Blogs Archive

**The following post contains very minor spoilers. If you’re already planning to pick this up and want to go in completely blind (like I did), then come back here once you’ve completed the game. For anyone on the fence though, I hope the following might sway you towards a purchase.**

Anyone who’s still bemoaning the stagnancy of the Japanese gaming scene hasn’t been paying attention this summer. From El Shaddai‘s beautifully bizarre take on the Dead Sea Scrolls to Child of Eden‘s kinetic synesthesia, there’s been more creative output from that country lately than its likely to get credit for. But perhaps most outlandish of all would be Catherine, Atlus’ not-exactly-an-RPG experiment that broke the publisher’s own sales records last month. Sure, it may feature a weird puzzle game at its core and an art style familiar to any Persona fan, but Catherine‘s greatest feat is that it finds the perfect sweet spot between the linear, cut-scene-driven narratives of Japanese games and the more expansive, open-ended worlds of games like Mass Effect and Fall Out. It’s a game that features well-drawn characters and tight plotting without completely sacrificing player influence and interactivity.

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For considerably better pictures of the event, I suggest that you head on over to Joystiq’s gallery.

This past Wednesday, the editors of the magazine “Kill Screen” helped put on a show at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. This isn’t the first time that video games have been displayed in a museum, but the MoMA’s a pretty ritzy place, and so it was seen (by me, at least) to be a pretty big deal, a means to bring some of the industry’s more avant-garde fair to the masses. And for the most part, I think the evening could be called a success.

Starry Heavens

Admittedly, if I were curating that shindig, my list of games would have looked a lot different. Kill Screen’s selections seemed to be more about the beauty of mechanics, while I tend to prefer a little more graphical splendor when I’m gripping a controller. On the other hand, the event tied in beautifully — probably intentionally so — with the incredible “Talk to Me” installation, which compiled dozens of modern technologies that humans potentially use to communicate with one another. Some of the wackier devices on display like animal-sensory simulations, a fifth dimensional camera and a metal pair of underpants that simulate menstruation for folks who don’t menstruate (like guys) will get the most buzz, but the entire collection as a whole was just awe-inspiring. It’s so cool to see such technological innovation in one room, and I’m glad that video games could be lumped along for an evening.

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According to our Steam stats, the Rumble Pack somehow managed to put 108.6 cumulative hours into Terraria in just a single week. Granted, that’s split among half a dozen people, but still – that’s a lot of time devoted to digging holes in the ground. The Minecraft influence is pretty clear, but everyone has brought their own reasons for playing this wonderful little sandbox title. I’ve heard comparisons to LEGO sets, Castlevania: Harmony of Despair, Dig Dug and more; with a game so expansive, it’s only natural for it to evoke memories from a bunch of different sources. For me, though, Terraria offers everything I always wanted from Nintendo’s Animal Crossing, fulfilling that game’s potential for amazing social interaction whether your buddies are playing online or not.

Back in 2001, when Animal Crossing was a non-gaming novelty, I had these lofty dreams of maintaining a village with my entire family. There were four houses available for my parents, brother and I, and we were to usher in a new era of peace and prosperity for those furry chatterboxes that populated the game. Though Animal Crossing doesn’t offer simultaneous co-op, you can take turns with the upkeep. Anything that one player does – either good or bad – will have consequences for anyone else who boots up the game. And when you’re not playing, the game “plays itself” – plants grow, villagers leave and mail arrives at everyone’s doorstep. If I were to leave a note for my dad or plant a tree next to my mom’s house, they’d  eventually discover my good deeds on their own time.

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If you’re one of the few early adopters of the 3DS, you’ve probably racked up a massive pile of play coins, street passed dozens of commuters (or not) and maybe even conquered Donkey Kong ’94‘s 100 levels by now. What more could a cool guy or gal like you want out of your handheld? Well, some games would be nice. Though Ocarina of Time 3D was a welcome addition to the 3DS library, the early months have been especially rough for Nintendo’s latest hardware, and I wouldn’t hold it against you if you decided to hock yours on eBay.* But before you make any rash decisions, let me ask you this: have you checked out any DSiWare?

*(glaring menacingly…)

Believe it or not, a surprisingly high percentage of DSiWare is not horrendously bad.** In fact, as we’ve said on the podcast a few times, the service is one of Nintendo’s best kept secrets, since the company refuses to advertise it at all. Games like the Art Style series and Shantae have earned accolades from both ourselves and the big sites, but the problem here is that only a very small audience has had access to them — that is, until now. The vast majority of DSiWare is compatible with the 3DS and can be found on the eShop, making this the perfect time to check out what you’ve missed. And to help you get started, I humbly suggest that you direct your attention to the following.

**Even if most of it is!

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If you want to play Pokémon with the big boys, sign up for our official Facebook group!

Let’s get down to business. Pokémon Black and White launch on Sunday (or Saturday if you’re in New York), and we as a Rumble Nation need to coordinate our attack strategies. There are over 163 new monsters to catch — one of which is almost literally a pile of garbage with googly eyes — and we’re going to need each other. I’m not just talking about the standard version-exclusive Pokémon. Obviously, we can hunt those down pretty quickly with a little help from the online trading station and one reliable buddy. But there’s so much more to this than that.

I’m talking about feeding each other legendaries that we wouldn’t be able to access otherwise. I’m talking about putting our poor Dittos to work to mass produce a herd of valuable starters. I’m eventually even talking about Rumble Pack tournaments that may or may not have an attached prize. (I need to look through my drawers of crap to find something Poké-flavored.) This series was originally envisioned as a very social experience, and we intend to get the most out of it.

And yes, I’m well aware that I take my Pokémon a little too seriously. I’m indeed the guy who forced himself to write a 60 page senior thesis over a weekend because I had been too busy rounding up Ludicolos in the weeks prior. But I’m confident that we’re in this together. Oh, and you’ve got about one week until PAX, so do have your critters in order as soon as possible.

P.S. I swear that I’m not crazy! I’m taking this the game only about 40% as seriously as this post would suggest.

My closest ally or my worst enemy?