Joystiq

See a hot anime clip from Street Fighter IV

Justin McElroy — 2008-07-04T09:45:00+00:00

Filed under: PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Fighting

We have a very clear memory of watching the video we've linked to during Captivate 08 and wishing only that we could bring it to you, the masses. Why? Well, for starters, it's lifted from Street Fighter IV, which we hear you, the masses, are pretty excited about. Second? It's absolutely gorgeous. Today we're able to share the clip with you, so you may now "feel the drama," as they say, between Ryu and Akuma.

What's better is that we heard that the home version of the game would be chock-full of anime clips like these, one for each character, which may be enough to pique the interest of even the non-fighting faithful.

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Joystiq Podcast 052 - Don't Chew Dare edition

Justin McElroy — 2008-06-06T12:45:00+00:00

Filed under: Podcasts

Christopher is off the grid this week, so you're going to have to put up with young Griffin McElroy in his stead. Luckily, we've got plenty of entertainment in store with impressions and hands-ons of Bionic Commando, Resident Evil 5, Dark Void and a lot more. We also receive some of our best emails ever.

Oh, and we would be remiss if we didn't thank the JPAG's Wesley Johnson for his incredible photochoppin' work this week.

Get the podcast:
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[Digg] Like the show? Digg it.
[MP3] Download the MP3 directly

Hosts: Griffin McElroy, Ludwig Kietzmann and Justin McElroy

Music: "Get Ready for Love" by Nick Cave, "Red Eye" by Ben Kweller.

For fans: Joystiq Podcast Facebook group

See all of this week's links after the jump.

NEWZ:

Captivate 08 Stuff

Sony stops production on Eight Days and The Getaway

Rumor: 'PS3mote' controller spotted at focus test

Breaking: Ninja Gaiden's Itagaki says 'Sayonara Tecmo, see you in court'

MGS 4 reviewing restrictions

Sony introducing monthly 'Qore' episodes to US PSN on June 5

The Big Three:

3.ESA calls out GamePolitics for unfair coverage
2.Metareview -- Quake Wars vs. Quake Wars
1.Far Cry 2 single player could last 25 hours! No 50! ... No 100!

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Captivate 2008 screenshot roundup

Ross Miller — 2008-06-03T17:55:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo DS, PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Sony PSP, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Galleries

Interested to see all the eye candy that came from Capcom's Captivate 08 event? From jet packs, zombies and bionic arms to Neopets and banjo-playing fish-cyborgs, check out all the new screenshots below (also after the break):

Gallery: Resident Evil 5 (06-02-2008)

Gallery: Dark Void (Xbox 360, PS3)

Gallery: Resident Evil 5 (06-02-2008)

Gallery: Dark Void (Xbox 360, PS3)

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Joystiq hands-on: Neopets Puzzle Adventure (PC)

Justin McElroy — 2008-06-03T13:25:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo DS, PC, Nintendo Wii, Puzzle

click to enlarge

First off, let us congratulate you for making it past the headline. We know that it takes a pretty special sort of person to read on in the face of a title like Neopets Puzzle Adventure, but believe us when we say that you will be rewarded for your perseverance.

As you may already know, NPA is the non-Galactrix follow-up to Puzzle Quest: Something Something Warlords by Australian developer Infinite Interactive. And even though the setting may not be our cup of tea, the game itself looks to be equally addictive.

Gallery: Neopets Puzzle Adventure (PC, Wii)

Before we get into this, we should let you know that we made a promise to ourselves that you would receive as little education about Neopets themselves as possible in reading this article. It's rare we make a pledge not to inform, but we trust you can find whatever you need in that regard here. For you Neopets fans who already know all that stuff, we should tell you that playing the game will unlock unique items for you. We say that upfront because we know that legally requires you to buy the game, saving you the trouble of having to read our hands-on.

OK, so here's a fun formula you can use if you want to skip the hands-on and just have a basic understanding of the game. Puzzle Quest minus fantasy and Match 3 plus Neopets and Othello/Reversi equals Neopets Puzzle Adventure. But that's just the general idea. The PQ team has taken a lot of steps forward with their game, beyond just cosmetic changes.

First, let's start with what's the same. You still roll a character, a Neopet of your choosing, with each species having slightly different abilities. You'll then venture to a world map that will require you to take on quests and play a simple board game (remember, it's Othello this time) to best enemies. You'll also be getting mana, only this time you have to keep control of certain colored tiles to have it on hand.

You're also still going to have special abilities in the form of petpets (which, yes, are pets of your Neopet). After you capture and train one, you'll be able to tap its power if you have the necessary mana. Unlike PQ, mana won't be used up, but your petpet will sleep for a predetermined number of turns after use.

Unlike in traditional Reversi/Othello, the winner is not whoever controls the highest number of tiles, but rather whoever has the highest score. This is attained by flipping large lines over at one time or by draining your opponent's score with petpets, of which we're told there will be at least 150 in the final game.

There are some significant changes from Puzzle Quest, though. For one, the items you collect and wear in game (there are more than 100) are now usable, allowing you to use their powers (which could lock a tile for your side, or flip an enemy's for instance) in exchange for a percentage of your score. While they were severely overpowered in the early build we played, they really did add a cool new layer to the game, helping to make up for the fact that petpets are considerably less exciting than throwing fireballs.

One thing that hasn't changed is the game's considerable size. We're told that the team aims for a 20-hour experience if you rush through, but the possibility of around 100 hours of gameplay.

There will also be the diversion of multiplayer on the disk/cartridge to help extend the game's life. DS will include WiFi play, PC will have online play and you and a friend will be able to go head to head locally, as long as you don't mind admitting to your friend that you own the Neopets game.

We'll be honest and tell you that when we first arrived at Captivate 08 in Las Vegas, there were a lot of other titles that got our attention before Neopets, and understandably so, we think. But it was a title that we kept coming back to when we had a few free minutes, and we think that's exactly what it will be like for you when it drops this holiday season.

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See first Bionic Commando multiplayer video

Justin McElroy — 2008-06-03T11:55:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action

We didn't learn much about Bionic Commando's multiplayer modes at last week's Captivate 08 event, aside from the fact that you can expect deathmatches, capture the flag and some other modes that more specifically take advantage of the game's verticality. Also, there's extensive stat tracking through something called "The Swingers' Club."

In fact, pretty much everything we know can be encapsulated in this trailer, which actually makes swing-filled deathmatches look kind of fun, even though it sounds like a total clusteryuck. What say you?

Dark Void, Resident Evil 5, Bionic Commando and Spyborgs: check out all our coverage from Capcom's Captivate 08 event!

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Joystiq impressions: Spyborgs (Wii)

Justin McElroy — 2008-06-03T11:40:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo Wii, Action

"Most of the stuff on the Wii is ports or micro-game stuff and I think most gamers are getting pretty sick of it. I don't want to mince words: We actually wanted to make a game."

It was with those fightin' words that Bionic Games designer Mike Stout started his Captivate 08 presentation of Spyborgs in Las Vegas this week. Though we've seen a couple of early stages and the same debut trailer as you, we're still not sure if the game's living up to the gauntlet being thrown down.

Gallery: Spyborgs (Wii)

Let us first just issue a few qualifiers. 1. What we saw was really early. 2. With any title that strives for humor, taking stuff out of context rarely works. 3. We're not exactly the target audience (sort of).

We're told that the game is being designed like a Saturday Morning cartoon, with the game representing a "season" of episodes. As for the roots of the game's humor, the words we keep hearing are "A.D.D." and "Adult Swim," if that gives you some idea of where they're coming from. (Though, admittedly, after seeing the demo, we'd been more inclined to namedrop some Nickelodeon shows than Squidbillies or Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law.)

So, with that out of the way, let's talk about the walkthrough.

Despite the tough talk about other games on the Wii, Spyborgs immediately presents to us like one of the many character-based action platformers on the system (like Ben 10, for example). Mind you, this title has one of the best cameras for this sort of thing we've seen, effortlessly keeping a great view of the heroes.

For the demo we saw, those heroes are Kinetic, an extreme sports junkie, and Bouncer, which you've probably seen described by trailers as a "death machine ... with attitude ... sort of." You're probably thinking that so far this reeks of character design by marketing committee, but ... no, actually there's no "but." We're right right there with you.

What's intriguing is that each character has their own specific actions that must be performed with the Wiimote and Nunchuk. For instance, the player controlling beefy Bouncer has to make punching motions to fight. Later, we see this put to further use when the same player has to pretend to bash a door down to ... well, to bash a door down.

Graphically, it looks like most other things on the Wii. It's cartoony and not super detailed. But it's so early we're not willing to knock it for that.

After battling a few enemies in the sewer level we're being shown, we're told that in order to enhance the "Saturday morning cartoon feel," the game will include commercials in the form of minigames smack dab in the middle of levels. The first we're shown is a take off on Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots with players imitating actions from Wii Boxing to battle each other.

The next one? Hmm, how to put this ... OK, so the second commercial we see forces the players to pretend to strum a banjo with the Wiimote and Nunchuk while two bionic, human-sized goldfish sit in a river of defecation and sing a country song about plumbing issues.

Still with us? Well then, you're probably totally going to buy Spyborgs. We believe there are only two sorts of people in this world: People who can own a game featuring bionic goldfish sitting in a river of defecation and those who can't.

We're told that the team wants these commercials to interrupt the gameplay every hour or so, just enough to keep things fresh but without being annoying. They're still not sure how many they'll be able to make before the game's planned 2009 release.

So, what's the verdict so far? Is this a game you should keep on your radar? Honestly, at this point, we just can't say. Because what we still can't seem to figure out (even after asking the developers directly) is what audience they're making the game for. It's got humor that some would consider mature, character designs that would appeal to kids and controls that are too early to put into either category.

When you make a game that's all over the place like that, it's either going to be a product for everyone or no one. You can probably guess which one Bionic Games says they're shooting for, but it's still far too early to say exactly which one they'll hit.

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See tons of new Street Fighter IV videos

Justin McElroy — 2008-06-03T11:25:00+00:00

Filed under: Arcade, PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Fighting

We've got a Street Fighter IV media dump from Captivate 08 and it's coming in two delicious flavors. For those who like your promotional materials a little bit artier, we've got the above trailer featuring a battle between Guile and Abel captured in moving, painted sand.

If you like things to be a bit more "you are there," we've got some shaky-cam videos of real people really playing real SF IV cabinets just after the break. Check both of them totally out.

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Joystiq hands-on: Bionic Commando (Xbox 360)

Justin McElroy — 2008-06-03T10:25:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action

click to enlarge

Tell you what: Let's just pretend you all know that this is an updated version of the classic Bionic Commando, the latest salvo in Capcom's continuing effort to reach out to the North American audience. Let's just skip all of that and skip to what you want to hear: Let's talk about swinging.

It's the first thing we were introduced to in our time with the game, so it feels right to get it out of the way first. So how is it? Fun. Really, really fun. There's a great sense of speed and it makes wandering through the desolate and dynamic Ascension City a real joy.

But that glowing praise comes with a caveat: It's also not easy. In fact, we didn't feel like we really "got it" until about 20 minutes in. Some of the difficulty is derived from the amount of control you have. You have to know what you're swinging from, unlike in the Spider-Man series (the closest swinging competitor) where your webs will automatically find the nearest surface. No, you have to aim your arm. But once you get it, it's really satisfying.

Gallery: Bionic Commando (Xbox 360, PS3)

Things are also made more difficult by the fact that the jump button won't force you out of a jump, but will rather retract your claw. This felt a little odd to us, but it's entirely possible that it was the result of residual Spider-Man instincts that will fade over time.

What's also nice about the swinging is that it works well in so many situations. For example, when nearing a wall, instead of just hanging there like dreadlocked pinata, Nathan Spencer actually adopts more of a rappelling pose. It's a small thing, but it helps drive the swinging home.

If we had a complaint, it's that if you miss a shot and fall to earth, it can take a while to get back into the groove, partly because of the length restriction of the claw cord. We spent a little too much time running around and looking for something to latch on to for our liking.

We also got to try out some of the other claw-based abilities (though some were still locked in the demo we played). Using corpses as weapons, while frowned on in general society, was a special treat.

Though we didn't see it in action for ourselves, producer Ben Judd explained the lengths the team has gone through to get claw physics right. For example, a corpse that you latch on to will follow you as you leap off a building, but if a car that you're attached to falls from that same building, you're going down with it.

In fact, everything about the arm feels right. Our only concern is that easily frustrated players will give up on it before they really get the ... well, we were going to say "hang of it," but we refuse to do that to you.

The shooting? We didn't find it particularly earth-shattering (save for a nice zoom-in effect that blurs the environment you're not aiming at and some cool bullet trails) but that's all it really needs to be. It's not the star of the show here. It's suffice to say that it's tightly done and feels really right.

The environments are also coming along nicely, though we think they probably had a few passes to go before everything is complete. In addition to the city level that most of you have seen, we also got to swing through a lush greenhouse environment. We liked playing Tarzan, but thought it was a little harder to know where we could and couldn't swing, compared to the object in the clearcut city.

Our biggest problem has nothing to do with play mechanics or graphics, though: It's that we don't care for the titular semi-robotic soldier. We saw no real story elements, so maybe he can win us over that way, but what we did see was a beefy, personality-free dude with a robotic arm and a truly awful haircut. (Seriously gang, what's with the dreadlocks? They look like Play-Doh hair.)

Nathan Spencer aside, we're extremely excited for the release of the final product (and we haven't even seen multiplayer yet) whenever it should happen to swing into our lives.

Dark Void, Resident Evil 5, Bionic Commando and Spyborgs: check out all our coverage from Capcom's Captivate 08 event!

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Joystiq impressions: Resident Evil 5 (Xbox 360)

Justin McElroy — 2008-06-03T09:55:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action

click to enlarge

Sadly for everyone attending, Resident Evil 5 wasn't able to be played by commoners at Capcom's Captivate 08 event, but we were some of the first on the globe to see a playable version, so we're not complaining.

After showing a new trailer for the game, Jun Takeuchi began walking us through one of the early stages, the African village you've likely become familiar with in recent months. We're told that it's four times larger than Resident Evil 4's starting town, and we can believe it. You can see almost to the edge of the town -- it's sprawling, decrepit and totally imposing. We were impressed that the team has managed to create an environment that's frightening, even without the dark creepiness of earlier games in the series.

Gallery: Resident Evil 5 (06-02-2008)

"It's a challenge to create the feeling of fear in an open area, and one of the reasons we wanted to do it was to challenge ourselves. In those areas, there's a lot of action going on," Takeuchi tells us later through a translator. "But later in the game there will be darker, more enclosed areas. The combination of those will be Resident Evil 5."

Beyond challenging themselves, Takeuchi says that working in the sunlight of Africa was crucial to the game, which will explore the origins of the Progenitor Virus found on the continent.

The scares aren't just coming from the environment though. Before Chris Redfield has left the first village hut he's already been assaulted by an army of not-zombies, led by a massive hooded figure wielding a gigantic ax hammer. We're told that a single hit from that weapon is a guaranteed "Game Over," and, as if to illustrate the point, Hood Dude swings his weapon and takes a massive chunk out of the roof he's hunting Redfield on.

Animations on both Hood Dude and Redfield already look really solid, even though the not-zombies still need some attention. (All of them performed the same overhead scythe swing as they shambled, giving them the appearance of the world's worst-dressed interpretive dance troupe.) Side note: For the first time, we're seeing a range of not-zombies: white, black, and color palettes in between.

We get to see Chris fight not-zombies with a pistol, knife, incendiary grenades and a shotgun, all of which are as visceral as you'd hope. The beefy protagonist also has melee attacks at his disposal. When a batch of enemies gets too close, there's an "X" button prompt that triggers an uppercut capable of flattening at least two opponents. Similar cues appear on a rooftop, allowing Chris to leap over a gap between two buildings.

The early look at the game (which we're told is about 60 percent complete) is impressive, if not exactly a quantum leap forward for the series. In fact, we wouldn't be surprised if some walked away from the demonstration with the impression that Resident Evil 5 currently looks like a really polished Resident Evil 4, but we understand there's still plenty of work to be done and plenty that we haven't seen (we're told that the team's shooting for a 20-hour game), so we're no less excited.

By the way, we saw the game on Xbox 360, but were told that the PS3 version of the game is coming along well.

The biggest surprise of the day actually had nothing to do with the walkthrough, but rather in the new trailer, during which Chris is joined at the very end by an African woman packing a pistol. Takeuchi and the rest of Capcom are staying mum with regards to her for the moment, though he admits she's probably going to be a bit more useful to have around than Resident Evil 4's Ashley.

"But," he says with a sly grin, "Ashley didn't have a shotgun."

Perhaps just as notable is what we didn't see at Captivate 08. There was no mention of online co-op, nor a rumored cover mechanic. But, Takeuchi says, there's a whole gameplay system that has yet to be shown, leaving us hopeful that we'll understand Resident Evil 5's mysteries a bit better after E3.

Dark Void, Resident Evil 5, Bionic Commando and Spyborgs: check out all our coverage from Capcom's Captivate 08 event!

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Joystiq impressions: Dark Void (Xbox 360)

Justin McElroy — 2008-06-03T09:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action

click to enlarge

There was a lot of excitement around the booths at Captivate 08, but you could tell there was something different about Dark Void. It was the one game you could bring up and everyone present was quick to agree: They wanted to play it. Like, now. What could engender this sort of enthusiasm? Read on.

You've probably picked up a few nuggets about the game already, in spite of its criminally forgettable title. It's developed by Airtight Games, made up of some of the team who brought you Crimson Skies. If your memory still hasn't been jogged: It's the one with the jet pack.

It's that pack that is the key to the game's appeal, but it's far from a one-trick pony. More than a gimmick, the jet pack is a prism through which Airtight has looked through and found a new way of seeing the third-person action game.

Gallery: Dark Void (Xbox 360, PS3)

In a 20-minute demo we watched (more than a few times, actually) central character Will, a 1930s pilot who flew into the Bermuda Triangle, began like most other action stars (save for a metallic helmet and a wicked miniature chain gun). But it didn't take long to see what sets him apart: vertical cover combat.

But let's back up a bit. We're told that though Airtight thought they wer on the right track with Dark Void, they knew they didn't have it early on. It wasn't until designer Jose Perez happened upon the idea of vertical cover combat that the game really came into its own.

Here's the basic idea: Will uses his jet pack to reach a ledge which he can then hide behind from enemies above him. He can then leapfrog up from ledge to ledge, just like Marcus Fenix roadie-runs from barricade to barricade. It's not just a different perspective though, as there are several crucial differences. For one, there's a small matter of keeping your grip. A shot from a foe can send you scrambling for the "X" button, which you must pound to stay on the ledge. Also, it's infinitely more satisfying to see a bested foe tumble down past you than for them just to slump over behind a wall.

It's all sold by the animations. Robots (which we're told actually have organic insides) flail wildly when they're blasted by the chain gun's bullets, and there's a real sense of peril whenever you have to fight for your grip. Even though we're told the game's still a year out, it already looks really polished.

The perspective isn't the only thing changing: The combat will also evolve as Will goes through the game. Every weapon will be able to be upgraded throughout the game, as will the rest of his items, from his helmet to jet pack.

We get to see one of the pack's upgrades during the demo, the one that takes it from hover pack to jet pack. Though we were already intrigued by the combat, we were completely swept away by the flight. As the pack fires, Will swings his arms and legs, and within a few moments, he's able to strike a balance between control and his own momentum. If there's ever been a more visceral example of wingless flight in a game, we don't know about it.

The best, we soon learn, is yet to come, as Will powers into a passing flying saucer. Clinging to the side, he circles the craft in an attempt to avoid a large rotating canon in the center. When he gets a spare second, our hero pries some wiring from the craft, revealing the creature piloting it. When Will reaches in to battle the pilot for control of the craft, a golden sunbeam between the rocks hits him just the right way, and the effect is nothing short of spectacular.

We know, we know. We're being awfully glowing for a preview where we didn't even lay a hand on the game. But the fact is that with all of the beloved returning franchises at Captivate 08, the one that we couldn't get out of our head was this brand new offering, which, considering the history and pedigree of some of the other titles there, is a very large compliment indeed.

Dark Void, Resident Evil 5, Bionic Commando and Spyborgs: check out all our coverage from Capcom's Captivate 08 event!

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Dark Void is still about a year away

Justin McElroy — 2008-06-03T08:45:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action

We were hopeful that we'd see Capcom's new jet-packed shooter Dark Void sooner rather than later, but those hopes were dashed last week at Captivate 08 when we learned that the game was still "about a year" from completion.

It was a surprise because it was being shown so early, but mainly because of how darn good it looked. If you're as hungry for Dark Void as we are, check back later in the day for our impressions of the demo we saw.

Gallery: Dark Void (Xbox 360, PS3)

Dark Void, Resident Evil 5, Bionic Commando and Spyborgs: check out all our coverage from Capcom's Captivate 08 event!

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Resident Evil 5 devs 60 percent done, aim for more than 20 hours

Justin McElroy — 2008-06-03T08:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action

Like all thinking people, we're anxiously awaiting the release of Resident Evil 5, if only to learn more of the back story of coat-opening shop guy. Though we don't know when we'll finally get our hands on it, after last week's Captivate 08, we at least know that things are progressing.

"Right now, in the development process we're about 60 percent of the way through," producer Jun Takeuchi said through a translator. "We're figuring that the total play time in the game will be over 20 hours. As you can probably see from the trailer there's a lot of different content and materials in the game for you to enjoy." How's that 60 percent looking? Look for our impressions later in the day.

Gallery: Resident Evil 5 (06-02-2008)

Dark Void, Resident Evil 5, Bionic Commando and Spyborgs: check out all our coverage from Capcom's Captivate 08 event!

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No multiplayer in Dark Void

Justin McElroy — 2008-06-03T08:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action

Considering how beloved Crimson Skies' multiplayer was and how much of that team made the leap to Airtight Games and Dark Void, you'd think multiplayer in that game would be a total lock. Not so, as we learned at last week's Capcom event, Captivate 08.

"We explored it, but there are so many huge features in this game, we really wanted to focus on making the most kick-ass, single-player features possible," said Capcom US director of design, Kraig Kujawa. As designer Jose Perez told us later, it was no easy choice.

"We had multiplayer up and going, it was fun, and to be honest, we just could tell we weren't going to be able to make the multiplayer game the way we wanted and the single-player game the way we wanted, so it was a really hard decision," Perez said. "For this version, we have a million innovative things that we're doing that haven't been done before and we have to get those right in the single-player experience."

So, will single player be enough to satisfy you? Check back in later in the day for our Dark Void impressions and judge for yourself.

Gallery: Dark Void (Xbox 360, PS3)

Dark Void, Resident Evil 5, Bionic Commando and Spyborgs: check out all our coverage from Capcom's Captivate 08 event!

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Capcom announces Wii exclusive 'Spyborgs'

Justin McElroy — 2008-06-03T08:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo Wii, Action

In the midst of promoting returning favorites like Resident Evil, Bionic Commando and Street Fighter, Capcom also took a little time for some new properties during last week's Captivate 08 event in Las Vegas. Perhaps the biggest unveiled was Spyborgs, a Wii-exclusive title coming in 2009.

The action title is being created by Bionic Games, an offshoot of sorts of High Impact Games that's chock-full of former Insomniac staffers, and helmed by Mike Stout, Lead Multiplayer Designer for Resistance: Fall of Man. It's early days yet, but what we've seen looks like a sci-fi brawler crossed with an episode of Ren and Stimpy. If that makes zero sense to you (and why should it?), you may just want to come back for our impressions later today.

Gallery: Spyborgs (Wii)

Dark Void, Resident Evil 5, Bionic Commando and Spyborgs: check out all our coverage from Capcom's Captivate 08 event!

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Puzzle Quest dev's next project: Neopets Puzzle Adventure

Justin McElroy — 2008-06-03T08:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo DS, PC, Nintendo Wii, Puzzle

So, let's say you're a company called Infinite Interactive. You're riding on a wave a fanboy love for your brilliant game Puzzle Quest: Forgettable Fantasy Subtitle, and you need two projects to follow it up. How do you do it? Well, you could go with a sci-fi re-imagining of the series, but what else? ... What's that, peanut gallery? Did we hear "a game based on Neopets"? ... No? Well, tough noogies, because that's what you're getting during this year's holiday season on DS, Wii and PC.

You know the scariest thing? We played Neopets Puzzle Adventure at Capcom's Captivate 08 in Las Vegas last week -- and we liked it. Like, a lot. Check back for our hands-on preview later today and understand the full extent of our shame.

Gallery: Neopets Puzzle Adventure (PC, Wii)

Dark Void, Resident Evil 5, Bionic Commando and Spyborgs: check out all our coverage from Capcom's Captivate 08 event!

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Capcom kills Gamers Day event, announces CAPTIVATE08 Vegas

Scott Jon Siegel — 2008-03-31T14:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Culture

Capcom's pulling the plug on its media-centric Gamers Day event, replacing the happening with another media-centric summit called CAPTIVATE08 (get it? CAPtivate). This time around, however, the new event will open its doors to a few lucky members of the Capcom community.

Like the Gamers Day events, Capcom promises a lot of announcements of new games, as well as updates on in-development titles like Resident Evil 5 and Street Fighter IV. In its announcement, Capcom does not cite a primary reason for killing Gamers Day, but does state that five members of Capcom Unity -- think official Capcom fan club -- will be able to attend the summit. More information is promised on the official blog. The 2008 summit will take place in Las Vegas this May.

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