General gaming

General gaming

E3 2011: Kirby Mass Attack Uses Simple Stylus Moves to Control a Pack of Adorable Pink Heroes

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 02:22 AM PDT

I may not be the biggest Kirby enthusiast, but I know an interesting game when I see one. Kirby: Mass Attack, a DSi Ware game that's available this September and is developed by HAL Laboratories, is a game that takes the adorable pink hero and puts players in control of up to ten Kirby clones using stylus controls. The controls are the best part of the new Kirby game and add a good mix of simplicity and fun mechanics that would make anyone who played Kirby Canvas Curse smile.

Players can move Kirby along the side-scrolling stages of the game by tapping areas on the field. Swiping the stylus up or diagonally makes him jump in the indicated direction, and jumping into boxes causes Kirby to smash through them. Smashed boxes yield fruit, but you'll also find fruit lying around in stages or after you defeat an enemy -- you can find some in secret places too. The goal of each map I play in Kirby Mass Attack is to guide Kirby or, in some cases, a group of Kirbys, to a gate at the end of the stage, defeating monsters and unlocking secrets along the way. Continually finding fruit to eat fruit earns you another pink hero for your pack.

Kirby Canvass Curses

E3 2011: XCOM is the Dark Horse of E3

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 01:19 AM PDT

My preconceived notion for XCOM was that it was a first-person shooter homage to the original turn-based tactical game, a game that frequently makes "best of" lists whenever they come around. Now that I've had a chance to see the game in action during a controlled demo presentation I've found that the game is much deeper and much more complex that I previously thought.

The player takes control of agent William Carter, a member of the secret XCOM squad that investigates alien threats to the planet Earth and works to thwart the aliens from achieving global domination. The game is designed as a prequel of sorts to the franchise and explains how the group was formed in 1962. Instead of having the game take place on a global scale, it has been centered more on the United States.

Postcards from E3 2011: 1UP and the Figueroa Hotel

Posted: 08 Jun 2011 11:50 PM PDT

Sold Out

If you follow 1UP, you know by now that the Figueroa Hotel is an important part of the site's history. Every E3, Team 1UP would stay up at 'the Fig' all night writing previews and news gathered on the show floor. The pool-side taping of 1UP Yours was another highlight. A crazy party/podcast, the 1UP Poolcast featured a marathon of unique industry personalities that gave their honest impressions on industry trends and E3 announcements.

With a respected history like that, what could possibly be on the other side of the building closest to the Staples Center and the Los Angeles Convention Center? And can it possibly match up to the enormous Skyrim ad on the front?

Sold Out

Postcard from E3 2011: The Scariest Sight at the Show

Posted: 08 Jun 2011 11:33 PM PDT

I have seen the worst E3 has to offer, and I have lived to tell the tale. I even captured photographic evidence:

A friend asked this grotesque mockery of the human form, Cooking Mama, if she is also Babysitting Mama. The answer was yes. Based on this foul homunculus, I can only assume that Cooking Mama is simply what Babysitting Mama becomes once she steals your children away.

Postcard from E3 2011: This Street Pass Thing Can Be Pretty Cool, Sometimes

Posted: 08 Jun 2011 11:00 PM PDT

Supposedly, Nintendo's E3 booth is broadcasting "official" Miis of corporate figureheads for fans to collect in their 3DS via Street Pass. You can tell the official Mii version of an executive by their gold pants, I'm informed. Despite having spent a considerable percentage of my time at E3 stumping around Nintendo's booth playing games and interviewing developers, I've yet to snag one of these elusive tags. I have, however, caught the real-world tags of a few notable Nintendo folks. The one that makes me happiest? That of Super Mario Bros. 3 director Takashi Tezuka.

E3 2011: Battlefield 3 Conquers Close-Range Combat

Posted: 08 Jun 2011 09:56 PM PDT

Wondering about how Battlefield 3's multiplayer mode fares? Short answer: you'll never want to put the controller down. In fact, when my demo ended, I begged to stay for the next session and DICE was kind enough to oblige. While most gamers share enthusiasm for Battlefield's large, destructible environments, DICE decided to showcase something unexpected on the E3 show floor. I had the opportunity to play (the ever-so familiar) rush mode on their new downtown Paris multiplayer map -- you won't see three-story buildings collapsing on this one. Don't worry, there's still plenty of things to blow up and chances to foil some jerk's attempt at taking cover. What intrigues me is the unusual progression through the map.

You start off in a wide, open space (typical for Battlefield), but then combat eventually funnels into a subway. Enclosed corridors aren't the norm for Battlefield, and I'm genuinely surprised at how it enjoyable it is. The addition of flashlights is part of the reason why I had so much fun. Yes, I said flashlights. Trying to navigate through a tunnel with an abandoned subway train, and opponents already inside seems like a suicide run, right? Not exactly. There's sufficient amount of cover to take, and reason to use flashlights. I'll explain why this is my new favorite accessory in a moment.

What I love about the subway area is the various opportunities to be strategic. Shoot the lights out in the tunnel, and your team gains the advantage. With Frostbite 2's lovely graphics and ability to showcase more lighting effects -- the flashlight makes for an aggressive combat device. When you aim it at a foe (and you're still equipped with your gun,) your target's screen is filled with blinding light -- sort of similar to the effects of a flash grenade. I couldn't tell if I could use it in a well lit area with the same result, and I certain it's only useful in close-range combat.

Forget Wii U, iPad Offers Dual Screen Gaming This Fall

Posted: 08 Jun 2011 09:16 PM PDT

Real Racing 2 HD dual screen gaming iPad

Wii U's new controller has been compared by many to the iPad and, on a basic level, it's not that far off: It's a tablet-like device you hold in your hands. Wii U's controller has buttons and analog sticks without the guts of a tablet (everything is handled on the console and then streamed to the controller) but, on a superficial level, there are undeniable similarities. The Wii U stands out with its ability to do essentially the console equivalent of what what's possible on the DS in that you can play a game on the TV screen and have additional content displayed on the screen in your hands. Once Apple releases iOS 5 later this year, the very same thing will be possible with an iPad -- and one developer is already showing a game that will offer functionality very similar to that of Wii U.

Firemint has announced that, through the AirPlay Mirroring demoed at WWDC 2011 this week, you'll be able to play iPad title Real Racing 2 HD on your TV with an iPad 2. The game will still be controlled with the iPad itself, the screen of which will show real-time racing telemetry as pictured above. The caliber of games on iPad might not be able to stack up with the likes of Nintendo's offerings, and not every iOS game is going to offer dual-screen TV output. (Real Racing 2 HD has already been updated to version 1.10, the primary addition being dual-screen gaming support.) But this is still mimicking the basic concept behind what's possible with Wii U, and it's coming a lot sooner -- in 1080p, no less.

This functionality is done wirelessly with a connection to an Apple TV, a media receiver that connects to your television. Apple currently sells them for $99 through its website, a price that makes it dramatically cheaper than whatever the Wii U ends up at. (The safe bet right now is that it'll be no less than $300 at launch.) And while the cost of an iPad ($499 and up) does end up making this the pricier option of the two, those who already own an iPad 2 will be able to take advantage of this functionality by picking up an Apple TV once iOS 5 is made available this fall -- making wireless, dual-screen gaming possible as much as a full year ahead of when Wii U will be out.

We Dared a Guy to Dress as Mario at E3...and He Ended Up an International Superstar

Posted: 08 Jun 2011 07:38 PM PDT

Friend of 1UP and sometimes contributor Anthony Parisi looks kind of like Mario. So much so that when he threw on a red shirt with a pair of overalls and an "M" cap, he was a hit as Mario at a recent Halloween party.

So for the hell of it, we dared him to wear his costume to the Nintendo press conference. If anything, just for our own amusement.

Postcards from E3 2011: Breakfast of Champions

Posted: 08 Jun 2011 07:24 PM PDT

It takes a lot of calories to keep you readers up to date on the latest news from E3, and there's much food to be found on the show floor. Unfortunately, most of the expo grub barely qualifies as such, and it's not odd to see the random attendee lapse into a diabetic coma after his fifty-third fun-sized Krackel bar. Which is why we of the 1UP/IGN crew are damned lucky to be provided with a complete breakfast that there's no way in hell I would have the ambition to whip together every morning. We're a spoiled bunch, but I'm going to lavish in the luxury of having three different breakfast juices for as long as humanly possible.

Top 10 Announcements of E3 2011

Posted: 08 Jun 2011 06:55 PM PDT

There have been a number of big E3 stories this year between Nintendo's new console being unveiled, Sony offering new details on its second handheld, and the wide array of game announcements that have been made. E3 will carry on for the rest of the week. The bulk of the announcements have already happened, though, and so we're ready to take a look back and decide which ten were the biggest of the show. Without further ado, here's a look at our top announcements (in no particular order) from E3 2011. Check back later today for our picks for the show's top trailers.

Nintendo's Wii Successor is the Wii U
Posted by Shri Krishna

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