Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Midway at E3: Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/16/midway-at-e3-mortal-kombat-vs-dc-universe/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/16/midway-at-e3-mortal-kombat-vs-dc-universe/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/16/midway-at-e3-mortal-kombat-vs-dc-universe/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Scorpion vs. Batman. Catwoman vs. Subzero. These aren't exactly matchups players have always dreamed of, but Midway is going to do their best to cram two disparate universes into one with Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, the very first Mortal Kombat game on the next-gen systems. Here at E3, Joystiq got to sit down with Brian Lebaron, senior designer for the game, and we talked about why it's OK to set the Flash on fire, why Bizarro probably won't be in the game, and what Midway is doing to Toasty uppercut the fighting genre.

After the break, find our hands on with the game, as well as details from our chat with Lebaron. When MK vs. DC comes out, you'll finally be able to find out whether Liu Kang's kicks can catch the Flash in the jaw.


The game looks really nice so far, but "so far" is the operative phrase there -- the game is far from done. There are only six fighters in the game we played: Flash, Superman and Batman represent the comic book side, while Scorpion, Sub-zero, and Sonya are in from the MK series. Catwoman, Sheng Tsung, Captain Marvel, and Liu Kang have been announced as well, but Lebaron told us that Midway probably won't have your favorite character Zatanna in the game -- he says they're sticking pretty mainstream with their character choices for now. And unfortunately, they don't have full access to the DC Universe. "We can't do Bizarro as an alternate costume to Superman," he said as an example, "there are licensing things to deal with." But the benefit there is that by sticking to the mainstream DC superheroes, they can make sure to get all the standard moves in there, and a few more.



Case in point: Batman has a few different batarang actions -- he can either just wing one at his opponent, or actually toss it upwards off the screen, at which point it hits Subzero in the back, and pulls him in closer to Bats to start up a combo. And Mortal Kombat veterans will even find some familiar moves mixed in with the superheroes' new arsenal -- Batman has a smoke pellet teleport that's old school for MK (fall off the bottom of the screen, fall back from the top on the opponent's other side), while Flash can do the Scorpion teleport -- jump off the back of the screen, and dash around to the other side. The move sets we saw weren't anywhere near finished, but we did see an interesting mix of MK with DC.



And Midway has really innovated in a few places, most notably during throws and stage transitions (where you knock someone off one part of the stage and into another). In the past, these two experiences have been pretty passive for whoever's getting thrown or knocked away, but Midway has put in a fun counter system to break things up. Whenever you throw someone, the screen zooms in a bit and slows down, and down in the corners, you can actually see what your opponent is pressing to attack. This makes it much easier for the opposing player to counter in the middle of the action, if they know what each button counters and how to time it exactly right.



Stage transitions have the same element, with an added bonus: there's a "super meter" that builds up while fighting, and when a counter is done, your opponent can actually steal your super meter power. So there's a balance between fighting to build the super meter, and using that power before your opponent is able to counter the attack and steal the momentum. Both of those innovations definitely make what was previously a cutscene into something much more interesting.

They're also squeezing combos into the regular gameplay, as another fighting game has done -- the game will feature moves that can be "upgraded" with really tough timed button presses, i.e. hitting X in the middle of a combo at exactly the right time. Lebaron says that "even perfect players won't be able to hit it all the time."



And the other challenge Midway is facing is walking the line between treating DC superheroes like superheroes, and being as brutal as Mortal Kombat is known to be. The most well-known collision so far is the Fatalities -- as most Batman fans know, he's not much for the killing, so while seeing him stripping the spine out of someone might be cool, it's not exactly in character for the guy. Lebaron confirmed what we've heard before: that certain superheroes will perform "Brutalities" ("They might not end up being called that," says Lebaron), and severely maim opponents instead of outright killing them.



For their part, Lebaron did say that Midway is trying to push the line as much as possible, both with DC and with the ESRB (the game is set to be rated T): he showed us a Scorpion fatality against the Flash where Bart Allen (at least we saw him as Bart Allen -- when we asked Lebaron which Flash he was, Midway said they weren't choosing a certain one) fell to the ground, his costume and skin charred and burned. Lebaron said that death animation was already approved by DC, and that in the future, if DC or the ESRB has a problem with something they come up with, they'll take it back out and try it again, rather than just removing animations from the game. Villians will have fatalities for sure -- Lebaron confirmed that Catwoman, among other villains, will be killing their opponents.

The version we played was very early, but Lebaron told us that right before E3, the game went into quality assurance mode, so progress is being made (he did say that they're still tweaking the moves -- we overheard Lebaron say to someone else that the Xbox 360's D-pad was giving them problems). Online modes are "what you'd expect in a fighting game," so Superman will be able to beat up Johnny Cage from anywhere in the world. We also asked about DLC, and Lebaron said Midway would like to do it -- "add characters into the game that we didn't add for five bucks or something like that," but that they didn't have any plans yet.

All in all, MK vs. DC is shaping up pretty well -- it's headed for a release later this year, and fans of both Mortal Kombat and DC will probably find some good fun in it.

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]]>batmandlce3e3-08e3-2008handsonjoystiqfeaturesmidwaymkdcmortal-kombatmortal-kombat-vs-dc-universeonlinesupermanMike Schramm2008-07-16T16:30:00+00:00EA: Online to make up around 60% of Asian business in 5 yearshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/18/ea-online-to-be-around-60-of-asian-business-in-five-years/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/18/ea-online-to-be-around-60-of-asian-business-in-five-years/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/18/ea-online-to-be-around-60-of-asian-business-in-five-years/#commentsFiled under: ,

After showing considerable interest in conquering Asia, Electronic Arts has been noticeably mum of late regarding its plans for the region, lurking like a rogue in the shadows, as if waiting to club the market on the back of the head with a fat bag of cash. Now EA has admitted as much, with EA Asia's vice president Chris Thompson telling Reuters that the company looks for the region to comprise some 15 to 20 percent of its total business by 2012. Compare this to the meager 5 percent of EA's wallet it's responsible for today.

Key to this expected growth is the Asian market's love affair with playing games online. According to Thompson, while online gaming represents a respectable 10-15 percent of the company's Asian footprint today, "five years from now, that the online portion of our business could be representing somewhere plus or minus around 60 pct of our business." Mama always said if you're gonna set a goal, make it lofty, though with Hellgate: London finding some rare success in Korea and Warhammer Online waiting in the wings, maybe there's method to EA's infatuation with Asia after all.

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]]>asiaeaelectronic-artselectronicartsonlineJason Dobson2008-06-18T09:50:00+00:00Joystiq impressions: Assorted Sierra XBLA gameshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/joystiq-impressions-assorted-sierra-xbla-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/joystiq-impressions-assorted-sierra-xbla-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/joystiq-impressions-assorted-sierra-xbla-games/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Sierra recently showed off its upcoming crop of XBLA games at a media event. While a couple have promise, most could be buried by the quantity or quality of competitors. All are confirmed only for XBLA, but Sierra is considering PSN versions of most. All will be out this Summer.

Assault Heroes 2 is yet another top-down, two-player, cooperative shooter. Either sharing a screen or connecting online, players move with one control stick and fire in any direction with the other. On-foot, in land-based vehicles, or in spaceship levels, the enemies just keep coming. A few team-based super-attacks seemed interesting, and the weapon upgrades have promise. But the 3D-perspective art-design feels like the game's most unique aspect. While the fights unfold in a 2D-plane, perspective effects show enemies swooping in from overhead or from the side. It's a nice touch in a genre shooter.


Sea Life is aimed at kids, putting them in an on-rail, underwater photo-hunt. In each dive, players frame and snap pictures of ambient life. In my tour, the amount of on-screen action was limited, but I was impressed by the sharp details of shoals and fish. Some of the 60 critters only come out at certain times, so players will probably take a few sessions to complete the five areas. Your guide looks strikingly like Steve Zissou; here's hoping the legal teams let that one drift by.


Zombie Wranglers looked great in my peripheral vision before I was able to try it. The style reminded me of Jet Grind Radio's 2D-shaded, 3D world. But the gameplay seems derivative; you repetitively wander through towns, helping quell a zombie invasion. Individual characters add mild variety, with a couple different weapons. And a few end bosses are unique. But Zombie Wranglers otherwise layers a lot of monotony.


Card games on display included Gin Rummy and Lost Cities. They both allow up to four players online, but there's no split screen since you'll want to hide your hand. If you like card games but don't like cards, these could make your list. You can't just play Uno, can you?

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]]>assault-heroesassault-heroes-2downloadgin-rummylost-citiesonlinepsnsea-lifesierra-spring-event08xblazombie-wranglersZack Stern2008-04-28T05:00:00+00:00A walkthrough of Mario Kart Wii's online multiplayerhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/26/an-online-walkthrough-of-mario-kart-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/26/an-online-walkthrough-of-mario-kart-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/26/an-online-walkthrough-of-mario-kart-wii/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

We decided to create a gallery outlining the steps you'll go through to play the game online. Click here to get acquainted. While Europe is laughing that they already have the game, US gamers finally get their hands on Mario Kart and midnight tonight.

(Note: Due to technical difficulties, we had to physically take pictures of the game running in 480i. The quality of the images does not affect what Mario Kart Wii actually looks like.)

Need a Kart fix? Check out all our coverage of Mario Kart Wii!

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]]>how-tomariomario-kartmario-kart-wiionlinewalkthroughRoss Miller2008-04-26T21:15:00+00:00Metal Gear Online beta gameplay footage for the uncoded masseshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/26/metal-gear-online-beta-gameplay-footage-for-the-uncoded-masses/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/26/metal-gear-online-beta-gameplay-footage-for-the-uncoded-masses/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/26/metal-gear-online-beta-gameplay-footage-for-the-uncoded-masses/#commentsFiled under: , ,


We're guessing that you missed your chance to grab an entry code for the Metal Gear Online beta, or you'd probably be too busy spending your Saturday afternoon brushing up on your CQC to read our humble gaming news site. Well, wipe away those tears of regret, little one, and we'll make you a deal -- check out this radical gameplay footage from the beta (including a very satisfying conclusion involving a dude launcher) to slake your thirst for Kojima's sneaky-creepy multiplayer outing, and we'll take you out for Chuck E. Cheese's. Sure, it won't do much to dull your regret, but you'll be too busy wondering why this restaurant elected to have a rat for a mascot to worry about all the online stealth action you're missing out on.

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]]>betakojimakojimaproductionsmetalgearmetalgearonlinemetalgearsolid4mgomgs4onlineps3Griffin McElroy2008-04-26T13:00:00+00:00BBC: Sony, MS wanted to "control" streaming video on their consoleshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/10/bbc-sony-ms-wanted-to-control-streaming-video-on-their-conso/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/10/bbc-sony-ms-wanted-to-control-streaming-video-on-their-conso/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/10/bbc-sony-ms-wanted-to-control-streaming-video-on-their-conso/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

A day after the BBC announced a version of its iPlayer streaming video service for the Wii, an obvious follow-up question arises: "Why isn't a similar service available for the PS3 and Xbox 360 as well?" A partial answer from BBC Future and Technology Group Coordinator Erik Huggers, who said in a BBC's dot.life blog that Sony and Microsoft weren't willing to open up their infrastructures to the iPlayer. "If you want to get on the PlayStation or Xbox, they want control of the look, the feel and the experience; they want it done within their shop, and their shop only," Huggers said.

The BBC blogger uses this as a leaping-off point to declare that the Wii's deal with the BBC "makes something of a mockery" of the multimedia capabilities of the Xbox 360 and PS3. Never mind that the Wii can't even play DVDs (much less Blu-ray discs) or that the system offers no way to download video for permanent, offline viewing. According to the BBC's blogger, Nintendo is "bridging the gap between the web and the TV" in a way that its competitors aren't.

Regardless, the implication that Sony and Microsoft are unwilling to accommodate online video outside the walled garden of their narrow, profit-generating shop services is a little upsetting. The beauty of having a machine connected to the internet should be the ability to access the wide array of free content on that internet, not just the opportunity to buy things from the console maker and its partners.

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]]>BBCiPlayermultimediaonlinestreamingvideoKyle Orland2008-04-10T15:55:00+00:00GTA4 preview details online multiplayer modeshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/08/gta4-preview-details-online-multiplayer-modes/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/08/gta4-preview-details-online-multiplayer-modes/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/08/gta4-preview-details-online-multiplayer-modes/#commentsFiled under: , ,


GameTap has finally gotten a chance to share the previously embargoed details of its recent hands-on time with Grand Theft Auto IV. The preview discusses four of the game's fifteen online modes: Team Deathmatch, GTA Race, Cops 'N Crooks (a Counter-Strike style team match) and Hangman's Noose (a co-operative escort mission).

Among the interesting details discussed (some of which have also been revealed elsewhere):
  • Previously rumored 16-player online play is confirmed.
  • The online maps aren't changed in any way from single-player -- you can still drive vehicles from one end of the city to the other, if you want.
  • There's no co-op option for the single-player missions, but many online modes allow for cooperation.
  • Ranked online matches earn players in-game cash for character customization. Higher difficulty means more cash.
  • Race mode can be played with or without weapons.
  • The volume of other characters voices will vary depending on their distance from you. "So if you hear an enemy's voice, he's probably right behind you and it's too late."
The most telling quote in the preview is Vice President of Game Development Geronimo Barrera's suggestion that "after players earn the cell phone in the single-player game (which takes about five minutes), if they want they can jump online and never even play the single-player again." With the extremely varied multiplayer options, we might just be taking him up on that.

Note: GameTap's servers are getting hit pretty hard, so the Read link may not load for a while.

Update: They're all live! GTA4.net has posted links to numerous multiplayer previews. (Thanks Cal!)

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]]>crimegametapgrand-theft-autogta-ivmultiplayeronlinepreviewKyle Orland2008-04-08T11:00:00+00:00SCEE severing several servers for online PS2, PSP gameshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/07/scee-severing-several-servers-for-online-ps2-psp-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/07/scee-severing-several-servers-for-online-ps2-psp-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/07/scee-severing-several-servers-for-online-ps2-psp-games/#commentsFiled under: ,


Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has posted a portent of doom on its website concerning the online servers for several PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable games. SCEE notes that it has wrapped its hand around the power cord and is ready to give it a good tug on June 30th and sending the following titles quietly into the offline night:

PlayStation 2
  • Amplitude
  • Destruction Derby Arenas
  • Everybody's Golf
  • EyeToy Chat
  • F1 '04
  • Jak X
  • Lemmings PS2
  • My Street
  • Syphon Filter Omega Strain
  • This is Football 2004
  • This is Football 2005
  • Twisted Metal: Black Online

PSP

  • Lemmings
  • World Tour Soccer 2

Sony Computer Entertainment America has made no similar announcement.

[Via Shacknews]

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]]>AmplitudeJakLemmingsOnlineSCEASCEESyphon-FilterTwisted-MetalLudwig Kietzmann2008-04-07T22:00:00+00:00Mr. Driller Online's lag-tastic online playhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/03/mr-driller-onlines-lag-tastic-online-play/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/03/mr-driller-onlines-lag-tastic-online-play/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/03/mr-driller-onlines-lag-tastic-online-play/#commentsFiled under: ,


We've received some tips indicating that Mr. Driller Online for XBLA is having a problem with the, er, "Online" portion of the gameplay. It seems that while the person hosting an online game is just fine, the connecting player can't drill anything. X3F put together a video of the bug, which we've placed after the break.

Another test of Mr. Driller's online capabilities was done today with the same broken result. No word on whether a patch is in the works. Best to save your 800 MS points for the moment, as there's no sense in supporting broken titles.

Gallery: Mr. Driller Online (XBLA)





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]]>brokenlagmr-drillermr-driller-onlineonlinexblaAlexander Sliwinski2008-04-03T19:00:00+00:00This week, you probably Do Know Jackhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/01/this-week-you-probably-do-know-jack/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/01/this-week-you-probably-do-know-jack/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/01/this-week-you-probably-do-know-jack/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Sacre bleu! Something odd seems to have happened to our favorite sardonic online flash quiz for its March 31 edition (embedded above). Questions like "Repeat after me!" and a comparison between lines from Great Expectations and Jackass 2: The Movie seem completely out of pace with the game's usual punishing difficulty. Don't even get us started on the "repeat after me" Jack Attack, which could probably be completed by a mentally handicapped surrender monkeys (cheese-eating or non).

We can only hope this is a one-time glitch, and not a trend that will last past through the beginning of the fourth month of the year ...

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]]>aprilfoolsaprilfools08flashonlinepuzzlequizwebYDKJyoudontknowjackKyle Orland2008-04-01T02:00:00+00:00PS3 Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 plagued with online snafushttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/23/ps3-rainbow-six-vegas-2-plagued-with-online-snafus/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/23/ps3-rainbow-six-vegas-2-plagued-with-online-snafus/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/23/ps3-rainbow-six-vegas-2-plagued-with-online-snafus/#commentsFiled under: ,


According to their website, much of Ubisoft's technical support staff has taken this weekend off in observation of Good Friday and Easter. That's all well and good -- but perhaps, when they aren't draining Cadbury eggs or enjoying fine roasted hams, just one of them could take the time to Google their latest release, Rainbow Six: Vegas 2, and discover that a good portion of the console gaming world is ready to swear off all things Clancy.

Our tip box has exploded with complaints from owners of the PS3 version of the game -- apparently, a majority of those who try to play online either can't connect or have to suffer staggering amounts of lag. We'd expect a bandwidth epidemic such as this to be patched post-haste -- we guess Ubisoft didn't anticipate we'd actually want to play their game on the first weekend of Eastertide. What, did they think those terrorists would hunt themselves?

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]]>onlinepatchps3rainbow-six-vegas-2rainbowsixrainbowsixvegasrainbowsixvegas2ubisoftGriffin McElroy2008-03-23T12:00:00+00:00Joystiq hands-on: Street Fighter II HD (XBLA/PSN)http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/13/joystiq-hands-on-street-fighter-ii-hd-xbla-psn/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/13/joystiq-hands-on-street-fighter-ii-hd-xbla-psn/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/13/joystiq-hands-on-street-fighter-ii-hd-xbla-psn/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


I'm not a Street Fighter fanatic, but I've enjoyed the series over the years. So with this casual approach, I recently tried the XBLA beta of Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, available soon to buyers of Commando 3 on XBLA. The full version will be out this Summer for that system and PSN.

Frankly, I don't even remember which character I played. It doesn't help that my only choices were Ken and Ryu, who have nearly the same moves. My helpful opponent reminded me how to do some of the special attacks; I was far out of practice on the Hurricane Kick, but I could throw fireballs right away.

Gallery: Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix

Our widescreen fights looked crisp and perfectly redrawn, but I didn't spend much time taking in the visuals. Instead, I used the stick and six buttons to try to attack, defend, and counter-attack. And from my laid-back style -- I call it "shrugging panda" -- it felt good. I always thought Street Fighter captured this back-and-forth dance better than most fighting games.

The fights alternated between standard and rebalanced modes, but I didn't notice a clear difference in that moment. I'm sure that gamers who remember all of the attacks will be able to tell. In my handful of matches, I was content to just walk through the steps with an old, familiar partner. Sure, she's had some work done, but Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix comes out feeling timeless.

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]]>1080pbackbone-entertainmentcapcomclassicfightinghdhyper-fightingonlinepsnremakestreet-fighterstreet-fighter-hdstreet-fighter-remixsuper-street-fighter-ii-turbo-hd-remixxblaZack Stern2008-03-13T13:30:00+00:00Web services allow for easy Brawl stage sharinghttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/11/web-services-allow-for-easy-brawl-stage-sharing/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/11/web-services-allow-for-easy-brawl-stage-sharing/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/11/web-services-allow-for-easy-brawl-stage-sharing/#commentsFiled under: , ,

saffron city
Sure, the Super Smash Bros. Brawl stage editor is a great way to extend the value of the game, but it's only really valuable if you and your friend-code friends have the creativity to come up with interesting stages. Those of us with no creative talent and/or no friends are out of luck!

Enter the web, which has already filled in some of the stage-sharing holes Nintendo left in the game. IGN's recently launched Smash Bros. supersite already has a selection of over 100 user-created stages that players can download to their SD cards, while the Smash World forums Stage Browser currently has 85 or so stages available. Each site offers picture previews, easy instructions for uploading and a rating system to separate the wheat from the chaff. Now if someone could just hack a way to play these user-created stages in online matches we'd really be in business!

Visit - IGN's stage sharing clearinghouse
Visit - Smash World Forums stage browser

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]]>brawlonlinesharingssbbstage-builderstagesKyle Orland2008-03-11T18:30:00+00:00Rumor: Further evidence of Star Wars: KOTOR MMO discoveredhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/08/rumor-further-evidence-of-star-wars-kotor-mmo-discovered/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/08/rumor-further-evidence-of-star-wars-kotor-mmo-discovered/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/08/rumor-further-evidence-of-star-wars-kotor-mmo-discovered/#commentsFiled under:


1UP recently added some fuel cells to the fire of the relatively aged rumor that the result of Bioware and LucasArts' recent collaboration is an MMORPG which takes place in the long-winded universe of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. While one could make a case for and against this claim, a script for the game, which apparently landed in the laps of 1UP's digital ink slingers, could prove conclusive evidence for the online epic -- if it's completely legit, that is.

The script details the online game as a "role-playing game set in the historical past of the Star Wars universe," where "Jedi and Sith battle across the galaxy." While those two phrases could apply to many chapters of the Star Wars mythos, the tipster who submitted the script was convinced it carried Bioware's trademark verbosity. We're confused -- how will we be expected to spend hours mindlessly grinding and spawn camping with all of that dialog getting in our way? Hopefully they'll fix that in beta.

[Via Massively]

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]]>biowareknightsoftheoldrepublickotorlucasartsmmommorpgonlinerumorscriptstarwarsGriffin McElroy2008-03-08T15:00:00+00:00First impressions: Super Smash Bros. Brawlhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/06/first-impressions-super-smash-bros-brawl/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/06/first-impressions-super-smash-bros-brawl/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/06/first-impressions-super-smash-bros-brawl/#commentsFiled under: ,

Update: Wii Fanboy has some impressions of our first friend-code-enabled Wi-Fi match. The result: Relatively lag-free.

Yeah, we've given you the hands-on impressions before, but now that we've gotten the final retail version into our metaphorical Joystiq HQ, we thought we'd share some quick opinions on the full Brawl experience. Click the continue link to find out our thoughts on the Subspace Emissary mode, Online play, the various control options, and more.

Warning: Spoilers ahead!

Gallery: Super Smash Bros. Brawl
  • Subspace Emissary mode: First off, don't expect the story to hold together at all. We're about 1/6th of the way through, and so far there's been little rhyme or reason to the events taking place. It all plays out like some badly-written fan fiction, meaning a bunch of excuses to put various unlikely pairings of characters together. Gameplay-wise, beating up on the endless grunts thrown at you is pretty dull, but at least there's a good variety to the enemies, and the boss battles are pretty lively. There's are some extras to be found by exploring the platforming environments, but don't get your hopes up -- this isn't Super Metroid or anything.
  • Online play: Connecting to the Wi-Fi network and finding random opponents is a pretty streamlined experience, even though it took us quite a while to find anyone available to play with (understandable, seeing as we're not sure if we can connect with Japanese players, and almost no one outside Japan has the game). Lag was a major issue in our first online test, and Brawl has an interesting way of handling it. Rather than putting one laggy player at a disadvantage, the game seems to slow down the proceedings for everyone until it gets control data from all the players. It's great in theory, but it made the game nigh unplayable in our tests -- we could literally count the frames per minute at one point. This could have just been a bad connection on one end (hard to tell without the ability to talk to your randomly-assigned opponents), but we recommend playing with nearby friends if you can.
  • Controller options: Using the Gamecube pad feels just like old times -- any Melee fan will feel right at home, and it's a nice option to have. The Remote/Nunchuk combo felt pretty natural as well, though using index fingers for anything but blocking takes a little getting used to (the B button is used to attack, the C button to jump). The Classic Controller felt a little off initially -- the buttons just weren't physically where our thumbs expected them to be. This probably has to do with our over-familiarity with the Gamecube pad though. Using the Remote on its own was by far the worst option -- the tiny digital pad can't match the feel of an analog stick, and reaching around to hit the B button for blocking was more than a little awkward.
  • Bonus modes: The Event Match mode shows a lot of inventiveness so far. The more interesting goals so far include: trapping two opponents in Yoshi eggs simultaneously; climbing a waterfall with Zelda; and navigating Bowser through an auto-scrolling version of Super Mario Bros. Level 1-1 as three sadistic Marios try to stop him. The Coin Launcher mini-game is surprisingly fun, though possibly a little too slow-paced. The Home Run Contest is much improved by a forcefield that keeps the bag on the platform (but be careful ... it will break if you give it too much punishment). Target Smash is still a blast, but the character-specific stages have been replaced by five generic levels for all characters -- a step back, if you ask us.

Check out all of our extensive coverage of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, including galleries, news, impressions, a metareview, and more.

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]]>controllershands-onimpressionsonlinessbbWi-FiKyle Orland2008-03-06T14:30:00+00:00Nintendo details Mario Kart Wii channel, online playhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/05/nintendo-details-mario-kart-wii-channel-online-play/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/05/nintendo-details-mario-kart-wii-channel-online-play/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/05/nintendo-details-mario-kart-wii-channel-online-play/#commentsFiled under: , ,

We've known for a while that Mario Kart Wii would support twelve-player online races, but given Nintendo's less-than-stellar online record, we were a little worried about how smooth the online experience would be. Well, we're a little less worried now that the Nintendo UK web site has revealed some details of how online racing on the Wii will work. Among the details discussed:
  • Spectator mode - When you join a room in progress, you can watch the race unfold while waiting for a new one to start.
  • Global friend view - Lets you view your friends' locations and online status.
  • Room structure - Host chooses race type, but player votes determine course selection.
The site also revealed a dedicated Mario Kart Wii channel, which can be run independently of the disc-version of the game. The channel lets players view global rankings, share and download ghost data, and download daily missions (similar to those found in Mario Kart DS). Can we suggest a mission dedicated to arranging dropped banana peels into jaunty patterns? That would be awesome.

[Via WiiFanboy]

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]]>channelkartmariomario kartmario kart wiimario-kart-wiiMarioKartMarioKartWiionlineraceKyle Orland2008-03-05T12:40:00+00:00Nintendo: No demos required for Wii Ware titleshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/20/nintendo-no-demos-required-for-wii-ware-titles/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/20/nintendo-no-demos-required-for-wii-ware-titles/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/20/nintendo-no-demos-required-for-wii-ware-titles/#commentsFiled under: ,

We've been annoyed with the Wii's lack of downloadable Virtual Console demos for quite a while now, so we probably shouldn't be too surprised that Nintendo has declared games in their upcoming Wii Ware service will not be required to have downloadable demos. Surprised isn't really the world ... slightly miffed is more like it.

We're only slightly miffed because Nintendo hasn't quite banned demos from the service. In an interview with Newsweek's N'gai Croal, Nintendo of America director of project development Tom Prata said that "having demos [is] ... not a requirement from Nintendo." If we're reading that right, that means demos would be allowed on the service, but that they won't necessarily be available for every game.

The decision to forgo a demo mandate was made, according to Prata, because demos are a "very costly type of endeavor" for a developer. That might be true in the short term, but overall we wonder if developer can afford not to have demos on a service like this. After all, Xbox Live Arcade has managed just fine by requiring developers to create those "expensive" demos -- in fact, by, early stats showed about 20 percent of XBLA demo players bought the full game, leading directly to increased revenue for all involved. Still, we guess giving developers more choice in these matters is usually a good thing. We just hope many developers will choose to help their customers and themselves by letting us try before we buy.

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]]>demosdownloadsNintendoonlineuser-createdwii-warewiiwareKyle Orland2008-02-20T18:44:00+00:00Job posting hints at new Xbox Livehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/18/job-posting-hints-at-new-xbox-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/18/job-posting-hints-at-new-xbox-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/18/job-posting-hints-at-new-xbox-live/#commentsFiled under: ,

Despite a few updates to the basic interface, Microsoft's Xbox Live has remained a remarkably consistent gold standard for online console gaming since it relaunched with the Xbox 360. Could the service be due for a major overhaul for the next console generation? It sure could, if a Microsoft job posting is to be believed.

The posting, which went up in January, looks for a project manager who wants "to be involved in the next release of Xbox" and "[build] the games, the console interface and logic, and the server support for a totally new LIVE experience." The manager will also act as a games producer to "help implement our first generation games that will run in this new environment." The posting doesn't reveal much about the functionality of the new Live, but apparently it will include a "dynamic server support to create a compelling, fresh scenario each time," whatever that means. What features would you want to see in the next generation of Microsoft's online service?

[Via GamesIndustry.biz]

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]]>job-postingLIVEmicrosoftonlinexboxxbox-liveKyle Orland2008-02-18T15:14:00+00:00Future Publishing buys share of N4G.comhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/05/future-publishing-buys-share-of-n4g-com/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/05/future-publishing-buys-share-of-n4g-com/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/05/future-publishing-buys-share-of-n4g-com/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Editorial judgment? Original content? What are those? Everyone who's anyone knows the hot new thing is letting readers vote on what counts as news on sites like Digg, StumbleUpon and N4G, the last of which got a cash infusion from mega-publisher Future U.S., it was announced today.

The publishing giant behind all three official U.S. gaming magazines spent an undisclosed sum to obtain an undisclosed minority share of the site. It might be a sound investment -- according to the press release, "N4G received 3.65 million visits in January 2008, with 17.8 million page views and nearly a million unique visitors." Not bad for a site that makes its readers do all the work.

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]]>FuturejournalismN4GnewsonlinepublishingwebKyle Orland2008-02-05T18:25:00+00:00PS2 vs. PSP online play, care of Yu-Gi-Ohhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/25/ps2-vs-psp-online-play-care-of-yu-gi-oh/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/25/ps2-vs-psp-online-play-care-of-yu-gi-oh/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/25/ps2-vs-psp-online-play-care-of-yu-gi-oh/#commentsFiled under: , ,

PlayStation 2 owners looking to take on their portable siblings can now do so with online battles of the new Yu-Gi-Oh! game, The Beginning of Destiny. According to the press release (via PSP Fanboy), the PS2 and PSP titles can do battle and, akin to other card battle titles, collect cards from cross-platform opponents otherwise unavailable in your version.

Sure, the PS2 is a last-gen console, but still one that sold almost 4 million units last year. We're hoping to see more cross-platform play between the two consoles.

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]]>onlinesonyyu-gi-ohRoss Miller2008-01-25T10:50:00+00:00