Jason Dobson

Ridge Racer

March 24, 2005

Gorgeous. That is the first word that will immediately jump into players’ minds when they start up Namco’s Ridge Racer for the PSP. The game looks the part of a sexy diva who is just aching to get under your thumbs. It truly glistens on Sony’s new handheld, and, if nothing else, is a fantastic showpiece for how the PSP can handle presentation. The cars and environments compliment each other beautifully, and everything adds up to a virtual feast for the eyes. The game also moves along at an exhilarating clip, with a silky smooth frame rate that makes it hard to believe the game is actually running on a handheld system.As great as the game looks, its musical treatment is equal to the task. From new tracks to classic and remixed Ridge Racer themes, many players will find themselves swept up in the game’s synthesized style. Yes, it is safe to say that Ridge Racer will sell more PSP systems at launch than any other game on the shelf, based purely on presentation.

It doesn’t hurt that Ridge Racer is also a blast to play. Like previous entries in the series, this game is all about blazing speeds, powerslides, and over-the-top racing. For players looking for a racer that is unapologetic about its arcade roots, Ridge Racer delivers on all of its promises. Fans of arcade racers will immediately feel at home here, and those new to the experience aren’t likely to have many problems slipping into the groove. Like any arcade racer, the controls are more or less dummy-proof, and they handle like a dream. As expected, the buttons control gas, brake, and nitrous boost. Drifting around corners fills up the nitrous, which can be released for a quick boost of speed. If mastering the powerslide and drift were important to the series before, they are now integral to the experience. Players also have the ability to shift between the third and first-person at the press of a button.

Despite the monstrous production values, it is possible that many will find fault in Ridge Racer‘s strict adherence to formula in its old age. Save for the change of platform and amazing visuals, this is the same Ridge Racer that people were playing a decade ago. Aside from a few minor tweaks here and there, not much has changed, and to come so far with so little innovation may be considered by some to be the franchise’s Achilles heel. For better or worse, this is the same old Ridge Racer with a new shiny coat of paintA

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories

December 7, 2004

Game Boy Advance / Reviews / by Jason Dobson /

Those who become Heartless lose their memories, as well as their minds. But that didn’t happen to Sora. Why? This question, along with many others, permeates the latest game in the Kingdom Hearts series, aptly named Chain of Memories. Perhaps it is the strength of his heart – the heart chosen by the Keyblade. The heart is a mysterious thing, and Square-Enix’s latest union between the worlds of role-playing and Disney animation takes players on an adventure to uncover these mysteries as they explore the enigma known only as Castle Oblivion, a place wherein memories are clouded the longer one stays inside. Along the way players will come across many familiar faces, both as friends and foes, as these nostalgic touches are the bread and butter of the series. However, while this game, like its predecessor, is strong on many fronts and in the end delivers a worthwhile gaming experience, there are a few facets of Chain of Memories that come off not quite as well developed or fully realized as might have been ideal.Though playing through the original Kingdom Hearts is in no way a prerequisite to appreciating the story woven by Chain of Memories, there is a certain continuity in the series that begs to be experienced in its entirety. This is in contrast to most console RPGs, which as a rule seem to pride themselves on their loosely connected or more often than not totally independent stories. Chain of Memories picks up with Sora, Donald, and Goofy traveling through a seemingly endless field, thoughts of having locked Riku and the king in darkness weighing heavy on their hearts. Suddenly they are met with a vision of a man who speaks cryptic words, and directs them to a nearby fortress called Castle Oblivion. The man tells them that in this Castle lies something they need, but to obtain it they must loose something dear. So the group heads into the mysterious building, hoping to perhaps find their lost friends, while worrying what more this new quest will cost them.

For something as ludicrous as a Disney-uninspired role-playing experience, this plot is not only well told, but it maintains a very satisfying balance of drama and levity throughout the span of the game. While not as engrossing as its PlayStation 2 predecessor, the script does a respectable job of keeping the player interested for all of the few hours that the adventure lasts. This is not a long game by any means, and again, it is not essential to have experienced the previous game, but the numerous story references will no doubt inspire those who have not experienced the original Kingdom Hearts to go back and see what that game has to offer.

Gameplay in Chain of Memories is built upon the concept of using cards to perform actions in the game world. These cards fall into two general classes: Map Cards, which are used to determine that types of rooms available in the Castle, and Battle cards, which are used during combat. As Sora moves about the Castle, he will often come upon locked doors that require certain cards to open. Some doors simply require any general Map Card to be used, while others are more specific in their requirements. The type of card can also determine the type of room that becomes available on the other side of the door. For instance, there is a Moogle Room card that, when used to open a door, will cause the next room to house a Moogle Shop that sells cards. There are also special Map Cards that are used to open a few select doors on a map, and these advance the story by causing events, such as boss confrontations, to take place.

Combat in Chain of Memories is unique and complicated, arguably overly so. Integrating a card game mechanic into a game that does not necessarily warrant such a system has become a popular experiment among recent game development efforts. Such is the case here, and while combat is functional the pains of learning how to adapt to its shortcomings could have easily been avoided if a more conventional fighting system had been used. Here cards are used to represent any and every action that Sora can undertake while in combat, from summoning his friends for a short time, to casting a spell, to simply attacking with the Keyblade. The primary problem with fighting here is that it takes place in real time, but players are forced to sift through a deck of cards to find the action they wish to perform while combat continues at an all too frantic pace. The easiest way around this is to build your deck beforehand in such a way that as little attention as possible needs to be paid to which card is being dealt at any particular time. This reduces combat to a button-mashing affair, which is itself a less than ideal situation, but it is at least much less frustrating and much more functional than having to flip through all of the available cards to find the one you wish to use at any one time. Unfortunately once a deck has been exhausted it must be reshuffled in order to reclaim the used cards so they are again available. This action not only makes Sora unable to move or defend himself while shuffling, but it also takes longer and longer each time the deck again needs to be replenished.

Compounding the frenetic nature of conflict in Chain of Memories is that the enemies are using cards at the same time as the player, and when cards are used at conflicting times, their face values are compared. If one card’s value is greater than the other’s, the effect of the lower valued card is countered. This is a great and strategic element to the game, but when injected into combat that is already so furiously paced this particular gameplay element can lead to considerable frustration. Imagine trying to heal, only to have your card trumped by your opponent’s card. Thankfully this particular area of combat becomes less of an obstacle as time goes on, as players will find and earn more powerful cards with higher face values, and by incorporating these new cards into their deck their prowess in combat becomes much more formidable. A workable strategy often calls for waiting until an opponent uses their card, and then either countering with a superior card, or waiting until their attack has passed before using the card of choice.

As if this was not enough to think about while fending off numerous Heartless, there is also the concept of Sleights to consider. Sleights are special attacks that are learned throughout the game which add that little extra punch that is needed time and again in order to survive. Sleights come in numerous shapes, sizes, and potency, but they are all triggered in the same manner. While in combat, up to three cards can be stocked by holding down both shoulder buttons when the card of choice is currently active. Instead of activating this card, it will instead be placed at the top of the screen in the form of a tiny card icon. Done twice more, and the three stocked cards are ready to be unleashed. Depending on the cumulative value and types of cards stocked, pressing both shoulder buttons again will unleash the Sleight attack. Examples include tossing the Keyblade like a boomerang across the screen, or causing the area surrounding Sora to erupt in an inferno. However, something to keep in mind is the first card in the triumvirate is lost until the battle concludes, so these sleights should be used only when needed else Sora’s deck be fatally diminished for the duration of the conflict.

As mentioned previously, deck building plays an important role here, and taking some time to carefully engineer a workable and efficient deck is the key to lessening frustration later on. Thankfully the deck can be retooled at anytime outside of combat, so experimentation is in order to design a compilation and order of cards that best suits a particular style of play. While at first only small decks can be built, by gaining levels it becomes possible to construct larger, and much more formidable groupings of cards. In addition, multiple decks can be built and saved for different occasions. For instance, you may thoroughly enjoy stacking your deck with fire-based spells, but there are a few bosses in the game that are immune to, or even heal from fire, so having another deck equipped that focuses on a different set of cards is advisable.

As is par the course for a Square-Enix development effort, the presentation in this game is simply amazing. Chain of Memories is quite possibly the most visually stunning piece of work yet seen on the Game Boy Advance. The backgrounds are rich and colorful, with each world showcasing its own unique look and feel. Levels are accompanied with their own Disney or game-inspired themes, all of which have been sampled and remixed spectacularly for the GBA platform. The worlds each manage to capture the look of the particular Disney franchise that they are taken from, from Pooh Bear’s 100-Acre Woods to Jack Skellington’s Halloween Town. The different Heartless are likewise as varied and impressive, as are the numerous bosses. If a complaint must be levied against the presentation, it has to be the inability to skip past the sometimes quite lengthy narrative sequences that precede the boss encounters. Make no mistake, some of these fights are quite difficult, and as such players will find themselves having to retry the fights multiple times until they get a working strategy in place. While the game is nice enough to let players continue from the room just outside the boss’s lair, having to enter that room, and then mindlessly press buttons to skip past the dialog so the fight can begin again can become tedious.

Taking only a few short hours to complete, players may be put off by the game’s length. However, the developers have included a couple treats to help entice players back after the game is completed. Finishing the game opens up a second quest, called Reverse/Rebirth, which is a new game mode wherein the story is told from a different point of view. Here even more secrets surrounding the game’s story are uncovered. This mode also features a slightly different game system, so players will have to rethink their strategies a bit. Additionally, completing the game will open up the ability to link up to another player for a one-on-one versus battle. These battles work essentially like the single-player battles, with players able to select their deck, the world where the battle will take place, as well as various handicaps.

Chain of Memories is a fantastic continuation of the strange, yet strangely compelling marriage of two separate mediums, and serves as the perfect appetizer to tide players over until the release of Kingdom Hearts 2. Though certainly not without its flaws, the most problematic of which being the somewhat mismanaged combat system, this is nonetheless a terrific game that delivers a fun quest, stellar presentation, and an added incentive to revisit the game after it has been completed. Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories is a title that, for a short time at least, lets a player of any age feel like a kid again.

Sprung

December 7, 2004

DS / Reviews / by Jason Dobson /

Dating sims seldom enjoy the mainstream success in America that they have in Japan, instead being relegated to a niche fan base or, if they are lucky, perhaps a modicum of mainstream acceptance. This is perhaps why the developers of Sprung decided that the most opportune time to release their experimental adventure game would be during the early days of the DS platform’s life, when there would be fewer competing products vying for consumers’ money, and thus the game would be more apt to find gamers willing to take a chance on its quirky and offbeat style. Sprung is an odd game, to be sure, and it is more likely to play the role of a guilty pleasure than a breakthrough hit for either Ubisoft or the DS itself. However, beneath the game’s unusual exterior lies an experience that is somewhat endearing, unquestionably humorous and perhaps more than anything else a nice surprise.It is always a welcome treat to come across a game that is anticipated to be an embarrassing failure, only to find that the title exceeds initial expectations. Sprung, against all odds mind you, turns out to be a surprisingly addictive adventure game that will have you suffering from a near-terminal case of the giggles, unless you are were born without a hint of a sense of humor. Sure it’s crude–and sometimes, perhaps, overly so–but the tone of the dialog is perfectly in line with the atmosphere of the game, that being twenty-somethings on the hunt for sex, love, and that ever-elusive meaningful relationship.

The two main characters in Sprung are Brett and Becky, and each character offers players a unique adventure. Brett is a lonesome guy who is secretly out to seduce Becky, his friend for as long as he can remember. Becky, on the other hand, is just looking to get away after going through a painful breakup. Both have decided to head out to Snow Bird, a ski lodge in Colorado, to get away from the trials of real life as they immerse themselves the resort’s dating scene. Along the way the characters meet up with an interesting cast of friends, rivals, and the occasional hulking Indian.

Sprung is broken up into a long series of scenes that each play out at the resort. Each scene presents the player with a certain objective, and it is up to the player to determine, though a number of different dialog and action choices, how to achieve this goal. Sometimes, especially early on, the path is more or less laid out for the player, and achieving the goal of the scene a simple matter. As the game progresses, however, things get more complicated, and players will find themselves retrying scenes over and over until the proper order and type of dialog choices and actions are selected. While there are times when there are multiple paths to achieve victory in a scene, there are usually only a couple of paths to the objective. This makes the bulk of Sprung boil down a game of memorization coupled with trial and error, and this will no doubt turn off players looking for a more dynamic adventure. Still, the road is littered with such witty dialog that those who can put up with the shortcomings of the rather simplistic gameplay are in for a treat.

There are, however, occasions when a glimpse of dynamic gameplay does make itself known. Saying exactly the right thing at the right time will unlock what is called a Golden Line. These lines can be collected, and used to access certain hidden levels throughout the game. These levels offer exclusive encounters with some of the characters in the game, and this goal of achieving perfection infuses a bit of replayability in a game that otherwise would have been good for a single play though with little incentive for a return visit.

Additionally, much like any adventure game, there are a host of items that also play a role in getting to the end. Sprung features a great many items, and they have a variety of uses. For example, while attempting to woo an Asian temptress by the pool, you find out that she needs something to maintain her blood sugar, so you run off to buy candy from the hippie girl who has been eyeballing you, only to find out she needs you to snatch some mushrooms for her from someone else. Still other item uses are more straightforward, such as presenting a love-to-be with a gift to win his or her affections. Choosing the right item to use, as well as when is key in proceeding through the game.

As mentioned earlier, humor plays a key role in Sprung‘s presentation. It is impossible to take a game like this seriously, so to have the experience itself littered with amusing and well-written dialog is a boon for the adventure as a whole. For instance, there is a scene a little way into Brett’s story wherein he must play a sort of Cyrano de Bergerac role while trying to assist a local hipster in winning the heart of a lady. Before going into the potential disaster, both guys plan out their attack, going over what to say, but in practice words are often poorly communicated, and the resulting banter is laughable, but in a good way. However, players must keep a keen eye on what is being said, as they must recover despite the plan’s self destruction and achieve the scene’s goal (in this case getting the two to hook up). This is just one example of an area that will most likely have to be replayed several times in order to memorize the correct dialog choices, but luckily this is rendered as painless as possible through the use of a checkpoint system. Again, this sort of gameplay is sure to alienate some gamers who do not have an affinity for games whose primary game mechanic is based around retention.

Sprung‘s presentation is visually impressive, opting for a whimsical comic book-style of art that plays well with the game’s comedic overtones. However, the music is atrocious, and most players will no doubt find themselves fumbling for the volume slider in an effort to dull the pain. It wouldn’t be so bad if a majority of the tracks used in the game were not a simple grouping of four or five notes set to loop throughout the scene.

This is a game that proved to be much better than expected. For players looking for a unique adventure game, Sprung is sure to deliver an experience quite unlike any other in recent memory. However, the somewhat elementary gameplay is sure to turn away a number of gamers who are looking for something a bit more well-rounded. For what it is, Sprung dishes out a worthwhile and memorable experience that is both entertaining as well as quite funny. I only wish I had known some of these lines when I was dating.

Alien Hominid Interview

October 28, 2004

Features / Interviews / by Jason Dobson /

In an age of 3D gaming, it is perhaps more than a little ironic that games that manage to hold onto their 2D roots garner so much attention. It is as if players have a love affair with these games as they offer a glimpse into the past while still displaying gameplay that is every bit as rich today as it was during the eras of in gaming in which they were king. Very soon the developers at Behemoth will be releasing Alien Hominid on the current generation of consoles, and it looks to again capture gamers with it’s 2D artistic style and old school gameplay. This week we had to opportunity to speak with Tom Fulp, Dan Paladin, and John Baez, three of the individuals working on this game in hopes to get a better understanding as to just what Alien Hominid means to us, and to the gaming community.

First of all, thank you for taking the time to speak with us about this exciting looking game. What has each of your roles been on this project, and what other games have you worked on before climbing onboard here?

DAN: My role here has been the majority of the artwork. I have worked on Soldier of Fortune 2 for Xbox and Whacked! for Xbox as well as a slew of webgames made with Tom Fulp.

JOHN: I do the business end of things. Mostly I’m on the phone trying to keep everything going. From manufacturing figurines, skateboard decks, clothing and doing the game I rarely have time to get into trouble. Before I started the Behemoth with Tom, Dan, and Brandon, I was an environmental artist at Gratuitous Games. That’s where I met Dan, when we were working on the Soldier of Fortune format conversion.

TOM: I programmed most of the game play on both the console and the prototype. My background has traditionally revolved around web games. Some examples include Pico and Disorderly, a Double Dragon style brawler that takes place in a nursing home. I also own and run Newgrounds.com, one of the most interesting places on the web to see up and coming content.

Can you go into some of the story behind the genesis of Alien Hominid? For example, how it began as a demo on the internet and then how it evolved into a soon-to-be-released console title. Was this always the intention for the game?

TOM: We never imagined it would become a console game. At the time of inception, Dan and I were itching to build a Metal Slug / Contra style engine in Flash. As Flash hobbyists, we enjoy trying new genres and pushing the limits for what Flash is perceived to be capable of. Alien Hominid was meant to be a fun diversion and cool tech-demo to inspire other Flash artists. We never gave much thought to it being anything more than a web game.

JOHN: HAHAHA…you never imagined it would become a console game, but I knew the game had a destiny from the first time I played it. I’m just glad we were able to put it together instead of some mega publisher.

Everyone knows that 2D games are a dying breed. Why did you choose to go in that direction and what are you doing to ensure that the gameplay mechanics still feel familiar to fans of the genre but at the same time making things fresh for both newcomers and veterans alike?

TOM: Having grown up with 2D games, we have a lot of love for them. Playing 2D games puts me in a sort of comfort zone where I experience all sorts of warm fuzzy feelings. I’ve spent countless hours tracking down the A

Phantom Brave – NIS Talks Ghosts and Strategy

August 2, 2004

Features / Interviews / by Jason Dobson /

Recently we were given the unique opportunity to speak with Nippon Ichi, developers behind some of the most critically acclaimed strategy games on the PlayStation 2 console. With Phantom Brave on the horizon for release this month, we jumped at the opportunity to see just what the creators had in store for us all with this title.

Snackbar Games: Thank you very much for taking the time to talk with us about Phantom Brave. All of us are very excited about this game, as we are still riding high on that which was La Pucelle and Disgaea. Could you give our readers a little background as far as who you are, what projects you have worked on in the past, and what your role has been on the Phantom Brave project?

Yoshitsuna Kobayashi: Hello, my name is Yoshitsuna Kobayashi. My previous works include La Pucelle and Disgaea. For Phantom Brave I worked as the Director and the Game Designer.

SBG: One of the first things on peoples’ minds, at least the minds of those who played both Disgaea and La Pucelle, is does Phantom Brave directly tie in with either of those games story-wise, or is it a wholly independent experience?

YK: Phantom Brave does not tie in with either Disgaea or La Pucelle. It is a wholly independent game from the two, but you might find some guest appearances in Phantom Brave from the previous titles.

SBG: The gameplay in both Disgaea and La Pucelle was different, but both games were at their core still quite similar. What is the gameplay like in Phantom Brave, and how is the same and/or different from what players may have experienced with the previous titles?

YK: Although Phantom Brave is a turned based RPG, we got rid of the ordinary phase-turn system used in Disgaea and La Pucelle. Instead we adopted a system where turns are determined by individual speed. Also gone are the chess like grids. Players are free to move their characters anywhere they want, as long as they are within their moving range.

SBG: Where on earth did the whole confinement of Phantoms concept come from?

YK: The confinement concept was my inspiration.

SBG: Can you explain a bit as to how confinement works, and its impact on Phantom Brave’s gameplay?

YK: Confinement is the most important element of this game. Without confinement Marona will have to battle enemies on her own.

In order to summon your characters to the battlefield you must confine your characters to objects on the map. By confining with objects you may increase or decrease your character status. Different objects provide different status change. Some objects might receive a protection status from other objects; these protected objects may possess special powers like invincibility.

SBG: What is your opinion on the evolution of gameplay in the series from those previously mentioned titles to Phantom Brave?

YK: Phantom Brave has exponentially more freedom in the game play then previous titles. The game is in fact A

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