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A Brief Injection of Gaming Wisdom: Barret Wallace

May 27, 2012 By Chris Littlechild In Editorials

Final Fantasy VII‘s Barret isn’t the most level-headed guy. Due to Shinra’s ravaging of his past, this gigantic man-beast has a tenuous grip on his emotions indeed (and a hell of a gun attached to his arm-stump, that bears mentioning too). He isn’t one to pause and apply rational thought to a situation, as we saw in Shinra’s headquarters. Indeed, perhaps my favourite Barret moment is his endeavour to rescue Aeris from the nefarious Hojo. This he achieved by repeatedly firing his gun into some delicate machinery with vigorous gusto. Unconventional, but seemingly effective. The man’s motto, in short, appears to be, ‘have a problem in life? Launch some bullets at it!’

As such, it’s quite jarring to find him firing off some top-notch philosophy into our actual faces. When it comes to locomotive metaphors (which it so often does in life, I’m sure…), Barret is your man. In the game, he provided us with such doozies as, “There ain’t no getting offa this train we on!” Which is, in actuality, rather profound. After all, elements of destiny and the influence of fate are both surely key here. Why else would this ragtag band of adventurers be attempting to combat the threat of Sephiroth and his meteor-summoning shenanigans alone? (I’d venture because the appropriate authorities want to kill them with gas, rendering co-operation more or less moot. But let’s not be pernickety.) Are our heroes bound by something greater, gathered as the chosen few able to defeat him and save the planet? Probably. I can’t imagine useless fatass Palmer doing it, for example. Perhaps, also, Cloud’s experience in the lifestream and discovery of the truth was destined.

Alternatively, Barret simply likes trains, and was being more literal. It’s hard to imagine, as he’s not averse to simply leaping from a speeding locomotive when the situation demands it. (Thus proving himself a liar in the process. There is, after all, a way to get off. Through the open door, like a crazy man.) Even so, judging by his output as a whole, the less intellectual meaning is probably correct. His well-reasoned debate with President Shinra, for example, ended (and began) with his conclusion, “Y’all Shinra’re the VERMIN, killing the planet! And that makes you King VERMIN! So Shu’up jackass!” Therefore, it seems unlikely that the marshmallow-wearing bear is a philosophical genius after all.

If you’re still unsure, I’ll leave you with some final words from the great man: “I’ve been here from the beginning, and I still don’t know what the hell’s goin’ on.”

Game of the Week: Inazuma Eleven 2

May 26, 2012 By Chris Littlechild In Editorials

DS genre-scourge Inazuma Eleven’s sequel has finally made it across from Japan. The second outing for the sporting RPG arrives in two editions, Blizzard and Firestorm. In a stylish little Pokémon-inspired manoeuvre, the variation between the two is trivial at best. There will be special moves and players available to each that will be unavailable to the other, and other such pernickety shenanigans. But what else had changed with this new installment’s arrival?

The plot finds the triumphant Raimon Eleven still reeling from their surprise victory in the football frontier final. Set only a week after the events of the first game, Level-5 have crafted an odd little confection story-wise that will have little impact for those inexperienced with the first game. Mark Evans and company see their beloved school destroyed by a mystery hail of black footballs (reality and logic are a moot point where these guys are concerned). From the mangled ex-building emerges Gemini Storm, a team of alleged extraterrestrials here to prove their supremacy via soccer-action. (I remember the days when angry aliens did this via different means. Ah, huge metallic monstrosities and funky rayguns, those were the days.) From here, the story reers off into the realms of convoluted lunacy (as is the wont of Level-5) as the threat to the planet emerges.

Fortuitously, Raimon have a new innovation to help them out. The Inazuma Bus allows them to travel across their homeland of Japan, in search of teams to practise against and players to recruit to their ranks. Your aim in Blizzard/Firestorm is to build the most formidable squad you can with which to challenge the ascending threat, from talent across all regions of the country. During the course of the game, old favourites will come and go (and naturally return again, proverbial bad pennies that the core cast are), and new characters will be intermittently introduced. My personal favourite of these is without a doubt the icy stylings of Shawn Froste, with his preposterous hair and irregular accent. (this last is a difficult thing to convey in a largely voice-acting-free manner, but it comes through nonetheless.)

Aside from these additions, the bedrock of the experience remains largely unchanged. The football is played in a simple stylus-flailing manner, with you drawing paths to position players and pass or shoot the ball. Subtle layers of depth are introduced to the familiar mechanics with the new long shots, which can be instigated from anywhere on the pitch. To counter these, there are also now block abilities with which your defense can mitigate an attack or prevent it outright. Debuting, too, are individual character abilities. These are equipped in the same fashion as your usual special moves, but function as latent talents. A player with Shot Force, for example, will add a minor boost to the whole team’s attempts on goal. As each of these will also occupy one of a character’s limited moveslots, it all serves to add a further element to the game’s RPG-flavour repertoire.

As sequels go, Inazuma Eleven 2 is hardly a revolution. As I have touched upon, the plot assumes, to a significent extent, knowledge of their original travails. This does not prevent those new to the series from enjoying the game, but it is certainly advisable to play through the debut first. There are subtle refinements to the mechanics, and in matters of character development. The aforementioned Froste, specifically, has a charmingly twee little backstory which was a delight to see unfold. All in all, it’s largely a matter of playing it safe with this release.

The Most Fiendish Achievements and Trophies: Finish Him!

May 20, 2012 By Chris Littlechild In Editorials

Unit 13 is a strategic shooter for the PS Vita, from the makers of SOCOM. It was the first game on the console that I really took a liking to, indeed I was sufficiently enamoured to try and go for that infernal platinum trophy. Late as I was to the PS3 party, I’ve never earned one as yet.

It’s going to be a painful ride.

The game has quite a good selection of trophies to try and achieve, there are tedious story-based ones alongside others that demand a little more dedication and imagination. The game sees you take control of the eponymous squad, six characters in all. Each gains experience and levels individually, and each yields a trophy when they reach their maximum training potential. This in itself was long and irritating enough, but I prevailed.

Unit 13 comprises some 36 missions, some in the run-and-gun style, others demanding a more insidious approach. You’re awarded stars for outstanding performances in each, which allow you to unlock bonus content. These are the High Value Target challenges, levels that provide a far greater challenge than those that came before. Which each target eliminated (after fighting your way through swarms of snipers, rocket guys and those darn shotgunners that delight in appearing an inch in front of you and blowing your face off), you get another trophy. The final of these bonus missions is the major stumbling block, the devious Finish Him!

This is awarded for defeating Scorpion, the last of the High Value Targets. While I’m begrudgingly amused by the Mortal Kombat reference, I’m still deeply frustrated by this. You access this mission with a five star ranking across the board, which is a tall order indeed. (You’ve no idea how lanky this order is.) I didn’t have much trouble with the levels themselves, but the performance necessary to ace them, particularly the final stage, is reasonably hellish. You’re able to obtain the extra missions early via the Near function if a PSN friend who has completed them already ‘shares’ them, but this isn’t an option.
Another slog then, alongside my failed Plants Vs Zombies survival attempts.

Game of the Week: Professor Layton and the Curious Village

Professor Layton and the Curious Village Feature

May 19, 2012 By Chris Littlechild In Editorials

The first entry in the renowned puzzling-adventure series, Professor Layton and the Curious Village arrived on DS in 2008. It was the very definition of a surprise hit, the odd premise redeemed by fantastic gameplay and a relentlessly charming aesthetic. But who is this top-hatted maestro, and what makes his exploits so engrossing?

Layton is an archaeologist, legendary for his ability to tackle logic puzzles and brainteasers of every sort (an odd way to become legendary, but let’s not get pernickety about the premise). He is sought worldwide by those needing the aid of his talents, and one such request serves as the catalyst for the game. Lady Dahlia writes to him, explaining the bizarre inheritance issue surrounding her late husband’s will. He has stated that the person who solves the mystery of the Golden Apple will receive his fortune. These enigmatic words are the only clue, enough for our hero to set out for the village, St. Mystere, desperate to solve the peculiar riddle.

You navigate the world map via a point-and-click-esque interface. Layton is not controlled directly, rather you touch the screen to interact with people and objects in your particular area or to proceed to the next one. A map on the top screen of the DS shows your relative position in the world as a whole. All in all, it’s a stylus-flailing adventure from beginning to end, with the buttons unused throughout.

The puzzles, of course, are the stars of the show, and a hallmark of the series. The residents of the village are addicts like the professor himself, and will challenge him with a doozy at every opportunity. Suffice it to say, you couldn’t so much as ask to use the toilet here without having to answer some fiendish brainteaser or other first. When conducting a full-blown investigation, then, you can expect a relentless brain-barrage. There are over 130 puzzles in The Curious Village, each created under the watchful eye of Akira Tago, real-life puzzling wizard. (the title of his successful series of brain-bending books translates to Head Gymnastics, which is nigh-irrelevant but rather fantastic-sounding nonentheless.) These range from riddles, shape matching challenges, picture-based questions, some simple maths, and more. Much like the unhinged WarioWare games, just about every conceivable manner of using touch control is catered for here.

It’s a concept that’s been touched upon in gaming, but rarely to this extent. The true wonder of Professor Layton’s quests is how deftly the puzzles are interwoven with the story. It’s a little tenuous at times, I’ll concede, (“Luke! that door reminds me of a puzzle! That ladder reminds me of a puzzle!”) but to keep players transfixed with such an irregular driving force is a real feat. The presentation is a wonder too. Every character, from our hero and his apprentice Luke Triton to the inconsequencial extras, are brimming with life and oozing charm. This combines with the music, the delightfully quirky graphical style and the thrilling narrative to create an unparalleled experience indeed. There’s so little in gaming like it, and certainly nothing that matches it. The series is perhaps the biggest portable triumph in recent years, and deservedly so.

The Most Fiendish Achievements and Trophies: Alive and Planting

May 13, 2012 By Chris Littlechild In Editorials

I’m sure just about everyone on the planet’s surface is familiar with Plants vs Zombies. (Begone obscure forest tribes, this is no business of yours.) It’s a fantastically addictive little game, which has made its way onto several formats. Being the unfortunate addict that I am, I own the title a couple of times over, and it’s eaten more of my time than I care to admit. When it comes to achievements, I’m the type that will only strive for them all when it’s one of my favourite games. Plants vs Zombies certainly qualifies, but it’s one that I haven’t yet finished in this regard. The blame for this is solely levelled at Alive and Planting.

This particular achievement/trophy asks you to reach beyond forty waves of zombies in survival mode. As yet, I’ve scarcely reached half that amount. There are guides online of strategies and plants to use, even exact images of how your finished setup should look. Even so, I’m fairly stubbornly trying to struggle on to the magic 40 alone, in my own way. Thus the lack of success. (I said I played a lot, certainly not that I was good at it. That would be the dirtiest of dirty lies.) Both the 360 version and the Vita version will be wrung of all their precious awardy-liquids, I just can’t promise when.

It’s unfortunate, because Plants vs Zombies offers some quite imaginative achiephies (that will become the official term used when you aren’t speaking specifically about either). All too often in games, you’ll see a tedious list like:

- complete the tutorial
-complete chapter one
-complete chapter two

And so forth. My favourite game of all time, Gunstar Heroes, suffers a little from this. In a simple first playthough, I had acquired all but one. The final came about three minutes later. Particularly with the sort of title that cries out for achievements that actually need to be achieved, such as this, it’s a poor show indeed. Plants vs Zombies is one example of a game tasking you to do something unusual or difficult to earn them, which is always good to see.

The cruelty of Alive and Planting aside, of course.

Game of the Week: Crash Team Racing

May 12, 2012 By Chris Littlechild In Editorials

Crash Team Racing arrived on the Playstation in 1999, the little orange dude’s first foray into the racing genre. It’s notable for being, in the aftermath of the myriad of Mario Kart clones, one of few real rivals. A kart racer of genuine quality, and perhaps the equal to Nintendo’s own efforts. Indeed, it improved on some areas that are sorely lacking in Mario’s own karting shenanigans.

Primarily, the story mode. Such games have always been very much a multiplayer pursuit, offerings for the lone gamer are generally rather meagre. There is the ubiquitous Grand Prix assortment to conquer and time trials to indulge in, and little besides. (Mario Kart DS took a positive step with the inclusion of missions, but this innovation did not return when the next installment was released.) As such, Crash Team Racing’s story is all the more welcome. (The plot itself is rather meaningless and absurd, seeing you tasked with defeating an alien plotting to convert the Earth into a gigantic racetrack, but it’s appreciated nonetheless.) You pass through a series of areas, completing tracks in order. Simply winning the race is but your first challenge. Next, you must collect the letters C,T and R hidden in nefarious areas around each track. Then there are the relic races, an evolved time trial with subtle tactical nuances. The racing surface is festooned with the familiar Crash Bandicoot crates, which award you with valuable seconds off your time when broken. A revolution? Absolutely not, but it’s refreshing to see something substantial being offered for those playing alone. Story mode hides a whole ream of collectables, and only the most dedicated will see it through to 104% completion. Which is, oddly, the true maximum value. As per convention with Crash games.
Marsupials care little for mathematical impossibilities. The cheeky little swines.

Another aspect of Crash Team Racing that elevates it from the crowd of pretenders is the way items function. Wumpa Fruit crates are also bountiful as you race, and these add to your tally in a similar way to Mario Kart coins. When you are holding ten of them, you’re juiced up (whatever that might entail), and instead collect the more powerful version of each weapon. As an example, the TNT crate is dropped on the track and will attach itself to the opponent that collides with it. They can then frantically hammer the hop button, if they’re fast enough, to dislodge it and escape an embarrassing and pain-filled explosive fate. When you have a full crop of fruit (those things are quite big, where are they keeping them in those cramped karts?) you will instead utilise the Nitro crate. This green death machine doesn’t fancy the whole timer rigmarole, and instantly detonates on contact. It’s a great mechanic, and nary an item feels out of place in the universe this odd menagerie inhabits. Most important of all is the Time Warp Ball. The familiar odd little way of negotiating from the hub to the levels in the platformers will be fired forward, tripping every racer in front of you. This, in my view, is more how the accursed Blue Shell should behave. (Or hit everyone else before majorly exploding on first place. Ignoring the others is often worthless for the user.) How gratifying to see a developer get that little detail right. Or, if we’re being pernickety, right-er.
(Although, if we are being pernickety, that isn’t a word.)

The tracks are a joy, perfectly incorporating the personality of the franchise and the characters themselves. It’s a lot of fun to play, and polished to the finest of sheens. The only real issue is with the cast. I’m sure this is simply a matter of taste, but I’d have to say these loons just don’t have the personality of Nintendo’s barmy army. Pura and Polar are pretty well identical miniscule bear cubs, just in different hues. Tiny Tiger, Dingodile and Pinstripe the rat aren’t bad at all as far as designs go, and they’re returning bosses from a hugely popular series. I just find them less endearing, less memorable.

Even so, the achievement and the quality of Crash Team Racing is a feat indeed. As we know, everyone down to the infernal Crazy Frog have starred in their own kart racer after Super Mario Kart‘s success. I’ve had the misfortune of experiencing some truly appalling efforts, and can’t think of another worthy alternative to the original series. Naughty Dog’s effort, in that sense, is truly one (or two) of a kind.

Gaming Fashion Disasters: Mario

May 6, 2012 By Chris Littlechild In Editorials

Surely gaming’s most recognised figure, Mario’s illustrious career has spanned several decades. In this impressive period some of the greatest games, the likes of Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy, have been produced. The dungaree-donning maestro with the questionable facial fuzz is now better-known worldwide than Mickey Mouse (allegedly, so said an old report I once heard of).

As such, I feel the need to to explain that there’s no offence meant here. I don’t want him to send armies of deadly ninja Goombas to hunt me down in the dead of night. It must be said, nonetheless, that he’s looked completely preposterous at times. This is due mostly to the cavernous wardrobe Nintendo has outfitted him with over his impressive span. Power ups in games are generally a small shiny thing, an instantly-consumed item that vanishes at your touch. It then takes one of a myriad of effects. In the Super Mario series, new abilities are endowed in the form of suits.

In the early days, this wasn’t a major cause of embarrassment for our hero. The fire flower, for example, transformed him into Fire Mario. This didn’t have the most dramatic effect, merely altering the colours of his trusty traditional garb. While this in itself isn’t quite the pinnacle of fashion, it suits the porky little dude just fine. Then there was the mushroom, all that did was make him taller. It emphasises that paunch of his a little more, perhaps. Aside from this there was no real harm done there either.

Over time, alas, more skills were added to his repertoire, and his suave facade slipped. And slipped. And slipped some more. Like a rollerskating spider on a greased surface. This process began slowly, with Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins offering a collectable carrot (with eyes, naturally, as is the company’s odd wont) enabling you to fly with a pair of bunny ears. This cranium-centric shame soon spread to our man’s whole body. The Frog Suit is my favourite, but I still have to admit it’s totally ridiculous aesthetically. Fast-forward to Galaxy, and the grotesque abominations within. Cloud Mario is, for me, the campiest he’s ever looked. (Short of a Village People ensemble, I doubt he’ll ever best it either.) Rock Mario, meanwhile, is the worst possible thing a somewhat-flabby gent should be seen in. Great, I’m now completely spherical! As a saving grace, though, it also introduced Flying Mario. This fantastical power is completely belied by the simple Flower-esque colour change it causes. And so the circle of embarrassment to restoring dignity to embarrassment again is complete.

I eagerly await the next ghastly offering. As is the case with Sackboy, the possibilities are boundless.

Game of the Week: Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3

May 5, 2012 By Chris Littlechild In Editorials

This 1994 Game Boy release was an oddity indeed. Mario takes a backseat here, giving Wario his first starring role. Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins marked his debut, and Nintendo were clearly fond of their new creation. The result of this bold decision was a completely innovative platform experience, as the yellow man’s adventures are a stark contrast to Mario’s in many ways.

The plot, for one, is markedly different. Wario’s greed and general unpleasantness leaves him completely impervious to the usual tired heroic motives. This title finds a vast golden statue of Princess Toadstool (as Peach was known at this juncture) stolen by the nefarious Brown Sugar Pirates. Our antihero hears that his alter-ego is searching for it, to return it to its rightful place. Wario, however, has a better idea. If he finds the statue first, he can sell it for a crazy amount and build himself a palace worthy of his greatness with the bountiful proceeds. In the previous title in the series, he serves as the main antagonist and final boss, having taken control of Mario’s castle while he was away. A mixture of vengeance and the desire for riches sends him off to Kitchen Island, where the pirates are based.

The big man himself controls very differently to the familiar stylings of Mario. He’s bigger, slower and stronger. Seemingly incapable of a simple hold-B-to-dash, it’s a really rather sluggish experience in comparison. Instead, Wario is equipped with a charging body-slam attack with which to defeat opponents and move his bulk a little faster. In addition, stunned enemies can be casually picked up and thrown about with abandon. Hitting a wall or obstacle mid-launch will defeat them. With a fair amount of the foes you face consisting of seemingly innocuous little waddling dudes, this method is both cruel and highly entertaining in equal measure. Just the kind of thing a mean guy like our protagonist would revel in.

All this, and there’s nary a Fire Flower or Mushroom to be seen. Instead, Wario Land brings a few new power-ups to the table. You can equip the Bull Pot to become Bull Wario, who can unleash an extra-strength body slam and a ground pound while jumping. Most pertinently, however, he bears a strong resemblance to a Viking in this form. (Through the blurry haze of these ancient graphics, I was originally convinced it was one of their trademark helmets instead.) Jet Wario endows you with the ability to glide and jump higher, whilst Dragon Wario can expel torrents of fire to repel aggressors.

It’s clear to see the level of freedom Nintendo had in the creation of Super Mario Land 3. The newest addition to their mental menagerie was a blank canvas at this point. With regards to his abilities and powers, then, a certain what if? approach was possible (Bull Wario’s ability to adhere to ceilings, by his head, is one bizarre highlight). As such, the game is glutted with creativity, with some truly stellar level design. It’s regarded as a classic not only for being Wario’s first game, but a standout platformer in its own right. The highly successful series that spawned in its wake is testament to that.

Video Game Clichés: Wake Up, Something Terrible Is Happening!

April 29, 2012 By Chris Littlechild In Editorials

One of my favourite RPGs, Golden Sun, starts with our hero Isaac asleep. His mother dashes in with an alarming revelation. A boulder is threatening to destroy their small village, and the magic or psynergy of the Elders is not enough to stop it. The boy is told to leave and seek shelter, and from here an epic quest begins. Helped along, of course, by two villains who saw nothing uncool about viciously attacking a group of children in a rainstorm. The cads. This setup (sans beating up innocent youths in a rainstorm) is one beloved by developers.

Link is perhaps the protagonist most affected by this epidemic of narcolepsy. In A Link to the Past, Zelda actually manages to invade his dreams to inform him of the unscrupulous goings-on at the castle, courtesy of Aganhim. His father/the dude in his house, through the same inexplicable telepathic connection, chose this precise moment to wander off somewhere. ‘Don’t leave the house,’ he intoned, as though it was even remotely likely that he wouldn’t. The stage was thus set for another lengthy adventure. Ocarina of Time, meanwhile, finds Link mid-nightmare (of sorts). To make matters worse, he is awoken by none other than ubiquitous winged ass-pain Navi. The fairy has been ordered by a giant talking tree to fetch the lad and send him off to save the world. Any other child would suspect that they’re still in the grip of some bizarre dream, and recommence snoring. But not so here.

So, what explains the love for this wake up, something terrible is happening! story-opening concept? It could well stem from the dreamlike quality of video games. Generally, they provide scenarios, characters and abilities that are completely and thoroughly impossible in the tedious world of reality. When you ponder this kind of weirdness, the parallels are easily drawn and numerous. The kind of situations these guys are often in are the sort that could logically only end with and then they woke up, after all. It’s the ultimate deus ex machina, and it would really put a dampener on the whole experience. With all the loot and general valuables the average RPG star comes away with at the end of a game, it’d be a shame to find it was just a dream. They could make a fortune at a local pawn shop with that stuff.

Game of the Week: Gotham City Impostors

April 28, 2012 By Chris Littlechild In Editorials

Gotham City Impostors is the madcap fps recently released by Monolith. It arrived on XBLA, PSN and PC in February, and none of these formats knew what in God’s name had hit them. It instantly became one of my favourite games this year, which is a feat indeed for someone whose distaste for the genre borders on actual phobia.

Part of this title’s appeal, to myself and many others, is the sheer madness. Impostors doesn’t just have a zany streak, it revels in the weird. There’s the Shredder, a homemade gun firing a relentless barrage of ball bearings. There’s the inflatable boots, offering greater mobility and surprise-attack potential. There’s the bank robber with delusions of grandeur-esque grappling hook. The oddity of the weaponry and gadgets, combined with the game’s delightful cartoon art style, results in an experience unlike any other. The depressing collage of brown and grey we’re so frequently assaulted by in the genre is a world away. Fps titles often seem completely po-faced to me, which is why I was so attracted to what Impostors offers.

There’s an astonishing level of customization. Quite apart from simply choosing your weapons, you loadout also includes your choice of a gadget and separate support item. A health-restoring energy drink, a ninja smoke bomb, rollerskates, a glider for airborne attacking and a Jack in the box proximity mine are all among your choices. After this, you have to create your character. There are five ‘sizes’ of body to pick from, with speed, strength and health all considerations to keep in mind. You then apply two additional fun facts, abilities giving extra power or a myriad of other advantages. What is most astounding about Impostors is how balanced it is. Even with such a great deal of choices on offer, everything can be countered by something else. It’s plain how much fine-tuning has gone into each inclusion.

Another fantastic aspect of the title is the verging on OCD record keeping. Feats of Prowess is the name for the range of achievements you can earn while playing. These encompass the mundane likes of accruing kills with a particular gun, which you’re sure to find in any shooter. There’s also the more bizarre, such as taking someone down with the grapple tool and jumping a colossal amount of skate ramps. I’ve always been one of those with an inordinate interest in stats pages and the like in games, so I was in my element here. Each feat you complete grants you a hefty boost to your experience meter, which in turn gives you more unlocks. (Every item in the game is listed from the start, and you can unlock it for use in the order you please.) As with Monster Hunter, there’s always a goal to aim for so there’s always a reason to keep at it. Your progress towards particular ones is displayed intermittently on-screen, which is a tidy way to help you keep track.

I’ve found Impostors to be ludicrously compulsive. I was surprised myself by how much I’ve continued to enjoy the game, considering it took a while to decide to take the plunge in the first place. As such, this cheap download puts many big name releases to shame in terms of the hours of fun on offer for the budget price. The free bundles of extra dlc content (although a paid pack has just been released) further shows the dedication of the developers in my view. This is marvellous to see, because Gotham City Impostors is one title that deserves the support.