My new Wii playlist

I just wanted to write a very quick post to let blog readers who aren't subscribed to my YouTube channel know about the new playlist I created for Wii coverage.  So far I have made video versions of the three Wii Hidden Gems articles that I've written, but soon I will be adding new ones and finally getting around to making some for Wii Essentials as well.

I've just recently picked up a whole bunch of Wii games - here's the complete list: Another Code R, Back to the Future: The Game, Batallion Wars 2, Cursed Mountain, Dewy's Adventure, Eledees, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time, Heatseeker, Mushroom Men, Nights: Journey Into Dreams, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands and Punch Out!  You can expect reviews of some of these to start appearing fairly soon!  As well as retail games, I would also like to start reviewing eShop and Virtual Console titles as well, for both the original Wii and the Wii U.

Kya: Dark Lineage & Kao the Kangeroo: Round 2 | PlayStation 2 Tuedays #7

 

Today, we’re going to look at not one, but two platformers that really took me by surprise.  I recently had some store credit for my local pre owned game and movie shop, and was struggling to find games that I wanted to make up the full amount.   There were a few games that I weren’t too sure about, but I decided to take a bit of risk and pick them up – they were only £2 each, after all.  Much to my surprise, both of them turned out to be really well put together, and I ended up playing each of them for way longer than I expected to when I just chucked them in for a quick go.  Please note that I haven’t yet finished either of these games, but the quality of what I have seen is really high, so I am fairly confident in recommending both titles especially as neither of them will break the bank.

First up, we have Kya: Dark Lineage, which was published by Atari and developed by Eden Studios in.  Eden Studios are more well known by gamers for their driving games, such as the V-Rally series and Test Drive Unlimited, but they certainly have proven with Kya that they know what they are doing when it comes to putting together a polished platformer.  The game begins with a CGI scene set in our world, where Kya hears a creepy noise in her house at night and goes to investigate.  She discovers that her half brother Frank has found a secret room that Kya’s long absent father had blocked off.  After picking up a strange amulet, Frank is sent through a portal to another world and, fearing for his safety, Kya dives in after him.

After a rather rough landing she wakes up to see a group of furry creatures called Nativs looking down at her.  Before she has long to take stock of her situation however, she is forced to run for her life as the group comes under attack from the evil Wolfun.  After a very extensive tutorial sequence the group eventually arrive to the safety of the village, when you are then told how to fight and given your first proper mission in this new world.  Kya: Dark Lineage impresses from a technical standpoint right away – the graphics rival the likes of Jak and Daxter in terms of their detail, and loading times are cleverly obscured to the point where you barely notice them.

The game frequently switches from one style of gameplay to another, such as floating on a stream of air, riding a magic board down a slope, or beating Wolfun into submission.   Not too far into the game, you are informed that these Wolfun are actually Nativs  in disguise.  Once they have been knocked out, you can use your power to revert them to their original form.  As you save more and more Nativs throughout the levels, new shops will be built back in the hub village.  The items sold there will usually grant Kya some new ability which she will need to learn in order to advance any further.  The currency for these shops comes in the form of Nuties, which are dropped by enemies and also found in crates that can be destroyed.

The other game I would like to cover is Kao the Kangeroo: Round 2.  I was vaguely aware of this title before buying it but had always dismissed it as just another generic platform game.  However, just like Kya I discovered a bit of a hidden gem.  Development duties this time belong to a Polish company called Tate Interactive,  and the game was published by JoWood Interactive in Europe.  I have not played the first game in the series that was available for the Dreamcast, but it would appear that this game picks up some time after the end of the first one, with Kao incarcerated in a cage by a dastardly hunter.  After being broken out by his parrot friend, you are told that the hunter as also captured many other animals, and from there in becomes your mission to set them free.  Kao, armed with his trusty boxing gloves, a deadly spinning tail attack and other items like boomerangs, sets off through several worlds with 4 or 5 missions within them, in order to help his friends.

I was really surprised with just how well this game is made.  The controls are really solid and responsive (which is of vital importance in a platformer), the graphics are excellent, and a nice variety of things for you to do just in the first world.  It is very much a collect-a-thon style platformer in the style that Rare made for the Nintendo 64, though thankfully it doesn't go overboard with it like Donkey Kong 64.  Instead your limited to three things you have to hunt down and pick up in each level: stars, which are typically dished out for defeating enemies in combat, coins, which are strewn everywhere throughout a level as well as found in breakable post and crates, and purple gems with a usually a bit more tucked away than the coins, and unlock extra mini games in the hub world.

Like I said at the beginning, I was lucky enough to find both of these games for £2, though they normally go for a bit more than that.  Should you happen to spot either of these games in your local game shop or perhaps at a car boot sale or flea market, I would certainly consider giving them a go if you enjoy a good 3D platformer now and again.

Announcing the PSP Vault series on RMGB TV

I have just launched a new video series on my YouTube channels which will showcase many different games for Sony's fantastic handheld, the PSP.  Now is an ideal time to start collecting PSP games as they are both plentiful and in most cases, cheap.

There will be two versions of each video - an overview with a voiceover by myself that will be no longer than 10 minutes in length on RMGB TV 1, and then a "XL Edition" that will be up an hour long, without any commentary.  This is in case you want to see more of a game and hear what it sounds like.

You can find the playlists for each of the different versions below. I will try and upload a new video every Friday or Saturday, time permitting. Enjoy!

Regular Edition:

XL Edition:

PS2 Tuesdays | New Videos Online | New Articles Coming Soon

I have put together video versions of my first three PlayStation 2 Tuesdays articles from last year.  Please make sure you check out the playlist below.  Next week I will be posting an all new article with a companion video, so be sure to come back then!

More Let's Plays - The Last Story and Beyond: Two Souls

I've recently launched two more Let's Plays on my RMGB TV 2 YouTube Channel, for The Last Story and Beyond: Two Souls respectively.  I've decided that two concurrent series is enough, as the lengthy upload process limits how much I can produce anyway.  Beyond: Two Souls shouldn't be all that long - maybe somewhere in the region of 20 episodes total.  The Last Story may go on for quite a lot longer, such is the nature of RPG's.  After one of these has run their course, I will then start a new one and tell you all about it here.  My intention is to include PlayStation 1 and 2 titles eventually, but I have to buy a special PS2 to HDMI cable first before I can do this.  You can find the playlists below.

RMGB TV - Nintendo Night

Keep checking this YouTube playlist regularly for gameplay videos of NES, SNES, N64 and Wii titles (including WiiWare and Virtual Console).

RMGB TV - The RPG Show Episode 1 - Arc the Lad Collection

Here is the first proper episode of RMGB TV's RPG Show, all about Arc the Lad Collection from Working Designs.

RMGB TV Episode 0: Test Footage and Introduction

Here is the very first episode of RMGB TV, Episode 0, or the pilot if you like. The quality of the video leaves a lot to be desired, I will try and invest in some decent equipment later on, and also write some notes so that I'm not making it up as I go along (resulting in long pauses as I freeze up). Not sure when I'll pluck up the courage to do another one, I may try and hone my skills a bit first.

The iPhone App Report #1

I'm going try and tear myself away from my new iPhone 3GS long enough to share my thoughts on the various games and other sundry apps that I have tried out during the first week of ownership. This first App Report probably won't contain any real surprises for those who have owned an iPhone for a while, as most of the games covered here a very high profile, but hopefully next time I will have unearthed a few gems to share with you all. I will embed YouTube clips of the apps wherever possible and appropriate so you can see them in action. Click on the name of the app for a link to the App Store.

Real Racing | £5.99 | Genre: Racing | Tilt and Touch Controls
This is without a doubt the "killer app" for the iPhone right now. The graphics and gameplay are a match for anything the PSP or DS have to offer and even give the home consoles a run for their money. It is at the pricier end of the scale for iPhone games but you definitely get your money's worth, with plenty of cups to win and three different classes to work your way through. Initially the game took a bit of getting used to, but after I turned the tilt sensitivity down a bit, turned off the break assist completely, set braking and acceleration to manual and switched to the in car view, the game felt incredibly natural and extremely immersive to boot. A must have for iPhone owning race fans. Verdict: 10 out of 10

Peggle | £2.99 | Genre: Puzzle/Casual | Touch control only
PopCap's classic pachinko/pinball hybrid game is available on the iPhone in all its glory, at a fraction of the price of other versions and sporting several features exclusive to the platform (including a tap to zoom feature and an on screen scroll wheel for making fine adjustments to your aim. If you've never tried Peggle before, then this is the perfect version to go for - it's cheap, and is ideal for handheld play because you can play a level or two on the bus and then pick up exactly where you left off the next time you fire it up. Verdict: 8 out of 10

The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition | £4.99 | Genre: Adventure | Touch control only
Monkey Island Special Edition was only released on the PC and Xbox Live Arcade fairly recently and yet here is exactly the same game (except with touch control of course) available for you to play in the palm of your hand. When I bought my iPhone last Friday this was the very first thing that I rushed to the App Store to buy. The graphics, sound and music have all been updated, but just by swiping two fingers across the screen you can switch to the classic version. Fantastic. Verdict: 9 out of 10.

Tap Tap Revenge 2 | Free | Genre: Rhythm Action | Touch and shake controls
If you're looking for a Guitar Hero style game for your iPhone then look no further than Tap Tap Revenge 2, as not only is it excellent fun, it is also completely free to download with over 100 songs available, spread over five difficulty levels (Kids, Easy, Medium, Hard and Extreme). There are themed Premium Packs for £2.99 each which focus on a particular artist such as Coldplay, or a genre such as Dance, and these replace the stock backgrounds with ones that reflect each particular song, but the free content will keep you playing for a fair old while before you get bored. Verdict: 8 out of 10.

That's it for now, join me again soon where I will be giving some DSiWare similar treatment.

Normal service will be resumed...

...soon.

For now, check out this episode of GameHead dedicated to the voice of Mario, Charles Martinet...

Segment one also include a review of Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and a preview of Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights

Segment two looks at some of the other roles that Charles Martinet has played, and also includes a preview of God of War: Chains of Olympus and a retro look at Leisure Suit Larry.


Segment three looks at how Charles performs as Mario during events such as E3, and also includes a review of Scarface: The World Is Yours on the Wii, plus a look at the Pac Man Championship Edition event.


Segment four takes a look at Super Mario Galaxy, a preview of the Konami vs Capcom episode of VS, and a review of Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree.