This post has not been edited by the GamesBeat staff. Opinions by GamesBeat community writers do not necessarily reflect those of the staff.
Friday’s Random Five is my attempt to showcase some pretty cool videogame related stuff that I’ve found on the internet. This can range from cool articles, random videos, to small downloadable games. These won’t always relate to what’s currently going on in the world or in the gaming industry, but in most cases I’m sure they will.
Without further ado,
1. Donkey Kong is back!
This E3 was a lot of spectacle for a lot of “meh.” After three years of ignoring the core gamers with announcements like, Wii-Sports, Wii-Fit, Wii-Music, and vitality sensors, the core gets what they’ve been waiting for. Games. Metroid: Other M, Kirby’s Epic Yarn, Skyword Sword and Donkey Kong Country Returns. Seriously! Donkey Kong! Not 3D-Mario-64 inspired Donkey Kong either, but a genuine side-scrolling platformer without drums. The Klonoa remake on the Wii was good, but this will be great.
E3 Trailer:
[embed:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVq7XNV7K0w ]
Aside: Check out a recently released remake of the original Donkey Kong – courtesy of GameSetWatch.com.
It looks nice and plays like the original with some added stages mixed in. My only complaint is that Mario’s jump has been horrifically slowed, which isn’t as severe an issue as it may sound, one simply needs to readjust.
2. Rage
E3, E3, E3. E3 2010 where Microsoft and Sony unveiled their motion controllers with actual release dates and price tags, you know, to a market that’s had them for almost 4 years. In the midst of it all sat id software, not fully recognized. Which is strange since they’re making some pretty impressive promises:
A) Non-procedurally generated areas. Impressive considering how seemingly massive some of the locales appear to be. A lot of love is going into this game as every aspect of what you see is individually crafted by artists. “No two boulders are alike,” is the claim.
B) Enemies have progressive A.I. that can change their strategies based off of what’s around them. Taking advantage of walls, corners, and generally anything in their environment. Altering their tactics in response to what the player does/is doing.
C) A level editor that will ship with the PC version. While a level editor may not seem like a huge deal, it will be if they include every individually crafted texture that’s used within the game. Which I’m sure it will.
Also, it looks fantastic, even on consoles.
E3 Rage Footage:
[embed:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd0RtabEah4 ]
3. The Narrative Role of Music in Role-Playing Games: Final Fantasy VII – Link
It’s an essay for academia about the narrative role of music in Final Fantasy VII. To be honest it’s not the greatest read. The first of three pages is riddled with academic mumbo jumbo (skim it), but once you get to the 2nd page of the essay’s excerpt it begins to make some pretty cool points about how well the game’s music ties into what’s happening in the game’s plot. How it’s capable of cluing the player in on what they should feel for each particular event, even before a single text box appears.
I think anyone that’s played Final Fantasy VII can agree and tie any song from the soundtrack to an event in the game. If you check out the link inserted in the heading, keep these youtube videos open in separate tabs so you can play the music when it’s referred to by the text.
Trail of Blood – Link
Shinra Company – Link
Flowers Blooming in the Church – Link
4. Mega Man Zero Recollections – Link
Capcom’s Unity Blog always takes advantage of their presence to reach out to their base. In the month leading to the release of the Mega Man Zero Collection that came out June 8th, they contacted popular game writers to author some Mega Man Zero Recollection pieces. Garnering the series some additional attention. Since I’m an over all whore for most of what Jeremy Parish writes I’ve linked the heading to his Mega Man Zero (one) Recollection piece. If you’re a fan of the series, many of the others are worth checking out.
5. A Life Well Wasted finally released a new podcast! Episode Six: Big Ideas
If you haven’t heard any of Robert Ashley’s podcasts then you’ve been missing out. Go to his site now: http://alifewellwasted.com/
No seriously, what are you still doing here.
A Life Well Wasted is “an internet radio show about videogames and the people who love them.” Occasionally it tiptoes on the line marked cheesy, and the awkard line, but most of the time, it’s enlightening, engaging, and more importantly, it acts as an enabler for our addiction to videogames. You know, sometimes we need that.
Those were your Random Five this week.
For more of my writing, check out www.LoadedConsole.com (Work in Progress).