Terminal Gamer » Eric Surrell

Military Madness Marching to Wii on April 12th

Eric Surrell — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:42:01 +0000

Hudson Entertainment, maker of the Bomberman and Decca Sports franchises, announced that they will be releasing Military Madness: Nectaris in Nintendo’s Wiiware store on April 12th.

Hudson Entertainment stated that this new release will feature single player missions and 2-4 player local and online gameplay with maps tailored specifically for balanced and competitive play. In addition, the award-winning game will have a multiplayer Commander unit that can be upgraded and modified to buff ally troops or disrupt the enemy buildup.

While the game is already out on XBLA and PSN, the news of it coming to the Wii is very good for those who only own Nintendo’s console. Look forward to the release on April 12th.

The Rooster-Hatted Hero Returns

Eric Surrell — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:48:04 +0000

Today, Warner Bros. Interactive announced Scribblenauts 2, the sequel to the highly successful DS game Scribblenauts, is in production for a Fall 2010 release. Scribblenauts is an award winner puzzle game unique for its ability to recognize a seeming endless number of words and create them in game. Players could write or type ladder, vampire, helicopter, or sniper rifle and receive the desired item.

The new Scribblenauts is set to use multiple adjectives to add additional effects to the summoned items. These adjectives can be as simple as giving something color or modifying the item entirely, giving it new parameters and behaviors. Why just call for a vampire when you can call for a rabid vampire?

Samantha Ryan, Senior Vice President, Development and Production, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, said “The Scribblenauts sequel gives all players an enhanced game experience they will love and new challenges where they can use their imaginations even more.” 5TH Cell is a very talented and creative developer and we are excited to add to the Scribblenauts franchise with this new game.”

The first Scribblenauts received a 79 on Metacritic, but was regarded as highly innovative and won multiple DS Game of the Year awards.

BIT.TRIP RUNNER Trailer Released by Aksys

Eric Surrell — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:41:05 +0000

Aksys, developer of Blazblue Calamity Trigger Portable, has released a trailer of their upcoming Wiiware game BIT.TRIP RUNNER.

BIT.TRIP RUNNER is the fourth entry in the pseudo-retro side-running BIT.TRIP series. The game features a character named “Commander Video” as he runs, hops, and slides his way through various Atari-inspired levels and bosses.

BIT.TRIP RUNNER is slated to have the following features:

Rhythm-based Action Platforming!
Boss Battles Against Robotic Terrors!
50+ Challenges!
Classic NES-Style Controls!
A Pounding Chiptune-Inspired Soundtrack!
Special Chiptune Guest Star Anamanaguchi!
New Friends for CommanderVideo!

Look forward to it on March 16th, 2010.

Squishy Tanks Goes Gold

Eric Surrell — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:27:24 +0000

Natsume, the world-known developer and publisher of family oriented games like Harvest Moon, puzzle/ adventure game Squishy Tanks went gold today. Natsume also released a trailer and announced Squishy Tank’s retail price of $19.99.

“Squishy Tank is the perfect pick-up-and play puzzle adventure for players on the go,” said Hiro Maekawa, President and CEO of Natsume in a press release.

“It’s a fast-paced puzzler packed with powerups, modes, and challenges!”

Check out the trailer below.

The game definitely looks like it will be fun for all ages and pack a serious challenge for the more time-worn puzzle solvers. Pick up your copy on March 23rd, 2010.

Writer’s Note: In case some readers are confused about how an unreleased game can “go gold,” the video game and music industries have very different meanings for that status.

In the music industry, a “Gold” status means that a particular record, CD, or song has been purchased so many times. The number of sales is determined by area’s population.

In the video game industry, being “Gold” simply means that the game is finished and the publisher is manufacturing it for release.

Team Ninja Gives Us Metroid: Other M Fact Sheet

Eric Surrell — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:36:32 +0000

Team Ninja released a fact sheet on their upcoming collaboration with Nintendo, Metroid: Other M. The game is set to focus more on Samus’s past than her future, telling the story of how and why she became a bounty hunter. It will focus on her early career, her failings, and her motivations.

The announcement of this game worried me at first. Team Ninja is known for two things: lots of action and excessively endowed and wobbly women. The first made me excited as Metroid, while not without some heavy action, felt like it needed some life-blood in that area. Fights were more something that got in the way of continuing with puzzle-solving rather than something to be enjoyed. Team Ninja’s work on the Ninja Gaiden franchise gave me hope that the fighting would be more of a thing to enjoy than a side-step.

The second had me worried as Team Ninja made a continual habit of taking some of my favorite fighters and reducing them to little more than eye candy. Games like Extreme Beach Volley Ball and the recently released Dead or Alive Paradise (Extreme Volley Ball without the Volley Ball) furthered my fears. The last thing I needed from a Metroid game was separate breast physics and a motion-controlled bouncing chest plate.

Instead, with the fact sheet and the 2009 E3 trailer, I’m definitely finding myself excited about this game. Not only does it look like Team Ninja is handling the character and the gameplay in a serious, mature manner, but they’re also giving it their own unique spin.

Read the fact sheet below and check out the trailer on the Metroid website.

FEATURES:

Metroid: Other M takes the best elements of 1st-person and 3rd-person gaming to create a seamless blend between gameplay, story-telling and dynamic cinematography, that feels like a movie the player can control. Players hold the Wii Remote™ controller sideways while navigating and battling in 3rd-person. However, at any moment, players can switch immediately to Wii Remote pointer controls to examine and explore the environments in 1st-person perspective.

Metroid fans know more about Samus’ suits and weapons than they do about what drives her. That’s about to change. The story begins immediately following the events of Super Metroid, when a baby Metroid gave its life to protect Samus. With voice acting and a rich story, players learn the engaging backstory of Samus as she weaves through an action-packed adventure aboard the Bottle Ship, a decommissioned space facility. As she hurtles into this new adventure, Samus will encounter her first mentor and Commanding Officer of the Galactic Federation, Adam Malkovich.

The development of Metroid: Other M is an exciting collaboration between Nintendo’s Yoshio Sakamoto and Team Ninja. Sakamoto was the director of Super Metroid in 1994. Team Ninja is the renowned action developer of Ninja Gaiden. Metroid: Other M pairs Sakamoto’s expert level design and exploratory focus of the classic Metroid series with Team Ninja’s signature stylish, no-holds-barred action.