Kidzworld's Official Blog

Well, we learned in today’s Kidzworld gaming new releases post that in Wii Fit Plus, you can weigh your dog or cat, even though they can’t really play any activities! Well, I’m here to give Nintendo some ideas on how to better integrate our pets into the game:

1. If you have a dog, then the screen should show a picture of a kitten and make meowing sounds. That’ll get your dog running, or barking, or jumping, or something. At least he’ll be burning calories. Just switch roles if you have a cat.
2. Let’s add in some really high pitched notes into the game at various points, just see how your dog reacts.
3. Toy bone-shaped Wiimotes are a must.
4. Wii vitality sensor technology inside a tempting ball of yarn for your cat.
5. Maybe a new Wii balance board that can double as a scratching post?

And today’s question for you all: Do your pets ever even react to what’s on your TV screen?

Co-op games seem to be all the rage these days and I’m not complaining. There is nothing more I like than to be able to pick up a title and enjoy it with someone close to me. Great experiences are made better just by having someone else there to appreciate it with you. It also gives rise to inside jokes and a lot of those “you had to be there” moments that forge strong bonds between people.

Cheesiness aside, there seems to be a teamwork theme this week as I review three games: Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story, Scooby Doo First Frights, and Spyborgs. Mario and Luigi’s Superstar RPG series has always been a favourite of mine. As video games’ version of the dynamic duo, the brothers can perform special attacks together and also jump to aid the other if one goes down. Scooby Doo and Spyborgs both focus on actual co-op, as two characters are always used, even when you are playing by yourself. If you’re all by your lonesome, you get a computer partner and can switch between the characters whenever you want. Since the computer partner is always there, friends can drop in and out of the game whenever they please, which is convenient.

While Scooby Doo followed the LEGO Star Wars formula closely, which I adore, Spyborgs is inhibitingly hard. Even at the easiest setting, the game becomes nigh on unmanageable and, despite rocking out exemplary graphics and combo system, the level of frustration makes it hard for me to recommend the game to anyone.

Co-op games are fun, even simple co-op modes like that of Super Mario Galaxy is nice to have so that you can enjoy gaming with friends and family. I am eagerly awaiting Pokemon Rumble, which I got to try at PAX, to come out as its co-op is very promising and I have been looking for something fun and non-competitive (and a bit cutesy) to enjoy with my fiance.

Almost all of the songs in The Beatles: Rock Band have now been revealed, but one is being kept secret for now, likely an endgame surprise. Here’s the list, in order of the songs’ original release, and with which level the songs will be played in:

# Twist And Shout / Cavern Club
# Do You Want To Know A Secret / Cavern Club
# Can’t Buy Me Love / Ed Sullivan Theater
# I Wanna Be Your Man / Ed Sullivan Theater
# Eight Days A Week / Shea Stadium
# Paperback Writer / Budokan
# And Your Bird Can Sing / Budokan
# Yellow Submarine / Abbey Road Dreamscape
# Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band / Abbey Road Dreamscape
# With a Little Help from My Friends / Abbey Road Dreamscape
# Within You Without You / Tomorrow Never Knows / Abbey Road Dreamscape
# Revolution / Abbey Road Dreamscape
# Birthday / Abbey Road Dreamscape
# Dig A Pony / Rooftop Concert
# I’ve Got A Feeling / Rooftop Concert
# Boys / Cavern Club
# A Hard Day’s Night / Ed Sullivan Theater
# I’m Looking Through You / Shea Stadium
# If I Needed Someone / Shea Stadium
# Ticket to Ride / Shea Stadium
# Drive My Car / Budokan
# Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds / Abbey Road Dreamscape
# Getting Better / Abbey Road Dreamscape
# Good Morning / Abbey Road Dreamscape
# Hello, Goodbye / Abbey Road Dreamscape
# Hey Bulldog / Abbey Road Dreamscape
# Dear Prudence / Abbey Road Dreamscape
# While My Guitar Gently Weeps / Abbey Road Dreamscape
# Helter Skelter / Abbey Road Dreamscape
# Something / Abbey Road Dreamscape
# Come Together / Abbey Road Dreamscape
# Don’t Let Me Down / Rooftop Concert
# I Want You (She’s So Heavy) / Rooftop Concert
# I Me Mine / Rooftop Concert
# I Saw Her Standing There / remainder unknown
# I Want To Hold Your Hand
# I Feel Fine
# Taxman
# Day Tripper
# Back In The USSR
# I Am The Walrus
# Octopus’s Garden
# Here Comes The Sun
# Get Back

This week I reviewed Active Life: Extreme Challenge and Brave: A Warrior’s Tale, both for the Wii. Active Life is another mini-games compilation series, which was talked about in last week’s blog. Brave, on the other hand, is an example of another type of shovelware, a port.

A port is, more or less, a version of a game, that originally came out on another console, made for another console. Usually, these are older games remade for a new generation of console. Ports are, compared to completely new games, easy to develop and are safe on release. Everything you need to make the game is already there, including the 3D models and whatnot. As well, since you have a good idea of how well the original game sold, you can except a rough percentage of that to rebuy your game along with some new customers.

Everyone is guilty of porting and it is not always a bad thing. In all fairness, Brave was remade with whole new levels, more than doubling the size, scope and length of the game. This is more than can be expected from most ports, which are done without even so much as a graphics upgrade, such as a lot of what you will see on the Virtual Console and XBLA.

Speaking of Nintendo, they are quite guilty of repackaging IPs. There is a whole line of “New Play Control!” games, like Pikmin for the Wii, which is basically the same game as the one for the GameCube, but with only new controls tacked on. Luckily for them, their games are awesome. I hate to admit it, but I am looking forward to the new Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver that was just recently announced to be coming to North American in Spring 2010. This game is a remake of the original Pokemon Gold/Silver. Note that remake is different than a port as the game is redone from bottom to top.

Another remake, which unfortunately is not doing as well, is the Turtles in Time Reshelled for XBLA. The original game was a masterpiece and it is a shame to see that this version leaves a bitter taste in most people’s mouths due to poor art direction and soundtrack decisions.

To summarize: ports of good games are well accepted. Ports of decent games with vast improvements and new additions are also welcomed, as they are almost remakes. Most remakes are welcomed, unless they ruin the game instead of improving it.

Here’s a full list of sports in Wii Sports Resort, because we couldn’t fit one into the news post:

• Swordplay
• Table Tennis
• Frisbee Dog and Frisbee Golf
• Golf
• Bowling
• Wakeboarding
• Power Cruiser (Jet Ski)
• Basketball (3 point shootout and 3-on-3)
• Archery
• Cycling
• Air Sports (including dogfights between two planes!)

Though the game comes with one MotionPlus accessory, make sure you pick up at least one more for the multiplayer.

Although Nintendo faired significantly better at this year’s E3 press conference. The memory of last year’s terrible showing will never fade from the collective minds of gamers. Since the release of the Wii, fans have been quite outspoken about how Nintendo had forsaken them in their pursuit of bluer oceans. But there is a good reason for this.

There seems to be a descrepancy between the number of games sold and the latest game reviews scoring. Many games that should not even be looked at on store shelves are outselling all but the first party Nintendo games. Reviewers are gamers, the people buying Wii games are not. In fact, most of them are the casual crowd: soccer moms and seniors.

The head creative director of Nintendo is Shigeru Miyamoto and he is the man who oversees almost everything at the Big N. He is the creator of Mario, Zelda, Nintendogs, Wii Fit and Wii Music. While it is hard not to find the jolly guy loveable, it is interesting to see the direction that he has taken gaming.

At the beginning, when Shiggy first joined Nintendo, he brought life back into the industry with his Donkey Kong arcade game and the NES. The funny thing is, Miyamoto was around the age of 25 at that time, and was no doubt a gamer of the right mindset himself.

At present time, he is easily a senior citizen himself and admits that he does not play much video games anymore and rather relax with his dog and banjo. While the games he produced at the start of his career were considered hardcore and amazing, the games he is at the helm for now are significantly less challenging and almost seemingly practical in some sense.

Perhaps it is a sign of his age and he isn’t that concerned with kids issues. Most Nintendo fans of the past are now around the age that Miyamoto was at when he had a vested interest in core gaming. As fans, perhaps we have not grown up and matured enough to fully appreciate Miyamoto’s new brainchilds like our grandparents can.

Luckily for us, there are still other developers that Nintendo are partnering with to bring us games that we still like to play, like Metroid: Other M and other video games previewed at E3 2009. Read the summary of this year’s E3 and other gaming news on our safe kids website.

E3 2009 was a resounding success in everyone’s mind. While previously downsized for various reasons, it has now fully returned to its former glory, much to the excitement of gamers everywhere.

However, it is important to calm down and sit away from the edge of your seat. After all, the vast majority of the really cool stuff shown at E3 this year won’t be released before the new year. And that’s not including the delays and other complications that games are heir to.

During the Nintendo press conference, many games were announced, but of the video games previewed, those that we can expect this year are: Super Mario Bros Wii, Zelda: Spirit Tracks, Wii Fit Plus, and Mario and Luigi DS. These are the only upcoming games that we can hope for before Christmas. (Gift ideas guide: lots of great games come out around Christmas, so keep a close eye on them if there is a gamer on your list!)

Super Mario Galaxy 2, Metroid: Other M, Golden Sun, and the mysterious Zelda Wii game are far off in the distant future and will probably get a reprised role at E3 2010. Remember that Nintendo is nefarious for delaying game releases, so curb your enthusiasm even more regarding Big N first party games.

As for the motion capturing trend that was demoed this year, Sony is hoping to bring it to store shelves by next year while Microsoft has yet to even release a projected date (but it can be assumed to be sooner than Sony as their presentation featured a nearer-to-completion demo). At the very least, as far as hardware goes, we can expect to see the PSP Go this year.

While all the announcements are very exciting, it is important to not burn yourself out and become desensitized to the hype surrounding these products. After all, you will want to save some of that giddiness for when you actually have the product in your hand.

Be sure to check our safe kids website for our video games guide to third party games shown at E3 2009.