Recently released, this new extended video preview of Splinter Cell: Blacklist highlights more of the story and gameplay that players can expect from the most recent entry in the series.
Official Box Art
We join Sam Fisher as he is aided by Tech Ops Specialist Charlie Cole to uncover more about the terrorist group known as The Engineers. Cole also introduces us to some of Sam's team known as 4th Echelon. Cole also explains many of the features and options available in Blacklist.
One such feature, the Strategic Mission Interface, is a device that can be used to hack and mine data for Fisher's use, which will be critical for getting through the missions. Although it was not mentioned in the video, I assume that this interface might be integrated in with the Wii U's gamepad, giving the Wii U version an extra layer of depth.
This device will especially be necessary for the variety of missions, which take place in dozens of locations around the world. These missions will give the player the option to complete tasks undetected, use deadly force while remaining in the shadows, or running in with guns blazing while using quick-footed tactics.
And, as always, an arsenal of weapons and gadgets will be at Fisher's disposal, such as sonar, footprint tracking, and sleeping gas. More devices and upgrades can be purchased using in-game currency, which is obtained by completing the missions.
Multiplayer also plays a big role in this game. Besides the inclusion of co-op missions, the Spies vs. Mercs multiplayer mode returns in this title. Both the spies and the mercs have their strengths and weaknesses, requiring the player to choose which type best suits their playing style. Different spy and merc classes are available, adding more depth to the mode. On top of that, the player can rank up and receive new gear.
From the video, this title is shaping up to be the best in Splinter Cell series. Splinter Cell: Blacklist is scheduled to release for the Wii U on August 20th, 2013 in North America, August 22nd in Australia, August 23rd in Europe, and September 5th in Japan.
Today, we dig into storage and blow off this dusty old title in the first entry of this Virtual Console highlights series. Let's dive into the world of Harvest Moon for the Wii/Wii U Virtual Console service.
Original Box Art
Originally released in 1996 and 1997 for the Super Famicom/Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Harvest Moon was one of the earliest farming simulators (way before the whole Farmville craze). However, HM aimed for more of the fun factor, rather than the realism. Crops only took a few days to grow. Livestock only needed to be cared for and fed once every day. Each year was divided up into four months/seasons, each containing only thirty days. Each day is only few minutes long (in real time), leaving the player to rush around in order to complete daily tasks. You can also woo the local bachelorettes by giving them copious amounts of their favorite items and eventually ask them for their hand in marriage (if only it were that easy in real life). The list of simplified and routine tasks goes on.
However, there is a certain charm to the game that keeps the player coming back for more. When I played the original title for the SNES, it was one of the first games that I ever became addicted to. I must have played through the original HM at least three times, often going on binges every time that I played it. There is something about a simulated farm life that can be quite addicting.
The player starts with the inheritance of his dead grandfather's farm. Everything is in rough shape. All the livestock are gone. The land has become riddled with weeds and rocks. And the house has some room for improvement (house upgrades are necessary for marriage). The player's objective is to bring the farm back to its prime, while working towards settling down and starting a family (both a necessary for achieving the "good" ending to the game).
The player has two and a half years to achieve that goal. In that time, you will be tasked with rebuilding your farm by collecting money and investing it towards livestock and crops.
The game is divided up into three sections: the farm, the town, and the woods/mountains. The player can tend to their farm, visit the townspeople and woo their potential wife, and gather supplies from the mountains, such as wood necessary for fencing and house upgrades and wild plants that can be sold to earn money.
Much of the beginning of the game requires you to gather berries from the wild and use the money to buy crop seeds. Next, you will find yourself tilling soil and planting crops that are appropriate for the season. Once they are fully grown, you will harvest those crops in order to earn more money to purchase other necessary items.
This will eventually lead up to purchasing your two livestock options: cows and chickens. Chickens are easy to take care of and breed, but cows take a little more to keep them happy. However, a happy cow will result in better quality milk, which can be sold for more money.
Basically, the game is a wash, rinse, repeat formula that revolves around building your farm life while earning money to go towards the cause. Despite the repetitive gameplay, there always seems to be new surprises that keep the player coming back. Even to the very end, there are new tasks, such as keeping your wife happy (if you play your cards right with the ladies), helping the harvest sprites (little elvish people that live under your farm), and eventually preparing and caring for your child. To the very end, there are surprises and new challenges awaiting the player.
In fact, the only downside that I noticed was the inability to keep going after you reach your two and a half year evaluation. It seems rather disappointing that you worked so hard to build your farm only to have it end so abruptly. And once the game ends, it ends. If you want to keep playing, you have to literally start a new game and start completely from scratch. While future titles in the series let you continue on after you accomplish your task of restoring your farm, the first HM title only laid out the framework for future titles, such as the excellent Harvest Moon: Back to Nature and the story-driven Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life.
Despite its slight downfall, Harvest Moon was still an excellent title for its time and has aged well. Whether you are a newcomer to the series or somebody who is looking for a bit of nostalgia, Harvest Moon is still worth a play-through. The game is available through the Virtual Console service for the Wii, and has been recently released on the Nintendo Wii U eShop.
The release of the Wii U exclusive, The Wonderful 101, is inching closer (September 15th, 2013 in North America), so to promote the game, Nintendo is releasing loads of content and previews prior to the game's release.
In order to stir an even stronger pot of hype stew, a new Nintendo Direct video and Wonderful 101 trailer have been launched on August 9th. The trailer (above) is a whopping seven minutes long (dubbed the "Director's Edition"), and the Nintendo Direct is a broadcast exclusively detailing The Wonderful 101.
The trailer from the game's developer, Platinum Games (Bayonetta, MadWorld), includes some more plot and gameplay details that weren't previously covered. The primary antagonist of the hero group is an alien race invading the planet. While it is not clear in trailer what their motives are, they seem to have a long history with the group known as the Wonderful 100.
The group itself includes 100 defenders (the 101st being the player), led by the primary protagonist, Wonder Red. The group also consists of other team leaders, each with their own set of unique abilities. For instance, Wonder Blue has the ability to create a large sword that can slice through almost anything. Wonder Pink can materialize a whip, which can not only be used for attacking, but can also be used to swing from certain objects. The trailer proves that the developers crammed in as much variety as possible.
The antagonist alien force, the Geathjerk, and their leader, are both revealed in more detail in the trailer. It also reveals a little bit more plot with certain characters, such as Luka, who's parents were killed by the Geathjerk. Various other support characters were revealed, such as the CENTINELS leader, Laurence Nelson.
Other than that, only fragments of the plot and gameplay were revealed. However, it did reveal more interesting ways to use vehicles and abilities to complete a variety of the game's challenges. The trailer did a good job of whetting the viewer's appetite.
In the Wonderful 101 Direct, the broadcast is hosted by the game's director, Hideki Kamiya (formerly of Clover Studio and director of Viewtiful Joe and Okami). Kamiya showed game footage complete with a commentary on the gameplay and plot details. Expanding on the plot, the Wonderful 100 is a group of superheroes organized by an international security group known as the CENTINELS. Although, there are 100 members, the player does not start out with all 100. Part of the objective of the game, other than fighting the antagonist, is to find all of the members of the Wonderful 100. Another task is to protect and rescue citizens throughout the game, which can also become temporary heroes after they are rescued.
Gameplay details included additional information on the attack modes, including Team Attack, which is a unified strike by all members of the team. Kamiya also discussed, in detail, the Unite Morph attack mode. With Unite Morph, heroes can bond together using energy to create massive weapons. The Wii U gamepad can be used to switch between the weapons by drawing their designs on the touch screen. Each weapon has their own strengths and weaknesses, meaning that player must use to right tool for the job. The larger your team of heroes, the larger (and more powerful) your weapons can be. Unite Morph can also be used to solve different puzzles throughout the game. For example, the player can draw commands to create access points such as ladders and bridges.
At certain points in the game, the player can access the Wonderful Mart, where they can purchase abilities and power-ups using the in-game currency known as O-Parts. The abilities include defensive and evasive maneuvers for the team.
Kamiya wrapped his presentation by covering the replay-ability factor of the game. Kamiya emphasized how the player can replay missions to achieve high scores by stringing together combos using Unite Morph and the team attacks. The team can actually create more than one Unite Morph at a time (up to five), unleashing a variety of simultaneous attacks onto the enemy. The player also has the ability to chain together multiple Unite Morphs and create devastating and over-the-top combos.
The Direct broadcast ended with the premiere of the Director's Edition trailer, which is embedded above. On top of that, a new demo has also been released on Nintendo's Wii U eShop. Check out the eShop in order to download and try out the demo of this action-packed title. I will have full coverage of the demo coming in the future. (||) \('-'\) 1UP
Judging by this trailer released by Nintendo's YouTube page, the new Splinter Cell is shaping up to be something like the first three titles, complete with classic stealth action, terrorist threats, lots of politics, and series protagonist Sam Fisher doing his best Jack Bauer impression.
The Wii U edition will include the online "Spies vs. Mercs" gameplay mode, providing some much needed online love for the Wii U community. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist is shaping up the be the next big stealth action hit this holiday season. Splinter Cell: Blacklist is scheduled to release for the Wii U on August 20th, 2013 in North America, August 22nd in Australia, August 23rd in Europe, and September 5th in Japan. Happy hunting! (||) \('-'\) 1UP
Hello everyone! Welcome to my new blog, dedicated to everything related video games! Originally, I had no intentions of starting a blog like this, since I already make an attempt to post regularly on two other blogs (one which is on a short hiatus, due to my busy schedule). However, that has all changed.
Recently, I had the chance to work with other local gamers and editorial writers. Together we posted content on a local website dedicated to producing news and other content related to video games. However, after a shift in the staffing, I had to part ways with those writers and the company. While I had a great time writing with such talent and motivated individuals, I was very sad that I no longer had a need to produce content for the website.
So, I decided to create my own channel, where I can post all of my own content! While most of it will focus on everything relating to Nintendo (hence the name Ninety-Nine Lives), I will also try to appeal to the general gamer fan-base by post articles on the hottest news in the gaming world! Stay tuned for more content, and feel free to come to me with any ideas on this work in progress! Cheers! (||)\('-'\) 1UP
