Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters

Insomniac Games' dynamic duo shines in their first handheld game.

I'm a big fan of the Ratchet & Clank franchise, so it was a no-brainer that I would try out Size Matters, even though it was released on the PSP and was developed by High Impact Games and not Insomniac. I can confidently report that High Impact did a tremendous job shrinking a Playstation 2 franchise onto a portable device. The designers there did an excellent job retaining the humor, gameplay, and art direction of earlier Ratchet & Clank titles, while adding a few new features. There are some control and audio issues, but overall Size Matters is a success, and one of the best games on the PSP.

Size Matters begins on Pokitaru, where heroes Ratchet and Clank are enjoying some well-deserved rest (they save the galaxy pretty routinely, after all). There they meet Luna, a young girl writing a school report on superheroes. Luna is summarily kidnapped by strange looking robots, and the heroes are forced to interrupt their vacation to save her and reveal an insidious threat to the galaxy. Unfortunately, the story is a little too predictable and too rushed. The characters, worlds, and jokes in Size Matters are as colorful as always, but the story falls flat.

Look at those gadgebots go!

But it's not like Ratchet & Clank is known for epic sci-fi storylines. It's known for its sense of humor, its awesome array of weapons and gadgets, and its unique gameplay, which combines platforming, third-person shooting, and light RPG elements. The gameplay in Size Matters is as good as ever. There are typical platform-heavy stages, and stages that require a clever combination of weapons and gadgets, but there are also many, many mini-games. The best of these are "Clank Challenges," where the robot sidekick Clank performs in one of three mini-games. One is like a robotic version of Gladiator, where several robots attack each other with lasers, sawblades, and battering rams. Another features robots vying to pick up gadgebots (small robots that perform a variety of tasks) and toss them into a force field. The best, though, is a Lemmings-style mini-game where the player navigates several gadgebots to safety by programming them in real-time.

The first of many armor pieces.

Another new feature in Size Matters is the ability to find armor (not just buy it) on the many planets Ratchet and Clank visit during the game, and mix and match armor sets. Certain suits of armor will provide bonus effects, like shock-wave, acid, and flame damage.

There are flaws in Size Matters, and these relate to the control scheme, and to some audio issues. High Impact Games had the unenviable job of moving Ratchet & Clank from the PS2, which has a controller with 10 buttons, two analog sticks, and a directional pad, to a Playstation Portable, which has 6 buttons, one analog stick and a d-pad. For the most part the transition went smoothly, with two big exceptions: 1) the camera is operated somewhat awkwardly with the shoulder buttons, and 2) players strafe by using the d-pad, which is inefficient and cumbersome.

Ratchet and Clank fight some nasty looking robots.

Audio is another problem. A lot of the sound effects and music in Size Matters sound tinny. Rarely, especially during busy fights, the audio cuts out completely.

However, those are rather small complaints compared with the excellence of the overall game. It looks good – sometimes better than its console counterparts – and comes packed with a healthy amount of content, including mini-games, upgradable weapons, and customizable armor. There are better Ratchet & Clank games out there, but for PSP owners Size Matters is a must.

Score: 8.5

Crossover Brawler Coming to PS3

It's official: Playstation 3 owners are getting the Sony equivalent of Super Smash Bros. It's called Playstation All-Stars: Battle Royale and, like Smash Bros., it brings together first and second-party mascots into a side-scrolling fighting game. But instead of characters like Mario, Donkey Kong, and Link, players will control Kratos (God of War), Sly Cooper, and PaRappa the Rapper. The title is being developed by SuperBot Entertainment.

Playstation All-Stars debuted recently at a Playstation event in Los Angeles. Only six characters were playable in the demo: Sweet Tooth (Twisted Metal), Colonel Radec (Killzone), and Fat Princess, in addition to the three mentioned above. These characters will fight each other in a number of Sony-themed arenas, including Hades from God of War, Metropolis from Ratchet & Clank, and Sandover Village from Jak and Daxter.

F.E.A.R. 3

Released in 2011, F.E.A.R. 3 is the sequel to F.E.A.R. and F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin. Whereas the first two games were mostly single-player affairs, F.E.A.R. 3 features online co-op. I had the chance to play through the game with my buddy Rob, who was experiencing F.E.A.R. for the first time...

Evan (Point Man): Well Rob, we beat another co-op game together. I wouldn't call it the best co-op game we've ever played, but it was a fun – albeit short – experience. F.E.A.R. 3 isn't as good (or as scary) as its predecessors, yet it does cooperative play surprisingly well. Which is saying something, since the previous two games had no co-op modes at all. I'm interested to hear your impressions, since this was your first experience with the F.E.A.R. universe.

Rob (Paxton Fettel): I agree that it wasn't the best we've played but it certainly wasn't the worst (sorry Army of Two: The 40th Day). It's interesting to note that this is the first co-op mode in the franchise because from what I gathered the story almost naturally flowed to this point. The co-op is great because it allows two players with two different combat approaches to each play a character suited to their talents. Well I prefer a Halo-style combat of rushing into the heat of battle yelling and firing off wave after wave of rounds, you certainly take the more cautious approach, evaluating the situation and acting accordingly. In most games one strategy is necessary over the other to be successful but with Point Man and Fettel and the nature of their characters you almost have to adopt both strategies to succeed.

Rob sets 'em up, I knock 'em down.

Evan: Couldn't agree more. Point Man and Fettel have complementary powers which makes for a tremendous co-op experience. Point Man (the hero from the first F.E.A.R. game) and Paxton Fettel (one of the main antagonists from the first game) have very different skill sets. Point Man has a command list typical of first-person shooters: the ability to shoot guns, throw grenades, perform melee attacks, plus the ability to slow down time. Fettel, as a disembodied spirit, has a completely different command list: telekinesis, stun, plus the ability to possess enemies and gain their abilities. It was serendipitous that I played as Point Man, who is better served shooting from a distance, and you played as Fettel, who needs to fight in close-quarters to absorb psychic energy from fallen enemies to sustain possession. Although I will say that neither character was particularly likeable.

Rob: I couldn't help but laugh at Fettel at some points who in one scene cackles like a maniacal Bond villain but I certainly had a great time playing as his character. Possession was one of the most fun attributes as you had to store up enough psychic energy to maintain the body. What a great way to put you in the mind of the character. The only way to hold onto your body was to go on a huge killing spree and collect the needed energy from corpses. It's instills a blood lust that allows you to sort of see what's going on in his mind. Did you have a similar connection to your character?

Forget the gun! Point Man needs some static guard.

Evan: I wish I could say I did. The main character of the first F.E.A.R. game was nameless and faceless. He was referred to as "the new guy" and as "the point man." But Monolith Productions did a great job of making him an interesting and well-rounded character without giving him a name, a face, or one line of dialogue. In F.E.A.R. 3 we finally see his face and we finally get his full back story. But it only serves to make him a less interesting and engaging character. Sometimes less is more. Especially when it comes to suspense and horror. And that brings me to a larger indictment of F.E.A.R. 3, which is that it's not as scary or as mysterious as the previous two games. However, it somewhat makes up for this with its score system, which keeps track of progress in single-player, co-op, and online multiplayer. For example, you can earn 1,000 points for using cover for 100 seconds, or 5,000 points for ten kills in a row without taking damage. It made us work together, but also allowed us to act selfishly at times. A healthy mix of cooperation and competition.

Rob: I suppose that having another player with you and cracking jokes relieves a lot of the tension. Do you think that was the only contributing factor to F.E.A.R. 3 being less scary than its predecessors? For me personally I tend to get more freaked out by horror in video games than in films. With a film you're sort of separated from the action but in a game you're the one interacting with the environment (or your avatar anyway) and I know had I played F.E.A.R. 3 alone it would certainly has been more tense and scary. I'm curious to how this games stacks up to the previous two in that regard.

Fettel in the middle of a possession.

Evan: That's a totally valid question. Being in the room or even online with another person defuses a lot of the tension. That's largely why Resident Evil 5 wasn't as scary as previous games in that series. I was actually impressed that F.E.A.R. 3 was able to create some genuinely scary set-pieces and frightening moments even with the addition of a co-op partner. But it doesn't really compare to the first two games because of two things: 1) the plot is a little too over-the-top – one of the playable characters has been dead for two games after all – and 2) too much information is revealed throughout the game. Generally, the more you learn about a subject, the less frightening it becomes. F.E.A.R. has always been about letting the player's imagination run wild. In F.E.A.R. 3, it's just the facts, ma'am. But obviously there's more to a video game than just scares. F.E.A.R. 3 looks good, sounds great, and plays like a dream. Plus it's got some excellent multiplayer modes, which add a lot of replay value.

Rob: The game certainly handles well although playing as Fettel does mean that you will need to learn two sets of control schemes. I usually have it down after a level or two but towards the end of the game I was still trying to reload with the alternate weapon control while in a possessed body. I do have to applaud the game for its cooperative play because you are definitely right, you can either work together to get points or be totally selfish and work towards your own goals. Although it seems the cooperative challenges will bring you more points in the end. The game also looks great. All of the environments are well realized and spooky. Each level aims for something a bit different than the last so it never feels like you are covering the same ground again and again.

An image from the "Contractions" multiplayer mode.

Evan: Well, I think that about covers it. All that's left now is the scoring. For me, F.E.A.R. 3 earns a 7.5/10. It's a solidly built first-person shooter with great co-op mechanics, spooky atmosphere, and fun (if unoriginal) multiplayer modes. I can't go higher than 7.5 because the story and characters never engaged me, and the scares came too infrequently.

Rob: I'm going to be different (twist!) and go with an 8.0/10. I thoroughly enjoyed F.E.A.R. 3. It was a game I could not wait to continue and not just to be done with it. The gameplay was smooth, the levels looked great and most importantly it was fun to be Fettel. If I had played the first two games my score might be lower however my introduction to the F.E.A.R. universe was more than satisfactory and left me wanting more.

New James Bond Game Announced

A new Bond game is hitting stores this fall: 007 Legends.

The game is being developed by British video game company Eurocom, which developed the Wii remake of GoldenEye 007 and its subsequent port on the Xbox 360 and PS3. Eurocom also developed Nightfire, one of my favorite James Bond games. But this is no ordinary 007 game; this is easily the most ambitious. According to the press release, 007 Legends will feature "an original, overarching storyline tying together six classic Bond movies, concluding with this year's highly-anticipated 23rd installment - Skyfall - to offer the most diverse Bond gaming experience yet."

In addition to the single-player campaign, which somehow ties together six different Bond movies, Legends will include Mi6 Ops Missions, first introduced in GoldenEye 007: Reloaded, plus online and four-player split-screen multiplayer. And for the first time, players "will be able to participate as one of Bond's cohorts or villainous foes, reliving the missions through their eyes, as well as 007's."

Why the Wii U Will Succeed

There has been a lot of speculation about the Wii U in recent months, a lot of commentary, a lot of rumors. It makes sense, after all. A new home console from one of the big three video game companies comes along once every 5 years or so. The Wii U is also a sexy story because the original Wii was a such a revolution in video gaming, and because Nintendo recently posted an annual operational loss, the first in its 40 year history.

What will Nintendo do to reverse that trend? How much will the Wii U cost? When will it debut? What games are planned? How does it stack up against high-powered current-generation consoles like Xbox 360 and Playstation 3? All these questions and more are being asked. The one that I'm most interested in is "will it be successful?" For me the answer is a definite "yes." I believe strongly the Wii U will be a financial and critical success, and will be the best Nintendo system since the SNES.

Below are five reasons Wii U will succeed in the bloated and ultra-competitive industry we call video games.

5. A One-year Head Start

History shows us that head starts in the video game world do not guarantee success. The Sega Dreamcast launched a year before the Playstation 2, and two years before the Gamecube and Xbox, yet it was doomed to obscurity. The Xbox 360 got a one-year head start on the PS3 and Wii, but the Wii easily outsold it. However, there is precedent. I think the Wii U will be something like the Sega Genesis. The Genesis, Sega's best-selling console, earned the lion's share of the American 16-bit console market, in large part because it had 1) a one-year head start over the SNES; 2) a larger library of games; and 3) a lower price point. When Playstation 4 and Xbox 720 launch in 2013, I believe the Wii U will match all three criteria. Even if it doesn't, Wii U has something Microsoft and Sony never will.

4. Nintendo IPs

This, above all else, is what makes Nintendo successful year after year. They have the best IPs on the planet: The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario, Metroid, Pokemon, F-Zero, Star Fox, Donkey Kong, etc. Shigeru Miyamoto, who invented several of those franchises, has already alluded to a HD Zelda game, and a tech demo at E3 2011 showed a high-definition Link battling a giant spider. And a few days ago, Nintendo confirmed it will be showing a new Mario and Pikmin game for the Wii U at this year's E3. A currently untitled fourth installment of Super Smash Bros. was also unveiled at E3 2011. What's more important is that some of these high-profile Nintendo games launch with the Wii U. I'm confident it will happen. Why?

Link in HD. It's about time

3. Nintendo Learned its Lesson from the 3DS Launch

Although the immediate 3DS launch went very well, the weeks and months after it was unveiled were sour ones for Nintendo. It was only after a price cut and, later, the introduction of some much-wanted games – Monster Hunter 3G, Super Mario Land, Mario Kart 7 – that sales rebounded and then shot into the stratosphere. To paraphrase James Carville, "the software, stupid." Good games sell systems. That's why I feel strongly at least one major Nintendo game will launch with the Wii U. In fact, I think the Wii U version of Super Mario will be bundled with the system. But Nintendo titles may not be enough. Video game players follow many IPs, not just those owned by Nintendo. Don't worry, cause the Wii U has that covered.

2. Third-Party Support

This is absolutely critical to the success of the Wii U. I cannot overestimate its importance. Yes, the Wii did well in its first few years with very few AAA third-party titles, but in the past two years, sales have slumped. Nintendo hasn't released a system with a top-flight library of third-party titles since the SNES. If I made a list of the best games for the N64, Gamecube, and Wii it would be mostly filled with first and second-party games. But this time, Nintendo made a commitment to woo big-name developers instead of alienating them. That's why the Wii U will host games like Batman: Arkham City, Darksiders II, Assassin's Creed III, Aliens: Colonial Marines, and Ninja Gaiden III. This is huge. Finally, some darker and more mature (and more importantly, popular) games will be playable on a Nintendo system. In the case of some franchises, its something of a reunion. The last time a Ninja Gaiden game graced a Nintendo console, for example, was over 20 years ago. What's that you say? Xbox 720 and PS4 will also have these games, and they'll look better? It doesn't matter, because the Wii U versions of these games have the potential to be the best versions. And that brings us to the #1 reason the Wii U will succeed.

Nintendo's new tablet controller.

1. The Tablet Controller

Many critics laughed at the motion controller for the original Wii. The new tablet controller for Wii U is similarly being dismissed. What Microsoft and Sony don't get, and maybe never will, is that graphics aren't everything. The original Wii, which features laughably under-powered hardware but which outperformed its rivals, is proof of that. Video game players want new and exciting ways to play games, to interact with them, to share them with friends. The tablet controller with its touchscreen provides that. Moreover, the tablet controller allows Wii U versions of multi-platform games to be the best versions. For example, imagine playing Aliens: Colonial Marines where the controller functions as a motion tracker like the one used by marines in the movie Aliens. The possibilities are endless.


So, that's what I think. But what about you? Are you planning on buying Wii U on day one? Or will you wait for a price drop? Do you think Nintendo will win the next round of console wars? Or be crushed by bigger and better systems?

Super Mario 4

Several days ago, Nintendo registered the domain www.supermario4.com. Don’t get too excited – the link reroutes back to nintendo.com – but this could be the start of something big. Nintendo promised a brand new 2D Mario game for the 3DS in the upcoming fiscal year (April 2012-March 2013) in January. This could be it. Or, it could be a launch title for the soon-to-be-released Wii U.

Both are exciting possibilities. A true sequel to Super Mario Bros. 3 – arguably the best Mario game ever – would be awesome for adults who grew up with the mustachioed plumber in 8-bit, and for a new generation of video game players. A 2D console version of Super Mario, akin to New Super Mario Bros. Wii, could also be a lot of fun, and would certainly raise interest in the Wii U. The most unlikely possibility, but also the most intriguing, is that Super Mario 4 is a remake or revival of Super Mario World – originally called Super Mario Bros. 4 in Japan. Or it could be another 3D Mario platformer, like Super Mario Sunshine, Super Mario Galaxy, and most recently Super Mario Land 3D.

Resident Evil 6 Update

New release date, new trailer.

When I first reported on Resident Evil 6 in January, Capcom planned to release the game on November 20. But at last week's Captivate conference in Rome, Capcom announced a new release date: October 2. Capcom also revealed cooperative multiplayer modes and the return of Mercenaries mode.

Capcom released a new trailer also. In it many of the details of the outbreak are revealed. There are also some surprises, like the reappearance of Sherry Birkin (first introduced as a child in Resident Evil 2) and the identity of the mercenary from the first RE6 trailer. Some have speculated that the mysterious woman in the trailer with short dark hair is Ada Wong, a villain from Resident Evil 2 and 4. But I'm not convinced. I think it's a brand new villain.



RE6 will release first for Xbox and PS3, then for Windows. It has not been announced for Wii U.

The game should take around 30 hours to beat, according to Capcom director Eiichiro Sasaki. There will be three separate campaigns, which can be beaten in any order. They follow Leon, Chris, and series newcomer Jake.