Tag: Videogames

Shigeru Miyamoto Says That Cats Are Like Girls

During a roundtable discussions at E3 2010, Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto revealed that cats were originally part of Nintendogs, but they didn’t behave quite right. For example, when dogs are happy they wag their tail. Cats…not so much.

As with several Miyamoto games, a lot of the ideas behind Nintendogs + Cats were derived from his personal experience. As many of you know, a lot of his ideas from Zelda came from playing in caves, likewise for Pikmin and gardening, and finally Nintendogs and his family dog. Miyamoto picked up a kitten and was fascinated by the way it interacted with his dog.

Miyamoto jokingly stated that cats are similar to women:

Cats are interesting. They’re kind of like girls. If they come and talk to you, it’s great. If you go and talk to them, sometimes it doesn’t turn out so well.

Too true Mr. Miyamoto. Too true.

Fat Princess DLC Adds Three New Character Classes

Sony Computer Entertainment America has announced that the “Fat Roles” DLC for Fat Princess will be available for download on Tuesday June 29. “Fat Roles” will cost $4.99 in America. The DLC adds three new classes: pirates, ninjas, and giants. Here are more details from the PlayStation Blog:

Pirates can call in cannon ball attacks, Ninjas can hide in the shadows to sneak through doors, and the all-mighty Giants can cause rumbling earthquakes and gain health by chomping on their enemies.

Pirates are cool. Giants are cool. Ninjas frickin’ rule!!! I’m looking forward to checking out this batch of Fat Princess DLC next week. Anyone else down?

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Coffee Talk #165: What Game Have You Played the Most?

Today’s Coffee Talk is super simple. I want to know what game you’ve played the most. Easy, hey?

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, all four major American mobile carriers having hot phones in July, the Chicago Bulls getting a ton of salary cap space, or holding your phone properly, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Today’s Coffee Talk is super simple. I want to know what game you’ve played the most. Easy, hey?

As for me, it’s definitely Pokemon Pearl. I spent a year writing a Pokemon column for GamesRadar. I also happen to love the series. Put those two things together and you get 600+ hours of Pokemon Pearl. It seems rather insane after typing that number out.

Now it’s your turn! What game have you played the most? Kindly give a guestimate of the hours you’ve put into it. This will be a fun getting-to-know-you exercise. I can’t wait to see your comments!

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

E3 2010 is finally out of my head (i.e. I’m no longer having flashbacks), so it’s time to get gaming again! I recently picked up Turtles in Time: Re-shelled and want to get my t-u-r-t-l-e power on. My ankle is gimped, so I’m going to use that as an excuse to stay in bed and play Glory of Heracles.

How about you? What’s on you weekend playlist?

Last Batch of Shacknews E3 2010 Stories

Finally…Raymond has returned to RPad.tv!!! It’s fun talking like The Rock. It’s also fun writing for Shacknews. Here’s the last batch of stories from E3 2010. Check ’em out and shoot off any questions you have about the games/people. (And yes, this post means that my full attention is back on this site.)

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West: This is a pretty cool action-adventure game with unique tandem gameplay mechanics and a really cool setting. Plus it has Gollum from Lord of the Rings.

Shigeru Miyamoto and Eiji Aonuma Talk Zelda: Skyward Sword: Aonuma spills some details on the story while Miyamoto briefly talks about the art direction. You know…it’s frickin’ awesome that I got to hang out in the same room as Aonuma and Miyamoto.

David Cox Talks Castlevania: Lords of Shadow: As a huge Iga fan, I’m approaching this game cautiously, but the crew seems to be doing a great job. Cox talks about working with Kojima, being compared to other God of War, and the game’s WTF moment.

Virgin Gaming: Virgin’s supplementary service lets you bet on your online matches and win some cool prizes. The company claims that Virgin’s other branches will throw in prizes too. Virgin Galactic anyone?

The Sims 3: The console version of The Sims 3 is shaping up to be the best console Sims yet.

Coffee Talk #164: Five Things That (Sadly) Weren’t at E3 2010

As brilliant as E3 2010 was, there were a few things I was hoping to see that didn’t make it. In some cases, perhaps they were just rumors. In other cases, the publisher wanted to save the game for another trade show. Whether the product is too early or the development team is in disarray, I was still bummed not to see the following.

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, American football (soccer) totally rocking, 10+ hours matches at Wimbledon, or whether sleeping with a Kardashian results in a championship, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

As brilliant as E3 2010 was, there were a few things I was hoping to see that didn’t make it. In some cases they were just rumors. In other cases the publisher wanted to save the game for another trade show. Whether the product is too early or the development team is in disarray, I was still bummed not to see the following.

  1. Windows Phone 7 and Xbox Live: Microsoft has a ton of work to do if it wants to successfully compete with Apple iOS, Google Android, and Palm WebOS. Connectivity with Xbox Live  is one way Windows Phone 7 can stand out.
  2. The Last Guardian: This was on my most wanted list going into the show. I was severely bummed it wasn’t there.
  3. Beyond Good & Evil 2: So many writers were sure this game was going to be at the show. It wasn’t. Never trust game writers (verbal entertainers are another story).
  4. PSP2: I was pretty sure this wasn’t going to happen at this year’s show. Going head-to-head with Nintendo’s 3DS outing would have been silly. Still, I really wanted to see what changes Sony planned to make with its second at-bat in portable gaming.
  5. Final Fantasy Tactics (iPhone): Shortly before the show started, I heard that my favorite game of all time was headed for the iPhone. While Square Enix showed a teaser video of the iPhone version of FFT, I really wanted to get my hands on it. Oh well, it’s only a few months away.

Now it’s your turn! Was there anything you were expecting to “see” at E3 2010 that no-showed? Leave a comment and let me know (please)!

More Shacknews Previews From E3 2010

Here’s another batch of E3 2010 previews I wrote for the fine people at Shacknews. Check ’em out and let me know if you have any questions about the games. Remember, if you post comments over there, please be nice to the Shackers. They’re good peeps.

Time Crisis: Razing Storm: Good, mindless fun with the PlayStation Move.

Mario Sports Mix: I’m not yet convinced that this suite has the depth of my beloved Mario Golf and Mario Tennis, but it seems like a good party game in its current incarnation.

Supremacy MMA: This game is way early, but I like that it’s trying to be distinctly different from UFC Undisputed and EA Sports MMA.

Donkey Kong Country Returns: This should be another great game in Nintendo’s ridiculous holiday 2010 lineup.

Sonic Colors: After years of mediocrity, it looks like a great Sonic game is finally on the way.

Coffee Talk #163: Games You Want Patched for PlayStation Move

I’m totally psyched to play Heavy Rain with PlayStation Move support. When Sony announced that it will be patched for Move, I was excited. When I tried a Move-enabled demo at Sony’s E3 2010 booth, I was sold. The game completely lends itself to motion controls. Doing a quarter-circle movement with Move feels more natural than doing the same with an analog stick. Most importantly, I’d get to experience a brilliant game in a totally new way.

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, Chris Jericho as a game show host, U.S.A. vs. Algeria, or your picks for Wimbledon, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I’m totally psyched to play Heavy Rain with PlayStation Move support. When Sony announced that the game will be patched for Move, I was excited. When I tried a Move-enabled demo at Sony’s E3 2010 booth, I was sold. The game completely lends itself to motion controls. Doing a quarter-circle movement with Move feels more natural than doing the same with an analog stick. Most importantly, I’d get to experience a brilliant game in a totally new way.

Are there any old games that you’d like to see patched for PlayStation Move? Let your picks fly in the comments section (please)!

Coffee Talk #162: 10 Things I Missed at E3 2010

It’s impossible for one person to see all the cool games at E3, but this year’s show was exceptionally difficult. Most of my friends at the show agreed that E3 2010 was much more interesting than E3 2009. It’s great for the gaming business, but bad for a single attendee. Here’s a list of things that I wish I saw at this year’s show.

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 “mystery” RAW general manager, the French being French in the World Cup, or Antonio Tarver fighting at heavyweight Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

It’s impossible for one person to see all the cool games at E3, but this year’s show was exceptionally difficult. Most of my friends at the show agreed that E3 2010 was much more interesting than E3 2009. It’s great for the gaming business, but bad for a single attendee. Here’s a list of things that I wish I saw at this year’s show.

  1. Journey: Everyone that saw thatgamecompany’s (Flower) next title raved about it and said it was easily one of the best things they saw at the show. Unfortunately it was only being shown behind closed doors at Sony’s booth and I didn’t have time to pester my way into a demo. I loved Flower and I love what I’m hearing about Journey…though the game’s name makes me think about “Separate Ways”, “Don’t Stop Believin'”, etc.
  2. Portal 2: It hurts that I didn’t get a chance to see this game.
  3. Deus Ex: Human Revolution: This one also hurts. Ouchie.
  4. Rage: The graphics in id Software’s upcoming shooter are supposed to be amazing. I wish I got to see them.
  5. Mortal Kombat: A lot of people were interested in the new MK after seeing the trailer. People that got to see it at E3 were even more excited. It looks like an excellent throwback.
  6. WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011: The lines for this game were ridiculously long — I’m talking Nintendo 3DS long. Rumor has it that the guy that wrote two of the best storylines in SvR 2010 has returned for two more plots in this year’s game.
  7. Dr. Mike Capps: I had a nice chat with Epic’s Mark Rein. I spent some quality time with Cliff Bleszinski. I didn’t see Epic’s Mike “Busta” Capps. My Epic dealings felt incomplete without Mikey C.
  8. Rock Band 3: I’m hearing wonderful things about the “pro” instruments. Whether it’s Devo or Europe, I want to get my keytar on!
  9. Dr. Ray Muzyka: Unlike Epic’s Dr. “Busta” Mikey C, BioWare’s Dr. Ray is a real doctor, not some computer doctor. It was brilliant spending time with Dr. Greg, but it would have been nice to see Ray too. They’re both excellent people. Besides, Ray has the cooler name.
  10. Don Daglow: The man is one of gaming’s living legends. Plus, he’s just warm and makes you feel good. I wish we got to bump into each other.

Part of me wishes E3 took place in Las Vegas. The convention center is superior and it’s a much better city for a trade show. If I didn’t spend so much time walking between West Hall and South Hall, I could have seen some of the games on my “miss” list. Las Vegas is also more compact than Los Angeles, so it would have been easier to bump into some of the people I missed. Oh well, there’s always next year!

Coffee Talk #161: 10 Cool Things I Saw at E3 2010

Now that my eyes and ears have settled down after being bombarded by the glorious conference known as E3 2010, I wanted to go over a few of my favorite things. Rain drops and roses and whiskers on kittens…wait, that’s not what I meant. I wanted to go over a few of my favorite things I saw at the show. In no particular order, here are 10 cool things I saw at E3 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, your new WWE champions, America getting jobbed by a corrupt referee, or Toy Story 3 Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Now that my eyes and ears have settled down after being bombarded by the glorious conference known as E3 2010, I wanted to go over a few of my favorite things. Rain drops and roses and whiskers on kittens…wait, that’s not what I meant. I wanted to go over a few of my favorite things I saw at the show. In no particular order, here are 10 cool things I saw at E3 2010.

  1. Nintendo 3DS: Forget PlayStation Move, Xbox Kinect, and Sony’s 3D stereoscopic gaming. This is the technology everyone at the show was buzzing about. Although I want to see how well it works for hours of entertainment, it’s brilliant for minutes at a time.
  2. Kirby’s Epic Yarn: Charming and stylish art coupled with clever make Kirby’s Wii debut a triumphant one.
  3. Disney Epic Mickey: Charming and stylish art coupled with clever make Mickey’s Wii debut a triumphant one.
  4. Star Wars: The Old Republic: I bumped into BioWare’s Dr. Greg Zeschuk and he gave me a personal demo of the game. Never mind that I missed a meeting because of this. Similar to if someone asks if you’re a god, if Dr. Greg asks, “Do you want to see the game?” you say yes! He’s awesome. The game is also awesome…and could be the end of me.
  5. Return of the “Big” E3: After a few years of mini-E3 in Santa Monica, people weren’t sure if E3 would return to its former glory. All the money spent on making this year’s show a spectacle shows that it’s back. You’d never know that the economy is in a major recession and the gaming industry is way down in terms of year-over-year revenue. E3 2010 was loud and proud! The only thing missing was Sony’s ridiculous parties.
  6. Child of Eden: This was — by far — the most interesting motion-control game I saw at the show. Of course it would take someone like Tetsuya Mizuguchi to make motion this cool.
  7. Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom: I was disappointed that The Last Guardian wasn’t at the show, but I found a substitute that’s more than worthy. This game reminded me of Ico with more involved combat. I’m really looking forward to this one.
  8. Crazy Activision Concert: A chick in a bikini climbed up a 50-foot stripper-pole…and a ridiculous amount of artists performed.
  9. Dance Central: Harmonix’ upcoming dance title was surprisingly fun. I gave it bonus points for having Bell, Biv, DeVoe’s “Poison”, but I was impressed by how well it used Kinect in a fun way. Sorry Dance Dance Revolution. This game makes you look silly.
  10. Razer Onza Controller: I was super excited about this product when I first heard about it in January and even more excited after I spoke with Robert “Razerguy” Krakoff about it. After playing with one at E3 2010, it’s the peripheral I want most for Xbox 360. Sure it has a wire, but it also has some unique features and the superb build quality Razer is known for.

Well, there’s my list. Obviously I didn’t get to see everything at the show and tomorrow’s column will consist of me whining about the things I didn’t see. For now, I’d like to know what caught your eye at E3 2010. What games and hardware have you amped?!?