I recently reviewed the unimpressive Create-A-Mall:
Unfortunately, Create-a-Mall took mindless consumerism and crossed it with repetitive, challengeless gameplay. You play as Kelly, a corporate drone tasked with leasing stores to create a mall.
Time and resource management games all have some similarities. No matter what the game theme is, players will need to manage resources and time to complete goals. But Create-a-Mall felt like a clone of the repetitive playstyle and unrewarding rewards of Build-A-Lot 2, reskinned as a mall instead of a neighborhood.
I’m looking for a DS game I can play with my little niece. She loves playing Cooking Mama with me, but she can’t read very well yet so I have to read her each set of instructions. She’s very good with the stylus, my screen is safe even in her kindergartener hands.
So I’m looking for a DS game that uses the stylus more than the buttons, and doesn’t have a lot of reading (she can sound out words and I can read her instructions, but a game based on dialogue is just too frustrating for a beginning reader). It goes without saying that I don’t want her to play anything violent or bloody. Any ideas?
I blogged about the upcoming East India Company game from Paradox Interactive a few months ago when I discovered their beta test. I’ve also been following the designer’s blog (well worth the visit if you’re at all interested in this game) and they’ve recently released a video of the new game too.
I admit that I’m fascinated by this era in history… after living in Asia, it’s hard not to be fascinated by the multi-side power struggle over resources, trade routes, colonization and sovereignty, the effects of which are still a major force in the development and the political borders of Asia. This lends itself well to a strategy game (although there are so many factors, can a game include them all?) and seeing the graphics in the style of old-fashioned paintings just makes me more excited to see this game.
In a move that sounds like a joke, Microsoft is offering $10,000 as a prize for using IE8. They specify that Firefox users need to switch, or get lost! I’ve been accused of blog hyperbole once or twice, but that’s a direct quote from the contest site:
We’ve buried $10,000 somewhere on the Internet and if you’re the first one to find it, you get to keep it.
But you’ll never find it using old Firefox.
(So get rid of it, or get lost.)
It seems as if the big M is paying users to risk giving up the convenience and stability of FireFox, but if the choice is between a distant shot at a $10,000 prize, or using a stable browser with virus protection everyday, well, that’s not much of a choice.
….
Even though there’s a $10,000 prize that can only be seen with IE8, I’ll be staying with FireFox. So, Microsoft, since you put it that way, I think I’ll get lost.
The newest Indie Game Mag comes out today. Issue 5 promises to have some great games and interviews, including my piece on Wonderland Adventures: Fire Island.
The July/August Issue of the Indie Game Magazine hits news stands everywhere today. In Issue 5: We have a brand new roundtable feature where 4 reviewers rate 10 of the latest indie game demos. This issue is chock full of indie goodness with over 20 indie games featured. We have an extensive interview with Edmund McMillen, Fling around bodies in Ragdoll Cannon, Solve some family friendly puzzles in Wonderland Adventures, Build an empire in Romopolis, and take a look at the IGF student finalist City Rain.
After Women’s Murder Club: A Darker Shade Of Grey, and Women’s Murder Club: Death In Scarlet comes a new WMC, Women’s Murder Club: Crimes of Passion, this time for the Nintendo DS and DSi. I think the portable DS system, with the stylus-driven games, is perfect for casual gaming, and I’m seeing more and more story-based casual games coming out. I’ve been carrying the Sims (or Sims Castaway!) in my purse, and I also saw a Nancy Drew game for the DS the other day.
From the Women’s Murder Club: Crimes of Passion press release:
“When I dreamed up the ladies of the Women’s Murder Club, I knew they were women of action; women on the go,” said James Patterson. “I never dreamed they could come to life like they have in the Nintendo DS version. This new game gives fans a chance to become a member of the Women’s Murder Club anytime, anywhere.”
And by “anytime, anywhere” I think he means “while waiting at the airport”.
I was lucky enough to get a look at some screenshots from the upcoming game. I had to include this one, because there just aren’t enough science-themed puzzles in games targeted to women!
Obligatory hidden objects minigame. It works well in a mystery-solving game, but I just don’t see what’s fun about squinting at the screen.
Nintendo DSi users will get a special feature that uses the camera, (can’t wait to see how they integrate that) but the game will also be available for the regular DS.
Free Realms has just hit 2 million players, and to celebrate, those first 2 million players get a package of treats, including Cotton Wool Candy, Silver Surf n’ Turf and special boosters. So, if you’ve already made a Free Realms character, go get your special early-adopter pack! (Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone you play a pixie online.)
If you’re a a FilePlanet member (and you probably already are), you’re able to sign up for the closed beta of the new Huxley game:
In a post-apocalyptic world where humanity has divided into three mutually hostile species, a battle for survival rages through the ruins of a ravaged Earth.
Huxley is an “MMOFPS,” a game that combines the white-knuckle action and player vs. player combat of your favorite first-person shooters with the social interactions, large-scale battles, character growth and persistent gameplay of your favorite online RPGs.
CrispyGamer has this to say about the upcoming Majesty 2:
Do you remember when Cyberlore Studios was the only name one would associate with Majesty - you know, before it decided to develop a simulation game about the Playboy Mansion? Yeah, those were good times. But Majesty is no longer owned by Cyberlore - Paradox bought the franchise and decided to create a brand new game in the series. To its credit the company is trying to create a fantasy kingdom simulation that adheres closely to the formula that made the first game such a sleeper hit.
While I was sad to see the end of Cyberlore, I was pleased to hear about the possibility of a sequel. (Disclosure: My boyfriend worked for Cyberlore, on the Playboy game) Paradox Interactive was totally unknown to me when I heard that someone else had bought the Majesty line and planned to make a sequel, but since the nI’ve seen the Paradox name everywhere. They’re behind the upcoming East India Company, the new Restaurant Empire 2, Elven Legacy and others.
I was not overly impressed by the trailer, it looked a bit generic, but this presentation makes the game look awesome:
One day, you’re standing on the dock, waving goodbye to a friend, when you slip and fall and land in a crate, which is sealed and loaded onto a cargo ship, which is caught up in a storm and your Sim is shipwrecked on a deserted island! Your poor shipwrecked Sim must survive on this island, at first by finding food, building a shelter and starting a fire.
The zaniness we love about the Sims arrives in Castaway once you’ve gotten a handle on sleeping and not-starving. Your Sim can build an SOS sign for Dharma initiative-style airdrops of random things, like a victrola or a candy bar. As you collect island items, you can cook tasty dinners (your Sim was getting tired of bugs and raw fish), make new clothes, make tools or decorations, build a new house, make a canoe and just create all kind of island crafts. You can even make and play an ocarina! And, as you explore more, you’ll also befriend the other island refugees, and check out the ancient temple. All tropical islands have an ancient temple, don’t you know?
I’ve written such angry things about sparkly pink shopping games as “girls’ games”, that I hate to admit when I fall into a traditional girl pattern, but, well, I love pretend cooking. I like it in World of WarCraft, too, if that make me sound any less like an eight-year-old girl. I also like making Sim clothes and playing dress-up. Castaway avoids being an unappealingly feminine game by also having survival puzzles and mini-games about fish-catching and fire-building. Oh, and the game’s not pink, which is always good in my book.
Sims 2: Castaway seemed to make much better use of the DS interface than Sims 2. In the regular Sims 2, you’re forced to ignore the stylus, and use the clumsy buttons to navigate, but you can’t put the stylus away completely, because you need it to select menu options that really should be hotkeys or at least accessible by arrow keys. Sims 2: Castaway takes better advantage of the DS-specific interface, using either the stylus to move, and even creating minigames that require use of the microphone. The top screen is used to display the meters that are very familiar to Sims players.
One interface annoyance is the crafting book. When crafting, your Sim cannot create multiples of the same item. You need to select the crafting spot, tap Craft Things, then click the item you want to make,which leads to a screen showing you what materials will be reguired. On this screen, you must click Make. Then you’ll see a picture of what you’re making, and you must click OK. Then you see a picture of what you made, and you’re forced to click OK one more time. If you want to make a duplicate (or a second item), you’re back at the crafting book, and you need to do it all over again. And if your item is on the second or third page of the crafting book, it can be even longer. And if you need three of one item to make something special, well, seems like EA figured out how to most of the suck the fun from a crafting game.
I was a big fan of Sims 2 for the computer, so I expected to like Castaway. It was even better than I expected, with the exotic island theme, a zany but cohesive storyline, and all the adorably realistic animations we expect from the Sims.
Another freebie from Big Fish Games! Click the Azada image, follow the instructions to buy the game, and then enter the code FREEAZADA at checkout to get it free!
Monkey Island is back, both as a remake of the original game AND as a new series in the Monkey Island world.
LucasArts and Telltale Reveal Series of New Monkey Island Adventures Coming Soon!
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif – June 1, 2009 – LucasArts today announced that the original hilarious pirate adventure is back, with two new projects underway based on the classic Monkey Island franchise. Beginning in just a few short weeks, Telltale will premiere the Tales of Monkey Island™ game series, delivering a completely new epic storyline and swashbuckling flair that will unfold across five monthly episodes on PC and WiiWare™. The Monkey Island celebration continues later in the summer when LucasArts publishes The Secret of Monkey Island™: Special Edition, a completely re-imagined version of the first game in the series that adds updated high definition graphics, a re-mastered musical score, and full voiceover to the classic adventure game originally launched in 1990. The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition will be made available on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and PC.
Can’t wait to see what kind of insults the Swordmaster has for GuyBrush Threepwood this time!
I’m so jealous of everyone heading to E3! I’m sure I’ll be going too, once I become a famous games journalist, but for now, I’m just looking on enviously at all the new games and announcements of upcoming games.
I’m pretty excited about LEGO Rock Band, even though a lot of people are complaining that it’s slapping the LEGO name on just another Rock Band game, or slapping the Rock Band name on just another LEGO game. To me, this is a bit like complaining that mint chocolate chip ice cream has MINT and CHOCOLATE CHIPS.
I’ve been a bit quiet on the blogging front recently. I’ve got a review coming out in the next Indie Games Mag, and I have some DS reviews in the works, but in the meantime, here are some other game sites I like to help you you smiling at work.
Paradox Interactive — the people behind the upcoming Majesty 2 and East India Company games — is releasing Restaurant Empire 2 today.
Paradox Interactive today announced that Enlight Software’s Restaurant Empire 2 has been released worldwide. Restaurant Empire 2 builds on the highly popular Restaurant Empire franchise, a title that has already sold over 300,000 units in the United States alone.
With two handfuls of cash and a dream of creating a legacy; build, cook and hire your way to the very top of the culinary world, where tasty food is king and smart management reels in the dollars. If you’re skilled enough in the kitchen and behind the management desk, you just may go further than any aspiring restaurateur before you and cement your status as a true legend of cuisine.
You know what they say about keeping your fingers in as many pies as possible? It pays to diversify. In Restaurant Empire 2 you get the chance to grab a slice of the lucrative café and dessert house markets. Both types of establishment are available when playing the sandbox scenario, or throughout the second campaign, where you must help Delia carve out her own business empire.
Sprinkle your magic on a failing franchise, yet be wary of spreading your finances too thinly as your empire grows. Tailor your menus to include the very best and most popular beverages from teas and coffees to shakes, coolers and smoothies. Whip up some tasty treats for your customers in the form of sandwiches, salads, ice-creams, cakes, tarts, pies and many other items. Then set about decorating the interiors and exteriors with more theme-specific items, some of which must be unlocked through game events. Finally, invite the very best entertainers to perform exclusively in your outlets, making them stand out more from the competition.
If you still believe running a restaurant empire is as easy as baking a cake, here’s your chance to step up to the plate.
Burda:ic, a leading publisher of online games worldwide, have announced that war is about to break out between the Royal Army and the Pirates of popular free-to-play MMORPG Florensia! Two existing in-game maps will be converted from standard adventuring areas into new player vs. player (PvP) War Zones for level 40 and above: the Hidden Port in the Pirates of the Black Dragon Base and the Rainbow Highland on Chester Island. Additionally, an all-new War Zone map, the Lava Plateau, will be added on Magnel Island.
Buccaneers beware, you’ll need a keen eye and fast fingers upon arrival to these new areas, as players are free to attack anything that moves… even if that happens to be a fellow adventurer. It’s every man, soldier, and pirate for himself on these battlegrounds, and it’s up to each player to decide his or her own fate. Help the Royal Army clear the areas of monsters and earn a boost in the ranks. Kill other players, and the Pirates are sure to take notice.
A war is brewing on the high seas of Florensia, and these new PvP War Zones are just a taste of the seafaring adventure and mayhem on the horizon!
NDOORS Interactive today officially announced their newest title, WonderKing. Planned for release in the second half of 2009, WonderKing is an unconventional MMORPG from the developer Ryu & Soft that is designed for gamers of all skill level. The beta is scheduled to launch early this summer.
“With the success of Atlantica Online and Luminary: Rise of the GoonZu in the US, we feel the market is eager for a variety of MMO games,” said Peter Kang, CEO of NDOORS Interactive. “WonderKing’s introduction to the North American market will offer a truly encapsulating experience for gamers of every taste and preference.”
WonderKing is a 2D, side-scrolling MMORPG that takes players on an adventurous journey with story-by-story quests, much like a fantasy novel. Along the way, players will travel from beautiful beaches to murky marshlands and frigid snowfields as they battle to save the world. Don’t let the lack of a third dimension fool you, as this game is a highly developed MMORPG, including features such as:
• Home Town System: Players can personally decorate a private room where they can rest and store items and trophies.
• Pet System: Adorable, loyal AI animals will aid in hunting, item collecting, and other tasks.
• Class Change: The game allows players to focus their character’s abilities and change between classes to learn powerful techniques (mage, swordsman, thief, and scout).
• Mounts and Vehicles: Get moving with a variety of vehicles to ride and animals to mount, providing boosts to attack and defense.
• Castle Battles: Engage in PvP battles using siege warfare across castles.
• Crafting and Cooking: Weapons, food, and potions can be made to give players an edge in battle.
Designed for gamers of all ages, WonderKing is set in a vibrantly colorful world and features some of the most uniquely creative character designs and gorgeous graphics in any game. As with all of NDOORS’ titles, the game is 100% free-to-play.
I’m not sure what makes it an “unconventional MMORPG”, it looks like a standard anime adventure game to me. (Not really complaining, I like that genre, but I don’t see what makes it unique) Watch the trailer and decide for yourself, or sign for the beta here.
A new Ninja will be opening soon, check out the open beta now!
CyberAgent America, Inc., today announced the launch of the open beta for free-to-play multiplayer action game NinjaTrick. Aspiring ninjas everywhere are urged to point their browsers towards www.NinjaTrick.com to get a first look at the intense Ninjutsu action.
NinjaTrick offers its own unique brand of PvP ninja action, with Japanese-inspired artwork and hundreds of stylish, personalized avatar options. Features include:
Multiple match modes, including 1vs1, free for all, and team
20+ Ninjutsu and Traps
100+ Ninja costumes
Virtual currency NinjaGold and NinjaCoin
New items and battlefields introduced regularly to keep content fresh
“NinjaTrick is built from the ground-up to deliver a fun, safe and engaging experience for teens – whether they’re playing at NinjaTrick.com or on Facebook,” said Toshimichi Namba, CEO for CyberAgent America, Inc. “We invite teens everywhere to bring their Jutsu skills to the open beta and help us further refine what we think is the perfect formula – just enough action, just enough cuteness, and fun in spades.”
If you’ve ever zoned out watching your iTunes visually represent your favorite songs, this game is for you.
Music Catch is a game the way Frisbee is a game. You’re really enjoying the good weather and time with friends, as you toss the Frisbee and half-heartedly keep count. With Music Catch, you’re doing the same thing, enjoying relaxing music and images.
This isn’t a hardcore game by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a fantastic mental vacation. Shapes drift across the screen, changing color, size and flow to match the music. You idly try to scoop up yellow shape and avoid red ones, but no stress. This is one of the least copetitive games I’ve ever seen.
I’ve played a lot of games that claim to be different, but are really just a pretty version of match-3 or hidden objects. Music Catch really is different.
I wrote this up for my own blog, but I wanted to share it here, too.
You’re on your way from someplace much cooler to someplace much cooler when your car breaks down in Strangetown, and the Sims 2 game begins. A local yokel says he can fix that, but while you’re waiting (it goes without saying that the required part’s on backorder in Strangetown), you take over as manager of a creepy, rundown hotel, in this little town of odd events.
Almost everyone who’s played the Sims knows that the ghosts, alien abductions and general parmanormal silliness are the best part of the Sims, so the makers of Sims 2 for the DS toned down the time spent watching your Sim sleep or cook dinner, and increased the zany encounters.
You play as one Sim, not a household, and the story is much more linear than the PC versions. It’s also no longer a sandbox game. Players have limited control over hotel guests, but important penthouse guests arrive, check in, and send players on unavoidable missions. I happened to like the penthouse missions, especially goth cultist Ava Cadarva, but it wasn’t the almost-unlimited sandbox play style we knew and loved in other Sims games.
Remember Bob? The would-be Nintendo developer who couldn’t get a license and set up a game-writing lock-in? Yeah, that didn’t sway Nintendo.
Nintendo finally said:
He did submit to be a licensed developer. We have an evaluation process. We evaluated the opportunity. We decided at this point in time that he did not meet the requirements to be a licensed developer.
Lots of great freebies from Big Fish Games today! You can use the coupon code FREEAZADA to get a free download of Azada, FREEFAIRWAY for a free download of Fairway Solitaire (not to be confused with Faerie Solitaire!) or FREESPA for a free download of Spa Mania. These are full games, not the demo version!
