The Confusion And Exhilaration Of Playing ‘Space Invaders Extreme’

Space Invaders ExtremeIf you loved the subtle, psychedelic twists made to classic “Pac Man” in the Xbox Live Arcade version, you’re quickly going to fall in love with “Space Invaders Extreme,” too.

Square Enix was showing off the Nintendo DS version of “Space Invaders Extreme” (there’s also a PSP version coming, too) at Nintendo’s Spring Media Summit, and I quickly became obsessed with the frantic new take on the classic shooter.

After my hands-on session, I was tempted to jump on Play Asia and purchase the expensive import version, but a Square Enix representative calmed me down.

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The Case For ‘Star Wars: The Force Unleashed’ On Wii

Star Wars: The Force UnleashedWhen deciding which version of “Star Wars: The Force Unleashed” to pick up, ask yourself a question: do I want extreme visual fidelity or a personal engagement by executing Force powers with gestural motion controls?

There’s nothing quite like pushing the Wii nunchuck forward in the air to execute a Force Push and watching Luke Skywalker fly across the screen. That’s exactly the kind of experience Krome Studios and LucasArts are bringing to the Wii version of “The Force Unleashed.”

No, it doesn’t have the same level of “wow” visuals, but “The Force Unleashed” quickly becomes immersive in a way that’s worth paying attention to.

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Five Surprises At Nintendo’s Media Summit: Nintendo-Less WiiWare, Pot Shot At EA And More

Lost WindsYou might have noticed a drop in my posting habits at MTV Multiplayer last week. I spent almost every day immersed in games at different events and conferences, including Nintendo’s Media Summit, where the media went hands-on with their spring lineup.

The Nintendo Media Summit was also an interesting showcase for third-parties and independent studios teaming with Nintendo on Wii and the upcoming WiiWare. There wasn’t much new at the event, but that didn’t make it any less interesting.

From my two days spent with Nintendo, here were my five key takeaways:

1. “Rock Band” on Wii proved extremely popular. Even though almost everyone there had played it before. It was always packed — even singers.

2. No first-party WiiWare titles on display. Nintendo chose to highlight games outside their inner circle, made no mention of their upcoming works.

3. “Lost Winds” was the media’s WiiWare favorite. There was no way to avoid a 20 minute plus wait for the “Kirby: Cursed Canvas”-like platformer.

4. The guys behind ‘World of Goo” aren’t fans of Electronic Arts. They managed to sneak in a clever dig at their former employers in a presentation, cleverly capitalizing “E” and “A” in a slide, when speaking about their worst memories of working in the industry so far. I don’t think Nintendo knew.

5. “Boom Blox” is way better than you think. It doesn’t come across well in screens, impressions or even in-person demos. You need to play it yourself.

Bonus: Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime was nowhere to be seen.

Nintendo At A Spring 2008 Crossroads — Where Is The Company Heading?

'Mario Super Sluggers'I wrote a column at MTVNews.com today about the state of Nintendo.

Meanwhile, here at Multiplayer, Patrick Klepek has begun publishing his impressions of the the games he played at last week’s Nintendo summit in San Francisco — Sonic DS, Major League Eating, with more to come…

The big question, as I touched upon in my column, is: What kind of company will Nintendo be and what kind of games will Nintendo make one year from today?

The company appears to continue to be in a metamorphosis.

Some factors to consider:

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Hands-On With BioWare’s Suprisingly Dark ‘Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood’

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark BrotherhoodI still don’t know what to think about BioWare’s attempt to re-legitimize Sega’s blue creature. Sonic has struggled for relevancy in a post-“Sonic Adventure” world, and while I’m more than confident in BioWare’s ability to make an RPG, the game is so…dark.

It didn’t work for “Shadow the Hedgehog,” of which I played a good amount. At Nintendo’s Media Summit late last week, however, I spent a little more than 15 minutes checking out — and playing — early bits from “Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood.”

While the characters are rendered in 3D, the environments are made up of sprawling, beautiful bits of hand-drawn artwork. I’m told the BioWare offices are filled with gigantic versions of these Sonic worlds. I recommend they release some as desktop wallpapers.

With any luck, they will, but let me tell about how the game actually plays.

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Becoming A Professional Eating Machine With WiiWare’s ‘Major League Eating’

Major League EatingThere were only a handful of WiiWare titles on display at Nintendo’s Media Summit last week, but Stephen and I agreed on the first one I should play: “Major League Eating.”

Mastiff hasn’t been much of a known force in games, but they’re on the ground floor of Nintendo’s surprisingly indie-focused downloadable games service for Wii.

Anyone who’s met me could immediately conclude that I’m not a heavy eater. The last kind of competition I’d ever enter would be one centered on my stomach. Yet, somehow, I was paired up to battle 1UP’s Anthony Gallegos, a guy who claims he could eat three super burritos from my favorite Mexican restaurant, Cancun Tacqueira.

That didn’t stop me from virtually out-eating him, though!

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