A METAL GEAR YOU CAN TOUCH
Killing latent dreams that we might get a shrunk down and touchable version of PSP strategy/card game Metal Gear Ac!d, Konami has pulled back the curtain on that earlier teaser and revealed that, as some guessed, it will be bringing Metal Gear Solid Touch to the iPhone/iPod Touch.
It’s still not yet clear precisely how Touch works, but it’s not hard to imagine the on-rails scenes of Metal Gear Solid 4 shrunk down and working honestly quite well for the iPhone, with Konami’s only gameplay hints being that players can “move their alignment or switch to zoom mode” as they play.
At the same time, Konami also announced versions of Dance Dance Revolution (an obvious fit, especially in reaction to earlier innovator Tap Tap), Frogger, based on the original arcade game and not its less successful later 3D remakes, and, intriguingly, Silent Hill: The Escape, a first person shooter that likely won’t be too far astride from its House of the Dead-esque light-gun arcade game.
The latter three games are expected sometime in late December, with Metal Gear due by Spring.
Press release [Konami]
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LISTEN: THE DOYOUINVERT’S ‘A HAPPY NEW GEAR’
This morning’s essential listen, ‘A Happy New Gear’ gently skewers the most ludicrous aspects of the testosterone-drenched Gears of War 2. First played on the previously mentioned One Life Left (and also featured on their debut compilation), ‘cavalcade’ says the track is part of a forthcoming EP called “Super Mutant Has A Crippled Head,” which I very sincerely hope is not a joke.
the doyouinverts: New Track (Christmas Single): “A Happy New Gear”, doyouinverts – Random Encounter [YouTube]
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ANOTHER NEW LOOK AT NOBY NOBY BOY
Ending today where we did yesterday, 1UP has continued its look at Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi’s upcoming PS3 downloadable Noby Noby Boy with a new ‘gameplay’ video, showing its central stretch and dual-control mechanic (as well as the workings of Noby’s intestinal tract), and the general lazy playfulness of its world (just, not yet, the underlying bits of its multiplayer play and the ‘GIRL’ in the sky).
As was said in the GameCity demo I mentioned yesterday when a koala inexplicably mounted the Noby for a ride: “no one is sure why this is funny.”
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ODDWORLD DEEMED A GOOD OLD GAME
While we haven’t yet mentioned Good Old Games, we feel compelled to note that they’ve just announced that Oddworld Inhabitants has joined their developer lineup, first with today’s release of the classic puzzle platformer Abe’s Oddysee (along with bonus soundtrack mp3s, wallpapers and a hi-res map), and followed shortly before Christmas by its sequel Abe’s Exoddus.
While you’re sniffing around, I’ll also point out the site’s also home to some very good deals on the original Fallout and its sequel, Planet Moon’s excellent Giants and Shiny’s Sacrifice.
Surprise release: Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee [GOG.com]
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SELF-CONTAINING LUIGI’S MANSION
For further reading elsewhere: taking a turn from the usual top-X lists, Simon Parkin has put up the first of his ‘best games writing’ lists for 2008 which does contain some excellent picks, from Tom Armitage’s previously mentioned If Gamers Ran the World lecture to the pseudonymous Matthew Wasteland’s art of systems discussion.
But I particularly liked the mention of Edge magazine’s recent Time Extend looking back at GameCube launch title Luigi’s Mansion for highlighting that it’s a game predicated on creating one definable place and making it cohesive and rich with detail, as opposed to the typical tack of sending the player off to more diverse but sparsely realized worlds. That idea alone has made me want to revisit the game for the first time in what must be six or seven years:
It’s the setting that all this invention is squeezed into which is perhaps the most astonishing element. Rather than the traditional handful of elaborately different worlds, Luigi’s Mansion is focused on depicting a single coherent place. And even though its rooms allow for at least one ice level, they remain consistent with one another despite the variety. Even the observatory that takes Luigi into space begins as a recognisable wood-panelled study, and elsewhere the wallpaper, fittings, doors, and mouldings all help to reinforce just one, very specific, location.
The Best Games Writing of 2008: Part 1 [chewing pixels]
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G.E.C.K. WATCH: OBVIOUSLY THERE’S ALREADY DOGMEAT ARMOR
MTV’s Multiplayer game site has done a quick round-up of the best of the Fallout 3 mods they’ve spotted following the release of the G.E.C.K., showing that, of course someone’s already created Dogmeat armor. Unfortunately, the mod doesn’t deck the dog in full regalia, so much as set him to invincible.
A quick look around the rest of the site doesn’t yet show too many outright amazing things, though MTV did also notice a separate mod that tweaks experience earned so that exploration and discovery nets you the biggest bonuses and helps stave off that level 20 cap for much longer than usual.
Useful, Fun (And Free) ‘Fallout 3′ Mods Already Available [MTV Multiplayer]
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LODE RUNNER HITS THE IPOD
It’s always a bit surprising to see exclusive new games show up for the standard iPod these days, but Hudson’s done just that with the release of a robust version of classic platformer Lode Runner. Apart from the standard stages and a puzzle mode, the iPod version’s also got a smart new ‘gold rush’ mode in which you try to dig and collect gold downward — vaguely Mr. Driller style — to stay apace in a constantly upward-scrolling level.
It’s a bit of a touchy beast: you don’t click but rather gently press the clickwheel to move and dig, which lacks the proper feedback you need in stressful surrounded situations, but it’s growing on me. And, I’m satisfied to see, it retains the look and feel of Hudson’s excellent 3D GameCube version Cubic Lode Runner, making it a very welcome addition to the iPod’s Phase, Peggle, Star Trigon and Song Summoner family.
Lode Runner [iTunes link]
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JAMES KOCHALKA’S MONSTER MII: ZEX’S SEXY X-MAS EDITION
[James Kochalka‘s Monster Mii is a regular Offworld feature, with a new Mii monster each time for you to bring home to your Wii. Once there, they’ll give you creepy stares from the sidelines of your Wii Sports, lap you rudely during your Wii Fit jogs, and in general liven up your Plaza and gaming day.]
For our second and special office holiday themed edition of Monster Mii, we bring you Zex, who’s only ever just one bummed smoke away from an HR-alerting inappropriate advance (you may want to keep him isolated in the Mii Channel).
To bring him home to your Wii, enter the Check Mii Out Channel’s Posting Plaza, click ‘Popular,’ then the ‘Search’ button at bottom. After that, hit the arrows at top right and enter in the code: 3266-4323-7259.
As a sexy Xmas bonus, James has also recorded an original Game Boy theme song for Zex, which you can download here, or listen below:
[mejsaudio src=”http://venuspatrol.com/ofiles/James%20Kochalka%20-%20Zex%27s%20Sexy%20X-Mas.mp3″]
Previously:
James Kochalka's Monster Mii – Kzorx
[James Kochalka‘s daily diary strips, which run at AmericanElf.com, have just entered their tenth year and been collected in three print volumes. He is also the author of more books and comics than you can count on both hands, including some that are excellent for children, and others not so much. All are excellent. James also plays rock and roll and Game Boy rock as James Kochalka Superstar, and recently exhibited artwork at Giant Robot’s GR2 gallery.]
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YE OLDE ANAGRAM GAME CHALLENGE
Wired blog Game|Life’s (frankly quite good) new entry to an ancient NeoGAF thread of game title anagrams deserves a re-mention of the original. It’s a quick race to the probably-NSFW gutter wallowing bottom (not too terribly worse than your average b3ta/Something Awful challenge), but there’s a few sparkling gems in amongst the mud.
Videogame Anagram Photoshop Challenge [via Wired]
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NINTENDO’S DSIWARE MAKES HOLIDAY DEBUT
So right, that bit I said before about letting the jealousy fade might not last for long: Nintendo of Japan has announced that its DSi Ware campaign — which gives the upgraded Nintendo DS downloadable software as with WiiWare — will launch on Christmas Eve.
And if I understand the trailer correctly, and I do believe that I do, Nintendo’s holiday gift includes 1000 Points (the rough equivalent of $10) to spend on launch day, which means I’ll have just enough for the star-in-your-own-minigame Utsusu Made in Wario, and Art Style: Aquario, the first in the downloadable art-game series that extends those on WiiWare and the Game Boy Advance’s bit Generations series (and the game with the best soundtrack of the bunch).
Siliconera has collected media for all the launch titles. The DSi is expected to launch outside Japan in mid 2009.
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