Advance Look - September 2006
By: Andrew Hayward |
Monday September 04, 2006 |
| We've emerged from the heap of stale summer games. Bring on the (potential) fall classics! |
| I am so glad that the long days of summer have come to a close. Granted, I have a bit more on my schedule now, but at least I have better games to play. Unlike bad movies (which can be enjoyable), bad games are typically arduous experiences, and this summer contained more than a few of them for me. Alas, it comes with the territory, so I won't bitch too much. Luckily, there are a slew of new games coming out in September, with even more to follow before Christmas (and a couple of new consoles, to boot). While an overwhelming amount of the big releases this month are sports titles or from established franchises, there are still enough unique and quirky games for me to recommend. Here are some of the games I advise looking into during the month of September. Please continue to check back with Static Multimedia, as September looks to be our biggest month yet for the Games section.
Okami September 19th (PlayStation 2) Okami looks to be a startling experience that merges the familiar and unfamiliar. The familiar is the core gameplay: those who have played it compare it favorably to Nintendo's Legend of Zelda series. The unfamiliar is pretty much everything else, which makes this a game that demands to be played. Okami uses a visual style reminiscent of ancient Japanese prints, complete with strong brush strokes, shockingly vivid colors, and even a texture design that indicates that the action you see on-screen is being painted as it occurs. And to some extent, it is - with you in control. As Amaterasu, a sun goddess reincarnated as a wolf, you can halt the action at any time and paint in the details you need to assist your voyage. This includes everything from painting in a bridge over a gap to summoning a gust of wind. Revered Japanese publication Famitsu gave the game a near-perfect score, and the early reviews of the English version have been among the best of any game released in 2006. Capcom has been on a role lately, injecting new life into familiar genres (Dead Rising), and Okami looks to be their next amazing success story. LocoRoco September 5th (PlayStation Portable) I'm pretty sure that every other major country in the world got LocoRoco before we did. While in Rome in late July, I had an opportunity to purchase an import copy of the game for €50 ($65-70), but decided I wasn't desperate or miserable enough to require a new game for the flight home. But at $40, there is no way I am passing up the American release of the game. LocoRoco has been accused of being racist or stereotypical, but dude, the game is about blobs. Yellow blobs, red blobs, black blobs, green blobs, and blue blobs. At some point, we have to stop looking for hidden meanings in these things and just enjoy a silly, twisted little game. In LocoRoco, you control the environment with the shoulder buttons, causing the blobs to move amount the level. The game features a colorful and simplistic presentation that makes it look like a children's cartoon, but I have a feeling that it will be one of those games that transcends age barriers and generational gaps to become an instant favorite. Yakuza September 5th (PlayStation 2) The Shenmue series never really got the respect it deserved in America. After a lukewarm international reception, the supposed-to-be epic got canned after just two iterations. Yakuza is the spiritual successor to that series, and is just as intrinsically Japanese (if not more so). After ten years in prison, former yakuza member Kazuma Kirzu is released and almost immediately accused of additional crimes. As Kazuma, you must navigate the streets of Tokyo in an attempt to clear your name - if you can stay alive long enough. With a production budget of over $20 million (U.S.), Yakuza is one of the biggest gambles the gaming industry has seen in some time. Sega of America took nine months to complete the translation, bringing in well-known actors like Eliza Dushku and Michael Madsen to voice major characters. The early reviews have largely been very positive, so this may be a title well worth checking out. Between this and Okami, adventure fans have plenty to look forward to on the PlayStation 2 in September. Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy September 12th (Xbox 360, PS2, PC, Xbox, PSP, DS, GBA) Okay, so the second marriage of the Lego and Star Wars brands isn't exactly an underground release (especially with seven versions), but it sure as hell is quirky. Last year's Lego Star Wars was a game of surprising quality, rising above its gimmicky nature to provide a truly amusing and playable experience. Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy ups the ante by basing the game on Episodes IV - VI; you know, the ones that people actually care about. Even if the gameplay is largely the same as the original, The Original Trilogy should be well worth a pick-up from fans of the series. Just the sight of an X-Wing Fighter designed entirely out of Lego blocks should be enough for even the most jaded Star Wars fan to take interest. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon September 18th (DS, GBA) Even in 2006, the release of new Pokemon games is an event, at least among Nintendo fans. Instead of releasing two similar titles for the same platform, Nintendo has altered the plan slightly for Pokemon Mystery Dungeon. Blue Rescue Team for the Nintendo DS and Red Rescue Team for the Game Boy Advance will ship simultaneously on September 18th. By placing both cartridges into the DS system's two slots, you can interchange data between the adventures, each of which features randomly generated dungeons. Instead of controlling a human character, Mystery Dungeon puts gamers directly in control of the Pokemon for a change. While my own interest in the franchise has all but vanished, I still think the titles have a good amount of potential, and are almost certain to be top sellers. |
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