatever it is, the horrid frame-rate issues, poor rendering and shoddy cutscenes make this all feel a little, well, cheap. So overall, Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions is a disappointment. The Xbox version showed promise, with it's good graphics and often enjoyable gameplay, but this port over to the Gamecube seems to have left those redeeming features behind. Handling is frustrating, hard and sloppy, the multiplayer mode is often god-awful (no split screen camera?), and the single player missions are often dull and repetitive. There are plenty of excellent driving games out there that you can get your hands on, whether it is on the Gamecube or not. This is not one of them. Avoid!
10 years ago on the 3rd May, Nintendo's Gamecube console was released in the UK. A compact cubic box with matching tiny discs, the box retains a soft spot in many Nintendo fans hearts even today. And why exactly? Well, we were all treated to an excellent series of games for starters.
So here are my top 10 Gamecube games.
10. Spider-man 2
9. Resident Evil Zero
8. Soulcalibur II
7. Super Mario Sunshine
6. SSX Tricky
5. Mario Kart: Double Dash!
4. Luigi's Mansion
3. Pikmin
2. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker
1. Super Smash Bros. Melee
Ones that almost made the list: The Legend of Zelda: Collectors Edition, Animal Crossing, Donkey Konga, Spider-man.
Do you agree with my choices? Let me know in the comments section!
Nintendo's main man Shigeru Miyamoto has confirmed that the next Pikmin game will be making an appearance at this year's E3 in June.
Miyamoto confirmed the news during an interview in Spanish publication El Mundo. He promised that fans will "enjoy playing" the third game in the series, which is slated for a Wii U release. No other information regarding Pikmin 3 has been released as of yet, but one things for sure-there are plenty of people who are hungry for another Pikmin game. The series, originally released on the Gamecube, proved to be successful with Nintendo gamers, so let's hope that the third one will be just as loveable!
More information on Pikmin 3 will be published once it is announced. Stay tuned!
This month, Resident Evil fans have been treated to two HD revamps of two games in the series-Resident Evil 4 and Code Veronica X. Released by Capcom, the Resident Evil series combines elements of the survival horror genre with an intriguing story, and an eclectic bunch of heroes and villains.
The re-vamped editions of both of these games boast some excellent high definition graphics, and allow for fans to re-immerse themselves with two cracking additions to the series, as well as welcoming in first time players.
Resident Evil 4 Resident Evil 4 originally gained a release on the Nintendo Gamecube in 2005. Since then, it has been released on the Playstation 2, iPod Touch and iPhone, Wii and Zeebo.
Regarded as the best in the Resident Evil series by many fans, Resident Evil 4 follows Raccoon City hero-cop Leon S. Kennedy, who has been sent on a mission to rescue the President's kidnapped daughter, Ashley Graham. Leon has been directed to a remote village in Europe, where he is quickly faced with a barrage of hostile, and infected, locals. Things begin to get more sinister, as Leon realises that a mysterious cult lies behind the villagers, and Ashley is caught up in this huge mess. Leon now must save Ashley, stop the cult from carrying out their plans, and try to warn the rest of the world before the infection spreads.
Resident Evil 4 is available to download from now.
Code Veronica X HD
Code Veronica X follows Clare Redfield, who is searching for her missing brother, a S.T.A.R.S member, Chris Redfield. After narrowly escaping the events in Raccoon City, Clare sets out to track down her brother, only to find herself stumbling upon the news that the notorious Umbrella Corporation's zombie creating antics stretch much further than this remote city. The game then follows Clare as she strives to find out what Umbrella Corporation are planning, as well as finding out where her brother has got to.
Code Veronica X is due for a release on the 27th September. Not long to go now!
Resident Evil fans definitely have a lot to look forward to in the coming months. As well as the two revamped editions released on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 this month, fans will expect Resident Evil: Revelations on the Nintendo 3DS, as well as the forthcoming (but unfortunately recently delayed) Operation Racoon City for the PS3 and Xbox 360.
Resident Evil 4 and Code Veronica X HD are priced at £14.99 and are available on the PSN and Xbox Live Games On Demand services. Check out the trailers for both of these re-releases below:
Many exciting Nintendo announcements were made at this years E3, but what I anticipated the most is the release of Luigi's Mansion 2 on the Nintendo 3DS. Luigi's Mansion was an excellent ghost busting adventure that still seems a little under-appreciated.
One of the launch games for the Nintendo Gamecube back in 2001, Luigi's Mansion allowed Luigi to step out of his famous fellow moustachioed brother's limelight, and become the main hero. The premise was very simple, somewhat predictable, and no twists present, but it was an enjoyable story nonetheless. It all begins when Luigi receives a strange letter from his brother Mario which leaves Luigi convinced that, rather mysteriously, he has won himself a mansion. However, upon arriving at the mansion's destination, Luigi is greeted by Professor E. Gadd, who explains to him that the mansion suddenly appeared in this spot just a few days earlier. The mansion is over-run with ghosts, and it turns out that Mario has gone missing somewhere inside too. Now, armed with just a torch, a "Gameboy Horror" (a device where maps of the mansion can be viewed) and the Poltergust 3000, a modified vacuum cleaner which is designed to trap ghosts, Luigi must travel deeper and deeper into the mansion in order to save Mario.
The premise screams "Ghostbusters", and in all honesty, I think there is some level of homage here for these hugely successful films. Replace the Proton Pack with a Poltergust 3000, and voilà, Luigi is the somewhat reluctant latest recruit. The controls take a little getting used to, but once mastered, they are easy to continue with. Some may find the idea of Luigi shuffling around the mansion rather than running or jumping a tad frustrating, but Luigi's slow pace helps the player to take in more of the creepy atmosphere that the game is trying to convey. Catching ghosts is perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of Luigi's Mansion. With the basic enemies, simply aim the torch directly at them to stun them, and hastily suck them up with the Poltergust 3000 until their health (bottom left of the screen) is reduced to zero. As the game progresses, the enemy types become more varied, and somewhat trickier. At this point, the Poltergust 3000 can be upgraded, so that it has several uses, such as firing ice, water and objects. The Poltergust 3000 can also be used to suck up treasure, which will increase your end of level rating.
The mansion serves as a maze of rooms. As the player explores, they will find that many doors are locked. Enter an open room and clear the room of ghosts, and you will earn a key to open up another place in the mansion. I feared that this mechanic would become too repetitive quickly, but thankfully each room is completely different from one another, and the variety of bosses help to keep the game-play refreshing. Puzzles are introduced into the game at times, such as using special items in order to coax the bosses out for a showdown. These puzzles are not too perplexing, but are fun nonetheless. It is advisable to keep checking the maps on the "Gameboy Horror", as fumbling around in the darkness with merely a torch can get a little disorientating at times.
The look of the game is rather beautiful. Whilst the lighting for the most part is dark, allowing the torch to be the main guide, the ghosts are of a multitude of glowing, vibrant colours. The animation and the look of the mansion have been excellently rendered, and due to these factors, I believe that Luigi's Mansion would translate well in High Definition (something which Luigi's Mansion 2 will be treated to). At times the graphics can get a little pixelated if the camera is taken in for close inspections, but this is a very minor criticism, and was to be expected for a game of this time.
The use of sound is another excellent touch to this game. The soundtrack is very subtle, thus allowing the player to embrace the silence of the mansion, and listen out for the ghostly wails that sound out amongst the collection of rooms. The more ghosts Luigi encounters, the more scared he becomes. This fear is reflected in his voice when he hums along to the games music, or calls out for Mario, which makes a nice little touch.
Once the game is completed, there is the option to play the "Hidden Mansion" mode, which completely flips the mansion's layout. Bosses move faster, and enemies become trickier. Luigi's Mansion is not an overly hard game to come to grips with, so the real challenge definitely lies in this mode. The main game only takes about a day to complete, which is a shame, as it had the potential of adding a lot more if it was longer.
While it may not win over all Super Mario fans, Luigi's Mansion should be applauded on how different it is from the previous games in the Mario series. The graphics look great for a starter Gamecube game, the soundtrack and setting are irresistibly spooky, and the game play is incredibly fun. People of all ages should be able to complete this, although some children may find the atmosphere at little disconcerting at times. Luigi's Mansion is definitely an under-rated gem that deserves a bit more recognition, and still stands as one of the greatest Gamecube releases. The Gamecube disc will work fine on your Wii console and a Gamecube controller, so I recommend checking this game out before we are graced with Luigi's Mansion 2!
