Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings includes unlockable Fate of Atlantis [update]

by JC Fletcher { Feb 3rd 2009 at 1:19PM }

click for full gallery, Dr. Jones

LucasArts has released the first screens of (the Wii version of) Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings. While they may not look as great as the obviously pre-rendered trailer, the new Wii/PSP/PS2/DS adventure has an intriguing feature list that may help us look past the jaggies-plus-bloom combo.

The game's "Hot Set" environments are "completely interactive," full of objects and features that can be used as weapons. Staff of Kings also features action sequences allowing players to "fly a biplane in a canyon trench, take the reigns of a wild elephant through the streets of Istanbul and navigate a raft down a raging river." The biplane sequence, along with a tank battle game, is even unlockable as a four-player minigame! Even the main game allows for cooperative play.

The Wii version, of course, uses the Wii Remote to control the whip, for both fighting and environmental interaction. The PSP version apparently contains six short-session "burst gameplay" modes, which sound like individual challenge levels.

But, really, who cares about this game: you can unlock the classic adventure game, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis! We aren't sure which systems have the unlockable game; the official website doesn't specify, so maybe it's all of them!

[Update: We've heard back from a rep at LucasArts, who tells us that "The Fate of Atlantis will be on the Wii version only." Sorry, DS gamers. We know ... the stylus seems perfect!]

Gallery: Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings

Tags: adventure, indiana-jones, indiana-jones-and-the-staff-of-kings, lucasarts

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Dirty @ Feb 3rd 2009 1:25PM

Wiimote whip sounds great and all, but uggg those graphics.

baby sea tuna @ Feb 3rd 2009 1:43PM

Unless Nintendo themselves (or the Boom Blox team) is the one programming the remote's responses, be fully prepared to flail wildly before cursing, ejecting the game, and tossing it out the nearest window.

Haggard @ Feb 3rd 2009 1:54PM

Needs more vaseline!

Mr Khan @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:28PM

I thought the controls were praised for LucasArts' last Wii work: The Force Unleashed.

Or am i mistaken?

baby sea tuna @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:37PM

I'm pretty sure it was just standard waggle. At least it didn't score as poorly as the Clone Wars for Wii did...

Dirty @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:47PM

does this include motion plus?

Adam @ Feb 3rd 2009 1:27PM

reigns - n.
1. Exercises of sovreign power.
2. The periods during which a monarch rules.
3. Dominances or widespread influences.
v.
1. Exercises sovreign power.
2. Holds the title of monarch.
3. Is predominant or prevalent.

reins - n.
1. A leather strap, fastened to each end of the bit of a bridle, by which the rider or driver controls a horse or other animal by pulling so as to exert pressure on the bit.

Lucasarts, you fail. Get someone who understands English to write your press releases.

Duke @ Feb 3rd 2009 4:13PM

I think they meant to say you could exercise sovereign power over a wild elephant. In that case, day one purchase!

Mr Khan @ Feb 3rd 2009 1:29PM

Is ugly, but the environmental interaction seems like a real draw. Of course, we'll have to see some videos to get the true scope of it.

Makes you wonder more what the PS360 version would have been like (since this game is being made in lieu of it), if this is what they were after.

Professor Lario @ Feb 3rd 2009 1:31PM

They just need to offer Fate of Atlantis as a separate, downloadable title.

Shagittarius @ Feb 3rd 2009 1:35PM

I have the Fate of Atlantis PC CD-ROM with big box and manuals.

Shagittarius @ Feb 3rd 2009 1:35PM

Its the same one I bought and played when the game was first released. I'm a collector.

xiphux @ Feb 3rd 2009 1:48PM

I still have my floppy disk version somewhere, but I don't have a computer with a floppy drive to play it anymore.

AwesomeTown @ Feb 3rd 2009 1:50PM

I only got my Fate of Atlantis CD. I got it in one of those Lucasarts collections. Man, PC collections were the shit back then.

Haggard @ Feb 3rd 2009 1:57PM

Valve complete pack proves they're still good :D

Matt @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:24PM

I still have mine on 3.5 floppies. Too bad I can't install it. Yey for scummvm! I also have the Secret of Monkey island on 5.25 floppies!

AwesomeTown @ Feb 3rd 2009 3:23PM

Touche, Haggard.

ratedrsuperstar @ Feb 3rd 2009 1:42PM

Please for the love of all thats holy, let those graphics be from the psp version. Cause if not, ugh.

Shagittarius @ Feb 3rd 2009 1:43PM

Nope, if they were from the PSP version they would at least be widescreen.

Maverick Saturn @ Feb 3rd 2009 1:46PM

Lol, I'm thinking its more or less the same for all, lmao

Maverick Saturn @ Feb 3rd 2009 1:47PM

Though, saying that, if that were PSP, it's quite impressive, not bad looking at all :)

Hyams @ Feb 3rd 2009 1:53PM

Those graphics does actually look like a PS2 game.

Why do so few devs take advantage of the Wii's power? You could get much graphics than this out of it.

Haggard @ Feb 3rd 2009 1:58PM

Exactly, you look at God of War 2, Black, and a bunch of other games and have to wonder why 99% of Wii games look half as good.

Mr Khan @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:29PM

Because generally there's no reason for Wii games to look good from a technical standpoint. No return on your investment for a better looking game

For this game, however, that's not the case. Something slicker could probably draw in more people

baby sea tuna @ Feb 3rd 2009 1:44PM

*This* is what they shitcanned the next-gen IJ game for?! That just makes me ill.

dabamf @ Feb 3rd 2009 1:48PM

You just sold me on this game with the Fate of Atlantis unlockable! Such a great classic game!!!

Sir Buzz Killington( The Artist formerly known as Jakka) @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:06PM

No real point in buying SoK for the FoA alone. After all, you can get SCUMMVM and download it off any abandonware website.

Won't take you more than three megabytes of space.

AwesomeTown @ Feb 3rd 2009 1:52PM

If anyone hasn't played Fate of Atlantis, then buy this game no matter how good or bad Staff of Kings is. Otherwise, you are dumb.

dabamf @ Feb 3rd 2009 1:57PM

Agreed! +1 sir.

Dr Jeckyl and Mr ESC. @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:19PM

Awesometown you just sold me this game.That kids is good marketing lol.

(I was a PC fanboy back in the day but I'llbe honest other than the point and click games and some starwars game I never touched a Indiana Jones game.I guess Iw as hooked on Sky Roads.BTW play Sky Roads otherwise you are dumb)

AwesomeTown @ Feb 3rd 2009 3:19PM

Mr. ESC, I will get on that, because, sir, I am no dumb.

qwho @ Feb 3rd 2009 1:58PM

I think goldeneye 64 had better looking graphics than this. Kinda reminds me of the jungle level. I will still buy it if it includes FOA

BJ Wanlund @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:29PM

Whoa, that's surprising! Whichever of the platforms I own (i.e. Wii or DS) that has this unlockable, I'll buy THAT version and work like hell to unlock it!

I want to send LucasArts the message that these old classics NEED a new audience, esp. the Indy games.

BJ

WiNG [XBL&Steam: WiNGSPANTT] from lifeinagame.com @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:05PM

The Fate of Atlantis is an amazing game, and honestly even if the retail game here sucks, it is probably worth buying if you've never played Fate of Atlantis.

SUCKER PUNCH'EM, INDY!!!

dantebk @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:05PM

Are unlockable games within games that are merely ports of old DOS games eligible for GOTY awards? Because Fate of Atlantis is radical to the max.

Courtney @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:06PM

A coop campaign piques my interest, I'd certainly think about picking up the PS2 version, double so if it includes the Fate of Atlantis unlockable.

Deeznuts420 @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:10PM

is there a button to take out your gun and just shoot the baddie because u dont have time?

Strategy_Panda (Pot & Spoon 4 Life) @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:23PM

The SCUMM version of Fate of Atlantis?

That's pretty awesome

billzilla @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:28PM

NEW LAYOUT WHINER WARNING: Again, some of us find it a bummer having to read these multi-plat articles. One sentence of PSP specific news and a screenshot of the Wii edition. Ugh.

Would it really take that much longer to just copy/paste the plat-specific content into three or four individual posts and have each carry one system tag? So, for example, DS users don't have to wade through two paragraphs of 360 and PS3 features to learn a game is going to have such-and-such features for their system?

I miss the 'Fanboy' layout, I guess.

Duke @ Feb 3rd 2009 4:15PM

They are being more efficient and wasting less internet space. Its an environmentalist thing!

Lee @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:35PM

It'll be on the Wii and DS versions for obvious reasons.
I wouldn't want to play FoA without a cursor replacement, to be honest.

dronesensor @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:43PM

have we forgotten how awful metroid prime 3 looked in screenshots? don't everyone jump on the reactionary "OMG FAIL!!21" bandwagon after seeing only one screenshot all at once.

Mr Khan @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:59PM

Yeah but that was specifically because of teh jaggies, if you looked beyond there, it was fine looking

This isn't really the same case.

AwesomeTown @ Feb 3rd 2009 3:37PM

These screenshots are bordering on N64 territory.

PGrock @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:50PM

DUDE! If i could play Fate of Atlantis on my DS I would totally buy this game!

jsutcliffe @ Feb 3rd 2009 3:32PM

Flash Cart + SCUMMVM DS = much LucasArts adventure joy. Fate of Atlantis is compatible.

The idea of being able to play Monkey Island on my DS was what prompted me to get a flash cart in the first place.

meist3r @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:58PM

This game should be called "Indiana Jones and the Lost Momentum" ...

I expected a lot after this CGI trailer but now I feel Tomb Raider 3-ish. Is this really all LucasArts can do? It's the overused one, I know, but why does Resident Evil still look better? I got way more sceptical about this and I'll definitely wait for some reviews before I buy it. I almost pre-ordered this but thank goodness I saw the screenshots in time.