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What to do with Portabalooza
Portabalooza is not dead….well, sort of. It’s very obvious that I haven’t tried to post any updates to this site for quite some time, but I don’t want to let it go. I’d rather transform the site into something that can be more successful, as well as being more fun for me, but there are no clear plans of what to do yet. If there’s anyone out there that still visits, what do you want Portabalooza to be? I would prefer that, to be consistent with the name, it still be about portable gaming or other portable devices. There are many people that have liked some of my articles so I would like to still keep those. But this really is the end of an era for Portabalooza. It will still be around- but not as you know it right now. Keep on gaming…
Will Nintendo ever have another “third pillar”?
Ever since the Nintendo DS was announced, there have been speculations over what Nintendo’s next handheld system would be. Some game journalists have been going on about what is being called “Game Boy Next”, staying with the “third pillar” philosophy that Nintendo went over with the dual-screened system. Reported to be as powerful as the Gamecube, it’s one of those geek gadgets that should exist, at all costs.
But Nintendo has also reported a long while ago that they already considered the Nintendo DS to be their primary portable, after seeing what a huge success it has become. The DS has become one of their most supported game systems in history, making the title “third pillar” ridiculous. This title is buried into the ground even further with its GBA cartridge slot. Right from launch, having a Game Boy Advance was no longer necessary. They left the legacy of its Game Boy line and continue to put all their energy with the DS. So, will there ever be a new Game Boy? Or, the more interesting question to ask- will Nintendo’s next portable be based on the DS’s technology, or will it be a more traditional portable?
We know that Nintendo has always been king of portable systems, out-fighting all challengers that have come its way. As far as most of us can remember since our childhood Nintendo has always had two venues: home consoles and handhelds. (Maybe except for the uber-vintage gamers that have been around when Nintendo was just doing arcades.) And not counting the transitions that come with introducing new generations of consoles, Nintendo has always put full support on at least two different platforms for the past 20 years. So with the Wii doing surprisingly well, and the DS still not showing any signs of aging, would Nintendo want to throw down yet another game system?
Continuing to support the Wii and DS while pushing forth yet another game system would require a considerable growth in Nintendo’s staff. Otherwise it will put a strain on their company and hurt their R&D and marketing endeavors. But, I’m just a gamer drawing speculations, and secretive Nintendo pulls out a new surprise at us. However we know from experience that even the big Sony has trouble supporting three game systems at a time, which might explain why the PSP’s marketing campaign was so crippled. And a new system would divide or confuse third party developers.
I’d say that for now, Nintendo has put their “GameBoy Next” project on an indefinite hold. They are eager to explore new ideas, but even they know not to put all their eggs in one basket. Or more likely, they would’ve cancelled the project. But as with any good idea-factory, they would salvage the pieces for use in their next true handheld, or other game-related venue. Like a venue that hasn’t been tapped well in recent years and in need of revitalizing. Could their next “third pillar” actually be the arcades? Maybe they will want to conquer the gaming market in that area. But who knows what they’re really up to.
Porta-Bulletin: March 6
A new batch of FF Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates screens have arrived, thanks to French gaming site Wiiz for snatching them up. The game is looking better and more polished by the day!
Sony has just released a demo for PSP puzzle game Echochrome, but it’s only for Japanese players. Or at least, if you’re willing to find it leaked on the net, because it’s officially obtained from Playstation Spot download service.
Nippon Ichi is making waves on the DS platform with additional info of three of its upcoming games. The first one, Rhapsody: In Musical Adventure is based on NIS’s early strategic work, originally on the Playstation. Disgaea: Prince of the Demon World and the Red Moon would likely be their biggest attraction, and it will be an adaptation of the first Disgaea game, just as it was with Afternoon of Darkness on the PSP. Finally, there is Jigsaw World, another PS2 port that was only released in Japan.
A pixelated look at Nintendo’s history
This is a fan-made montage showing a brief history of some of Nintendo’s best characters from basic pixels in 2D to modern 3D renderings. It’s a pretty good look at how far video games have changed, and it’s more amazing when the same thing is happening with portable games before our eyes. When the Nintendo 64 was in its best years, who would’ve thought that people would be playing portable N64-quality games today? The poster’s somewhat inaccurate, however. Most of the recent 3D images shown are software renders made for promotional purposes and not in-game graphics. Nevertheless, today’s graphics can still compare with them.
Porta-Bulletin: March 3
This is the first of a series of a new segment, called Porta-Bulletin, to the site. Porta-Bulletin eschews the usual need to post somewhat minor news individually, in favor of presenting it all to you in small, manageable bits and pieces. Though I’m a bit late on the March 3 date, here’s some news to note…
God of War: Chains of Olympus scores a 9.3 at GameTrailers. Don’t forget, it’s out in North American stores tomorrow. And so soon after my Patapon purchase…
Via GoNintendo - trailer for DS platformer game Dragon Hunters, which looks like it took some key gameplay ideas from Super Mario Galaxy and Sonic. Time will tell if this is worth purchasing.
Tomy has released a gameplay video for their upcoming game, Naruto Shippuuden: Dairansen! Kage Bunshin Emaki. As the title suggests, the game will center around the main characters in the Naruto Shippuuden series. Check for many familiar faces in this one- it should be a hit that would probably make its way overseas.
Agetec has quietly released Puzzle Guzzle for a low price of $19.99, just right for casual puzzle fans. GamingShogun has the full press release.
Finally, Capcom has released their trailer for PSP’s Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G. It will be out in Japan towards the end of March.
DS Game New Releases: March
Aside from a few heavy hitters like Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, there’s not much action going on this month on the DS. Putting aside the obvious B-list titles, there are some new franchises that have potential, but they emit a “try before you buy” kind of aura. Titles that might fall under the radar but are worth looking at are Nanostray 2, SEGA Superstars Tennis, Insectiside, and the out-of-nowhere history-sim, Anno 1701: Dawn of Discovery.
Since I can’t possibly write about every single DS game, consider looking into these games this March.
Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword - (March 28) While Ninja Gaiden 2 will take most of the spotlight, Dragon Sword also looks like it will do quite nicely. To prove that all handheld ports of popular games aren’t totally bad, Dragon Sword mixes up magic and combat in a different style of gameplay, and it can all be controlled with the stylus. And with its nicely pre-rendered backgrounds, the game is also as graphically impressive as its big brother.
Ninja Reflex - (March 4) Ah, another game where you can be a ninja, although in a more trimmed-down package. Though it won’t win any awards for originality, Ninja Reflex provides a series of mini-games mostly meant to test your reflexes and speed. All the dojo-themed events are based around quick maneuvers combining both the stylus and buttons. But six is a small number of mini-games, so hopefully the games themselves will have enough depth to keep you busy for hours.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates - (March 11) Unlike the Gamecube predecessor, Ring of Fates is an FF action-RPG that promises a full, rich single player experience. Multiplayer is also getting some improvements in its 4-player Wi-Fi game. There are again many character classes to choose from, and no one has to carry that annoying chalice again.
Nanostray 2 - (March 11) Another hardcore scrolling 2D shooter is coming our way, with new ways to shoot, blast, and score your way into victory. Co-op play is also available, handy for taking out the extra hard bosses. A particularly nice feature is that the drone weapons you collect are controllable with your stylus.
SEGA Superstars Tennis - (March 18) This game should play just like its console brethren, meaning it is a good attempt to follow Nintendo’s suit of putting its mascot characters in a tennis game, and throwing a whole bunch of Sega-related trappings in it. You can control with either the buttons or the stylus in a variety of court styles and unique game modes. And it fills up the mascot tennis niche well, since there’s no Mario Tennis for the portable system.
Anno 1701: Dawn of Discovery - (March 4) When you already have a SimCity game for the DS, and flashier strategy games like Advance Wars: Days of Ruin, you might wonder what type of person Anno 1701 is for. Well, it’s a PC-based title focused on the Western age of exploration, which actually has made a good transition to the DS. You can settle, build, and discover new lands alone or against three other people via Wi-Fi.
RSS Feed link is up
So this is weird. Apparently my RSS link got replaced with a link to nowhere, but that’s all said and fixed. The “Subscribe” link on the top should be working again. I have my news feed set to http://feeds.feedburner.com/Portabalooza.
Also, I got a full-time job. For me, it means I can buy a lot more games, and for you, more posts to read. Get ready for a stream of game-related content and reviews, so check up on that news feed.
Review Backlog: Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee
Developer Clap Hanz takes their talent from the links onto the PSP with Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee. Now these guys have done well for themselves on the PS2 games, and they don’t hold anything back just because they’re developing a game for a handheld platform. HSG: Open Tee is largely unchanged gameplay-wise from its PS2 counterparts, and that’s probably for the better. The sport of golf is already a good formula for a pick-up-and-go handheld game, and the quirks that Hot Shots Golf bring just make it better.
The game brings a comprehensive and accessible golf experience that has not sacrificed much with its move to the PSP. As with the console games, Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee offers a variety of modes to play with, including the usual Stroke Play and Multiplayer, along with Challenge Mode and Putting Challenge. In each, you select from one of ten customizable golfers, each with its own innate abilities, advantages and weaknesses. This is represented with a series of base stats, which you can alter and grow through experience and unlocking items. It adds an RPG-like quality to the game, and your abilities are even measured in levels. Your abilities include how well a character can spin the ball and how accurately you can swing. The strength and precision of your shots also come into play.
Character stats are built in Challenge Mode. This mode gets you into with the game the most, as you level up your characters and unlock new items, courses and additional characters. From the start, you only get one course and two golfers that are well-rounded with no extreme pros and cons. Challenge Mode divides the challenges into tournament plays and match plays. Match plays have you competing against a computer-controlled character while a tournament play keeps you golfing at your own pace while trying to keep your lead against a list of players.
Each challenge provides an incentive to complete it. You either unlock a new item, course, or golfer, and additionally you may get a “rank star”. When you get enough of these stars, it increases your ranking in the game, opening up a new tier of challenges. Not all challenges have to be completed to do this, since some do not provide you with rank stars. Some matches have special rules (like a 2 stroke penalty for landing in the rough), or conditions that must be met. The matches start to get repetitive, but unlocking new golfers and courses try to keep the experience fresh. Additionally, playing with the same golfer for a prolonged time can help you max out their “loyalty” rating. This also gives a good incentive to increase your stats and try out all the different golfers.
As far as difficulty goes, the AI in the tournament games are a little too “rubber band”…they try to hold back when you are not doing so well, but can aggressively keep up with you if you’re taking the lead. It’s nothing too frustrating, though. The individual golfers in Match plays seem to have their AI of their own but they’re believable enough to be okay players. The difficulty curve for the courses never gets too steep, and each new course provides a good challenge as your skills improve. The first course has gentle slopes and winds, but the topography changes up on each course, and you are faced with natural obstacles that are more difficult to overcome. The wind also gets more unpredictable in the later courses. Occasionally, it might snow or rain in one hole, but this does not affect the ball’s flight.
Items for your golfer come as head gear, accessories, or body outfits. Although the items themselves are purely cosmetic, earning the items boost your stat experience in different areas. Earning head gear, for example, boosts the control of your shots. You can also amass a collection of clubs and golf balls which directly affect your performance. Some of them improve distance or control, while others are suited for certain situations, like escaping from sand traps, for example. Experimenting with combinations is useful, and can counteract some problems with the way you are playing.
At first you get simple golfing clothes and accessories but later on you can deck out your golfers in weird and snazzy outfits. And in true Hot Shots tradition, the golfers have cartoony designs and show personality. In addition to decking out your golfer in different clothes, you also choose from a variety of caddies. Although in practice, they just provide the voice of the announcements made throughout the game.
Stroke Play is effectively the “free play” of this game, and any unlocked course can be replayed. Your best scores and plays get posted to your records. In addition to the golf scoring rules, another score determines by detail how well you do on each course. Actions such as landing on fairways improves this score, as well as chip-ins and staying under par for the course. You are able to choose from the first or last 9 holes, the full 18 holes, and a mirrored variety of these. Practice Mode works almost the same way, except that you can start on any hole and repeat it as you wish, but your scores are not recorded in this mode.
Open Tee takes the gameplay further with Multiplayer mode, where you can compete with up to 7 other people through a local network or across the world. Unfortunately I did not get to test this feature. However it should be enjoyable considering that you can use your own customized golfers to compete against others. The games are also customizable, letting the host choose from a set of additional rules to make the match more interesting or challenging.
The last of the game modes, Putting Challenge is a small game which involves scoring a set number of points under one or more cups from putting in the green. It’s a small diversion that is especially good in helping you master the art of putting. In holes that have more than one cup, the more difficult putts are worth more points for the cup. Completing these challenges unlock different items which will not be found in Challenge Mode.
The style and presentation of Open Tee might draw you in, but it’s the solid gameplay and physics that will make you stay. This game has tight controls, and with each swing, the ball bounces and rolls in a very convincing manner. Although its three-point swing system is not groundbreaking, it’s still flexible enough to give you a variety of ways to hit the ball. Master the system and you’ll be able to pull off some gravity-defying pin shots and spinbacks which make the ball roll against the slope. The key is to work these to your advantage for some impressive chip-in shots.
Visually, the game is just right for what is intended to be a light-hearted golf outing. The courses are made to look fairly pleasing and realistic, but they don’t clash with the bobble-head look of the characters. The environment textures are good and crisp, and you will never confuse fairways from roughs. Most of the interface graphics are consistent with the look of the PS2 Hot Shots Golf games. The characters in this game are well-rendered and even have individual fingers, which is a nice touch considering they would be holding golf clubs most of the time.
The sound in the game is passable to good. Each course has its own subtle but distinct set of sounds, like the distant yodeling in the Alpine course or the the crickets of a seaside area. In some points it feels like the ambient sounds are recycled a little too much, but they are not so intrusive as to ruin your game. Whatever music is in the game is mostly left to the menus and option screens, though you also have the option to turn on the music when you are actually playing. It is light, upbeat music and which is not bad for this game. Like the sound effects, it does not try to compete for your attention.
Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee is a game with a surprisingly long replay value, with many things to unlock and collect. The Challenge mode is designed under the premise that you gotta play “just one more” game before you stop. The items may seem gimmicky to some people, but collecting them can easily become an addictive experience. If you get bored with that you can try to improve your personal scores in Stroke Play, or keep up with other people in the Multiplayer games. The game also records your best matches, scores, and also tracks your average performance for each course. Being able to record and view your most amazing shots is also a nice way to show off. All these features are a good layer of polish to a game with already great controls and physics. You do not have to be a golf purist to enjoy Hot Shots, and even if this is your first experience with the series, Open Tee won’t disappoint.
Score: 8 out of 10 (golf balls?)
PlayStation Portable: The Marketing Snafu Chronicles
Since every other game these days wants to use the word “chronicles” in its title, I will carry on the tradition with this article, before the fad’s growing weight breaks the bandwagon’s axles. First, I would like to think of the PSP is a miracle product. Not because it’s a cool luxury gadget, but because it’s holding its own very well despite its rough commercial history and against all odds with the more popular Nintendo DS. When you consider its entire history in the video games market, Sony has usually been very effective in getting its point across.
But from its lukewarm launch (outside of Japan) to the non-sequitur content in ads, the PSP has definitely seen better days.
Its Japan launch did very well. The PSP sold out in a few days, and people were paying inflated prices on eBay. It was like the PS2 all over again. North America finally got their chance to experience it three months later, when the warmth of spring was just around the corner. But its initial reception was very cold. Blame it on the “cold launch”, which was Sony’s decision to play it safe by not over-advertising it (to avoid product shortages), but they went too far in the other end. PSP awareness was still low a week after launch, despite its good lineup of games. Blame the fact that most stores that carried it only had a few signs showcasing the product, and advertising outside these venues was hard to find.
Then they did something random: paint graffiti in the streets of New York City, Miami, and Philadelphia, among other towns. These cartoon drawings of kids playing around with PSPs (not actually playing on the PSP) have caused a disturbance in neighborhoods. As a long-ago friend realized, writing graffiti isn’t as easy in the US as it is in Europe. Although Sony gave permission from property owners to express their own agenda, most people found them to be eyesores and not artistic at all.
If you look at them another way, the art style may not seem legit and it could just be an artist working on his own, passing along social commentary. Unfortunately this wasn’t the case, making it ironic that graffiti is being used to spread a corporate agenda. So much for taking handheld gaming out of the ghetto.
“It’s like a nut you can play outside”…that’s the deadpan voiceover at the end of the commercial, and the only clue as to what the PSP is about. I admire Sony for using more creative ways to make game commercials, and these animated critters probably did a good job in padding some animators’ portfolios. But did this commercial totally miss the point, or what? One squirrel tells his friend about the “portable nut” that is superior to all the regular nuts, but even when taken in context how much sense does it make? And what kind of edible nut isn’t portable? The PSP itself is separate from this scene and just ends with the voiceover.
The squirrels were just part of a larger set of animals, usually putting odd stereotypes along with the PSP they refer to at the end. Sony must’ve felt too cool to use a lot of gameplay footage, if any, in their commercials. Even if these animals were offensive to certain people, the envelope has yet to be pushed further. It wouldn’t happen for at least a few months, in the Netherlands.
This marketing pitch was destined to go wrong before it was made public. To herald the arrival of the new white PSP in Europe, a white female model can be seen holding a black model in a submissive pose along with the message, “PlayStation Portable White is coming”. I’m not sure if this was meant to intentionally make you take a second look at the ad, but buying a game system was far from people’s minds. Almost instantly it was labeled as having racist overtones, as black people being associated with a product. The cries were mostly heard overseas, from NAACP to California representative Leland Yee, who successfully convinced Sony to pull down the billboard ads.
Political incorrectness aside, the ad was not convincing, and a bit confusing. If both women are shown to represent the white and black PSP, why does there need to be tension between both? Both products are made by the same company, after all. The white PSP was never meant to be a replacement of the black one, just a new color to choose from. So I don’t really see why white is being portrayed in a threatening way. What a mixed message.
What followed would not be offensive, but it did insult our intelligence with humorous results.
In December of 2006, Sony decides to take a totally new approach- go online to take on the sphere of the 21st century. No, not the Epcot Center- the blogosphere. As blogging has become a hot trend lately, Sony obviously wanted in, and tried offering up some self-promotion in an inconspicuous manner. But it didn’t work. Readers quickly saw through the thinly veiled disguised of a blog that was supposed to be written by teenagers or young adults.
As a seemingly non-PSP blog started to become more fixated on the sleek portable, some eyes narrowed, others rolled. Remember, this was during the time the Wii and PS3 came out, and nearly all the buzz was on these consoles as far as everyone I know. Who really wanted a PSP for Xmas in 2006? Most readers went on the offensive, spamming the blog with comments and ratting out Sony for their miserable plot. Something funny was discovered: the word “marketing” and “viral” were banned from the comments, making the blog’s origin clear as mud.
But it didn’t stop there. The blog also contained unintentionally funny videos of supposed “fans” making songs about wanting a PSP for Xmas. The rap music video got the most attention, what with the lazy lyrics and awkward setup of a 30-year old man asking his mom to get him a present. The blog readers traced back the blog’s domain and made a few connections with the photos of the people in the blog. Not suprisingly, the blog wasn’t run by any average teenagers, but an advertising agency- Zipatoni. They were hired by Sony to come up with a non-traditional way to market the product. The Consumerist, a website that reports on marketing venues, picked up the story and Sony’s blog was all but over. A month later, the blog was pulled down.
Since then it has been mostly uneventful for Sony’s ad campaign, what with their focus on the newer PS3 and its Blu-Ray technology. But for a company that’s supporting three platforms at once, they’re doing very well. The newest big thing on the PSP hardware horizon was the new PSP slim, which boasts a more efficient battery and video-out so you can finally play those games on a TV screen. And yes, there are ads for them too. They mostly focus on an annoying guy spouting out the newest features and games, but they are nothing to talk about compared to what Sony has tried to do in the past.
These days, Sony wants the PSP and the PS3 to be an item, tied in together with its PlayStation store and providing content for both platforms. But at least it’s not trying to shove this down consumer’s throats. With a more humble approach to winning Sony fans, it looks like its days of offbeat advertising might be coming to an end.
MTV keeps UMD format alive
The UMD is not yet dead, folks! At least, not in its usage that Sony intended, to be a universal portable format for storing all kinds of media. Sony Computer Entertainment of America and MTV have joined forces to distribute a variety of TV content to the UMD format. It is the first time a major TV content provider has collaborated with SCEA. And should already be available now at retail stores. Hopefully, this might help breathe new life into the quickly fading media format.
Phil Rosenberg, SCEA’s senior vice president of sales and business development, had this to say about the new collaboration and pushing forth the format:
“This collaboration with MTV is a key first step in meeting the needs of our consumers, who are utilizing PSP as a video player more than ever and are thirsting for more content, particularly short-form videos…MTV’s programming is hugely popular, and SCEA can utilize our internal resources to appropriately manage the publishing and distribution of these hit shows on UMD. This demonstrates our commitment to supporting the UMD video format by delivering what consumers want to watch at the right price. SCEA will continue to license movie, TV, and other video content, leveraging our sales and marketing strengths, as a strategic focus moving forward.”
And the price also makes sense too. At $14.95 for each of these movies, it should not put much of a dent in consumer’s wallets. Compare this to just 2 years ago when they were at $30, costing more than the DVD version, which may have more features. And now, with the release of the PSP slim and watching movies from its video-out, UMD movies are suddenly more enticing.
You can now following MTV titles at retail stores: Beavis & Butt-head: The Mike Judge Collection, Jackass - Vol. 2 and 3, Wildboyz - Vol. 1 and 2, Viva La Bam - Vol. 2, 3, and 4, and Aeon Flux, which is a complete collection in 2 discs.
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