San Diego Comic Con 2011 Game Coverage: Part 3

Whether you were a gamer in the early 80’s, or are just breaking into the scene now, you probably know one brand above all others. Arguably the most innovative video game hardware developer out there, with some of the most successful game franchises of all time, this company has earned its rank. Whether you consider their latest console, or their much anticipated follow-up, a work of genius or an inevitably passing trend, one thing is certain: you can never count them out, because they will never cease to astound. By now you must know that I am referring to the one, the only, Nintendo. Since they already revealed their next console to the world during E3, Nintendo’s San Diego Comic Con display had its focus elsewhere, in an area possibly in need of more immediate attention.

Nintendo came armed to the teeth with A-list games for the final part of 2011, ready to blow the doors off of any expectations attendees may have set in place for this year. Not only did Nintendo have a booth on the main exhibit floor, but right next door to the convention was an over 10,000 square foot gaming lounge. Even with its over 80 game stations, the game lounge was always packed; lines were excruciating but, at long last, the demonstrations were well worth it. Being the Nintendo fanboy that I am, I was second in line on the first day the lounge was open. I immediately ran to the Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword demo (of which you can read my more in depth preview here), and began my lengthy day of taking in what should only be known as the Nintendo experience. 

The best demo on hand, without a doubt, was Super Mario 3D Land for the Nintendo 3DS. The game blends elements of Super Mario 64 and Mario Galaxy perfectly, and it even brings back nostalgic boss fights aboard Bowser’s Airships, against various members of his evil offspring… the Koopalings! Yes, you heard right, the Koopalings have returned yet again! As if that were not enough to tickle your Italian plumber-esque fancy, there’s more: the fabled Tanooki suit is back! The Tanooki suit was last seen in Super Mario Bros 3 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, and was similar to the Raccoon leaf except it was a full body suit. The suit is dissimilar from past incarnations as it does not allow the player to fly so much as provide a brief hovering ability, which mostly aids in bounding across chasms due to the ability to more or less spot out a landing. It does still allow for a spin attack, but you won’t be the only one with this incredible power! Goombas throughout the level will also be wearing the stylish striped tail, and now have the same abilities as Mario when seen with the power up! This game far exceeded any expectations I had for it, and the 3D effect looks amazing to say the least. Super Mario 3D Land will be flying onto shelves in North America in early November, exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS.

Speaking of long awaited, Kid Icarus: Uprising was in full effect at this year’s convention. Although it is supposed to have a late 2011 release, rumor has it that Nintendo will have to push back the game’s release to early 2012 due to certain issues with the multiplayer. Coincidentally, this was the only mode not available in the demo I had the chance to play, but was made up for by the great story and stunning visuals. This game is fast paced, action packed and tons of fun! This game continues the epic story of Pit, the hero from past Kid Icarus games, in his battle against the evil Medusa. The game utilizes the touch screen as a primary form of camera control for air battles, and the analog slide pad for land battles. The game controls are smooth and easy to grasp, but this game will definitely offer up a challenge to even the most experienced gamer! Kid Icarus: Uprising will be a must have for any 3DS owner, and I suggest you keep your ear to the ground, because this is one you won’t want to miss. 

Mario Kart 7, which is actually the ninth game in the series, is a fun twist on a classic title. Offering numerous multiplayer options, massive amounts of replay value, and a great game that you can play for hours or jump on for a quick race around the track, this game is another home run for Nintendo’s line-up this year. The game will be familiar to enthusiasts from past Mario Kart games, but will offer a few fun additions to change up gameplay, and keep this game feeling fresh. The addition of both hang glider and propeller gadgets, for both air and under water racing respectively, will give players new challenges. Additional changes include Kart customization, which will undoubtedly switch up gameplay even more. Seemingly less item heavy than its Wii brother, Mario Kart 7 is more balanced and more dependent upon racing skill than sheer luck. This game will make the ability to race online with friends and competitors from around the world both portable and eye catching. Mario Kart 7 will release in early November, racing to stores just in time for the holiday season.

This concludes our coverage of Comic Con, part 3, with the highlights from Nintendo’s gaming lounge. Next time: Sony’s Uncharted 3 demo and other details from the convention! Thanks for reading!

Submitted by: Corey Hall (Employee)

This Week in Famitsu

Weekly Famitsu #1183 & #1184

We're baaaack! And where have we been for the past two weeks, you ask? Well, in Japan, the end of the week of August 7^th and the beginning of the week of the 14^th are known as the festival of Obon. Obon could be best described as a mash-up of Thanksgiving and All Souls Day put together. Family members return to their ancestral home, enjoying each other's company and praying for their deceased relatives by going to the family grave and cleaning it. During this time, many businesses close or have limited hours, and Famitsu is no exception. Famitsu always releases a double issue before Obon begins, in order to allow its employees to go home and be with their families. Unfortunately, these double-numbered Obon issues are always notoriously light on new content, and this issue was no exception.

The double issue was basically a re-hash of the same content that Famitsu has been publishing for the past month or so, just with a bit more details on some games. The cover story this time around is an interview and photo shoot with a popular Japanese model, which is not really an interesting read. Famitsu also takes a look back at the all the comings and goings from Comic-Con 2011, but since our very own Corey Hall was actually there and is writing a lengthy first-hand account of his experiences (look for the first of these articles later this week) this is also a non-starter. So, what does this double issue of Famitsu actually offer? This:

Games To Play During Summer

Famitsu put together a great list of over 100 games that you can enjoy during the summer time, no matter what situation you might find yourself in. The list is way to long to cover in its entirety, so we decided to only list Famitsu's top picks in each category. There is something on this list for everyone.

• Games You Can Play On Vacation: The Legend of Zelda (3DS), Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep Final Mix (PSP), Professor Layton & The Mask of Miracles (3DS)

• Games You Can Play By Yourself: L.A. Noire (PS3/360), El Shaddai (PS3/360), Catherine (PS3/360), inFamous 2 (PS3), Dynasty Warriors 6 (PS3), The Last Story (Wii)

• Games You Can Play With Friends: Little Big Planet 2 (PS3), Monster Hunter 3^rd G (PSP), Everyone's Rhythm Heaven (Wii), Taiko Drum Master Portable DX (PSP), Puyo Puyo (DS)

• Games You Can Play That Make You Happy: Scribblenauts (DS), Nintendogs & Cats (3DS), Dance Central (360 Kinect), Portal 2 (PS3/360) [huh...]

• Games You Can Play Online: Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition (PS3/360), Killzone 3 (PS3), Marvel vs Capcom 3 (PS3/360), Call of Duty: Black Ops (PS3/360)

• Games You Can Play To Have A Summer Fling: Love Plus + (DS), Dream Club Zero (360), Amagami EbiCore + [How I Learned To Stop Worrying & Embrace] (PSP)
  

Hardware Sales: Week of 7/18-7/24

• Nintendo 3DS – 32,381 units
• PSP – 27,056 units
• PlayStation 3 – 22,935 units
• Wii – 16,939 units
• Nintendo DS – 7,568 units
• Xbox 360 – 1,526 units
• PlayStation 2 – 1,155 units

Top 5 Selling Games: Week of 7/18-7/24

• Everyone's Rhythm Heaven (Wii) – 130,781 units
• Sengoku Basara Chronicle Heroes (PSP) – 77,017 units
• Taiko Drum Master Portable DX (PSP) – 42,389 units
• No More Heroes Red Zone Edition (PS3) – 40,050 units
• Real Powerful Pro Baseball 2011 (PSP) – 38,964 units

Next week we will be back to a regular schedule for 'This Week in Famitsu', assuming there are no other ancestor worshiping holidays on the horizon. See you then!

Submitted By: Aaron McKeever

This Week in Famitsu

Weekly Famitsu #1177 

Cover Story

So, before we begin this week's coverage on the cover story, there's something you all need to know about Famitsu: on slow news weeks, or when there's a particularly awesome game, they will have strategy guides in the magazine. Usually they aren't that in-depth or long; they tend to focus on one thing, say, getting all the feathers in Assassin's Creed 2, or something along those lines. They're very cool, and great if you are actually playing that game at the time. They usually aren't very newsworthy though, so we tend to skip over them. However, the latest issue of Famitsu has a guide for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, that is also riddled with random tidbits of information and readers' favorite memories of the game. Famitsu also polled its readers on various items, bosses, dungeons, and how much the readers loved/wanted to break their controller from the difficulty for each of them. We thought it would be interesting to share some of those results with you, especially since it's what's featured on this week's cover. So, without further ado, here you are!

Favorite Characters 

1.) Link

2.) Navi (What. The. Heck.) 

3.) Zelda

4.) Saria

5.) Shiek

6.) Malon

7.) Ganondorf

8.) Ruto

9.) Darunia

10.) Epona

Most Difficult Bosses 

1.) Ganondorf

2.) Bongo Bongo

3.) Phantom Ganondorf

4.) Morpha

5.) Twinrova

6.) Barinade

7.) Gohma

8.) Volvagia

9.) Dark Link

10.) King Dodonga

Most Difficult Dungeons 

1.) Water Temple

2.) Shadow Temple

3.) Ganon's Stage

4.) Forest Temple

5.) Bottom of the Well

6.) Jabu Jabu's Belly

7.) Gerudo Training Grounds

8.) Inside the Deku Tree

9.) Fire Temple

10.) Ice Cavern

Favorite Songs 

1.) Saria's Song

2.) Zelda's Lullaby

3.) Song of Storms

4.) Epona's Song

5.) Song of Time

6.) Serenade of Water

7.) Prelude of Light

8.) Requiem of Spirit

9.) Forest Minuet

10.) Nocturne of Shadow

And there you have it! Results straight from Famitsu readers' mouths. How do they stack up to your own opinions? Personally, we agree with the Water Temple being the most difficult... the many long hours spent staring at the TV screen in a confused stupor, aboslutely stumped.... Ah, memories!

Featured Games

Remake Extravaganza: Okay, so this isn't so much a featured game as a secondary cover story. This week, Famitsu decided to take a look at all the remakes and facelifts classic games have been getting over the years. It's a fun little article that takes a nice trip down memory lane, so we thought we'd share it with you! Of course, these games, the release dates, and the sale numbers related to them are for the Japanese copies, and there might be a few games in this list that never made it to American shores.

Super Mario Collection (SNES): This is the same as the US verison of Super Mario All Stars, containing Super Mario Bros. 1-3, as well as Super Mario USA for the NES. What's Super Mario USA you ask? Well, that is our verison of Super Mario Bros 2, which is entirely different from the Japanese verison (known in the States as "The Lost Levels"). In fact, the US verison of Super Mario 2 is actually a game known in Japan as "Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panikku", with Mario characters substituted for the games' normal characters. Released on 7/14/93, with 2,120,000 total units sold.

Dragon Quest I & II (GBY & SNES): A remake of original Dragon Quest I & II games from the NES. Dragon Quest is so popular here in Japan that it is a National Law that DQ games can only be released on a weekend, so as to not impact the productivity of businesses and the nation. Released on 9/23/1999, with 763,760 total units sold.

Super Mario Collection 25^th Anniversary Special Pack (Wii): This is a re-release of the Super Mario Collection from the SNES to commerate Mario's 25^th Anniversary. The package also contains a nice little packet about the history of Mario as well as a soundtrack CD. Released 10/21/2010, with 905,732 total units sold. 

Romancing Saga: Minstrel's Song (PS2): A remake of Romancing Saga from the SNES. Yes, Japan actually likes the Saga games! Released on 4/21/2005, with 454,657 total units sold.... which we almost can't believe. A Saga game selling almost half a million units must be one of the signs of the apocalypse or something... 

Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth (PSP): This was a remake of Valkyrie Profile from the PS1, probably one of the rarest games back in the US. Here in Japan used copies of the PS1 classic are readily available at pretty much any used game store for around $10, if you can believe it. Released on 3/2/2006, with 168, 515 total units sold.

MOTHER 1+2 (GBA): This is a remake of MOTHER for the NES and a port of MOTHER 2 for the SNES. The game was releasd to celebrate MOTHER 3 being released on the GBA. The MOTHER games are known in the US as Earth Bound, and are probably one of the most popular RPG titles here in Japan to never be completely released in the US. Released on 6/20/2003, with 279,183 total units sold.
  

Pokemon Fire Red and Leaf Green (GBA): Both of these games are remakes of the fan favorites Pokemon Red and Green, originally released on the GBY. Released on 1/29/2004, with 3,073,380 total units sold. 

Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver (DS): Another Pokemon fan favorite remake, this time from the GBC classics Pokemon Gold and Silver. Released on 9/12/2009, with 3,901,466 total units sold.

The article also talks about some current and upcoming re-releases, such as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, StarFox 64, Tales of the Abyss and Metal Gear Solid 3, ALL for the 3DS. Persona 2: Sin, for the PSP, was just recently released in Japan. Not many people know that there were actually two Persona 2 games for the PS1 in Japan; the US only ever had one of the Persona 2 versions released as the other, 'Sin', was deemed too controversial at the time (the PSP version of 'Sin' is finally scheduled to be released this summer in the US). Also, remember that law we mentioned earlier about Dragon Quest games only being released on a weekend? Well, it's a good thing, because this September Japan will be getting the Dragon Quest: 1, 2 & 3 Collection for the Wii. It will feature both the original NES and enhanced SNES versions of Dragon Quest 1, 2 & 3.

Finally, the article mentions the HD collections of game series like God of War and Sly Cooper. It highlights the upcoming Monster Hunter Portable 3^rd HD, in which you can take your save file from Monster Hunter Portable 3^rd on the PSP and use it to play on the PS3 and vice versa. The graphical jump this game is getting on the PS3 is definetly impressive, and we're sure since it is a Monster Hunter game it will sell like gang busters. Last, but certainly not least, we come to what is our most antcipated game of this year...the ICO & Shadow of the Colossus Collection. These two games were gorgeous beyond belief when they were released on the PS2, and the PS3 versions look mind blowingly amazing. Oh, and just to make you all jealous, Japan is getting a special edition of the games bundled together with a special art and interview book and a soundtrack! September 22 can't come soon enough, as that is when we will lord our awesome Japanese collecter's edition copy over you all like nobody's business.

Weird Games Found Only in Japan

Hatsune Miku Project DIVA: Dreamy Theater 2^nd (PS3): Any description of this game must be fore-worded by an explanation of who Hatsune Miku is, so with that in mind, here you go: Hatsune Miku is one of Japan's biggest pop idols right now, selling out concerts wherever she goes, with songs that have reached the top of the charts.... and she's not real. She's a CG character who is voiced by a computer music program. 'But wait!' you might be saying, 'how has she sold out live concerts then?' The answer is simple: they project a 3D hologram onto the stage for her fans to worship! (Check out the video below to see one of her concerts.) As she's already a CG musical character, Ms. Miku translates perfectly into the music game genre, of which there are several. The gameplay is the standard 'push the buttons in time to the music' fare, but this latest iteration for the PS3 is notable because it takes advantage of the system's ability to project games in 3D. Now Hatsune Miku fans can get the experience of being at one of her insane concerts in the comfort of their own home! The game is coming out sometime this summer in Japan, but don't hold your breath for Miku and her friends (Yes, there are more of them! There's a boy too...) to be popping out of your American TV anytime soon.

Hardware Sales: Week of 6/06-6/12

• PSP – 25,854 units
• Nintendo 3DS – 24,226 units
• Playstation 3 – 16,673 units
• Wii – 7,149 units
• Nintendo DS – 7,028 units
• Xbox 360 – 1,535 units
• Playstation 2 – 1,148 units

Top 5 Selling Games: Week of 6/06-6/12s

• Yakuza: Of The End (PS3) – 30,7592 units
• Resident Evil: The Mercenaries (3DS) – 15,721 units
• Battle & Get! Pokemon Typing (DS) – 12,019 units
• Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2 Professional (DS) – 10,856 units
• One Piece Unlimited Cruise SP (3DS) – 10,337 units

Top 5 Most Anticipated Games: Based on survey results from 6/09-6/15

• Tales of Xillia (PS3)
• Dragon Quest X (Wii)
• Final Fantasy: Type-O/Agito (PSP)
• Dark Souls (PS3)
• Photo Kano (PSP)

That's it for this weeks Famitsu, check back next week to see what Famitsu is talking about! Oh, and we wanted to say thank you to everyone that has been passing along a kind word to us about these articles. We definitely appreciate it, as it takes a long time to read through the issue, pick-out intresting things, translate and then type this article each week. Once again, thanks everyone!

Submitted By: Sherrie Blackwell & Aaron McKeever

This Week in Famitsu

Welcome to the first of what will be a regular series here at Level Up Video Games, known as “This Week in Famitsu.” For those of you that don't know, Famitsu is the most popular gaming magazine here in Japan. Every week they put out an issue well in excess of a 100 pages, and they have been doing this for 25 years! Famitsu is THE gaming magazine of Japan, and is highly regarded around the world as well. Each week we will give you a little peak into the gaming scene here in Japan by offering up a small sample of what Famitsu is talking about.

WEEKLY FAMITSU #1175

Cover Story

This week's Famitsu is focusing its attention on Bandai/Namco Games, with a 50 page retrospective on the two companies' (recently merged into one company) most memorable and popular series. Did you know that both companies got their start in the mid-1950s manufacturing small coin-operated children's rides?

Over the years they have been responsible for creating and publishing such popular series as: Pac-Man, Gundam, The Tales of ~ RPG Series, Super Robot Battle, Tekken, Ridge Racer, Ace Combat, Taiko Drum Master, Dragonball/Dragonball Z, Soul Calibur, .dot Hack, Naruto, Katamari Damacy, XenoSaga, & Tamagotchi. However, the three most popular of those series here in Japan are: Gundam, Tales of ~, and Super Robot Battle.

Did you know that since the days of the NES there have been over 160 different Gundam games released for EVERY SINGLE console, EXCEPT the Sega Genesis (even the Virtual Boy got one). They even made a Gundam RPG for the NES! While not nearly as old as Final Fantasy, the Tales of ~ series is about to see its thirteenth entry released with Tales of Xillia for the PS3 this September; however those twelve games have actually been released on different consoles over 25 times!? The Super Robot Battle series, one that has seen only 3 releases in America, has over 50 releases here in Japan!

Featured Games

Kojima Productions: Famitsu takes a great look at all the cool features the upcoming 3DS version of Metal Gear Solid 3 will incorporate: touch-screen map/item interface, motion controlled gyroscopic sneaking, and custom camouflage via the 3DS camera. In addition, the article also talks about the upcoming PS3 HD re-releases of both MGS2 & MGS3, MGS Peace Walker, and Zone of the Enders 1 & 2.

Dragon's Crown (PS3/Vita): The very first HD game from VanillaWare, the developer of both Odin's Sphere and Murumasa. It is a 2D action-RPG with hand-drawn graphics and four-player online co-op for BOTH the PS3 and Vita. The game will have simplistic controls, deep character customization, and six different classes: Fighter, Amazon, Dwarf (Heavy Fighter), Sorceress, Wizard, & Elf (Archer).

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS): A look into how the 3DS's features have been used and incorporated into this gaming classic. The article also offers a refresher course on all the characters from Ocarina of Time in case you might have forgotten who the players are. 

In addition, Famitsu also polled hundreds of it's readers to vote on their favorite Zelda game of all time. Here are the results:

10. Oracle of Ages/Seasons (GBC)

9. Link's Adventure (NES)

8. Spirit Tracks (NDS)

7. Link's Awakening (GB)

6. Twilight Princess (Wii)

5. Wind Waker (GC)

4. Link to the Past (SNES)

3. Legend of Zelda (NES)

2. Majora's Mask (N64)

1. Ocarina of Time (N64)

Weird Games Found Only in Japan

Dancing Eyes (PS3): This is ostensibly a puzzle/action game coming out for the PS3 in Japan, where you watch girls...dance. You can dress the girls up in different outfits, and one 'minigame' involves peering through the clothes of the girl, x-ray style, at their lingerie. Another 'puzzle' involves matching up lines and blocks on a girl's shirt over her chest to get a.... special item. We were too scared to read further.

Hardware Sales: Week of 5/23-5/29

• PSP – 34,253 units
• 3DS – 25, 096 units
• PS3 – 15,842 units
• Wii – 7,552 units
• NDS – 6,389 units
• 360 – 1,751 units
• PS2 – 1,094 units

Top 5 Selling Games: Week of 5/23-5/29

• One Piece: Unlimited Cruise SP (3DS) – 76,578 units
• Troy (PS3) – 28,556 units
• Pandora's Tower (Wii) – 22,344 units
• Nobunaga's Ambition: Heavenly Road (PS3) – 16,304 units
• Akiba's Trip (PSP) – 16,059 units

Top 5 Most Anticipated Games: Based on survey results from 5/26-6/1

• Tales of Xillia (PS3)
• Final Fantasy: Type-O/Agito (PSP)
• Dragon Quest X (Wii)
• Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS)
• Photo Kano (PSP)

And that's all for this week! Hopefully you enjoyed this brief glimpse into what Famitsu deems news-worthy. We'll try to keep adding to what we cover in this feature, so that hopefully it becomes something to really look forward to. Until next time!

Submitted By: Aaron McKeever & Sherrie Blackwell