MySims Kingdom (by the way, do bother looking at the screens posted above, they are quite nice and rather appropriately from the game) seems like a new direction to the series, as -according to EA- players will get to embark on adventures, explore stuff and generally try to bring joy and happiness to a whole bloody Kingdom. This of course involves quite a lot of journeying, talking to characters (even wizards), solving puzzles, tending to pigs, building houses, collecting… err… collectibles and at times fixing bridges. Oh, and in case you were wondering, the tried and tested gameplay of The Sims shouldn’t be lacking either… just given more substance really.

If you ask me, on the other hand, Myst with its static but breathtaking graphics, flick-screen progression, obscure mechanical puzzles, weird ambient sounds, lack of plot and huge success, was the worst thing to ever happen to adventures. It did away with story, became a hit despite that and went on to spawn a thousand sequels and rip-offs that quite literally drowned the scene. Then again it does remain -even to this day- a highly playable, highly atmospheric game. A good game.

And now, Myst made it to the Nintendo DS in the guise of the aptly named Myst DS and it still is as great an adventure as it used to. The graphics have been slightly compressed mind you, the controls do feel archaic and the small screens don’t really help with the immersion, but it still is the original Myst in your palm, which does feel kinda impressive. Just don’t expect anything new or any bonus content…

Nintendo Classic Controller
A twin analog solution mainly focused at retro gamers and a must-have accessory for N64 lovers. Also supported by quite a few proper games one of which happens to be Super Smash Bros Brawl.

Mad Catz Component Cable
You know, just like the Nintendo offering, though easier to find and slightly cheaper. Besides, a component cable is the cheapest/fastest way to upgrade the graphics quality of the Wii, provided of course your TV is up to it.

Nintendo LAN Adapter
For the poor souls craving net connectivity but lacking a WiFi router. Obvious.

San Disk Memory Card
Of the 1GB variety. Quite handy though we’d rather have a hard disk. WiiWare is just around the corner, seems more than intriguing, so how about it Nintendo?

Joyteck Power Station
Think of the environment. Think of the hassle of leaving your comfy place to go out and buy batteries. Think of the cost. Think of way to recharge your Wii Remotes. Now grab a Power Station. Good.

Problem is though, that id was extremely sparse on any kind of other info. I’m free to speculate! Yay! Well, DOOM 4 will surely appear on the PC and judging from the Xbox version of DOOM 3 I could hazard a guess and say it will probably -at least- make it to the Xbox 360, though the PS3 shouldn’t realistically be left out either. Now, as I have only played the PC version of DOOM 3 and still consider it extremely good looking, I’d like to remind id (who presumably won’t be able to sleep till I get on with my rant) that they should not solely focus on the engine, with which I’m sure they’ll make a stellar job. Enemy AI, atmosphere, gameplay and a marine that can simultaneously hold a flashlight and a gun should under no circumstances be ignored.

To patch things up, I’ve decided to focus on the story bits of the game(s), as they were admittedly both great and oddly at odds with what most ludologists consider proper video game storytelling. You see, both WC III and its expansion used the much-maligned old-fashioned way of telling in-game stories: the not particularly interactive cutscene method. Truth be said, the cutscene, no matter how impressive, smart, touching, whatever it turns out to be, is not playing to the strengths of the medium and definitely doesn’t help the player feel as if his/her actions impact on the gaming world. It isn’t considered a good immersion technique. Yet, it can work, and Warcraft is all the proof anyone should need that there is no particular way a story should be told. In Warcraft III the player (well, ok, I at least) feels engrossed, impressed by the visual quality of the storytelling and deeply involved in the proceedings. Why? Because the quality of a story itself matters more than the way it is delivered, that’s why…

Silent Hill Origins

Horror can be quite difficult to pull off on a handheld and this game is probably as good as it gets. Well, so far really, as this is the very first Silent Hill game to go portable. It’s not perfect, not by far and definitely not when the clunky camera and combat mechanics are taken into account, but Origins still is a great game that really nails the Silent Hill atmosphere and reveals the… err… origins that originally turned Silent Hill to the hellish ghost town it now is. Brilliant and disturbing graphics, superb sound effects, new characters and chilling monsters make this best PSP horror game yet.

Metal Slug Anthology

Ok, I know I’ve mentioned this one before, but apparently you keep ignoring it. Tsk, tsk, I say, how dare you? This is a collection of the best side-scrolling action platformer shooting game-thingies ever and even comes with a nice scent of nostalgia. And don’t get me started on the aesthetic pleasures the graphics provide. Or the sick humor. Besides, this PSP offering includes Metal Slug, Metal Slug 2, Metal Slug X, Metal Slug 3, Metal Slug 4 and Metal Slug 5.

Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agony

A PC action-CRPG that manages to decently squeeze itself to appear on the PSP’s small but shiny screen, while simultaneously adapting to the needs of on the go gaming, is quite an impressive sight indeed, and that’s what Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agony is. Impressive. It offers hours of smooth gameplay, three story lines, tons of weapons, an impressive variety of baddies, excellent controls, good audio, multiplayer options and nice graphics. Oh, yes, and lots and lots of hacking and slashing while waiting for the bus.

Especially so, when said good games are more or less the last offerings of their sub-genre, as was X-Wing Alliance, for it sadly was the very last Star Wars space-combat sim that let players sit inside a cockpit. Following the excellent X-Wing, nigh on perfect TIE Fighter and multiplayer-only X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter, Alliance not only brought the series to an explosive climax and allowed anti-social kids and accountants worldwide to fantasize about being starry-eyed space heroes, but also let us proper gamers relive key events from the Star Wars saga and even the end of the Empire itself. And, yes, this does actually mean we got to fly the Millennium Falcon inside the second Death Star as never before and never since. See the screenshot?

Sheer computer gaming joy. What’s more, the game also let (arguably still does, as it’s got no problems on my XP PC) you pilot a variety of classic Rebel Alliance starships ranging from the aptly named X-Wing classic, to the vaguely A-shaped A-Wing, to the Y-Wing, through a brilliant campaign that spanned 50 missions. Oh, and graphics and audio are still impressive, the gameplay hasn’t aged a day and multiplayer dogfights are unsurpassed.

What really got me was the brilliant -obviously stylized too- recreation of New York City, which, the way I see it, is the first time a city has been so vibrantly portrayed in a video game. Now, I may just be wrong about this as I haven’t gotten my hands on the actual game yet, but it felt beyond right. It felt as if someone has really managed to present a beautiful, detailed, interpretation of NY with a distinct but well-meant touch of sarcasm (how very contradictory) using some utterly amazing technology. What’s more, the thing is interactive too! And it’s even got what look like normal people in it!

For a more elaborate look and an accordingly longer post though, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait for me to get a copy of the thing, which hopefully wont take too long…

Boom Blox for the Nintendo Wii, on the other hand, doesn’t seem like standard Spielberg territory. Not by far. It’s a cutesy, shiny puzzle game mainly aimed at kids instead, that will apparently sport some pretty impressive graphics, 300 levels, WiiConnect 24 support and some pretty innovative gameplay. Spielberg got inspired while playing with his Wii, you see. Shockingly, the thing should be available in a few days too!

Oh, and below I’ve taken the liberty and posted some lovely screenshots EA has released to intrigue us, and, in case you were wondering what this huge pic at the beginning of the post is, well, it’s a PAL packshot.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that Mario Kart Wii isn’t fun or a good game or anything like that; I’m just saying I can’t understand what’s so absolutely great about it. After all, it’s not much more than a polished cartoony racing game with Mario slapped on it, some imaginative levels, nice art, decent graphics and some meh online multiplayer options. Admittedly, it actually is a very polished game indeed, that can be quite addictive, extremely fun and something that really shines when played as a party game. Two-player same-room games are even better and do evoke that old feel of the Amiga-and-two-joysticks era, whereas the single player options are both numerous and entertaining. So, what’s not to love about it, then? Well, there’s definitely something missing.

Happily, I’m pretty sure I know what said something is, and it’s got absolutely nothing to do with the atrocious soundtrack or the vaguely amusing addition of motorbikes. Mario Kart Wii, you see, is too easy, too random and just doesn’t really let you show off your gaming skills. Power-ups are mostly unbalanced, luck plays a huge role and it’s a game really aiming hard for that elusive casual audience too… Hmmm, really. Fun, but hmm.

Oh, and if you are older than 12, well, I think you’d rather not touch that plastic steering wheel Nintendo is trying to sell.