April 2 – April 6

Section: 

The best thing I can say about this Monday morning is that April Fools Day is over. Actually, that's not true. The best thing I can say about this Monday is that it's one day fewer before PAX East begins this Friday.

I've gone from anticipatory, to excited and now almost anxious. I always get like this before a big trip anyway, but attending a big event with a GWJ panel is almost too much for my fluttery humors to handle. I had the same feeling going into PAX West a couple of years back, and it was a tremendous experience. Once I'm shuffling through security at the airport early Thursday morning I expect to be back to relative normal.

As for the week in gaming itself, I want to believe that Kinect Star Wars is going to be fun. I don't expect Game of the Year performance, but jumping around swinging lightsabres with my kids is, I think, a reasonable expectation, so if it can deliver something that makes jiggling around like a fool fun then I'll consider that a win. Still, it's not hard to imagine the many ways this game could be a disappointing catastrophe, and we should simply call my skepticism healthy and leave it at that. Still, unless you're a huge Tropico 4 fan who is eagerly anticipating this week's expansion, there's not a lot else to get worked up about.

[edit]Unless something called -- *checks notes* -- uh, Xenoblade Chronicles is a thing that you like. It is, umm, let's see, some kind of JRPG thingy for the Nintendo Wii. Which is, given those two qualities, obviously a thing I am very excited about. Only a fool wouldn't be, right!

PC
- Confrontation
- Shoot Many Robots (Steam - $10)
- Tropico 4: Modern Times

Xbox 360
- Devil May Cry HD Collection
- Fallout 3 & Oblivion Double Pack
- Kinect Star Wars
- Anomaly Warzone Earth (XBLA - $10)
- Diabolical Pitch (XBLA - $10)

PS3
- Devil May Cry HD Collection
- I Am Alive (PSN - $15)
- The Price Is Right Decades (PSN)
- Wheels of Destruction: World Tour (PSN - $10)

Wii
- Xenoblade Chronicles
- TNT Racers (WiiWare)

Nintendo 3DS
- Funky Barn 3D
- Colors! 3D (eShop - $7)

PSP
- Canabalt (PSP mini)
- Farm Frenzy 2 (PSP mini)

Nintendo DS
- Penguin Patrol (DSiWare - $2)

Comments

garion333 wrote:

For instance, Hyperdimension Neptunia is the sort of thing that's over my cuteness bar.

That game is what came to my mind when I heard "Kawaii" or "Cuteness" or whatever (well, not that one specifically, but that sort of visual design).

I'll confess, I have no interest in Xenoblade Chronicle's sleeky sci-fi-fantasy design myself, but the game still looks like a lot of fun. Maybe I'm just more tolerant, though, because anime and JRPG's have been a part of my life since I was a living creature.

I mean, let's face it. If people let that art style drive them nuts then no one would have played the best Legend of Zelda ever, which is clearly A Link to the Past. >.>

Demyx wrote:
Dysplastic wrote:

It's not just that it's a JRPG, it's that it's a Wii exclusive JRPG. I bet you people would be paying a lot more attention if it were multiplatform. As it stands, I can't even play it.

And the highlighted game is a Kinect exclusive, and there's less people who own Kinects than Wiis. I hope.

I had to look this up. Kinect has shipped 18 million units, while Wii has shipped 94.97 million units. That puts connect above the Nintendo 3DS but below the Gamecube (and significantly above the Dreamcast, see Wikipedia).

Okay, it's time to pick your response, because this is the internet and there can only be two positions:

1) The last paragraph of this article was unacceptable! We, the readers, deserve the ending that we were promised from the beginning!

Or....

2) Oh noes! GWJ capitulated to the demands of the entitled whiners on the internet! This totally ruins the experience I had reading the post before they changed it!

doubtingthomas396 wrote:

Okay, it's time to pick your response, because this is the internet and there can only be two positions:

1) The last paragraph of this article was unacceptable! We, the readers, deserve the ending that we were promised from the beginning!

Or....

2) Oh noes! GWJ capitulated to the demands of the entitled whiners on the internet! This totally ruins the experience I had reading the post before they changed it!

This whole comment was about choices! To artificially limit my options to two is anathema to the premise of the comment!

wordsmythe wrote:
doubtingthomas396 wrote:

Okay, it's time to pick your response, because this is the internet and there can only be two positions:

1) The last paragraph of this article was unacceptable! We, the readers, deserve the ending that we were promised from the beginning!

Or....

2) Oh noes! GWJ capitulated to the demands of the entitled whiners on the internet! This totally ruins the experience I had reading the post before they changed it!

This whole comment was about choices! To artificially limit my options to two is anathema to the premise of the comment!

I assume Elysium intends to charge us $5-$10 in a month to see his "true" review of Xenoblade.

Where are folks picking up copies of xenoblade chronicles when it drops? Amazon doesn't seem to have a listing for the US version and it's got a funky release date.

I'm sold. Now I just need to know where to buy.

It sounds as if you can only get it from GameStop or Nintendo's website, and it releases this Friday (April 6th).

Mister Magnus wrote:

Where are folks picking up copies of xenoblade chronicles when it drops? Amazon doesn't seem to have a listing for the US version and it's got a funky release date.

I'm sold. Now I just need to know where to buy.

I have a friend off the Brown Line who says his local GameStop jumped the release date.

ccesarano wrote:

It sounds as if you can only get it from GameStop or Nintendo's website, and it releases this Friday (April 6th).

That's actually how it's going down officially. Only those 2 places to get the game.

Also, cross posting this from the Xenoblade thread, since this might help some people jump in:

If you really want a used Wii on the cheap, Cowboom (used stuff from Bestbuy) has them for $60+$5 shipping today (only).

Good info, y'all. Thanks

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

I take back my comment regarding Star Wars.

Curse you, Tanglebones, for showing me this.

That is awesome...like watching a trainwreck awesome.

Obviously George Lucas hates Star Wars and all its fans. It is the only explanation.

Nevin73 said, "That is awesome...like watching a trainwreck awesome.

Obviously George Lucas hates Star Wars and all its fans. It is the only explanation."
--

It's like watching the best parts of my childhood being showered in a torrent of pig feces.

I hope that's some sort of April Fool's joke.

Kinect Star Wars (like most kinect games) is about having kids. If you have them you're a little excited about it and think it could be pretty neat. If you don't have them you think it looks stupid. Both are absolutely correct. I, personally, could care less about JRPGs. They simply don't appeal to me.

I do have kids and I had this game pre-ordered long, long ago. My kids are 8 and 7 and they love Lego Star Wars, Kung-Fu High Impact, Dance Central, and lots of other kinect games. I believe my wife will find the dance portion of this game hilarious (I already do.) Overall, it's a game that I know won't be a great game but I hope it is a fun experience with a group.

mediocrepoet wrote:

Nevin73 said, "That is awesome...like watching a trainwreck awesome.

Obviously George Lucas hates Star Wars and all its fans. It is the only explanation."
--

It's like watching the best parts of my childhood being showered in a torrent of pig feces.

I hope that's some sort of April Fool's joke.

This describes the past decade of my relationship with Star Wars so well it's now sigged.

EvilHomer3k wrote:

Kinect Star Wars (like most kinect games) is about having kids. If you have them you're a little excited about it and think it could be pretty neat. If you don't have them you think it looks stupid. Both are absolutely correct. I, personally, could care less about JRPGs. They simply don't appeal to me.

I do have kids and I had this game pre-ordered long, long ago. My kids are 8 and 7 and they love Lego Star Wars, Kung-Fu High Impact, Dance Central, and lots of other kinect games. I believe my wife will find the dance portion of this game hilarious (I already do.) Overall, it's a game that I know won't be a great game but I hope it is a fun experience with a group.

But which one is worth Game of the Week?

I can see your point, though even as a family game it doesn't really look any fun. I don't buy the idea that you can slap any crap together and kids are happy. I was only about 7 years old when Final Fantasy IV (II U.S.) released, and perhaps BECAUSE I was a child I appreciated the story so much more. It was a game that I could play, but didn't treat me like I was an idiot.

Children are entitled to art as well.

But, it could be that Kinect Star Wars is actually a fantastic game and it just LOOKS like it controls horribly and is a total piece of trash.

I'll let Anthony Gallegos answer that question for us all:

Stormtroopers dancing to "Empire Today" (YMCA). Oh man that's funny.

I either just watched Stormtroopers dancing to a redone "YMCA" or was just anally raped by Jar-Jar Binks. Not sure I'd be able to tell the difference.

I don't think Anthony's review is likely that far off. I also don't think it's a bad thing. It is too bad, though, that the biggest part of the game is the least successful part.

I went home for lunch and played for about 10 minutes. One thing I completely agree with from the review is that canned scenes interrupt you far too often. In my 10 minutes of playing I was watching for about 5 minutes of that time. I didn't get enough play time in to say if there are major control issues but I would not be surprised. I didn't get the feeling that the controls are fantastic. It's also a bit disappointing to read that the force powers are neutered. I think the appeal of the game is to feel like a powerful jedi and to be able to use your powers. Sounds like that is not part of the game and has nothing to do with control.

You say "Empire today," I hear "588-2300."

wordsmythe wrote:

You say "Empire today," I hear "588-2300."

I also have the sudden urge to get new carpet for my apartment.

wordsmythe wrote:

You say "Empire today," I hear "588-2300."867-5309

Vader Vader, who can I turn to
With my force choke, it's time to grab you
I know you think the Death Star's a spherical fort
But those stupid rebels found the exhaust fort

...
IMAGE(http://img.gawkerassets.com/post/9/2012/04/fett_loop3_1.gif)

...
IMAGE(http://img.gawkerassets.com/post/9/2012/04/solo_loop.gif)

...Star Wars: Kinect got robbed!

everything in this thread

You broke my childhood.
You monsters.

EvilHomer3k wrote:

I do have kids and I had this game pre-ordered long, long ago. My kids are 8 and 7 and they love Lego Star Wars, Kung-Fu High Impact, Dance Central, and lots of other kinect games.

I love Kung Fu High Impact. My kids had better stay out of the way or they're going to get knocked out by my No Shadow Kick.

(We have three Kinects in the house and only one very dusty Wii, so there!)

[Edit] I love that in every animated GIF R2 is in the background busting out hip thrusts.

Thank you, Star Wars Kinect, for letting me know that Boba Fett's crotch is awesome.

I didn't think it was possible to see something with Han Solo in it and wish I could hate it to death. I was wrong.

(Also, if you're going to include Boba Fett dancing, it really needs to be to Fett's Vette.)

I love that the move is called the "mynock."

So I watched that video.

I think I've suffered about 10 D6 damage.

ccesarano wrote:

So I watched that video.

I think I've suffered about 10 D6 damage.

Star Wars Kinect is like a perpetual attack of opportunity that crits.