E3 2009: Games We'd Hang Out With

So it's E3 time, and we here at Blast Heroes are having a hard time covering the big event.

You see, while there will be tons of cool games being shown at the big show, how many will we really REAALLY get jazzed for? Jazzed as in hyped, as in "I want to stay up all night playing this game then the next day at school, draw pictures of the game's weapons in the margins of my class notes".

Microsoft had a great conference today with the usual suspects on display.

There were plenty of plastic toys getting rolled-out (Tony Hawk: Ride, The Beatles: Rock Band) and enough gruff soldiers shooting baddies in the face to induce a trillion intergalactic space-boners.

Microsoft finally showed off their long-rumored motion-control interface, Project Natal, and it was surprisingly not horrible looking. On the contrary it actually looks really fun.

All in all, it was a great show, but I must say I was very disappointed that their wasn't a XBOX Live Arcade segment in Microsoft's presser. No, they save that for the luncheon afterwards.

Joystiq has the scoop on 2009's Summer of Arcade lineup, and although it doesn't looks as impressive as last years legendary roster of summer XBLA games, there is still plenty to get excited about.

Sony and Nintendo showcase their wares next. Stay tuned for more E3 commentary, live from our home computers in Middle America!

Isn't the internet grand?

Continue Reading...

Higgin's Is Back And He Brought His Shooting Watch

Master Higgins triumphant return in this weeks WiiWare release, Adventure Island: The Beginning sweetens the pot with the inclusion of fun looking mini-games. Twitch-meister Higgins disciples will be pleased to know that a competitive Shooting Watching mode is included in this new release.

For those who are interesting in Xtreme tapping, but aren't interested in importing an official Shooting Watch, snatching up an e-copy of Adventure Island: The Beginning for $10 sounds like a perfect deal.

Now if only you could shoot out against people online...Hello Hudson!? How about a dedicated Shooting Watch game for XBLA? Sell it for $5 and have ranked and player matches, plus extra games modes like melon-smashing.

Get to work Higgins!

Continue Reading...

GIRL Has Made It To Mars!

After 92 days of stretching, the Noby Noby Boy community has finally reached Mars!



This comes as a surprise seeing as Noby's creator Keita Takahashi recently stated that at the rate that players were contributing length, GIRL wouldn't reach Mars for another three years or so.

Thankfully Takahashi introduced Lucky Week. Lucky Week is a new feature in Noby Noby designed to entice PS3 owners into playing more. Here's how it works: Every month or so, an announcement will be made that there will be a Lucky Week. Namco will draw a random number and any GIRL length that you report during Lucky Week will be multiplied by said number.

The galaxy exploration and sense of journey and accomplishment in Noby Noby Boy make for a truly epic and sublime gaming experience. If you have a PS3 you really owe it to yourself to experience this game. It will be the best $5 you've ever spent.

Continue Reading...

The Neo-2D Action Post!: Starring Shank and Dust

Who doesn't love a meticulously crafted, gorgeously animated sprite?

2D games have kept a low profile on the living room systems for a while now. With the advent of high-definition graphics on former "next-gen" systems, you'd think that 2D dot-artists would be running for the hills screaming. "Holy s***! I cant e-sketch that big on my Wacom tablet! "

It's astounding that over the last few years we have witnessed a 2D revival on the current generation of platforms, many rendered in undoubtedly time consuming high definition.

Here is a pair of upcoming 2D show-stoppers that I'm sure will join the ranks of Castle Crashers, Warioland: Shake It!, Soldner-X, and Braid, just to name a few.

This footage is from an alpha-build of XNA-developed Elysian Tail: Dust, created by Dean Dodrill.



The animation is breathtaking! Hope the furry-esque character designs don't turn people off from this awesome looking hack-n-slasher.

This next video is also pre-alpha footage, but much like Dust, even it it's early stage the art and animation looks superb.

Klei Entertainment, of Eets fame, are developing a Tarantino-inspired 2D action side-scroller titled Shank and it's shaping up nicely to say the least.



Klei have yet to officially announce a platform release yet, but the controller shown at the beginning of the video suggests that this may come out on XBOX LIVE Arcade. Maybe an announcement will be made at E3.

Viva la 2D!

Continue Reading...

As if You Need Another Reason to be Excited: Uncharted 2 Multiplayer

Excuse me while I put on my Young Jeezy voice...

Ha ha!!!

I am usually not too crazy about online multi-player, but I have to admit, this looks like a lot fun. I mean, what could be better than pulling your homie off of a building by his leg while suspended a hundered feet in the air? Just icing on the cake that is looking to be one of the hottest games of the year.

Continue Reading...

It's All About the Fear: Punch Out!! Wii Review

Of all the terrifying characters I have met in the gaming world: Pyramid Head, the Cyberdaemon, Big Daddies or these guys, one villain in particular stands out. One who frightens me in a way that no other can...

Soda Popinski.

Besides having the laugh of a homicidal manic: he's big, ugly as hell, freakishly proportioned, and has a questionable addiction to "soda" (yeah, um...more like PCP.) The real secret to Soda Popinski's reign of terror though, is his speed. He is fast. Fast and strong. Like many of the later characters in the original Punch Out, he will take advantage of even the smallest mistake in your game and pummel you to quivering pulp in a matter of seconds. The ability that the Punch Out's baddies have - to instantly turn a fight in their favor - always kept me in a state of total panic. As far as I am concerned, a large part of what made the original Punch Out so amazing was it's power to strike deep and intense fear into even the coldest, most un-shakable gamer. The villains of Punch Out got into your head, and once they were there, they were there for good.

Of course, I absolutely loved both the OG Punch Out and its Super Nintendo sequel, Super Punch Out. Even though they both scared and frustrated the hell out of me, they were fantastic games boasting imaginative characters and absolutely addictive gameplay. Naturally, I was incredibly excited when I first heard that Nintendo would be bringing back their beloved franchise, but when the news hit they would be farming the development to the barely known Next Level Studios, I got a bit nervous. Would they be able to capture the character? The heart? The FEAR? Well, the wait is finally over and I have been able to spend some quality time with the latest installment in Nintendo's classic series.

Does Punch Out!! Wii live up to the hype? See the full review after the break!!!

Right off the bat, it's obvious that that Next Level is aims to hold true to the Punch Out legacy and pump the nostalgia factor as far as it can possibly go. Innovation and new ideas were not high on the developer’s priority list, but that’s not really what I was expecting, or hoping for, to be quite honest. This game makes no qualms about its fan-service: nearly every character in Punch Out!! Wii's roster has appeared previously in the series and they all look, act and fight just the way you hoped they would. Hearing Doc Louis giving Little Mac inspirational pep-talks between matches for the first time is a load of fun, especially since his voice sounds exactly the way you imagined it would back in the day. All the classic tunes are there as well, only this time, with the added punch of live horns and shredding guitars. The controls feel just the way you would expect, left and right dodging, high and low punches, the heart meter, the star punches, it's all there and it all feels great.

It isn't until you reach the final third of the game that the true essence of Punch Out!! Wii comes to life. That’s when things start to feel less like nostalgia and more like reliving a nightmare from your past. I mean that in the best possible way, of course. When the fights start to get really scary, you know that Next Level has done their job. You’ve got your Soda Popinski, just as blood-hungry and bat-shit-insane as ever before, you’ve got Bald Bull with easily one of the most intimidating special moves in gaming history and of course, Super Macho Man, who brings not only the fear of an instant knock-out but also the unease of a potential sexual assault on our Little Mac. When you finally meet Mr. Sandman at the "end" of the game, he is so massive, so quick and so powerful that the hardest part of the fight is getting past the intimidation factor. He will literally syke you out with an occasional "boo" between hammering your head into your shoulders with overhead punches. My friends, the fear you remember is there, maybe more so now than ever.

I imagine working on a game series that people love and treasure as much as Punch Out is a lot like that fight with Mr. Sandman: intimidating and overwhelming. Despite the odds, the little game company that could, Next Level, has really won me over with their heartfelt sequel to the most racially and culturally stereotyping videogame of all time. Much the way that the Little Mac always gets his win, no matter how huge the goon you throw against him.

Continue Reading...

Could This be the New Team ICO Game???

Above is a link to about three and a half minutes of what is allegedly test footage from the new Team ICO project. I say allegedly because nothing official has been released from either Sony or Team ICO as to whether or not this leaked video reel is actually from the much-loved, art-house developer. Perhaps it's a hoax? Perhaps it's a loving homage to Team ICO from a fan? Whatever it is, it looks absolutely incredible....

Let's just move forward assuming it is real, shall we? My impressions of the video after the break.

Taking what seems to be a blend of the two Team ICO projects: Shadow of the Colossus and of course ICO, this new game looks to incorporate innovative platforming, a child-like hero, themes of companionship and giant creatures (or at least one.) Speaking of giant creatures, the hero's massive kitten/rat partner is the stuff that dreams (maybe nightmares) are made of. It's beautifully designed and rendered: I love the beady, glowing eyes, feathery hide and ugly rat tail. The creature seems to carry realistic weight, something that many developers can't seem to get right and Team ICO totally nailed with Shadow of the Colossus. Hanging on to the creature while it is scaling mountains and jumping over chasms is sure to be a thrilling experience.

Though the elements shown in the footage look to be in-keeping with the Team ICO's typical themes of ruins, quiet heroes, caves, creatures and epic vistas, the power of modern graphics processors brings an entirely new level of detail and focus to the vision. That's what has me so excited about this game - the idea of incredibly creative developers taking advantage of incredibly powerful hardware. I am sure we will see things in this new project that we have never seen before and the results will be very important to the gaming world, or at the very least, yours and mine.

Continue Reading...