Star Wars BattleFront: First Impressions

Like many yesterday, I went out and purchased Star Wars Battlefront. I think this must be the first, full-fledged Star Wars console game since Star Wars: The Force Unleashed? Yes, there have been many, many games for mobile devices, but to me, those only go so far and don’t really immerse you in the true Star Wars universe.

As someone who works full-time and is busy even after I get home, I don’t usually have much time most days, if any, to play video games (sad, I know). Yesterday, was able to enjoy at least two hours of gameplay.

A nice surprise was you are able to play Darth Vader attacking the rebel base on Hoth as the game loads onto your system. That was fun, but after awhile I was wondering if there was something wrong with my PS4.

The game finally loads and I started with some of the training missions which I am glad I tried out. I think Call of Duty needs to have some of these, because i could never quite get the handle on piloting a helicopter. It was nice to pathetically crash a few times on my speeder bike in the training mission before diving into the real game.

I have done a few of the multiplayer games. Basically the “kill as many of the other team as possible” missions and some dog fighting. I’ll have to say that the game is beautiful and fun and takes full advantage of the Star Wars universe, including the music. However, those who have played these type of games before shouldn’t expect all that much that is revolutionary.

It seems like it is the typical character grind where you earn “credits” to then unlock weapons and customize the look of your character. After a few games, I definitely felt had the, “been there, done that” feeling.

Don’t get me wrong, its a fun game and I definitely plan to continue enjoying the fun. I have yet to try the Walker Assault and some of the other multiplayer options available, but that is my opinion of it so far. I hope EA and Disney/Lucasfilm have more console games in the works.

 

 

 

Get Your Geek On: Kingdom Hearts 3 Trailer

Today, Square Enix released a new gameplay trailer for the upcoming Kingdom Hearts III.

From watching the video, it looks like you can use Disneyland parade floats and rides, such as the Tea Cups, to take on your enemies. I liked the other games in the series and I am glad a new game will be coming out.

Here is the full trailer:

Star Wars Coming to Disney Infinity 3.0

I am certainly more excited about this than the Marvel edition that was released last fall.

Engadget reports on some of the other characters coming to the latest edition of the game:

Also in store for Disney Infinity 3.0 is a new Marvel Play Set including, in part, Hulkbuster Iron Man and Ultron. Plus, there are new Tron and Pixar figurines on the way. Accessories from previous versions of Disney Infinity will be compatible with the new game, Disney says. The Disney Infinity 3.0 Starter Pack, including Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker figures, costs $65, with pre-orders live now. If that sounds pricey, just think of it as “the price to see a movie with four-ish friends” or “the price to see a movie alone and with lots of popcorn.”

Looks like I’ll be using those old Disney Infinity bases as coasters, or maybe as a frisbee?

Disney Infinity 2.0: Less Disney, More KAPOW!

This weekend I visited my local store and finally picked up a new PS4 and along with it, Disney Infinity 2.0.

I was an early adopter of the original Disney Infinity. The day it was released I was over at Gamestop with other gamers/Disney fans picking up my starter kit. I will definitely remember that “Disney” feeling turning on Disney Infinity for the first time and watching the introduction that also worked to explain the basic gameplay. During this sequence I was introduced to the wonderful cross-over appeal of the game and the ability to play and interact with my favorite Disney characters. Once the introduction was complete, it was clear this game was an improvement of many past efforts by Disney Interactive. It was a great “Disney” game. I quickly added a number of characters to my Disney Infinity collection.

My one main issue as a gamer, is 1.0 was lacking some good brawling/fighting challenges. Pirates of the Caribbean and the Incredibles had some good sparring sequences, but those were quickly beaten. The toy boxes were interesting, but they didn’t really hold my interest.

I got a completely different impression upon experiencing Disney Infinity 2.0 for the first time,. Gone was the “Disney” feeling from the first iteration and it was replaced with the Marvel overlay. I have only been able to play the Avengers play set a bit and overall it is certainly an improvement. As a gamer, I certainly have enjoyed the focus on battling the Frost Giants and Loki, and the city-scape is certainly a step up from the Incredibles play set. As a Disney fan though, the “Disney” part of 2.0 has been scaled back. Sure, you can buy more Disney characters to play in the toy box, but the play sets, and title screen are certainly more “Marvel” focused.

Again, I have only been playing a few days and perhaps my views will change. I hope to be able to spend more time in the Toy Box area and compare building my own world in 2.0 to the original.

Disney Infinity 2.0 Review Round Up

Get ready gamers! Disney Infinity 2.0 will be released on Tuesday and reviews are already appearing online.

I eagerly purchased the first edition on launch weekend and being a gamer and Disney Fan I heavily invested in the characters. I enjoyed the game for sure, but I found the toy box mode to be a bit time consuming so I typically downloaded other toy boxes. However, it appears that the Toy Box mode is improved in the new edition.

Here is a summary of some of the reviews that have appeared so far:

GameSpot:

Thanks goodness, then, for the improvements introduced in Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes 2.0 Edition. The Toy Box is mind-boggingly complex and option-stuffed as never before, but it’s also now much easier to create your own worlds and adventures, with the game featuring assist options that range from “give me a hand on this” all the way to “build the whole thing for me.” The game as a whole still has its share of problems–the main adventure that comes with it is pedestrian, and there are some technical issues that result in sometimes poor frame rates and broken quests–but Infinity’s best part has been made even better.

Entertainment Weekly:

The story just scratches the surface of Infinity 2.0‘s potential, however. The real joy of the game, and what evoked nostalgia for my childhood, is in the game’s creation suite, known as the Toy Box. The basic spirit of the mode is to create any Disney or Marvel-ified idea you can imagine, and Infinity 2.0 brings with it a host of improvements and hours of fun with whatever those creations may be.

Den of Geek:

Because it’s so open ended, play in the Toy Box can be rather unstructured, and that’s sometimes fun, but I didn’t enjoy this side of Infinity 1.0 a half as much as the playsets. 2.0 has made some significant changes, however, and greatly increased both the immediate appeal and potential of the Toy Box. This time around, Toy Box levels can be focused and disciplined much more like a miniature playset, with clear objectives, proper “Win” and “Try Again” states, and all of the bones that give a video game its engaging form.

Forbes:

A nice touch here is the ability to play co-op mode in the play-set adventures right out of the box. The original Disney Infinity game came with three play-sets rather than one, but only one figure from each franchise. Because you can’t mix the different brands in the adventure mode this meant families had to buy an additional toy character before campaign co-op was an option. This year that problem is resolved.

Stuff.TV:

The speed of creation is at times mind-boggling. To on-lookers it appears that players are super competent developers to be able to create such interactive fun in just a few hours. However, it’s the game’s clever interface and limitless options that make you look like the next super-star programmer.

The Guardian:

Most important for families is the ability to play co-operatively in the main adventures straight out of the box. Last year additional toys needed to be purchased before this was possible. Co-op gameplay is reminiscent of the Lego series of video games that combine platforming, brawling and puzzle solving. There is also a more meaningful connection between virtual and physical characters through the expansive upgrade options that encourage players to customise their avatars in different directions – speed, ranged attacks, melee attacks or healing.

Looks like most reviewers are giving the new Disney Infinity 2.0 a thumbs up. Will you be picking up the latest edition?

No Reward is Worth This: Another Star Wars Game Disappoints

“Hmm! Adventure. Hmmpf! Excitement. Gamers crave not these things!” I hate to think this paraphrase of Yoda’s famous quote is what developers are thinking as they create new Star Wars games. Unfortunately, after playing the latest iPad game, Star Wars Commander, I kinda get the feeling that they are.

For those who haven’t heard, Star Wars Commander closely follows a Clash of Clans approach where players must sit around and slowly build up troops to be trained, buildings to be upgraded, etc, before any real excitement occurs. Yes, you start out with easy levels where your quickly-trained troops go out and kill mutated womp rats, but why the drudgery of having to start off at such a basic level? Oh, and those troops you trained? Well once you use them and if they survive, well they must get lost on Tatooine because they never return to base.

If you want to eventually attack stronger enemies, secure real weaponry and a more fortified base, well, your choices are to wait to gather the currency and resources or you can pay real money to speed up the process. Once you do get into the battle, you can’t really control what your forces do, they run around and shoot the bad guys and you hope they win. The character voices are pretty decent from what I have heard so far and of course the game has all the nostalgic sound effects Star Wars fans will like.

I am sure there are some who like this style of game. Me? I am sick of it and the many clones that are out there.

Gone are the days of the great first-person games like Star Wars: The Forced Unleashed, Republic Commando (to some extent), and of course the classic Jedi Knight. These games made you feel as if you were part of an epic Star Wars storyline. Now the approach is to take game play formats that have been established by others and slap the Star Wars brand on them. Some of the examples include Star Wars Angry Birds, Tiny Death Star, and Star Wars Commander is just the latest copy cat.

The only game us fans can really look forward to is Star Wars Battlefront 3 which itself is seemingly copying a game style that was first released in 2004!

I am still hoping we will eventually see a breakthrough game featuring our favorite Star Wars galaxy sometime in the near future.

Tsum Tsum Madness is Growing

Will Disney Tsum Tsum Take Over America?

So, awhile ago I wrote about the new Disney game for mobile devices, Disney Tsum Tsum.

Yes, it can be addicting, but am I compelled to play every day, not really. However, I am probably not the target demographic.

As part of this new game, Disney released plush toys and they have started to hit Disney Stores both online and at local malls. According to the Orange County Register, they are selling well:

Disney, unsure how Americans would respond, ordered a modest amount as a test, stocking them on Disney.com and in 60 of the 207 domestic Disney Stores. They sold like wildfire. Some stores are now sold out, with Stitch and Dumbo characters going especially fast, according to a Disney spokeswoman.

“I spend a lot of money on Disney merchandise, but you don’t often see this level of cuteness,” said Scarlett Litton, 28, an Orlando, Fla., Internet sales manager and mother of two. “I have like 30 stacked all over my desk at work.”

Disney is now rushing to restock and expand the line to all of its stores. Airlifting more Tsum Tsum from Asian factories has been discussed. (Merchandise normally arrives by boat, which is slower but cheaper.) Disney is also working to develop complementary products – apparel and tech accessories – aimed at teenagers.

I have yet to see them in person even though I have visited my local Disney Store twice within the last several months. When I do, I’ll probably pick up one just to add to my pile of Disney collectibles.

Are you excited about Disney Tsum Tsum?

 

Is This the Next Disney Craze?

Will Disney Tsum Tsum Take Over America?

Disney has just announced a new line of plush toys and a companion game for mobile devices in the United States that is evidently a smash hit in Japan, so says Variety:

“Disney Tsum Tsum,” which translates to “Disney Stack Stack,” has players connect as many characters as they can in one minute in a “Tetris”-like format. Higher scores are reached as more Tsums are eliminated. As they progress through the free game, players collect Tsums based on Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Winnie the Pooh and Buzz Lightyear, for example, which offer special abilities and in-game help.

The game was published by Line, the creator of an app that provides free phone calls and messaging services in Japan. When the “Tsum Tsum” game is connected with a Line account, social features are unlocked like gifting and leaderboard competitions.

I downloaded the game this evening on my iPad and I’ll admit that the game can be addicting. Will the game be able to keep me coming back in a few weeks? I guess we’ll have to see about that.

Parents be warned: There are numerous in-app purchases available, so be sure to be mindful of what your kids are tapping on. There are a lot of cute, shiny buttons to lure kids into buying virtual goodies.  Will younger kids be drawn to the stuffed characters of Mickey and Minnie? Probably.

I will be sure to check out the toys the next time I’m in my area Disney store.

The game can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play

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Return to the Gaming Galaxy Far, Far Away

The latest “official” trailer for the next installment of the Star Wars Battlefront series has been released and it looks promising so far. Hope it doesn’t get cancelled like several other recent Star Wars games!

Another Star Wars Game Bites the Dust

So this is a bummer.

Besides Disney, I love Star Wars and I love video games. I was disappointed tonight when it was revealed that the latest Star Wars game, Star Wars: Attack Squadrons has been scrapped.

It has been so long since there has been a decent Star Wars Video Game. I don’t consider the Angry Birds versions to be true Star Wars games. Besides some Star Wars-themed overlay, sound effects and music its just…Angry Birds. I would’ve loved to try out Star Wars: The Old Republic, but I’m a Mac user, so that is not an option for me.

Attack Squadrons seemed to have promise. I always loved the old PC Tie Fighter dog-fighting video games and the space missions in Star Wars Galaxies were the best part of the game. I was so hoping this would have been released. The article linked above speculates the feedback wasn’t strong, but perhaps Disney couldn’t find a way to monetize the game that was free to players? Who knows, I’m just speculating.

I hope the wait will be worth it when Disney and EA finally release the next Star Wars game.