Coffee Talk #79: 2D Gaming in 2010

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Stephon Marbury’s adventures in China, your Super Bowl XLIV prediction, or Austin Aries being the second-best wrestler in Ring of Honor, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Sega’s announcement that Sonic the Hedgehog will be returning for a brand new 2D adventure has me excited. 2D Sonic games were a huge part of my childhood and stayed with me in my teens and college years. They were just so well done, offering clever gameplay and an unmatched sensation of speed. Plus, Sonic was just cool! (Well…he was until Urkel started voicing him in the cartoon. That was his downfall. Trust me.) Ah, the days when 2D was king…. (I’m going to fetch Daniel Stern for a Wonder Years-type voice over.)

It actually took me a while to get used to 3D games. For the most part, I hated the first generation of 3D platformers and fighting games. They didn’t have the precision controls and deep gameplay that 2D games offered. So much effort put towards the graphics that other aspects of these games fell short. Obviously 3D games have gotten past those growing pains and are today’s norm. But where does that leave new 2D titles?

Do gamers care for new 2D games? Do they sell because of novelty and nostalgia? Is that enough? Did Shadow Complex open the door for fresh 2D gaming experiences? Or was that an anamoly? I’d love to hear your thoughts on 2D gaming in 2010, so please shout it out in the comments section!

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Brings Back Classic 2D Gaming

Sega of America has revealed that Sonic the Hedgehog 4 will bring the iconic blue speedster back to his 2D roots in a downloadable game for PlayStation  Network, Wii, and Xbox Live. Associate brand manager Ken Balough dropped some details on GameSpot:

This game is truly a labor of love. A lot of us grew up on the Sega Genesis console; in fact, I remember vividly the first day I got mine with Revenge of Shinobi and Moonwalker. Ever since Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 has been a game classic Sega fans have always wanted to see. It was the right people, at the right time, getting together and finally making this game we’ve all wanted to see.

While the game is a brand-new adventure, it will definitely pick up after Sonic & Knuckles. However, what you are looking at is the beginning of a new story arc.

I’m totally down for some 2D Sonic action. How about you?

Source

Joojoo Tablet (aka CrunchPad) in Full Production

Fusion Garage has announced that its Joojoo tablet — the device formerly known as the CrunchPad — is in full production. In addition to facing stiff competition with Apple’s iPad, the Joojoo is also the center of a nasty legal squabble, but that hasn’t stopped it from going into production. Here’s the official description:

JooJoo, officially introduced in December 2009, is the category-creating Web tablet that provides near instantaneous Internet access and the best online experience. The African word “joujou” means magical object and Fusion Garage’s JooJoo brings users into an online world where everything on the Internet is just a single touch away. Powered by Fusion Garage’s innovative browser-based operating system, JooJoo enables users to quickly and easily tap into Internet applications, news, music, high definition video, social media and web services. JooJoo has revolutionary hardware, including the largest capacitive touch screen of any device on the market — 12.1 inches — providing full screen content viewing. Its ultra-portable, ultra-thin design offers the best Internet experience anywhere — on the couch or on the go, standing or sitting.

In an interview with Engadget, Fusion Garage CEO Chandra Rathakrishna touted the Joojoo’s advantages over the iPad, name Flash support and a larger app store due to it being an open device.

Still, this is definitely David going up against Goliath. What do you guys and gals think? Does the Joojoo have a chance? Or will Goliath kick the crap out of David this time around?

Source

3D Dot Game Heroes Pokes Fun at Viagra, Cialis, Levitra, Etc.

This excellent clip of 3D Dot Game Heroes for PlayStation 3 pokes fun at all those Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra advertisements littering the airwaves. Instead of a penis-mightier pill (that’s “the pen is mightier” Mr. Connery), Atlus wants you to go to the blacksmith for some natural sword enhancement. Ha!

Madden NFL 10 Picks Saints Over Colts 35-31 + A Super Bowl Poll

EA Sports did its annual Madden NFL Super Bowl simulation and had the New Orleans Saints beating the Indianapolis Colts 35 to 31. Here’s a snippet from the official press release:

The first three quarters display the offensive fireworks that both teams have become known for, with the Colts leading 24-21. A nail biting fourth quarter begins with a big play, courtesy of the Saints’ special teams, when Reggie Bush returns a punt for a 42-yard touchdown. However, with minutes left in the game the duo of Joseph Addai and Peyton Manning put the Colts back on top with a go-ahead touchdown pass. With the game hanging in the balance, Drew Brees hits David Thomas for an 11-yard touchdown and the game winning score. Drew Brees takes home MVP honors as the Saints earn their first Super Bowl Championship title in the franchise’s 46 year history.

What do you think of Madden NFL 10’s prediction? While I’m at it, what’s your Super Bowl XLIV prediction? It’s poll time!

[poll id=”23″]

ESRB Says Dead or Alive Paradise Has Jiggling Breasts

The ESRB’s description of Dead or Alive: Paradise for Sony PlayStation Portable is full of win for using the phrases “jiggle their breasts”,  “creepy voyeurism”, and “misguided notions of what women really want”. Check it out:

This is a video game in which users watch grown women dressed in G-string bikinis jiggle their breasts while on a two-week vacation. Women’s breasts and butts will sway while playing volleyball, while hopping across cushions, while pole dancing, while posing on the ground, by the pool, on the beach, in front of the camera. There are other activities: Users can gamble inside a casino to win credits for shopping; they can purchase bathing suits, sunglasses, hats, clothing at an island shop; they can “gift” these items to eight other women in hopes of winning their friendship, in hopes of playing more volleyball. And as relationships blossom from the gift-giving and volleyball, users may get closer to the women, having earned their trust and confidence: users will then be prompted to zoom-in on their friends’ nearly-naked bodies, snap dozens of photos, and view them in the hotel later that night. Parents and consumers should know that the game contains a fair amount of “cheesy,” and at times, creepy voyeurism–especially when users have complete rotate-pan-zoom control; but the game also contains bizarre, misguided notions of what women really want (if given two weeks, paid vacation, island resort)–Paradise cannot mean straddling felled tree trunks in dental-floss thongs.

The author of this description sounds a little bit angry, but as an immature male his/her words make me want to buy the game. *snicker*

Source via Siliconera

Akira Yamaoka Joins Suda51’s Grasshopper Manufacture

Former Konami music composer and game producer Akira Yamaoka — best known for his work on the Silent Hill series — has joined Goichi Suda’s (aka Suda51) Grasshopper Manufacture. The extremely tall Kevin Gifford reported the news at 1Up and provided some fine translation from a recent Famitsu article. Here are Suda51’s thoughts on Yamaoka:

I really love Yamaoka. Ever since I saw a video of Silent Hill 2 at the Tokyo Game Show nine years ago, I’ve always dreamed of working alongside him. That’s why I thought I’d invite him over when I started hearing rumors that he left [Konami].

Yamaoka’s first project will be composing music for game being designed by Suda51 and former Capcom ace Shinji Mikami. That’s one hell of a dream team! The unannounced title will be published by Electronic Arts and is sure to make millions of otaku wet themselves.

Seriously though, this is fantastic news. I’m a huge fan of Yamaoka as an artist and as a person. It’s brilliant that he’s teaming up with other powerhouse creators.

Source

Next Legend of Zelda Game to be Motion Plus Exclusive

While a lot of you are down on Nintendo for going all mainstream, some of you have been holding out hope for the next Zelda, Mario, and Metroid games. With all of that in mind, I can’t wait to hear your reactions to producer Eiji Aonuma saying that the next Legend of Zelda title will be Wii Motion Plus Exclusive. Andriasang translated a recent Famitsu article and posted:

Aonuma told Famitsu that it will be Wii Motion Plus exclusive. This was actually an area that was under debate at the outset of development. “After actually making it compatible,” said Aonuma, “it just feels so natural. Link’s sword and the controller that you’re holding become one.”

What do you think of the news? Are you more or less interested in the game now that you know it won’t use a traditional control scheme?

Source

Coffee Talk #78: Your Game Developer Dream Date

I’ve “known” a lot of you long enough that I have a pretty good idea of what games you like and don’t like. However, I’m not so sure about your favorite game designers and developers. So let’s play a game! If you could have dinner with one famous game designer, who would it be and why? What questions would you ask him or her?

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames,the season premiere of Lost, if Adrien Grenier should change his name to Vincent Chase, or why pinch-to-zoom is a must-have feature, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I’ve “known” a lot of you long enough that I have a pretty good idea of what games you like and don’t like. However, I’m not so sure about your favorite game designers and developers. So let’s play a game! If you could have dinner with one famous game designer, who would it be and why? What questions would you ask him or her?

As for me, it would be Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto. I’ve had one-on-one interviews with him in the past, but that was in the late ’90s. My recent encounters with the legend have been in group settings. I want more! I’d love to hang out with Miyamoto over a slow dinner, followed by dessert and coffee. I’d love to pick his brain, to see how he gets his amazing ideas. I’d even enjoy observing his use of ordinary objects like a fork or a coffee cup. His perspective is just so different. Remember, this is the guy that came up with Nintendogs and Pikmin after getting a pet and taking up gardening, respectively. Maybe he could come up with a marvelously entertaining game base on my morning ritual of grinding beans and making coffee in a French press.

So yeah! Who is your developer dream date? In addition to who it would be and what questions you’d ask, let everyone know what the setting would be. Also, I reserve the right to punch anyone that selects Cliffy B (I’m kidding. He’s awesome!).