Featuring an interview with Capcom’s Mike Lunn.
I really enjoyed Resident Evil Revelations on the Nintendo 3DS. It carried over the tight shooter gameplay from Resident Evil 4 and brought back the scares that seemed to have been forgotten about in the main-line series. Revelations 2 plans on continuing that tradition.
Now with more Adam West!
I didn’t really expect what I got when I started playing Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham. To my understanding, this newest entry was going to focus on Batman, and the rest of the Justice League as they tackle some of the more cosmic threats on the DC universe. While that still stands true, parts of the game – like what I played at the New York Comic Con – are very unique and full of fan service.
At this year’s New York Comic Con, Namco Bandai brought a variety of games for con-goers to experience. Here are some of the highlights from their roster.
The Hype is Real!
I stood in a crowd full of other curious and enthusiastic gamers craving to get their hands on Xbox One’s Killer Instinct. The challenge was to win five matches in a row in a king of the ring style tournament. The prize: bragging rights! Oh, and a Turtle Beach headset. Either way, due to Microsoft’s Xbox One being absent at this year’s show, this was my only shot at getting hands on with the game. I eagerly waited and hoped that I would be chosen to play and luckily for me I was eventually picked out of the crowd to play. What followed was one of this weekend’s most exciting moments for me.
The Kongs Return once again.
My feelings about Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze are a bit strange. After playing it, I’m looking forward to the final product. However, while the game retains the charm and tight gameplay of Returns, it didn’t seem to bring anything new to the table. The demo I played didn’t include Dixie Kong, so I was left with Donkey and Diddy, which might’ve been part of the problem.
Wii U's sultry seductress.
This should come as a surprise to no one, but Bayonetta 2 is ridiculous. I fought on a Jet Plane, jumped across crumbling buildings, and created a gigantic dog monster to devour a boss within my ten minute demo. I loved every second of it.
Quite possibly the most FUN game at NYCC.
I feel like Super Mario: 3D World has looked better each time I’ve seen it. After getting to try it, this remains true. 3D World plays it safe by remaining very similar to the 3DS outing, but many refinements to the level design and gameplay are apparent. Mario and the crew have individual specialties, like Peach’s floating ability and Toad’s extra speed. There are also extra moves that are at their disposal. If you twist the analog stick in a circle, you do a spin move which is not only cool to watch, but it’s effective against enemies.
Not perfect, but very promising.
I’ve been reading mixed things about Batman’s first handheld outing. I had some hands on time with the game and found it to be a much better representation of its console counterparts than I initially expected. The game is a 2.5D action platformer in the vein of games like Metroid. While the gameplay is primarily in 2D, the game does boast full 3D graphics and environments (with the Vita version having the slight edge visually). Batman controls very much like he does in the other Arkham games, with most of the controls remaining on the same buttons, particularly during combat.
Sonic's latest is taking the series in a new direction.
Sonic has been going through a lot lately, as Sega has been desperately trying to revitalize the franchise to its former grace. The critical reception of those titles has been mixed, but in an effort to change up the formula Sega has come up with Sonic: Lost World. What I played was solid and manages to be charming and fun, yet some changes might have hindered what I enjoy about Sonic as a whole.
