April 17, 2009 by no-reality_allowed
After a year the original rhythm game Patapon has earned its sequel. The first game was a huge success and garnered critical acclaim. Is Patapon 2 the sequel we’ve all been waiting for or has this series lost its footing in the rhythm?
The gameplay in Patapon 2 hasn’t changed at all from the first. You use the face buttons to issue your drum commands, the left/right arrows move the screen, the select button shows your list of commands, and the start button allows you to quit the mission. I should note my tiny gripe that the start button still doesn’t allow you to pause the game. I understand this is a rhythm game but having to put the PSP in sleep mode every time I needed to pause was just annoying.
Patapon 2 has an RPG element which involves levelling your units (more on that later) and collecting equipment to make your army stronger. The stronger weapons and pieces of armor also include various status effects like sleep, freeze, and burn. My major annoyance about this game that wasn’t change from the original game is that you still get all your weapons from missions. In missions the weapons you get are all completely random and if you happen to kill an enemy and they drop a rare weapon but have a horde of enemies you have to fight that weapon might disappear if you take too long. This gets increasingly frustrating if your bow units happen to kill enemies behind towers and you have a tower or two to get through, and not to mention the Karmens you have to fight.
The first Patapon had around 35 missions, while Patapon trumps this by having 80 missions. Missions usually take 5 minutes but can stretch up to 20. There are three types of missions: Hunting missions involve hunting various creatures for materials, boss battles which pit you against one of the game’s giant behemoths, fortress missions which involve you commanding your army through the defenses of a Karmen fortress, and missions that are similar to fortress missions but without the fortress. Fortress, boss battles, and hunting missions can be played repeatedly. Fortress and boss battles increase in level and difficulty every time you complete it.
One of the big additions to the single player campaign is the Hero unit. These are stronger than your regular Patapons and wear masks. These masks have different abilities that boost your Hero’s stats and can be acquired in multiplayer mission (more on that later). Hero Patapon can take the form of any class and rank of Patapons, and each class has a special ability which can be activated by performing a set of Just Timings. Just Timing is beating the drum (button) perfectly on beat and the amount needed to trigger your Hero’s special ability depends on the difficulty.
When you complete a certain amount of perfect beats your Patapon will get into Fever mode where the music gets faster, your Patapon get stronger/faster, and their specific skills get much stronger. For example the Tatepon’s shield gets much bigger when the defense beat is used, Yumipons get faster and fire 3 arrows at a time, and Yaripons throw their spears farther.
One of the biggest gripes with the first game was the fact that if you upgraded your Patapon to a faster class for example, and wanted to change it for a stronger class you’d have to throw out the first Patapon to make room and losing all the materials and Ka-ching you spent on it. In Patapon 2 they have added an evolution map that has a vast majority of classes to upgrade to. The best part about this is if you create an ice resistant Patapon for a mission but need a fire resistant for the next mission you can just switch their caps in the equipment screen. You can also level up each separate class up to 10. Within the map are 6 memories to unlock advanced Patapon units. Once you unlock a class near a memory you’ll get the memory and be able to create new Patapons of that memory. The brute Dekapons, horse riding Kibapons, and musical Megapons return once again accompanied by the fist-fighting Robopons, magician Mahopons, and the flying Toripons.
Mini-games return to Patapon 2 and include some old favorites with new ones. The mini-games from the first game return with a twist. When you start up the game it’ll ask you which level you would like to start at. As you play the mini-game and if you get a perfect score you will unlock the higher levels. The newer mini-games have a twist on the gameplay by having notes move across the screen which you must hit at the right moment.
There isn’t much to say about the story. It takes place immediately after the first game and after landing on a mysterious new island you encounter the new enemy tribe called the Karmen. After that it’s your job to guide the Patapon tribe to through this new land. There’s also another tribe you encounter led by a Dark Hoshipon, but I’m going to keep as little spoilers as possible.
Rolito does it once again with the designs in Patapon 2. Each sprite is colorful and their animations are full of personality, style, and wit. The bosses are huge, menacing, and their animations all feel different giving each one its own personality. Rolito’s designs truly stand out and are a huge part of what makes the game so adorable.
The music in Patapon 2 is just as amazing as the first game. I found myself tapping my foot to the beats and humming the songs when I wasn’t playing. As you beat your drums and your Patapon army begins singing it’s hard not to smile. You’ll mainly hear the sound of your drums and Patapons singing during gameplay but the background music is a treat to the ears and I really hope they release a soundtrack.
Probably the biggest addition to Patapon 2 is multiplayer. Once you unlock your Hero character you are able to join 3 friends via Ad-Hoc in a co-op mode where instead of commanding your squad you control your hero. The mission is to transport a magical egg to the end of a level, and then hatching it by completing a minigame.You acquire eggs from bosses and some missions. You can then play these with your hero character and unlock upgrades for your hero. After each mission is a rhythm mini-game that involves hitting the correct beat for Ka-ching. The better your score the better the reward will be when the egg hatches. The big rewards are masks for your hero. There are 4 per egg to acquire. If you don’t happen to have 3 friends you can play all these missions by yourself with the aid of 3 AI heroes. You can also acquire new heroes to help you by playing the missions. Acquiring newer masks for your hero will aid you in the story mode by allowing you to use them.
Source article: Patapon 2 Review
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Does Assassin’s Creed Portable = Assassins Creed 2?
I'm just glad that this game will also be released in PSP. Yipeee!! As I don't have a Playstation 3.
Assassin’s Creed Portable is billed as an “exclusive PSP entry into the Assassin’s Creed series” - but will it be essentially the Assassin’s Creed 2 game also due for release for the “holiday” period? Well, if you visit the site then wherever you are in the world you will get treated to the teaser trailer for Assassins Creed 2- but no info to let us know more about Assassin’s Creed Portable. If you visit the home site for the game developers, you can see that the only platforms listed for it are PS3, Xbox360 and PCs.
But the story does not end there, because according to a just-done interview with Sébastien Puel - the producer of Assassin’s Creed 2 - the game will be available on PS3, X360, PC and also on PSP!!
Artwork gives a feel for the setting in Medieval/Renaissance Italy in the 15th century:
And the main character Ezio, has a very sinister medieval look.
In his interview, Sébastien Puel says:
Since a good part of the action takes place in Venice, Ezio is able to dive and swim. . ….Ezio will also have the possibility to blend into any kind of group of citizens in the crowd, making the navigation all the more fun and believable….. The new “climb leap” move gives the player the opportunity to launch himself a couple of meters high in the air while climbing a vertical building to reach a higher ledge that would be inaccessible without this move…..For Assassin’s Creed 2, there will be various new types of gameplay to break and vary the flow of the game and add intense “WOW” moments, one of them involving a certain flying machine that Leonardo Da Vinci conceptualized and developed …….complete interview
You can also view the trailer in the following link: Does Assassin’s Creed Portable = Assassins Creed 2
Assassin’s Creed Portable is billed as an “exclusive PSP entry into the Assassin’s Creed series” - but will it be essentially the Assassin’s Creed 2 game also due for release for the “holiday” period? Well, if you visit the site then wherever you are in the world you will get treated to the teaser trailer for Assassins Creed 2- but no info to let us know more about Assassin’s Creed Portable. If you visit the home site for the game developers, you can see that the only platforms listed for it are PS3, Xbox360 and PCs.
But the story does not end there, because according to a just-done interview with Sébastien Puel - the producer of Assassin’s Creed 2 - the game will be available on PS3, X360, PC and also on PSP!!
Artwork gives a feel for the setting in Medieval/Renaissance Italy in the 15th century:
And the main character Ezio, has a very sinister medieval look.
In his interview, Sébastien Puel says:
Since a good part of the action takes place in Venice, Ezio is able to dive and swim. . ….Ezio will also have the possibility to blend into any kind of group of citizens in the crowd, making the navigation all the more fun and believable….. The new “climb leap” move gives the player the opportunity to launch himself a couple of meters high in the air while climbing a vertical building to reach a higher ledge that would be inaccessible without this move…..For Assassin’s Creed 2, there will be various new types of gameplay to break and vary the flow of the game and add intense “WOW” moments, one of them involving a certain flying machine that Leonardo Da Vinci conceptualized and developed …….complete interview
You can also view the trailer in the following link: Does Assassin’s Creed Portable = Assassins Creed 2
Monday, April 27, 2009
Tenchu: Shadow Assassins
April 17th, 2009
Tenchu: Shadow Assassins
The original “Tenchu,” way back in 1998, was an influential step towards what the stealth genre has become today. While it may not have been as innovative as other titles, like “Metal Gear Solid,” it created an engrossing stealth experience on par with that of franchises with much larger budgets. Sadly, after the original, the franchise fell into the hands of different developers, and over time have strayed further away from what the core “Tenchu” experience was all about. “Tenchu: Shadow Assassins” does away with that trend and finally falls back into the hands of original developers Acquire, and the result is a thrilling journey through the “Tenchu” universe that brings back memories of the series roots.
“Shadow Assassins” has players taking the role of Rikimuru and Ayane, both of which have graced the “Tenchu” universe before. The game takes takes place in feudal Japan and has the two protagonists working for Lord Gohda, and taking upon them whatever tasks he needs of them. When Lord Gohda’s daughter is kidnapped, hell breaks loose within the Gohda dynasty, and he sends the two out to find his daughter and get to the bottom of the kidnapping.
Tenchu: Shadow Assassins
The game, surprisingly, controls very similar to that of “Resident Evil.” Your character has many cool moves at his/her disposal, but does control like a tank. On the PSP this can become a problem, as the consoles nub can sometimes hinder your character’s already rigid movements, but it’s not something that will detract from the overall experience. Stealth is the name of the game here, and you will spend the majority of your time lurking in the shadows, darting from shrub to shrub, and slowly progressing through the water, all while looking for an advantageous position to quickly end your opponents life. Once you sneak up behind an enemy you’re given the option to dispose of them in four different ways, depending on which direction on the analog nub you press. The executions are sleek and satisfying, but it is somewhat disappointing that you aren’t given more options for extermination. There are environmental kills to mix things up a little, such as dragging enemies under water, or jamming them into a barrel, but for the majority of the time, you will be limited to four methods of disposal. Most levels have you offing a General or warlord that differs from a normal lackey at the end of your mission. The game truly stands out here as it usually offers interesting, unorthodox ways of taking out bosses using methods that you aren’t always able to do. For instance, one mission has you sneaking past a room of guards, going up in the rafters, and disposing of a warlord in the middle of the room. The warlord’s armor allows him protection from normal attacks from behind, which forces you to jump off of a ceiling beam and deliver justice from above. Another mission has you sneaking into a kitchen of sorts to poison the drink of an opposing Emperor. “Tenchu’s” constant assault of sneaking and killing can get repetitive, but if you have a keen eye, you will find more interesting ways to dispose of your enemies, other then the four main attacks.
The music in “Tenchu” is fantastic, and it’s so good that some fans may even want to look for the soundtrack outside of hearing the music strictly in game. While it may be argued that the English being spoken within the heart of Japan takes away from the story, the voice acting is still great, and really goes a long way to compliment a story that’s engaging and, at times, surprising. The graphics deliver as well, and look fantastic for a PSP game.
Tenchu: Shadow Assassins
“Tenchu: Shadow Assasins” is a great step in the right direction for a series that has lacked the right direction for so long. You will, ultimately, get out of the game what you put into it. The game’s ten missions can be completed within 10 - 12 hours on your first playthrough. If you know the direct routes, and enemy walking patterns, you could finish much quicker, but there is a sufficient amount of content available. There are also 50 quick challenge missions for added replayability. Overall, it just great to see the “Tenchu” franchise finally go back to what worked for it so long ago. In an age where originality is consistently craved, going back to one’s roots is quite a risk. For the “Tenchu” franchise, “Shadow Assassins”’s a risk that has payed off.
“Tenchu: Shadow Assassins” was released for the PSP on March 24th, 2009. A Wii version was also released on February 5th, 2009, but this review is based on the PSP version.
Source article: Tenchu: Shadow Assassins
Tenchu: Shadow Assassins
The original “Tenchu,” way back in 1998, was an influential step towards what the stealth genre has become today. While it may not have been as innovative as other titles, like “Metal Gear Solid,” it created an engrossing stealth experience on par with that of franchises with much larger budgets. Sadly, after the original, the franchise fell into the hands of different developers, and over time have strayed further away from what the core “Tenchu” experience was all about. “Tenchu: Shadow Assassins” does away with that trend and finally falls back into the hands of original developers Acquire, and the result is a thrilling journey through the “Tenchu” universe that brings back memories of the series roots.
“Shadow Assassins” has players taking the role of Rikimuru and Ayane, both of which have graced the “Tenchu” universe before. The game takes takes place in feudal Japan and has the two protagonists working for Lord Gohda, and taking upon them whatever tasks he needs of them. When Lord Gohda’s daughter is kidnapped, hell breaks loose within the Gohda dynasty, and he sends the two out to find his daughter and get to the bottom of the kidnapping.
Tenchu: Shadow Assassins
The game, surprisingly, controls very similar to that of “Resident Evil.” Your character has many cool moves at his/her disposal, but does control like a tank. On the PSP this can become a problem, as the consoles nub can sometimes hinder your character’s already rigid movements, but it’s not something that will detract from the overall experience. Stealth is the name of the game here, and you will spend the majority of your time lurking in the shadows, darting from shrub to shrub, and slowly progressing through the water, all while looking for an advantageous position to quickly end your opponents life. Once you sneak up behind an enemy you’re given the option to dispose of them in four different ways, depending on which direction on the analog nub you press. The executions are sleek and satisfying, but it is somewhat disappointing that you aren’t given more options for extermination. There are environmental kills to mix things up a little, such as dragging enemies under water, or jamming them into a barrel, but for the majority of the time, you will be limited to four methods of disposal. Most levels have you offing a General or warlord that differs from a normal lackey at the end of your mission. The game truly stands out here as it usually offers interesting, unorthodox ways of taking out bosses using methods that you aren’t always able to do. For instance, one mission has you sneaking past a room of guards, going up in the rafters, and disposing of a warlord in the middle of the room. The warlord’s armor allows him protection from normal attacks from behind, which forces you to jump off of a ceiling beam and deliver justice from above. Another mission has you sneaking into a kitchen of sorts to poison the drink of an opposing Emperor. “Tenchu’s” constant assault of sneaking and killing can get repetitive, but if you have a keen eye, you will find more interesting ways to dispose of your enemies, other then the four main attacks.
The music in “Tenchu” is fantastic, and it’s so good that some fans may even want to look for the soundtrack outside of hearing the music strictly in game. While it may be argued that the English being spoken within the heart of Japan takes away from the story, the voice acting is still great, and really goes a long way to compliment a story that’s engaging and, at times, surprising. The graphics deliver as well, and look fantastic for a PSP game.
Tenchu: Shadow Assassins
“Tenchu: Shadow Assasins” is a great step in the right direction for a series that has lacked the right direction for so long. You will, ultimately, get out of the game what you put into it. The game’s ten missions can be completed within 10 - 12 hours on your first playthrough. If you know the direct routes, and enemy walking patterns, you could finish much quicker, but there is a sufficient amount of content available. There are also 50 quick challenge missions for added replayability. Overall, it just great to see the “Tenchu” franchise finally go back to what worked for it so long ago. In an age where originality is consistently craved, going back to one’s roots is quite a risk. For the “Tenchu” franchise, “Shadow Assassins”’s a risk that has payed off.
“Tenchu: Shadow Assassins” was released for the PSP on March 24th, 2009. A Wii version was also released on February 5th, 2009, but this review is based on the PSP version.
Source article: Tenchu: Shadow Assassins
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