Joystiq

Joystiq E3 eyes-on: Stormrise

Jem Alexander — 2008-07-21T18:20:00+00:00

Filed under: Features, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Strategy, E3

Real Time Strategies have never been a good fit for consoles, thanks to their over-reliance on a mouse and keyboard. The Creative Assembly are hoping to change that with Stormrise by creating a fully intuitive, pad-based control system. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to try the controls out for ourselves, but from what we saw it has some potential.

Selecting units is as simple as flicking the right analogue stick. Holding it in any direction will bring up a radar screen, showing your troops throughout the level relative to your currently selected unit. Rotating the right stick will let you highlight your units and, letting go of the stick, select them. Quickly "whipping" the right stick in any given direction will select the nearest unit in that direction, allowing you to switch between units swiftly.

Once selected, the game's viewpoint switches to above and behind the unit, allowing you to see what they see. They can then be moved to any visible ground using a 3D cursor. This seemed to work well, but there are also other methods of controlling units that seemed to work even better, depending on your play style.

"Verticality" is The Creative Assembly's favorite buzzword for Stormrise. Units will be on varying vertical levels, giving them different viewpoints of the battlefield. This allows a single ground unit to command the rest of the army from a rooftop, controlling their movements without switching around the battlefield. This allows you to keep an eye on a battle from afar, sending in reinforcements as necessary with just a few clicks. Again, this worked effectively and the choice of different methods of unit control might be the way to finally crack RTS controls on a console.

We won't be fully convinced until we get our hands on the game ourselves, however. There was no indication of how easy the controls were to learn or how effective they were in frantic mid-combat. Playing as a single character felt more like a third-person action game than an RTS, but with the added control of troop manipulation. Units vary drastically in size; the 10 minute demo we were given started with groups of infantry troops and ended with a huge battle between giant mechs.

Gameplay doesn't just rely on troop control, though. Like any RTS there's plenty of resource management, too. Stormrise utilizes a node-based system, with towers jutting out of the ground throughout the level. Controlling these nodes gives you access to a constant supply of resources to create new units. These can also be upgraded with weapons and armor to keep enemy scavengers at bay.

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Joystiq E3 eyes-on: Sonic Unleashed

Jem Alexander — 2008-07-21T17:20:00+00:00

Filed under: Features, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, E3

Sonic has had a hard time since he discovered the third dimension. Not only is he now chubbier, but his adventures in 3D-land have been met with lukewarm reception. The general consensus is that the last great Sonic game was on the Sega Genesis. With Sonic Unleashed Sega are hoping to reinvigorate the franchise with a focus on speed and platforming, as well as evolving the character (literally) into something unique.

The first thing you notice about Unleashed is that it's very pretty. Even with rough shadows and unfinished lighting physics, the game looks gorgeous. It looks like it might also play quite nicely, depending on controls. There are two different styles of gameplay in Unleashed which, together, could satisfy most Sonic fans.

For a lot of people the name Sonic is synonymous with "speed," and the day-time missions in Unleashed reflect this. The first level seemed simple enough -- hold the analog stick in the right direction and watch Sonic go, making sure to jump in time. Obviously, this won't be true throughout the game, later levels will feature more precise platforming sections and less non-stop running. There are also different routes to take throughout the levels, which require a specific button combination press in order to reach.

Gallery: Sonic Unleashed

For those who enjoyed the 2D Sonic games for the exploration, the newly-revealed nighttime levels will be more to your taste. During the opening of the game Sonic is transformed into a Werehog. By day he is unaffected, but at night he becomes slower but far more powerful. His arms elongate and become elastic, allowing him to climb and batter his enemies into nothing with his fists.

These nighttime portions of the game feel reminiscent of old PS1 platformers, such as Crash Bandicoot and Spyro. There's exploration and combat mixed in, to give us a bit of downtime after the fast-paced daytime levels. Combat looks very stylish, with purple and blue sparks flying out of Sonic's now oversized fists. We just wish we knew how the controls feel.

Sonic Unleashed will be polished and will certainly look good when it's released this Christmas. If the entire game plays as platformy as the levels we've seen, then it will also play well. We're reserving judgment, for the most part, until we get some hands-on times with the game. Until then all we can say is that Sonic Unleashed is looking to be the best 3D Sonic game yet -- although that's not saying much.

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Sega confirms Sonic and the Black Knight, Spring 2009

Christopher Grant — 2008-07-21T12:29:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo Wii

Sonic continues his storybook adventures with Sonic and the Black Knight, a Wii-exclusive Arthurian sequel to the Arabian Nights-infused Sonic and the Secret Rings. In this installment, Sonic picks up a sword "to aid in his effort to save the day," causing us to wonder aloud (stop staring at us!) if Black Knight could be one of the first third-party games to utilize the Wii MotionPlus.

Oh, and far be it from us to tell Sega how to run its show but, despite the opportunity provided by a recent industry event, the first you'll see of Sonic and the Black Knight will be within the pages of next month's Nintendo Power before its release in Spring 2009.

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Aliens: Colonial Marines E3 absence explained

Jason Dobson — 2008-07-20T12:30:00+00:00

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

Sega's E3 presence was among the weakest at last week's event, trumped only by the pitiful showing at Camp Belmont, a notion not helped by the absence of Gearbox-developed Aliens: Colonial Marines from either the show floor or Sega's own booth. Videogamer.com cornered Gearbox president Randy Pitchford about the missing shooter, a no-show he blamed squarely on Sega's marketing strategy, adding that "the game is in great shape. People are going to freak out when they see it."

By people, he obviously didn't mean Sega's own marketing VP Sean Ratcliffe, who told us that while the publisher was considering showing the game at E3, Sega didn't feel that it was quite ready for prime time. "I think it needs a little more time before we want to put it in front of the press," the exec told us. He added that more news regarding the status of Aliens: Colonial Marines will be announced sometime after E3, though we continue to hope that Sega will release game as planned in late 2008 and not nuke the site from orbit.

[Thanks Cellien]

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Rumor: Nintendo Power to reveal Wii exclusive Sonic and the Black Knight

Griffin McElroy — 2008-07-19T18:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo Wii

At the end of last month's issue of Nintendo Power, the editors promised a huge reveal in the magazine's following issue, teasing those anxiously awaiting Wii-exclusive installments in the Earthbound and Kingdom Hearts franchises. However, if the supposed scans of the cover of the upcoming edition of Nintendo Power that have begun to trickle onto the internet are legit, then the publication's big surprise could be coming from an unexpected source -- a new adventure of a recognizable blue rodent, titled Sonic and the Black Knight.

Assuming the scans are real, the twentieth anniversary edition of Nintendo Power will give readers their first look at the title. No other details are given on the supposed cover, though we're sure the sole image of the cerulean speedster brandishing a broadsword is enough to send you into a tizzy. However, let us not forget the disaster that resulted the last time we bestowed a lethal weapon upon a hedgehog.

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Sega unconcerned about Wii storage, falling

Jason Dobson — 2008-07-16T16:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Culture, Nintendo Wii, E3, Business

Planning ahead, you're doing it wrong. That appears to be the mantra for Sega, at least when it comes to the ever-elusive topic of Wii storage. Strange, given that it's also a topic upon which the company is blazing a trail, announcing yesterday plans to release downloadable songs for the upcoming Wii-exclusive Samba de Amigo. In the same interview that gave us this insightful nugget, we also asked Sega marketing VP Sean Ratcliffe how the company plans to cope with the console's internal shortcomings, to which he had little response.

"This is an innovation for us, so we're going to test the waters and see how well this goes," he explained. "It's clearly something we'll need to address in the future, but for right now I don't think it's going to be a problem in terms of storage for us...we're going to have to cross that bridge when we come to it." Just forgive us if we don't follow you across that expanse -- that bridge is likely to fall out from under you.

For more on Sega's strategies, or lack thereof, look for the full interview soon.

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Stormrise devs call PC market a 'strong niche'

Jason Dobson — 2008-07-16T13:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Culture, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Strategy

You may think that strategy games are the domain of the keyboard and mouse, but don't tell that to the guys at Creative Assembly. During E3, company reps walked us through several minutes of their upcoming console-focused RTS, Stormrise, but not before while lamenting the reason for the studio's move beyond the PC -- a market project director Ken Turner calls a "good, strong niche."

Awwe, thanks man, that's so sweet of you to...hey wait a sec! Why you! "We're hoping that there will be other people out there who'll appreciate what we can do," explained Turner, who calls the now three-and-a-half year old effort a "breaking away" project for the company. He further noted that Creative Assembly "targeted the console directly," and "distilled it down to an interface where 90% of what you do is with two thumbsticks and one button." After watching Stormrise being played his words certainly ring true, though admittedly it's hard to hear his point beneath the claxon of so many PC gamers' disdain.

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Sega explains Golden Axe co-op absence

Jason Dobson — 2008-07-16T12:00:00+00:00

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

As totally rad as arcade classic Golden Axe might have been in 1989, developer Secret Level's decision to axe co-op from the game's upcoming sequel is akin to castrating the series of the one thing that made it worth playing at all. Since hearing of the studio's misguided design choice, we've been pining for the opportunity to ask anyone who'd listen for an explanation, a chance we got this week at E3 when we cornered Sega's VP of marketing, Sean Ratcliffe.

"Rightly or wrongly, we don't have co-op multiplayer in the game," he offered, a statement that was met with a short, yet uncomfortable pause. "I think as much as anything it's taking inspiration from the original series but in terms of that multiplayer co-op the developer decided that they didn't want to take the game in that direction."

"If Golden Axe: Beast Rider is successful," he added, "we can then come back with something else that maybe will have the co-op mode that everyone is wishing this game has." Or, you know, you could give people what they want in the first place instead. Just a thought.

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Joystiq E3 eyes-on: MadWorld (Wii)

David Hinkle — 2008-07-16T10:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Features, Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Adventure, E3

Click to embiggen

Upon walking into the tiny room Sega had Platinum Games crammed into in their closed-door section of the E3 floor, we thought that Bayonetta would be the only title on-hand. Then, our wildest dreams came true and we were graced with what is sure to be a day one purchase for us: Wii title MadWorld.

We're not kidding. You'll want to buy this game.

Gallery: MadWorld

This game stars a man with a simple name, Jack. Jack is thrust into Mad City, forced to kill countless goons for points in some kind of twisted game show. The more stylish the kill, the more points he receives. Once he has accumulated enough points, Jack can then challenge the stage's boss. Sadly, our demo ended upon accruing enough points to take on that boss and was, overall, way too short for our taste (it was merely a couple minutes where Atsushu Inaba played for us).

But, the time leading up until the demo's conclusion was nothing short of amazing. The ways in which Jack can kill his enemies are as varied as the objects that populate the game's environments. Flaming barrels are available to toss enemies into, as well as random weapons littering the streets. Found a wall with spikes all over it? Toss a dude against it. How about a train? Well, you can guess how you'd use that.

"The ways in which Jack can kill his enemies are as varied as the objects that populate the game's environments."

Jack also has a chainsaw available, which Platinum Games confirmed would be the default weapon. Utilizing it in different ways is the name of the game here, as you can cut people in half, behead them or just go crazy, berserker style, and swing away until your heart's content.

One of our main concerns was the visual style. Sure, it's very artistic, but could a game that is primarily black and white keep a gamer focused? Maybe it was the newness of it all for us, but we found no issue with the game's graphics. It's a nice direction, but one that also allows the limited graphical capabilities of the Wii to be utilized in a very effective way.

Finally, we noticed a somewhat familiar voice while the game was being demoed. It sounded a lot like that John DiMaggio Marcus Fenix guy. When asked about that, the Platinum Games folks commented that they could not say anything about the voice work that was in the demo.

After the presentation, we walked away feeling very good about Platinum Games and their upcoming Wii game.

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Joystiq E3 eyes-on: Bayonetta (Xbox 360/PS3)

David Hinkle — 2008-07-16T09:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, E3

Click to embiggen

Platinum Games has a very tiny room located in the back of Sega's closed door area. Within this tiny room is a mountain of gaming goodness, as the former Clover folks had two very solid titles to show off. The first game we got to check out is PS3 and Xbox 360 action adventure title, Bayonetta.

Gallery: Bayonetta

In Bayonetta, you hack and slash tons of baddies much in the same manner as Dante, the hero of the Devil May Cry series, but instead of playing as a pretty boy with white hair, you're charged with taking up the struggle of a witch dressed in black called Bayonetta. We couldn't pry much info about her from the Platinum Games folks, but we did gather from the demo they played in front of us that she is very voluptuous. That, and she kicks a whole bunch of ass.

The demo took place in an outdoor courtyard setting, with plenty of combat and Halo collecting. No, not the master of chiefs, the kind that angels have above their head. In defeating the many evil things populating this level, she gathers Halos, which then allow her to beef up her abilities. And, her abilities, are really where it's at.

"She pulled a guillotine out of the ether, placed a monster within it and ... Well, you know the rest."

Aside from normal melee attacks and firing her dual pistols, she can also summon things to help her dispatch enemies. She's able to conjure up gigantic fists and feet, mid-combo, to perform a powerful attack that sends those evil jerks reeling. Also, she has the very cool ability to summon specific instruments as fatalities. For example, during the play session, following a combo, she pulled a guillotine out of the ether, placed a monster within it and ... well, you know what happens then. We also witnessed a very cool iron maiden maneuver.

The demo then brought the title's heroine to a boss fight, which was a gigantic hulking beast that stood on two feet. Upon laying into it with pistols and melee attacks, a final death animation was triggered where a huge black dragon emerged and bit the colossus in the face. Good stuff, to say the least.

We should also mention the game's visuals. The frame rate was consistent and the title was incredibly fast, loading crisp textures and handling the multiple enemies on the screen with ease. All around, we found ourselves to be incredibly impressed with Platinum Games' Bayonetta.

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Sega confirms Samba de Amigo getting DLC

Jason Dobson — 2008-07-15T12:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo Wii, Rhythm

Sega has confirmed earlier rumors that its upcoming Wii-vival of Samba de Amigo will support downloadable content. That's the good news. However, with the first pack of three songs scheduled to debut alongside the game's launch on September 23, the announcement feels less like a gift and more a reason for Sega to dip its hands in our back pocket by charging for content that should already be on the disc.

While no pricing model has yet been announced, the first set of downloads will include 80's radio chant, I Want Candy, from Bow Wow Wow; Jet's Are You Going To Be My Girl?; and Lou Bega's Mambo Mambo, with future tracks expected to be made available "on a regular basis." We hope not too regular, unless a little thing called storage is sorted out first. Perhaps we should be diving into couch cushions, looking for SD cards instead of loose change.

[Via press release]

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Joystiq interview: Sonic Unleashed producer on nighttime stages, Werehog Sonic, more

Majed Athab — 2008-07-15T12:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Adventure, Interviews, E3

We've been wondering what everyone's favorite Sega mascot, Sonic, has been up to lately. Since Sega's Gamers Day in May, the company has been pretty quiet regarding Sonic Unleashed -- the latest console adventure for the speeding hedgehog. To find out, we caught up with the US Producer for Sonic Unleashed, Patrick Riley, to see what sort of information he could tell us. As it turns out, we've got tons more info on the blue hero. Here's but a small taste; we've got the full interview after the break.

Joystiq: We're most interested in the day and night gameplay, specifically when Sonic changes into an unleashed beast. We're wondering if this will play out in real-time as players go through a stage, or are there set stages specifically for night time?
Patrick Riley: Certain parts of the action stages are built for both day and night gameplay. When in these areas and when in the villages, in-game time will pass and Sonic will transform. However, we're making sure that the player won't be "stuck" in a form they don't want and it will be easy to automatically advance the clock. Other parts of the action stages are built specifically for day or night gameplay. While Sonic is in these areas, in-game time will not pass.

How many stages are there? We've seen "Greece" and "Europe" but what other themes are there?
We'll be talking about the number of environments later but there are plenty we haven't touched on at all, and of course we'll be reserving some of them to be found by the players. In addition to Greece and Europe, however, players will visit China and Africa, as well. There are daytime and nighttime stages in each environment, in addition to unlockable mini-stages. Players will explore numerous locations throughout the globe, each of which has been rendered like never before in a Sonic game.

Tell us more about Sonic's "dark side." Will we be seeing it soon?

"There are daytime and nighttime stages in each environment, in addition to unlockable mini-stages."

Yes, we are showing off the nighttime gameplay for the first time [at E3]. At night, Sonic transforms into a more bestial form with super-strength and the ability to stretch his arms. He'll use these new powers to beat down enemies in a fully-fleshed out combat system, and to traverse the environment to reach areas he could never reach before.

What about story? How did Sonic gain his werewolf persona?
This will be revealed in the opening minutes of the game, in the coolest opening cinematic ever seen in a Sonic game. But I wouldn't want to spoil the specifics at this time.

We heard we can play as characters other than Sonic. Can you share with us who they are?
You will play as Sonic in his classic speedster form, as well as Sonic in his new Werehog form. Beyond that, you will be able to play one other character for short sections, such as mini-games, but the game is 99% Sonic in his two forms.

Speaking of stages, we saw the new trailer (that debuted a few weeks ago) -- the one with timed button-input events which look like they're there for branching paths. Can you explain how these events work?

**"Certain parts of the action stages are built for both day and night gameplay ... Other parts ... are built specifically for day or night gameplay."**

There are two different ways that the paths branch. First is the standard branch up or down, left or right, that you choose on-the-fly during gameplay. Secondly, are the timed button-input events. These all happen during jumps, and if you input the button presses correctly Sonic will jump just a little bit further or higher and access a different part of the level.

We heard there's a new combat system in place. What's that all about?
At nighttime there is a fully-fleshed out combat system through which Sonic can use his new powers to beat down his enemies in big brawls. There are dozens of combos, grabs, throws, giant swings -- lots of fun stuff to do.

Tell us about boss battles. How does Sonic's new abilities play into boss battles?
Sonic will face some of the bosses in his classic speedster form, and some in his new Werehog form. He'll use his super speed to fight the former, and his new combat prowess to overcome the latter.

Will there be any console exclusive content for any of the four versions in development?

"...the game is 99% Sonic in his two forms."

There is no exclusive content for any single console. However, as we have discussed before there are two development silos. So there are many differences between the titles being developed for 360 and PS3 with the titles that are being developed for Wii and PS2.

Will there be a playable demo on PlayStation Network or Xbox Live before game's release?
Yes, the current plan is to release a playable demo shortly before or right around release.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
We hope longtime Sonic fans find that Sonic Unleashed enhances the series they've been enjoying for years, and that it's the best Sonic experience they've ever played. We also hope Sonic Unleashed can create a whole new generation of fans with its fresh take on a long-running and acclaimed series.

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Sonic gets 'Unleashed' on the real world in new trailer

Kyle Orland — 2008-07-15T11:15:00+00:00

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

A partial list of things that the below trailer could be used for (with only minor edits to the end):

A new Rayman: Raving Rabbids game (BWAAAAAAH!)
The Dark Night movie
The new season of Heroes
A new alternate reality game
The sequel to Wii Fit (OK, this one might be a stretch)

No, as the title of this post suggests, this video is actually a mysterious trip through some of the real-world style locales that it seems the newly hulkified Sonic will be grinding all over in Sonic Unleashed. It's a shame, too. We really love those Rabbids.

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Sega announces console-specific RTS in Stormrise

Jason Dobson — 2008-07-11T13:57:00+00:00

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

Okay class, it's time to take out your notebooks and no. 2 pencils. Today we're going to be learning a new word -- verticality. The word traces its origins back to the Total War chaps at Sega-owned The Creative Assembly, who coined the term to describe the studio's latest project, Stormrise, a new real-time strategy game "built from the ground up" specifically for the Xbox 360 and PS3.

Who here can tell the class what verticality means? Billy, put your hand down. No one? Verticality, according to Sega, is a means of allowing players to control multiple layers of units, from the sky to beneath Stormrise's "bleak and barren" earth. Currently gathering resources for a 2009 release, the game represents The Creative Assembly's first attempt at creating a RTS for consoles, so if they fall on their face we must do our best to keep any criticisms constructive. Class dismissed.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

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Leaked box art shows maraca attachments for Samba de Amigo

Kyle Orland — 2008-07-04T20:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo Wii, Rhythm

Here at Joystiq, we've been pretty consistent in our hatred of useless plastic attachments for the Wii Remote. We might have to break our streak, though, as we're uncharacteristically excited about the maraca attachments that were recently shown as part of the leaked box art for the Wii version of Samba de Amigo. There's just something about the weight and sound of those vibrating plastic beads that helped make the maraca shaking on the Dreamcast a transcendent experience, and one we're glad we'll now be able to relive on the Wii. We're not changing our minds on the Wii Wheel, though. We have to keep our hater-rating up somehow ...

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Yakuza 3 confirmed, coming exclusively to PS3

Randy Nelson — 2008-07-02T17:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Action

Above: Yakuza 2

Get ready to hit the seedier side of Tokyo and slug it out in HD - Yakuza 3 is coming. The "real" Yakuza 3. As first reported on 2chan, the latest issue of Famitsu quotes Yakuza series director Toshihiro Nagoshi as stating that the game is a direct sequel to Yakuza 2, and is in development exclusively for PS3.

Nagoshi states in the Famistu article that Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! - which is set in Edo-era Japan - is actually considered a spin-off from the "main" Ryu ga Gotoku series (Yakuza here in the West). No release date has been announced for the series' third (well, technically fourth) installment, but we'll keep you posted.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

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Happy belated 17th birthday Sonic

Jason Dobson — 2008-06-26T11:45:00+00:00

Filed under: Culture

You know that feeling that nags at the back of your skull, reminding you that you've forgotten something, but stopping just short of recalling what exactly that something is. Well, we've been struggling with that for a few days, and let me tell you, it's been enough to drive us crazy. It turns out, however, that what we overlooked was none other than Sega's 'tude-fueled azure marsupial's 17th birthday.

Sonic first sped into North America households on June 23, 1991 in Sonic the Hedgehog for the Genesis as Sega's answer to a certain Mushroom-hungry plumber, and has since been featured in numerous games, toys, and breakfast cereals. Happy belated birthday sonic. We hope you didn't forget to blow out your candles and make a wish. We suggest something simple, like a game that doesn't continue to dilute your good name. That, or you know, a pony.

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Samba de Amigo gets patently nutty trailer

Justin McElroy — 2008-06-26T09:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo Wii, Rhythm

As much as we love our friends at MTV Multiplayer, we'd like to request that they not get exclusive trailers anymore. Why? Well, like all MTV videos, the above Samba de Amigo trailer isn't viewable in the UK or Canada. Maybe we're just naive, but we think seeing crazy trailers for Wii games is an inalienable right (like hugs) and we don't think anyone's day should be be without some nutty, PaRappa-the-Rapper-goes-South-of-the-Border action ... even if they are Canadian.

We'd love to paint a word picture for our Brit friends, but honestly, there are no words in English that can accurately reflect how rad it is watching a monkey play maracas. ... Hey, don't blame us, it's your language.

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Miyamoto's quality control: Ninten-do what Sega doesn't

Ludwig Kietzmann — 2008-06-24T19:01:00+00:00

Filed under: Culture, Nintendo Wii

Though we usually award it to a particularly irascible commenter, the latest Justin T. McElroy Memorial Burn of the Day Award simply cannot be pried from the clutches of one Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of Donkey Kong, Mario, Zelda and just about half of your best childhood memories.

Tucked inside Wired's 15th Anniversary retrospective, a quick interview with the renowned developer reveals his secret to maintaining "quality control" in a company as large as Nintendo. "I'm always instructing my game designers on the history of the characters and worlds we've created," says Miyamoto. "Often we're in development and I'll say, 'Oh, this looks like a Sega game. We need to make it look more like Mario.'"

Oh my. Not to worry, Sega, at least Mr. Miyamoto knows about your games. He's never even heard of Ratchet & Whatshisface.

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New Sonic Unleashed clip highlights speedy foot-age

Ludwig Kietzmann — 2008-06-19T15:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action

Well, that was terrible. The headline, we mean. IGN's new video of Sonic Unleashed gameplay (check it after the break!), on the other hand, is actually quite exciting. Though gameplay looks a little on the simplistic side, the side-scrolling shots of Sonic speeding through a colorful city certainly show off a solid graphics engine, not to mention an electric pace.

And no grating sidekicks in sight! We'll have more of this, please.

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