D-AWWWWWWW!

Nintendo has typically been silent on its release schedule, however, that all changes today. The publisher has announced their upcoming first-party release lineup for 2010 in North America. Note that December release dates haven’t been included in this calendar so those holding out for Golden Sun may have to wait a bit longer.

Wii

August 31 – Metroid: Other M
September 27 – Samurai Warriors 3
October 3 – Wii Party
October 17 – Kirby’s Epic Yarn
November 1 – Poke Park Wii: Pikachu’s Adventure
November 7 – FlingSmash
November 21 – Donkey Kong Country Returns

DS

September 12 – Professor Layton and the Unwound Future
October 4 – Pokemon Ranger: Guardian Signs
October 25 – Art Academy
November 14 – Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!

Now that we know New Zelda Wii’s name, I’ll include it in the title of my reports from earthbounding from here on.

So anyway….

The E3 Aftermath

What we learn:

–The Wiimote, Nunchuck, and WiiMotion Plus are used to play the game.

–The control stick moves Link around, and Z Targeting is back.

–For the first time ever in a 3D Zelda, Link will be able to run on the ground and on walls a la Prince of Persia. Rolling can also be used.

–Link can’t run forever–he does tire eventually.

–You also tire when climbing and in other places.

–This Link is more acrobatic, and is able to chain moves together–Miyamoto has said he wanted “fast paced action”.

–Link can also drink a potion while running, thanks to the potion menu accessed with the minus button. the plus button opens the map.

–B accesses your inventory–to select an item, highlight it and release B.

–After complaints about the control guide taking up a lot of room, Nintendo says you can turn it off if you want.

–Wii Motion Plus plays a huge role–especially Link’s sword. Miyamoto says that the team tried to strike a balance between motion and normal controls.

–After configuring the Wiimote, Link will recreate your moves in real time.

–To execute a spin attack, swipe both Wiimote and Nunchuk in the same direction. You can also do a vertical spin attack by jabbing them downward.

–Lifting your sword charges it, and once charged, you shoot a beam in the direction you slash.

–You won’t get very far just waggling the Wiimote–many enemies can only be defeated with a specific slash.

–By “punching” with the Nunchuk, you can shield bash a la TP.This can also be used to stun enemies and reflect projectiles.

–The bow, bombs, whip, and slingshot return, new to the party is a beetle-like item. The boomerang is also due to be back as well.

–Block pushing is gone, but grass cutting, wall breaking, and pot bashing are back. Epona also returns.

–Link can even recreate your moves while aboard Epona.

–However, Link’s newfound running makes him as fast, if not faster than Epona, so Epona might be sped up to make up for this.

–For all those worried about Skyward Sword being too easy, Team Zelda says it will be anything but–Aonuma-san has explicitly said he doesn’t want the game too easy.

–If you still not a fan of the motion controlled Link–get used to it, as Team Zelda doesn’t plan on going back to buttons anytime soon.

–Aonuma also said that SS was what he wanted TP to be, but couldn’t–SS will be more gameplay driven.

–According to Nintendo, SS is “A Link to the Future” and “a turning point for The Legend of Zelda series”

–Despite heavy rumors of first person gameplay, there doesn’t appear to be very much first person gameplay in SS.

–Unfortunately, SS will be shorter than TP.

–Exploration will be back.

–The game is a blend of TP and WW graphics wise.

–While we don’t know much about the music at this point, Nintendo has promised that it will be orchestrated.

–Story-wise, Link lives in Skyloft, a land in the clouds. Hyrule lies below Skyloft, but it is overrun by enemies and no Skyloftian knows about it, not even Link. But when Link encounters the titular Skyward Sword, it starts a grand adventure. He is told of the land below and the dangers within. The Skyward Sword tells Link to go down to Hyrule, and he does with an epic jump. From there, the sword takes a Navi or Midna-esque role. How both Skyloft and Hyrule came to be will be explored as well. It is confirmed that this will explain where the Master Sword came from.

–As of now, Team Zelda is putting the finishing touches on the game. It is due to arrive sometime next year.

So with that, information on the next Zelda is finished, but I will still break down any video or pictures as earthbounding releases them. And whatever earthbounding decides to cover next, I’ll be there to cover it too.

Stay tuned for more information as I find it.

Happy gaming,
SparklingBlue

I had a discussion with Zack today about Epic Mickey and I was forced not to use the word EPIC in my description of the game. I can’t do it, why? It is the picture perfect remark to describe Epic Mickey.

In the time I had in the Wasteland, it became apparent that the atmosphere is set on a basis of urgency. An urgency that only Mickey Mouse can address. Warren Specter explains the storyline as a struggle for redemption among his fellow Disney friends. Mickey finally goes too far in his mischievous ways and it ultimately causes the misfortune of Disney characters by transplanting them from their home worlds into a cartoon reject Wasteland. The Wasteland draws upon the rich history of past Disney characters, specifically those who were unable to stand the test of time as popular, iconographic mascots of the company. Oswald the Lucky Rabbit is a product of such circumstances and in Epic Mickey, he serves as the ruler of the Wasteland and the antagonist to hinder Mickey Mouse’s quest to restore the status quo and return everything back to normal.

For Mickey to address his overwhelming disparity, he must utilize the magical intrinsic powers of paint to transform the environment around him. This is integral to the gameplay because it will be up to the player to decide their “playstyle” and how one will interact with the situation when confronted with a dilemma. Epic Mickey takes into account the utilization of the paint spray and thinner. Spray allows the player to color the world and reveal platforming devices previously not available. Thinner dissipates the environment, causing objects to disappear to reveal hidden secrets or people to become blobs. I was confronted with two levels. The first was the Wasteland hub where Mickey can undertake quests and talk to various characters in need of help. The second was the Steamboat Willie level where it plays homage to a classic Disney short but also showcasing a traditional 2D style of platforming. However, the action adventure level titled Skull Island (loosely based off Peter Pan and Skull Rock) is where the game starts to unravel itself.

The objective of Skull Island is to ultimately free an anchor to raise a ship from a sea of paint thinner. Mickey is tasked with releasing the ropes that tether the anchor that will allow him to access the next zone. Yet, in this level, the “playstyle” is broad enough that a player won’t feel confined to a linear gameplay and can utilize the paintbrush mechanics to foster abilities that are unique to your preferences. For example, if you play with the thinner more than the spray, then you’ll unlock abilities that strengthen the experience of the thinner. The enemies that dominate Skull Island are blobs and can be approached in two ways. Mickey can use thinner to quickly dissipate the blobs and perform a spin attack or use the spray to befriend the blob and make it attack its former friend. In one encounter, an item collected in the game called the TV Sketch can be utilized as a distraction (blobs will just lie down and watch the TV, it’s actually pretty hilarious) as Mickey can free the tether that is holding down the anchor. Evidently, the core gameplay mechanics revolve around solving puzzles and combat.

Epic Mickey has a lot to prove amongst the tide of platform mascots but a revival of this magnitude coupled with Disney Interactive’s belief in the ambition of Warren Spector to make it a versatile game is well founded. Look forward to Epic Mickey for the Nintendo Wii this Holiday 2010.

In lieu of the liveblog, here’s what went down at E3:

–Kirby is back in Kirby’s Epic Yarn
–New Paper Mario game announced
–Pit makes a long overdue return in Kid Icarus: Uprising
–New Metroid: Other M trailer
–Donkey Kong Country Returns announced
–Golden Sun DS is now named Golden Sun: Dark Dawn
–Nintendo 3DS announced, remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time one of the games to be made
–PokePark Wii: Pikachu’s Adventure announced
–Mario Sports Mix announced
–But the highlight was the revealing of New Zelda Wii’s official name: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

Stay tuned for more info as I find it.

Happy gaming,
SparklingBlue

Here we go, another action packed day marking the start of E3. Check back in a few for the Nintendo Presentation liveblog by Sarah at 9am PST, 12pm EST, and 5pm GMT

E3 is basically around the corner and for the first time in MonsterVine history, we will be in attendance at the event. However, not everyone gets to go so our online team will be holding the fort down at MonsterVine HQ to bring you breaking news coverage and present liveblogs of the big three press conferences. They are listed below:

Microsoft Media Briefing – Monday, June 14 at 10:00 am PST, 1:00pm EST, 6:00 pm BST
Natal will be a focus this time around with a fully blown reveal and numerous third-party publishers announcing their projects in addition to a slew of first-party development by Rare and Lionhead Studios. There will still be a good focus on first-party games such as Gears of War 3, Fable 3, and Halo: Reach but what suprises will be in store? Well our newest staff member Malik Faldiga will tell you!

Nintendo Presentation – Tuesday, June 15 at 9:00 am PST, 12:00 pm EST, 5:00 pm BST
With Craig and Will going to see Cammie Dunaway inarguably make a fool out of herself for another consecutive year, Sarah will be liveblogging the Nintendo conference and bring you the epic tears that will be shed around the world during the Zelda Wii reveal. We will have information and launch titles on Nintendo’s handheld successor, 3DS. And expect the occassional “livetweets” from Will of the antics that will surely ensue (most likely when we find out the mindblowing features of the Wii Vitality Sensor) from this two-hour presser.

Sony Media Briefing – Tuesday, June 15 at 12:00 pm PST, 3:00 pm EST, 8:00 pm BST
Following up, our last but surely not least Sony will be showcasing Playstation Move and the first-party lineup including Gran Turismo 5, Killzone 3, Resistance 3, Infamous 2, Motorstorm: Apocalypse, and LittleBigPlanet 2. Yet, that may not be all as we are due for another appearance of The Last Guardian, Agent, and perhaps even an appearance of Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Gyuri and Malik are tag-teaming up for this one so look forward to it.

[Plamen Jeliazkov is a freelance writer for MonsterVine.com and an undergraduate student of Computer Science at UC San Diego.]

Simulation and RPG were the vital combination which allowed the Harvest Moon series to flourish onto the gaming scene in its first unveiling, “Harvest Moon”, for the SNES. Since then, it has evolved through the generations of consoles – from the Nintendo 64, even up to the current generation, namely, the Wii. Although Natsume has spread the game title name past just Nintendo, it has tried to retain the sole of game title throughout each expansion.

Its essentials come down to a generic three things: a farm system, a dating simulation (the marriage story), and the story competition (usually to rebuild the farm to a great state within 3 in-game years). The joy of Harvest Moon has always come from these aspects of the game.

Every now and then Natsume has tried to revamp or in other respects alter these three fundamentals to try to unveil a new game to the masses.

One such example of this was the PlayStation 2 port of “Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland”. Natsume had rid of the marriage portion of the game in order to focus more on the story competition and depth of the story, however, since it came at the cost of another fundamental, many past players became annoying with this port simply because it didn’t offer the generic simulation-plus-RPG style play that they were used to. Apart from a major graphics overhaul, including a main character change-up, “Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland” lost a lot of the replay value that is so common around other Harvest Moon style games simply because of the decision to remove a fundamental property of Harvest Moon, in this case, the marriage system.

However, there are some cases where ridding of a fundamental has been beneficial. This has mostly been the case with the handheld ports of the game, that is to say “Harvest Moon GB”, “Harvest Moon 2 GB”, “Harvest Moon 3 GBC” and “Harvest Moon DS”. In the first two of the four games, respectively, there was no marriage system, yet the game story and farm system were kept very well intact and in fact improved on as it progressed. In the third game, they added the marriage system (but with only 1 wife), and continued to expand the territory that the game was involved in. It is only with the fourth game, a port to the DS and an expansion of the hit Nintendo 64 game, that Natsume finally got Harvest Moon on the handheld to reach a pinnacle. Not only did they nail down on what was so loved about the original Nintendo 64 game (namely, the 3 aspects described before) they expanded in each region of play. There were more choices in the marriage system, more outcomes, more upgrades, but still the same simple farm-life simulation.

But what made Harvest Moon so great? Well, that is debatable, but as an avid fan it is hard to neglect the following title when talking to any Harvest Moon player:

“Harvest Moon 64”, for, obviously, the Nintendo 64, was the original major name that expanded the series. Before all other expansions, including the handheld ports, it was the game that set up all the rest to come. Prior to this release, Natsume had had only one other major Harvest Moon success, which was the SNES port of the game, which was only mildly popular because of the interesting new twist to a farm-style life RPG. “Harvest Moon 64” however, expanded the game to include many new festivals, house upgrades, animals, crops, and all the while maintaining the replay value that was so amazing with such a game. The reason this game was so great was not only due to the re-syncing of what was so great in the SNES game, it had to do with the revamping of music and art style as well. Although it kept a cartoonish figure, it maintained a nice, almost doll-like, representation of characters and actions that just captured a player’s attention. The music was also re-done in such a way that one was not stuck to a small set of tunes as in the SNES port. What I mean is that music was dynamic to the seasons, to the events, and to the location. On top of that, it was, at times, very moving as well. There was the birth of the child, the death of the grandfather, and the loss animals. It was not only a game that twisted your imagination and role-playing, it was a game that captured your heart as you played it. It is, as many others who are familiar will agree, the original, “Harvest Moon”.

Since then, many other expansions on the game have tried to make it better, some succeeding, and some failing. Yet, all in all, Natsume managed to hit on something very original in their series as whole: Simulation and RPG could go hand in hand in the case of life on a farm.

[Philip Wybenga is a freelance writer for MonsterVine.com and an undergraduate student in Cognitive Psychology at UC San Diego. He really likes the Legend of Zelda franchise.]

Chapter 1: The origins of insanity

There is a young blond princess who plays the typical damsel in distress and gets caught by this muscle-bound evildoer. Naturally you, the protagonist, respond to this like any other simple-minded farmer. Take your pillowcase and wear it like a hat, suit up in your green shirt and tights, brandish sword and shield, and go on a rampage and kill shit, that’s what!!! Yeah…that’s the normal life.

But seriously, lets get a reality check. It’s 1986 and legendary creator Shigeru Miyamoto had yet another creation to bless the gaming community. Millions the world over did not suspect the torrent that would enrapture them inevitably. The Legend of Zelda. This legendary masterpiece in software has revolutionized the gaming world and provided for Nintendo a new product to goad hungry gamers to a new obsession: people now have the tendency to save the world at all costs; this includes but not limited to: stealing, killing, the abuse of chickens with a sword to the point where PETA would bitch slap you for money in litigation, STDS from getting laid with fairies in kinky clothing with fairy crack/dust, taking advice from a large shining fly that endorses your schizophrenia….and tights. To raise money for your obsessions you barge into houses, break pots, and all but rape the lady in the house out of all her hard-earned rupees. Yes we have all been there. Ah the gifts of being a sexy elf. Everyone loves his endearing charm. That’s why you are the one dressed in a green tunic and pillowcase, not like the normal person who can distinguish games from reality. Not you. Like the happy go lucky Tingle you love to spread your manly “tinkle charms”. Young and old, The Legend of Zelda is a series that we all wished to aspire. Like Morgan Freeman’s voice, The Legend of Zelda calls us, compels us, rapes our very minds, and does this with a soothing tone that all the while guides us to the holy light of the Triforce. Welcome to the world of Link, the Hero of Time.

Chapter 2: Trying to deal with reality

When you start to get introduced to the greatness that is Zelda, you start to realize something that may possibly downplay your now complete and fulfilled life: You realize it’s not your life that you are living in the least. That’s right. You are living the life of a virtual elf. Enough of role-playing, you need to get past this insanity. Fairies are not going to tell you what to do next in life, you don’t have a menu screen that contains all your seemingly limitless weaponry that you carry, and you will NOT be getting laid after saving a blond girl from the big bully. Its unfortunate, but Link goes on an adventure and kicks ass, whereas the average fan boy can only fantasize about saving the world one step at a time, but first he needs to take out the trash that is clustering his mom’s basement. Harsh reality, easy to like the epicness that is the Legend of Zelda series.

Chapter 3: The gaming experience (aka epicness piled on epicness convoluted by mind-blowing epicness. EPIC)

The Legend of Zelda series began, of course, with the first entry of the series simply titled The Legend of Zelda. Humble beginnings, this game came out on the original Nintendo gaming console, the Nintendo Entertainment System, in 1986. The concept to the experience was simple: an adventure overworld-based system where one charming elf protagonist named Link, wielding sword and shield, has the goal of saving a kidnapped princess who happened to be named Zelda. This game did not bring graphically stunning gaming to the consumer when first released, nor did it provide really any revolutionizing concepts to the gaming industry at the time in comparison to preceding games on the console. However, what it lacked in graphical power, it made up in finesse. Hands down one of the best games in history, the game was simply a blast to play, even by today’s standards of virtual gaming. Like the sequels following it, The Legend of Zelda had the system of making the player venture into eight main dungeons, where within each dungeon lie ingenious puzzles that serve as obstacles to challenge Link’s progress and past that lurks the main boss that must be defeated to acquire a certain artifact, in this case a piece of the Triforce of Wisdom. The sequels to this game followed this template, but of course each addition to the series added its own unique twist to the experience by new plot developments, enhanced graphics, and technical innovation to the overall gameplay. This is evident in recent sequels, such as with the case with one of the latest entries The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, where playing the game was completely reliant on touch screen mechanics. The legacy of the first installment of the Legend of Zelda is, putting it lightly, deeply rooted in the conventional gaming experience of today, and in its beginning stages an inspiration for the introduction of the role playing genre. No one can deny the scope of its influence, and that is that the sphere of influence of Zelda is limitless. I may certainly have a bias to the extent of Zelda’s importance…but I am right! So don’t argue!