Frame9 Archives

One of the premier pages designed by frame9. This one showcases a classic game for the Nintendo Entertainment System… Mega Man 2

Posted on April 23rd, 2008 by Tom
Filed under: Reviews | No Comments »

Nintendo DS
Jan. 21: Advance Wars: Days of Ruin from Nintendo/Intelligent Systems
Jan. 21: Mazes of Fate DS from Graffiti Entertainment, LLC
Jan. 22: Mega Brain Boost from Majesco Entertainment
Jan. 24: Aquarium by DS from Bold Games
Jan. 24: Fantasy Aquarium by DS from Bold Games
Jan. 29: Pet Pals: Animal Doctor from Majesco Entertainment
January: N+ from Atari
January: Barnyard Blast from DSI Games
January: Command & Destroy from DSI Games
January: Miami Nights: Singles in the City™ from Ubisoft
January: Brain Challenge™ from Ubisoft
Feb. 4: Paws & Claws: Pet Resort from THQ
Feb. 5: Homie Rollerz from Destineer
Feb. 5: Nanostray 2 from Majesco Entertainment
Feb. 10 (street date): Professor Layton and the Curious Village™ from Nintendo/LEVEL-5
Feb. 12: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney from Capcom
Feb. 12: New Zealand Story Revolution from Ignition Entertainment
Feb. 12: Dream Pinball 3D from SouthPeak Games
Feb. 19: Spitfire Heroes: Tales of the RAF from Destineer
Feb. 19: Zoo Tycoon II from THQ
Feb. 25: Bratz: Super Babyz from THQ
Feb. 26: Bubble Bobble Double Shot from Ignition Entertainment
February: My Horse and Me from Atari
February: M&M’S® Kart Racing from DSI Games
February: Garfield® Gets Real from DSI Games
February: Yamaha Supercross from DSI Games
February: Insecticide from Gamecock Media Group
February: Anno™ 1701: Dawn of Discovery from Ubisoft
February: Assassin’s Creed Altair’s Chronicles™ from Ubisoft
February: Petz® Wild Animals: Tigerz from Ubisoft
February: Puppy Palace™ from Ubisoft
February: Real Soccer® 2008 from Ubisoft
March 1: Project Exile from Graffiti Entertainment, LLC
March 3: Let’s Ride: Friends Forever from THQ
March 4: Diary Girl from Konami
March 4: Go Pets from Konami
March 4: Disney Friends from Disney Interactive Studios
March 4: Eco-Creatures: Save the Forest from Majesco Entertainment
March 8: Plushees from Destineer
March 8: River King: Mystic Valley from Natsume Inc.
March 8: Harvest Moon DS Cute from Natsume Inc.
March 11: FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Rings of Fate from Square Enix
March 11: Lost in Blue 3 from Konami
March 11: Pro Evolution Soccer from Konami
March 25: Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword from Tecmo, Inc.
March: Alone in the Dark from Atari
March: Drone Tactics from Atlus USA
March: Double Sequence from DSI Games
March: Ninja Reflex from Electronic Arts
March: Myst from Empire Interactive
March: Naruto™: Ninja Destiny from Tomy Corporation
March: Petz® Bunnyz™ from Ubisoft
March: Imagine™ Figure Skater from Ubisoft
March: Commando from XS Games
April 15: Teenage Zombies: Invasion of the Alien Brain Thingys from Ignition Entertainment
April: Super Dodgeball Brawlers from Aksys Games
April: Rondo of Swords from Atlus USA
April: Quick Yoga Training from Ubisoft
May 5: Crosswords DS from Nintendo
May 6: Speed Racer from Warner Bros. Games
May 8: Organize It from Summitsoft Corporation
May 13: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian from Disney Interactive Studios
May: Winx Club: Mission Enchantix from Konami
May: Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles from Aksys Games
May: Garfield® Fun Fest from DSI Games
May: 1 vs. 100 from DSI Games
June 8: Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness from Natsume Inc.
June: Shining Stars® from DSI Games
June: Catch of the Day from Electronic Arts
June: PipeMania from Empire Interactive
June: Wall-E from THQ
Spring: Sid Meier’s Civilization® Revolution™ from 2K Games
Spring: Don King Presents: Prizefighter from 2K Sports
Spring: Top Spin 3 from 2K Sports
Spring: Kung Fu Panda from Activision
Spring: LEGO: Indiana Jones from LucasArts
Spring: The World Ends with You from Square Enix
Summer: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed from LucasArts
Summer: Tamagotchi Connection®: Corner Shop® 3 from Namco Bandai Games America Inc.
Q2: Bangai-O Spirits from D3 Publisher of America
Q2: PREY THE STARS from KOEI CORPORATION
Q2: Pokemon® Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time from Nintendo
Q2: Pokemon® Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness from Nintendo

Such a nice list.  Plenty of great games to keep us busy at work.

Posted on January 17th, 2008 by Tom
Filed under: Industry News, News, Previews | 1 Comment »

In December of 2007, game developer Guerrilla Games admitted to altering newly released Killzone 2 screenshots in order to make them look more attractive. “There are only the tiniest bit touched up,” said the company’s QA manager, Seb Downie, in a PlayStation.com reply to savvy gamers who noticed discrepancies when compared to actual gameplay footage. “There was a little bit of color-correction done and some minor polish, but nothing major,” he maintained.

Indeed, the advertised screenshot was hardly a radical improvement over its in-game counterpart. But it wasn’t the first time Guerrilla Games had altered the game’s appearance, either. Killzone 2’s debut trailer, shown in 2005, looked a lot more glamorous than it did two years later when proper gameplay was shown at E3. And who can forget EA’s exaggerated 2005 promo for its next-gen Madden? The screenshots looked superb, but the actual gameplay looked glaringly inferior when it was released later that year.

The Proof is in the Pudding

Faked, enhanced, or otherwise augmented screenshots are commonly called “bullshots.” Their intent is to make a game look more appealing than it actually is, and their occurrence has largely existed since video games were first commercialized. So are bullshots misleading or just good marketing?

“Exceptionally misleading,” says Steven Kent, author of The Ultimate History of Video Games. But that doesn’t mean Kent wouldn’t employ the practice were he a game publisher. “It’s kind of like negative campaigning in politics,” he says. “Everybody hates it, nobody respects it, but it’s the upstanding guy who won’t stoop that gets blasted.” In other words, bullshots are a harsh reality.

They’re also influential. “Players look to screenshots to quickly solidify several elements of any given title in their mind: Theme, perceived quality, variety of content, and how the product compares to contemporaries,” says Scott Steinberg, author of Videogame Marketing and PR. “A passing glance is enough to set the tone for thousands of viewers.”

But it’s not just game makers that dramatize product appearance in pursuit of increased sales. Cosmetic and beauty supply products regularly fudge the truth while citing wildly optimistic benefits and results. Even respected news outfits have been known to beguile. In 2006, Reuters admitted to altering a photo of a Beirut air attack for dramatic effect, and CBS digitally thinned an aging Katie Couric to entice a bigger audience. So if other advertisers are glamorizing products, it must be okay for game makers to do the same with screenshots, right?

Not really. “Doctoring game images is different from airbrushing a supermodel, lacquering a Thanksgiving turkey, or falsifying a four-inch tall Big Mac,” says Troy Goodfellow, a seasoned freelance game writer. “With video games, the screenshot or video is part of what you are buying. When you see a photoshopped model, you aren’t in the market for a model. And the proof of a burger is in its taste.”

He adds, “The visual image of a game is an important reason to buy it, so lying about how the game looks is only marginally more ethical than claiming you have multiplayer when you don’t.”

An Inconvenient Truth

But even though bullshots are often used to falsely influence unsuspecting gamers, not all are designed with the intent to deceive, says EGM editor-in chief Dan Hsu. “Bullshots can serve a functional business purpose,” he says. “Developers sometimes use ‘target’ assets as a way to show people what a game is supposed to look like. The purpose could be to help sell a concept to financiers or put a visual on something that’s not there yet. But it’s the company’s responsibility to let the press know that these are, indeed, ‘target’ screens and not the real deal. If they do that, then you can’t fairly call it false advertising.”

When asked how often bullshots materialize, Hsu observes, “It’s hard to say. But as far as those really obvious bullshots that are touted as real screens,” he adds, “that percentage doesn’t seem to be that high.”

Regrettably, most publishers with a confirmed or suspected bullshot history declined to be interviewed when contacted by GamePro. Others simply ignored our requests, but one reputable developer, who wished to remain anonymous, replied by saying, “We don’t do them [bullshots] and don’t want to be associated with any article that talks with folks that do, even if it’s to say we don’t do them.” It’s clearly a sensitive and polarizing subject, regardless of the intent.

The historical success of doctored screenshots for creating hype and their mainstream adoption suggest that bullshots will likely persist. But their intensity should lessen and their frequency decrease over time given the speed and archival power of the internet. Add responsible journalism and a community of eagle-eyed players, and we could be well on our way to ensure that no gamer gets duped.

“There’s no excuse for doctoring images,” concludes Steinberg, who advises game makers to capture the perfect shot without using forgery. “It’s one thing to make your product look as good as it can be, another to fictionalize or glamorize so-called in-game scenes. Call the latter what you will if it makes you feel better, but you’re still lying to everyday shoppers.” – Blake Snow

-Source[GamePro].  Very interesting look on those too-good-to-be-true screenshots we sometimes see in magazines & on the net.  Thinking back on it, a lot of what we see in advertisments looks much better than the final product we play in our homes.  Check out [this link] to see more examples of bullshots.

Posted on January 16th, 2008 by Tom
Filed under: News | 4 Comments »

“Because Super Smash Bros. Brawl won’t consume enough time on its own, rumor has it that the game’s release will be accompanied by the appearance of Super Smash Bros. on the Virtual Console. We’re not sure where you stand on purchasing a fuzzier, arguably inferior fighting game on the very same day you get to take home your shiny new copy of Brawl, but we imagine that very few of you will need your arm twisting.

This particularly juicy slice of speculation first appeared in Nintendo Power, and we wouldn’t bet against it being true, especially as the Virtual Console debuts of Metroid and Super Mario Bros. 3 more or less coincided with the releases of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and Super Mario Galaxy respectively.

On an entirely separate note, how much has that original boxart aged? Day-um.”

Same day release wouldn’t go over well.  We’ll see this one a week or two before Brawl drops most likely.

Posted on January 16th, 2008 by Tom
Filed under: Classics, News, Previews | 1 Comment »

“Looking for someone to blame over the whole XBLA GoldenEye fiasco? Try Nintendo! Sources within Microsoft who were very close to the project (and who also pointed us towards the above, alleged screen) have told us the game was canned not because of disagreements between the two parties, but because of Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata, who believes that, as a title which appeared on a Nintendo console, GoldenEye shouldn’t be made available on a competitor’s system. This despite a proposed deal from Microsoft that would have seen not only GoldenEye released on the Virtual Console, but other, unspecified Rare games (Jetpac? Sabre Wulf?) as well. How very upsetting. Before you set your tasers to “hate”, though, remember, this is coming from one side of a two-sided story.”

Well this is saddening news, however, Nintendo’s stance on this (assuming it’s true) isn’t something to be too upset over.  As much as we love the classics, sometimes they’re just better on the classic consoles they were released on.  So break out that old N64, invite 3 friends over, and relive the glory days.

Posted on January 15th, 2008 by Tom
Filed under: Classics, Industry News, News, Previews | No Comments »

Matt writes, “Yesterday I went through the horror of taking my 15 year old brother to the Best Buy in Orland Park, IL on LaGrange Ave. I had close to $100 in Best Buy Gift Certificates given to me for Christmas. My brother and I were en route to dinner and we decided to swing by the aforementioned Best Buy to pick up a video game, Assassin’s Creed, and XBOX Live Gold. We entered the store. I browsed the camera aisle looking for a cable to possibly purchase for our flat screen then headed to the video game section. I picked up the said items and headed to check out where hell will shortly ensue.

I stepped up to the red haired, slightly obese cashier and she immediately gave me a look of disgrace as if I did something wrong. I replied with a “hi” to make the tension less awkward. She immediately asked me for my ID. I’ve never been carded for a video game before so I politely handed it to her while asking my brother for my gift cards I gave him while I was busy shuffling through my car just 20 minutes earlier.She then left the the register booth with my ID and video game and went to her manager. The Best Buy cashier then came back and shouted that I’m purchasing a video game for a minor in front of everyone in line behind me and her fellow cashiers. She even had the nerve to ask, “Is that even your brother with you?!” Hell yes he is! I was embarrassed! It’s like she was condemning me for purchasing alcohol for a minor. [ed. Assassin’s Creed is rated “M” for Mature, meaning it’s considered not suitable for kids under 17. It’s a game where you play an assassin during the Third Crusades and you take out various historical figures.]

I quickly responded back that I am 21 year old and that the video game and peripheral are for me. She shook her head with a menacing grim and said that she saw me take gift cards from my brother and that what I am doing is illegal. Enough of this obese 17 year olds shenanigans! I demanded a manager. Unfortunately the manager was probably about 18 years old as well.

In front of the store again he told me that I am illegally purchasing a video game for a minor. I responded back that they are my gift cards! I want to make a purchase. That’s when he picked up Xbox Live GOLD. I then asked if I couldn’t buy that either. He then took a few minutes to scrutinize the box looking for an online peripherals rating. He never found it and said to me, he’s not sure, I might not be able to do that either (Xbox Live was also rated E for everyone mind you). I continued to repeat that these are my gift cards, I’m 21 and I want to make my purchase. The cashier and manager continued to condemn me in front of all that I’m illegally purchasing the game for a minor.

I brought up two ultimatums. “So I have to go drive miles outside Orland Park, IL to another Best Buy to purchase the video game then?” The manager shrugged and said, “I guess so.”

I also brought up the option then that if I left the store with my brother, came back in by myself and made the purchase, would that be legal then? The manager replied, “Technically, yes, that will be OK.”

I then told them to hold on to the Xbox Live Gold since it was the last one left. I left the store with my brother, told him to go to the car. I then walked back into the store. The manager earlier told me that I can’t use the old video game I originally had in hand because it was deemed under “penalty.” I then had to walk all the way to the back of the cavernous store, pick up the video game then walk back to the line I was originally in. I stood in line for another 10 minutes waiting. I finally got back up to the obese red head cashier where she smirked and looked at me and said, “Yeah, we can’t sell you that video game.” What?! “Those gift cards are illegal.”

How the hell does she know someone didn’t just give me the gift cards on the street or if I had more of my “OWN” gift cards from the car. They just told me that I was able to purchase the video game once I walked my brother out.

I told them that they made a fool out of me before everyone in the store. She continued to be as politely as I can put it a “bitch” to me. I purchased Xbox Live Gold and said to the hell with the game. After making the transaction I told her I didn’t need a plastic bag since all I’m carrying out is a small little hand held cardboard box. Who needs a plastic bag for that? She then told me that under company policy if I wanted to exit the store I needed a plastic bag. Absurd! For me to exit the store I need to kill the planet now? I never see people with bags over DVD players that are twice the size as the flimsy Xbox Live cardboard box.

Anyway I left the store, we ate dinner and on the way home we stopped at the Best Buy in Mokena, IL. I purchased the same exact video game, Assassin’s Creed with my brother right beside me. I was never carded, I was never interrogated, I was never questioned. I had a wonderful experience there but I had to go through a three hour ordeal of going to the Best Buy in Orland Park, eating dinner than spending another 20 minutes at a Best Buy miles away all for a video game.

Three things Best Buy, first drop the mandatory plastic bag policy. Second, you need to revamp your treatment of customers and not threaten them of their illegal actions in front of all. Three, can I get reimbursed for some gas money for driving miles and miles out of my way since I was banned from buying a video game at your store in Orland Park, IL?

Cheers,

Matt D.

That’s pretty messed up, Matt. 

Posted on January 15th, 2008 by Tom
Filed under: Entertainment | 2 Comments »

by: Matt Furtado

The official Smash Bros Website updated today with a surprise that no one truly expected. Outside of the daily update, the site also revealed that Brawl will now be delayed until March 9 for North America. Also revealed was that the Japanese release will be pushed back a week and now see release on January 31.

After countless rumors of an impending delay, the Smash Bros Dojo website made the March date official.

Sakurai posted this on the offical site, “Due to delays in the completion of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, we’ve had to change the release date of the game to Sunday, March 9th.

I deeply apologize to the people who have looked forward to playing the game for so long and ask that you hold on just a little longer. Thank you for your patience.”

Well, at least it’s not July.  Perhaps our expectactions may end up reaching their maximum threshold any later though.

Posted on January 15th, 2008 by Tom
Filed under: Industry News, Previews | No Comments »

• The main character, the secret apprentice of Darth Vader, is played by Sam Witwer, BattleStar Galactica’s Crashdown
• He holds his lightsaber behind his back in a way that looks very unorthodox but pleasingly menacing, and also allows players to see the entire lightsaber since the camera is always behind the player.
• Boss bottles will be huge in scope, including a Rancor fight. There will be God of War-like button-tapping sections at the end of the battle, but it will only be for more points; you won’t lose a battle by missing a button press
• There will be character and lightsaber customization, although you won’t be able to dual-wield or have dual-bladed lightsabers
• The Wii version of the game will include a two-player duel mode where you can show off your lightsaber skills against a friend in the same room.
• The PSP version will contain classic scenes from other Star Wars movies with the more over-the-top force powers of Unleashed

Posted on January 11th, 2008 by Tom
Filed under: Previews | 2 Comments »