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Heroes of Ruin promises four-player co-op, impressive online features for 3DS

Though n-Space didn’t reveal much about Heroes of Ruin when it teased the 3DS project yesterday — in fact, the developer removed all mentions of the game from its Facebook page, presumably due to pressure from publisher Square Enix — we do have more info thanks to an article in the latest issue of Nintendo Power.

As the initial artwork suggests, this will be a four-player co-op game in which you take on the role of a mercenary, whose weapons, armor, and class abilities you can customize as you progress. From the initial details, Heroes of Ruin sounds like an action title?

It can be difficult getting four people with 3DSes and copies of the game together in one place, but you won’t have to worry about that because this will have drop-in/drop-out online multiplayer support with voice chat. Heroes of Ruin will also have downloadable content via SpotPass (e.g. daily challenges).

This already sounds off the heezy for sheezy, my reezies (readers). Now I just can’t wait to see some in-game screenshots and videos. And more hints that this will have an urban fantasy tone similar to Shadowrun.

Buy: Nintendo 3DS console (Cosmo Black, Aqua Blue)

Find: Nintendo DS/3DS release dates, discounts, & more

[Via Handheld Gaming Blog]

tags / heroes of ruin / square enix / n-space / nintendo 3ds / 3ds / gaming / nintendo power / ec

/ permalink / / 8 months ago / Comments (View)

Dragon Quest VI’s English release a month too late for an exceptional Enix fan

Around 15 years ago, Enix America closed its doors, leaving many RPG fans to wonder what would become of SNES titles available in Japan but not yet in the U.S., like Dragon Quest VI and Tactics Ogre.

At the time Nintendo Power encouraged readers to send in their thoughts about the shuttering, and the magazine printed several letters, including this one:

“I’m now 76 years old. I may not live long enough to see Dragon Quest VI unless someone takes action soon.” - Edith Jeter, Puyallup, WA

Tactics Ogre eventually saw a North American release on the PS1, but Dragon Quest V and VI remained exclusive to Japan until their DS remakes. A year after Dragon Quest VI’s DS remake shipped in Japan, it’s finally coming to the States on February 14 (coincidentally, a Tactics Ogre PSP remake also releases the day after!).

While that will make for a fine Valentine’s Day gift for RPG enthusiasts, what of Edith? Racketboy forumer Urban Champion-e recently came across the NP article while flipping through an old issue he found at his parent’s house, saw the elderly gamer’s note, and wondered if she would finally get to play the game 15 years later.

/ permalink / / 1 year ago / Comments (View)

November 31st: Latest American Elf strip points out a funny flaw in the Nintendo Power 2010 calendar.

For those of you who actually use a Nintendo Power calendar to plan your schedule, I hope you didn’t have any important appointments marked for that day…

Buy: American Elf comics

[Via American Elf, Infendo, Busy Street]

tags / webcomic / american elf / calendar / nintendo power / future us / ec

/ permalink / / 1 year ago / Comments (View)

Cave Story revealed for DSiWare

The latest issue of Nintendo Power gave up the Cave Story secret that really wasn’t much of a secret: the revered indie PC/WiiWare game is coming to DSiWare!

There’s no details yet on what’s new in this downloadable version or when it will release, but I expect we’ll hear more about Cave Story for DSiWare from Nicalis very soon.

Buy: Nintendo DSi XL (Blue, Burgundy, & Bronze), Standard Nintendo DSi (White, Pink, Black, & Blue)

See also: More Cave Story!

[Via Nintendo Power #260 TOC, Image of Balrog’s face via RavenWorks]

tags / cave story / nicalis / pixel / daisuke amaya / dsiware / nintendo power / ec

/ permalink / / 1 year ago / Comments (View)

Yuji Horii’s Dragon Quest IX treasure map

Thumbing through the latest Nintendo Power issue, I found this curious excerpt in the magazine’s two-page interview with Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii. Here, he talks about leaving Dragon Quest IX in Tag/Canvas mode to connect with unsuspecting players:

“I’m actually a very shy person, so when I use Tag mode, I do it in secret. In Japan, I’ve already tagged over a thousand different players, but I doubt that many of them have any idea who they’ve tagged.

When they see the details, like the map that my character holds, they might eventually figure it out. I get a secret thrill out of my imagining the scene when they do! I guess that’s another one of my little pranks! [laughs]”

I wonder what’s special about the map? Has anyone else heard about this? Maybe it’s a grotto teeming with S-rank treasure chests and Platinum King Jewels? Or perhaps each level is in the shape of a letter, with the total dungeon spelling out “YUJI HORII IS RUUDE”?

Also, 1000+ tags? Damnit, Japan. I have only 20, and I don’t expect to get that Inn expansion anytime soon.

Buy: Dragon Quest IX

[Image via Kontownia]

tags / dragon quest / dragon quest ix / yuji horii / treasure maps / level-5 / sequare enix / nintendo power / ec

/ permalink / / 1 year ago / Comments (View)

Ninja Gaiden 2 comic panels from Nintendo Power’s strategy guide (possibly drawn by Katsuya Terada?). Tecmo was making people say “Unngh” years before Master P stormed basketball courts atop a gold tank.

You can flip through pages from the issue/guide in this video!

Buy: Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword ($11.25)

See also: CES flyer for Ninja Gaiden 2

[Via Southtown Municipal Railway]

tags / ninja gaiden / ninja gaiden ii / tecmo / nes / nintendo power / ec / katsuya terada

/ permalink / / 1 year ago / Comments (View)

Two shots from Retro City Rampage, VBlank’s WiiWare homage to the top-down Grand Theft Auto games.

According to the latest issue of Nintendo Power, which shared these two images and a lot of details about the title, Retro City Rampage pays tribute to more than just GTA in its 40+ missions. It includes nods to all sorts of games and late ’80s/early ’90s pop culture: Metal Gear, Back To The Future, Gargoyle’s Quest, Punch-Out, ThunderCats, John Stamos (have mercy!), TMNT and more!

When we last talked about Retro City Rampage, there was a lot of discussion about whether this 8-bit-style title (and it’s NES homebrew predecessor project) would actually be possible on the NES. While the game isn’t written in Assembly, developer Brian Provinciano of VBlank Entertainment had this to say:

“I’ve taken great pride in its authenticity. The engine is not only designed like the original hardware, it actually restricts non-hardware-like rendering, except in debug mode. A few liberties have been taken for the sake of gameplay, but it still feels 100% authentic. More info in Nintendo Power ;)”

Subscribe: Nintendo Power

[Via Nintendo Power, Aeropause Games]

tags / retro city rampage / grand theft auto / wiiware / nintendo power / vblank / brian provinciano / ec

/ permalink / / 1 year ago / Comments (View)

Scribblenauts 2 revealed on Nintendo Power’s latest cover. According to the magazine’s April issue, the sequel will release this fall with some 10,000 new words, 120 new levels, more merits, a new hint system, improved controls, an enhanced level editor, and a focus on adjectives. Also, Scribblenauts 2 will no longer feature a par system.

This follow-up makes sense, business-wise, as the first game sold more than a million copies and publisher Warner Bros. is in the business of continuing profitable franchises. I wonder if Scribblenauts 2 will receive as much hype this time around, now that the concept isn’t so novel? I suppose we’ll find out soon if this “adjectives” mechanic is enough to inspire the hearts of gamers again, maybe even at next week’s Game Developers Convention.

Buy: Scribblenauts ($27.96)

[Via GoNintendo]

tags / scribblenauts / scribblenauts 2 / 5th cell / warner bros / ec / nintendo power / edison yan

/ permalink / / 1 year ago / Comments (View)

Artwork for Mega Man 10, another 8-bit-style release for WiiWare. The game features a mystery third playable character (Proto Man is playable from the start), a computer-themed stage with mouse pointer enemies, a wackadoodle plot involving a “Robotenza” vaccine, and, uh, a boss named Sheep Man. …

More screenshots to tide you over, as I head out the door:

Read all about it (well, a page about it) in Nintendo Power!

tags / capcom / wiiware / mega man / mega man x / nintendo power / ec

/ permalink / / 2 years ago / Comments (View)

Nintendo Power subscription for $9.97 →

This deal ends in an hour and a half (or sooner if Amazon runs out of stock), so jump on it now if you’re interested!

I accidentally let my subscription lapse this month, just as the magazine published at least three items I wanted to read: a New Super Mario Bros. cover feature, an in-depth article (and Nude Maker interview, I think?) on Infinite Space, and a preview for Shiren the Wanderer Wii. I had to pick up a newsstand issue with the cover all cluttered with text, like a chump. I made this face at the counter — :o/

tags / deals / amazon / nintendo power / magazine

/ permalink / / 2 years ago / Comments (View)

Nintendo Gameplay Counselor Q&A →

Former Nintendo gameplay counselor Erich Blattner recently fielded questions about his six-year tenure at the company, and while he doesn’t give up any scandalous reveals or decades-old secrets, he does share a few interesting stories like this misunderstanding:

My lead pulls me into a conference room to talk to me, he was obviously very uncomfortable and didn’t even want to make eye contact with me. He sat me down and said, “I don’t know what all this is about really. I just want to read you this letter, and you can respond.”

I don’t recall the exact words, but the letter he read me said something to the effect of “I work in the correspondence department. During the holiday rush I overheard a [Gameplay Counselor] say to a customer over the phone ‘I used to smoke pot and nobody bothered me’.”

I looked at my lead Rick and said: “Rick. Destiny of an Emperor”. He got red faced and crinkled up the letter immediately and said, “Well, I’m glad that clears this up. We’ll just forget it ever happened.”

… There was a game out at the time called Destiny of an Emperor that was a tile-based RPG game. There was a gate outside one of the cities where the player had to essentially enter a code to get in, i.e. push up, right, left, down or something to that effect.

In order to practice the code, I was telling somebody to go to a field and use an item called a “smoke pot” and practice the code to see that their army was moving in the right direction. The smoke pot item prevented random battles from being triggered while they did this.

Rick instantly knew what the situation was when I told him the game and the matter was dropped. That asshole in correspondence almost got me fired because they didn’t have any clue what I was talking about. For years at parties people would hear the story and say, “Ah, you’re that guy.”

I also liked this bit about helping a blind gamer:

Once I got a call from a blind guy who was able to play games if the sound was good enough, he could play Zelda because the sword made a sound effect every time it hit something. He essentially used it like a walking cane. … [He] asked questions about what the sound effects in certain games were like. With good audio feedback he was able to play games like Zelda.

tags / gameplay counselor / nintendo power / erich blattner / destiny of an emperor / capcom / ec

/ permalink / / 2 years ago / Comments (View)

Future Boy Conan opening. In case you haven’t read the latest Nintendo Power (or the GSW article I wrote on this), Tower of Shadow’s chief designer Osamu Tsuchihashi’s cited this Hayao Miyazaki anime from the 1970s as the inspiration behind the shadow-based platformer’s look.

I can kind of see it in this intro at least — the blighted buildings, the boy running toward adventure, and, of course, the silhouetted scene in the last five seconds. It would be a dream if the soundtrack was anything like the song in this extended Italian version of the opening:

Apparently, the Hudson team working on Tower of Shadow is the same group behind the Kororinpa series, and they’re using the same level design tool employed with those marble games. I never played any of the Kororinpas, but the discussions I’ve read about them are positive.

Back to Miyazaki, my wife and I finally watched Ponyo over the weekend, and it was really fun! I would like to play a game in which I explored a flooded city in a toy boat with a magical girl/fish, sandwiches in our backpacks.

See also: Tower of Shadow trailer

tags / future boy conan / tower of shadow / hudson / hayao miyazaki / nintendo power / osamu tsuchihashi

/ permalink / / 2 years ago / Comments (View)

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