CAG Foreplay Podcast #4: New Releases (6/19/07) John Rainbow Edition

CAG's shipwreck & mrs. shipwreck preview the new releases for the week of June 19th, 2007. Kidnapped Presidents (and President's daughters), cavemen, robots, Nazis, zombies, and insects: this week's got it all!

You can now subscribe to Foreplay on iTunes by clicking this link: CAG Foreplay on iTunes

[media]http://media.libsyn.com/media/foreplay/cagforeplay4.mp3[/media]

The Adventures of Darwin Dev. D3 Pub. D3 Systems: PS2 MSRP: $19.99
Looking for an action/adventure game with RTS elements but already played Pikmin AND Pikmin 2? Sad that Pikmin 3 hasn't evolved into existence yet? This title might be just what you're looking for! Play as Darwin, the monkey, as he leads his tribe through the wilderness and into the evolutionary fast-lane. In order to evolve and save themselves from going the way of the dinosaurs, you must order Darwin and his fellow primates to find food, learn to use tools, and avoid being a meal for someone else. At $20, this title sounds refreshingly different AND easy on the wallet. - mrs. ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for The Adventures of Darwin.

Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)


Brothers in Arms: War Stories Dev. Gameloft Pub. Ubi Soft Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
Just because you are on the go doesn't mean that Nazis suddenly stop needing to be killed. Stylus them to death in this portable entry of the WWII third-person shooter. Most of the squad-based flavor that the series is known for was ditched in an effort to streamline controls and provide a more action-filled experience. Most of the controls are handled by the stylus including looking, selecting weapons, reloading, and throwing grenades while the "L" button shoots and the d-pad allows you to run towards Nazis, run away from Nazis, and M.C. Hammer dance strafe around Nazis. Throw in some pretty impressive visuals and four player multiplayer and this seems to be a pretty solid shooter for the DS. - ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Brothers in Arms DS.

Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $28.84 (99 cent shipping)


Dirt Dev. Codemasters Pub. Codemasters Systems: PC, 360 MSRP: $59.99
Because we don't know British race car drivers, Codemasters decided to drop Colin McRae's name from this rally racing game in favor of giving it an impossibly more unremarkable name. With that endeavor succesfully in their hip pocket, they went to work on making one of the most graphically impressive racers to date. And while it certainly looks pretty, fans of the series might be disappointed to know that this incarnation toes the Project Gotham 3-esque line of simulation and arcade racing. At it's heart, Dirt is still a rally racing game complete with time trials, rally cross, and hill climbs which is great for rally fans, but the lack of true head-to-head multiplayer is certainly a concern (especially with Forza 2 releasing just a couple of weeks back). - ship

Best Deal:
Amazon is offering a code for 10 unlockable cars with your purchase of Dirt. Both Fry's and Family Video will save you a few bucks of retail price.

Purchase At Amazon $59.99 (Free shipping and 10 unlockable cars)
Purchase At Family Video $56.48 (99 cent shipping)
See fidodido's Fry's Ad $54.99


Dungeon Maker: Hunting Ground Dev. Global A Pub. Xseed Systems: PSP MSRP: $39.99
Design dungeons on the fly, but be sure to match the carpet to the drapes or you might not attract the monster of your dreams in this Diablo meets Viva Pinata meets Bob Villa geek orgy. Yes, it sounds good to me too. - ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Dungeon Maker: Hunting Ground.

Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free shipping)


Fullmetal Alchemist: Trading Card Game Dev. Ultra Pro LP Pub. Navarre Systems: DS MSRP: $19.99
It seems like every trading card game released in the past century is finding its way to the DS. Each TCG franchise has it's group of devoted fans who will undoubtedly be happy no matter how disappointing the game may be, and the bizillion FMA fans will be no exception. While you might be quick to chalk this game up to fan service, the Nintendo WFC support, How-To tutorials for newbies, complex gameplay, and $20 price tag make this game a better buy than most of the trading card games we've seen or have yet to see. - mrs. ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Fullmetal Alchemist: Trading Card game.

Purchase At EB Games $19.99


Hitman Trilogy Dev. Eidos Pub. Eidos Systems: PC, PS2 MSRP: $29.99
Even though there are four Hitman games, only three of them were released on the Playstation 2 and can be easily thrown in a box and called a trilogy. Besides, trilogies are hip while quadrologies make people question whether it is a word. Along with Hitman 2, Contracts, and Blood Money, Eidos has graciously thrown in a bonus disc with footage of their upcoming solology Kayne & Lynch. - ship

Best Deal:
Amazon is offering Hitman Trilogy for $28 shipped.

Purchase At Amazon $27.99 (Free shipping)


Hot Brain: Fire Up Your Mind Dev. Midway Pub. Midway Systems: PSP MSRP: $29.99
This game should appeal to those PSP owners who feel like the DS is cornering the market on games that enhance your brain function. With that sneaky title tricking you into thinking that the Big Brain games are finally coming to the PSP, don't be fooled into forgetting that while this title is probably entertaining at some level, it's still a rip-off title. Whether it's worth your $30 is up to you, but beware that some of the screen shots look like mediocre clip art on a white background. I'm sure it was tough to design and took a lot of some poor intern's summer vacation. - mrs. ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Hot Brain.

Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $27.64 (99 cent shipping)


Hot Wheels Ultimate Racing Dev. Destination Software Pub. Destination Software Systems: PSP MSRP: $19.99
The thing is, I wrote a preview for this game months ago and Ship lost it. I remember there being lots of customization and upgrades. There were multiple levels of gameplay, I'm going with more than two but less than five. It's a PSP game, so the graphics should be good and it's portable. - mrs. ship

Best Deal:
Amazon is offering Hot Wheels Ultimate Racing for $18.

Purchase At Amazon $17.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)


PQ2: Practical Intelligence Quotient 2 Dev. Now Production Pub. D3 Systems: PSP MSRP: $29.99
This IQ test has you helping a little man escape from a series of rooms by moving boxes and riding conveyor belts. I found the first game to be unbelievably boring so I'm just going to assume I'm either too smart or too stupid to play these games and move on. - ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for PQ2.

Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)


Puzzle Scape Dev. Farmind Ltd Pub. Got Game Entertainment Systems: PSP MSRP: $19.99
This game seems to be the Frankenstein of puzzle games. It starts out like Tetris, with colored blocks falling from the top of the screen. But alas, linking a line of blocks of the same color won't make any of them disappear. Instead, you have to rearrange the blocks by switching the places of two adjacent blocks in a similar fashion to Planet Puzzle League. In order to make the blocks disappear and score points, you have to create a larger block of four (2x2) smaller blocks all of the same color. At this point, the game looks a lot like getting the bonus block in Lumines because all other single blocks of that color touching your larger block also disappear. Sounds not so simple? All in all, the preview videos of this game look good and this could be the next Lumines. Or Tetris. Or Planet Puzzle League. I prefer to call it Telumileague. Or Planetrilumines. Whatever you call it, it looks to be well worth your $20. - mrs. ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Puzzle Scape.

Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)


Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition Dev. Capcom Pub. Capcom Systems: Wii MSRP: $29.99
Yeah, you already own it (maybe twice or thrice over), but it's Resident Evil 4 with true widescreen, Wii-ified controls, the Ada Wong missions and the best graphics on the Wii to date. At least Capcom is nice enough to not charge us full price for this double-dip, unlike so many other Wii-imaginings that have made their way over from the last gen. - ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition.

Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $27.64 (99 cent shipping)


Sim City DS Dev. Maxis Pub. Electronic Arts Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
This game is rumored to be Sim City 3000 with lots of extras. There are three modes of gameplay: building a new city, saving the city, and something called sister city. That's where the cities braid each others hair, stay up all night, and talk about boys. Just kidding. Being in this small apartment with Ship must be making the corny jokes flow. Support our former Foreplayer and read Rock Solid Audio's review in this month's EGM. - mrs. ship

Best Deal:
Amazon saves you a couple bucks on Sim City DS and EB/Gamestop is offering a free Washington Monument code.

Purchase At Amazon $27.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At EB Games $29.99 (Free Washington Monument code)


Transformers: Autobots Dev. Vicarious Visions Pub. Activision Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
Transformers: Decepticons Dev. Vicarious Visions Pub. Activision Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
This week's release of Transformers Autobots and Transformers Decepticons makes choosing between Pearl versus Diamond look like child's play. For starters, these two games offer two completely different gameplay experiences. In one game, you're destroying the world as Megatron while the other offers Optimus Prime trying to save the world. Of course, there are other Transformers available as playable characters too, but each version of the game stays true to its Decepticons/Autobots roots. You start off the game playing in prototype robot form, but quickly progress by learning new moves to eventually switch into vehicle form. The downfall of these games is certainly the online play. Play between friends with is limited to those in your local area network. There is WiFi content available, but only to enhance your single player game. This paired set of games looks like fun to play but will surely test the will of most true CAGS - is paying $30 for what is essentially half a game worth it?

Best Deal:
Starting next Sunday, Circuit City is offering both versions of Transformers on the DS for $20 each. If you can't wait that long, here's some various links.

Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At EB Games $29.99 (Free Transformers The Movie Poster)
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $26.99 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At EB Games $29.99 (Free Transformers The Movie Poster)


Transformers: The Game Dev. Savage Pub. Activision Systems: PSP MSRP: $39.99
Ship and I are concerned enough about the quality of the Transformers movie, let alone this summer-game-that's-based-on-a-movie. If you don't know how these games usually fare, you're either a new fan of the CAG foreplay, or you liked the Shrek The Third and you're taste in games is horrible. Unlike the DS Transformers games that are being released, this game will ask you to choose between playing as an Autobot or a Decepticon. So, you in effect don't get as ripped off as the DS-owners do and there is at least replay value to this title. While the storyline in the game follows that of the movie, you get more insight into the behind the scenes information with the game. The gameplay is free-roaming, includes some awesome one-touch transformations, and is generally rumored to be pretty entertaining. However, just based on the amount of build-up prior to the movie being released, I'm willing to bet that you'll probably be able to pick this title up used in a pretty short timespan. - mrs. ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals on Transformers: The Game.

Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free shipping)


On The DL with the Shipwrecks


Band of Bugs Systems: 360 MSRP: $10
Ninja Bee (what's up with the bug fascination) brings yet another original title to the XBLA. This time around it's a colorful turn-based strategy game starring insects. There seem to be a lot of different modes including a single player campaign and casual eight player online multiplayer. - ship

Bloody Wolf Systems: Wii MSRP: $6
In this TurboGrafx-16 top-down shooter, the President has been kidnapped and you must make the decision of a lifetime: save the President or your six dollars. - ship

NES Open Tournament Golf Systems: Wii MSRP: $5
A golf game starring Mario back before Nintendo realized that inserting his name into the title leads to infinitely more sales. - ship

World Sports Competition Systems: Wii MSRP: $6
C'mon now, there has to be some kind of office pool at Nintendo to see what game can sell the least amount of copies on the Virtual Console. I heard Reggie put a fiver down on this one. - ship


Feedback:

Did we miss a good sale on a game? Did we miss previewing a game completely? Well, the only way that everyone can know a better deal is out there is to let us know about it. Post deals you've found or games that we missed in the thread so that CAGs can make sure they are getting the absolute best prices on new releases.

i think my biggest concern for sc3000 is whether or not it'll have the same slowdown as my pc version would after about an hour or so of gameplay. i'm hoping against it because a fastplaying sc on my ds would be fantastic.

The Transformers games are next week, not this week.

Enjoyable Foreplay yet again but I was wondering the name of the PSP Zelda-ish game Mrs. Shipwreck brought up. How's it spelled?!

[quote name='Scorch']The Transformers games are next week, not this week.[/quote]
The DS games come out this week and the console games come out next week.

[quote name='crazytalkx']Enjoyable Foreplay yet again but I was wondering the name of the PSP Zelda-ish game Mrs. Shipwreck brought up. How's it spelled?![/quote]
It's called Gurumin. I'm not too far into it, but it's pretty simple to pickup and I'm really impressed with it so far. Here's the EB link: http://www.ebgames.com/product.asp?product%5Fid=190379

Pretty weak show. Any gamers who speak badly about Prince of Persia classic don't deserve to be listened to or taken seriously. This "hard game" is one my brother and I beat back in '89, when I was 13 years old, no less. Plus, we played it on an Amiga 500. Us = hardcore, The Shripwrecks = G4 gamers. Ooh, most people think Godfather 3 is bad, so I'll skip out on it, because I let others think for me. Oooh, a Turbografx 16 game on the VC... it can't be good! How can you say "nobody played these TG16 games." That's simply not true.

How Cheapy allow this podcast to be affiliated with CAG, I'll never know.

Wait, rocksolidaudio? is he the reviewer named Nick? And if so, how/when did he become a part of EGM?

He's an intern at 1up. And lspear76- NeoGAF is THATTA WAY.

CAG generally isn't as hardcore of a gaming community and the shipwrecks fit in there perfectly.

Besides, $6 for most TG16 games is kinda absurd, especially bloody wolf.

Is it bad that I want to play this Raw Danger game now? Good thing I don't have a PS2 anymore, else I don't think I'd be able to stop myself.

And Mrs. Shipwreck, EVERYONE cares about Abe Vigoda.

[quote name='jer7583']He's an intern at 1up. And lspear76- NeoGAF is THATTA WAY.

CAG generally isn't as hardcore of a gaming community and the shipwrecks fit in there perfectly.

Besides, $6 for most TG16 games is kinda absurd, especially bloody wolf.[/QUOTE]

So, if you walked in a store and saw a Turbo game for $5.99 you'd think it's "too much?"

But to mention that "no one has played these games" is absurd. The Turbo had a loyal following, whether or not mainstream "superficial" gamers could ever appreciate games like that. It's not rated 9's and 10's by GamePro. It's no good, and not worth checking out! They show a lack of respect and knowledge for older systems.

Evolving monkeys got me all lathered up, and I ordered it from Family Video for $15.xx. New users can use code "NEWPGMEM".

The animation looks great, and the graphics are pretty japanese-cute. I love the sanitized 'meat and bone' graphic; a caveman version of pigs in a blanket, that were seen in Bonk, Tomba and probably Tail of the Sun.

LOL at >2 and

Man! Adventures of Darwin has been moved to next week. Is this Monster Madness all over again?

Thanks for the mention! As I said if you want to learn VS/Marvel Trading Card game I am more than happy to help. The PSP version is the superior version to the DS version (more cards and access to online play through marveltcgonline.com) and is also cheaper now ($19.99 at EB/Gamestop.) Here is the link to the UDE online demo again:

http://entertainment.upperdeck.com/marvel/en/demo.aspx

Also, now that your in Cincinatti, you are right next to Acme Games, which is the home of 2 VS Pro Circuit Champions. Now before you laugh at that, when those guys won the Pro Circuit, it was worth $40,000 (it's worth about $16,000 now.)

There's a big VS event there Sunday morning/afternoon if your interested in seeing the game in action and I'm sure someone could teach you the game while you're there. There's also a big VS weekend in Columbus in the first weekend of July but it's not officially attached to Origins so it's free to go to. It's Friday-Sunday at Franklin County Veterans Memorial North Hall 300 W. Broad St. in Columbus.

What's with the Christmas music? I suddenly feel all festive.

The Raw Danger game soundtrack is apparently just Jingle Bells since it takes place in a Christmas setting. They talk about it on the podcast.

[quote name='mrs. shipwreck']It's called Gurumin. I'm not too far into it, but it's pretty simple to pickup and I'm really impressed with it so far. Here's the EB link: http://www.ebgames.com/product.asp?product%5Fid=190379[/QUOTE]

Looks a little too cutesy for my taste but the reviews/price shall lead me to purchasing said game today. Thanks for the info Mrs. Shipwreck!

[quote name='lspear76']So, if you walked in a store and saw a Turbo game for $5.99 you'd think it's "too much?"

But to mention that "no one has played these games" is absurd. The Turbo had a loyal following, whether or not mainstream "superficial" gamers could ever appreciate games like that. It's not rated 9's and 10's by GamePro. It's no good, and not worth checking out! They show a lack of respect and knowledge for older systems.[/QUOTE]

In the immortal words of Ben Folds, "There's always someone more hardcore cooler than you."

Damn it, now I'm whistling that.

Great show was usual, guys! Glad the move seemed to go well.

I hadn't realized that Gurumin was $20 now...guess I'll pick it up. Between that, Sim City, and the NYT Crossword game (who knew!--and yes, I'm a dork and could totally dig crosswords on my DS), it's going to be an expensive week.

What is the game ship's been playing? Something Odyssey??? I know you've talked about it before, but I thought it was a PS2 game, so seeing that he'd been playing while at work confused me. Then again, I guess it really depends on what you do for a living..

/tk

[quote name='terpkristin']Great show was usual, guys! Glad the move seemed to go well.

I hadn't realized that Gurumin was $20 now...guess I'll pick it up. Between that, Sim City, and the NYT Crossword game (who knew!--and yes, I'm a dork and could totally dig crosswords on my DS), it's going to be an expensive week.

What is the game ship's been playing? Something Odyssey??? I know you've talked about it before, but I thought it was a PS2 game, so seeing that he'd been playing while at work confused me. Then again, I guess it really depends on what you do for a living..

/tk[/QUOTE]

That would be Etrian Odyssey for the DS.

http://www.ebgames.com/product.asp?product_id=180273

I've got to finish it before it permanently melds into my DS.

[quote name='crazytalkx']Looks a little too cutesy for my taste but the reviews/price shall lead me to purchasing said game today. Thanks for the info Mrs. Shipwreck![/quote]

It is a little cutsey, but pretty solid entertainment. PM me once you play it and let me know how you like it!

Jeremy Pastrani, eh, Shipwreck? Hehe...I think you made an amalgam of Jeremy McGrath (also another X-Games athlete), Travis Pastrana, and pastrami.

Likening McRae to Earnhardt Jr. to a group unfamiliar with rally-racing is perhaps a good comparison, though. McRae came from a successful rally heritage as his father was the winner of multiple rally events. Colin took his successes to a new height, winning a rally championship and multiple events, once topping the rally record books as the winningest driver in its history (since been surpassed). He also went on to bring manufacturer's titles to other teams and has cemented himself as an icon in the sport with his smooth driving styles. Not to mention he's also a Member of the British Empire, an honor bestowed upon him by the Queen Mother in 1996.

The American crowd may know him best for his appearance in an X-Games Rally Race against the aforementioned Travis Pastrana. Spectacular driving at it's finest--worth a watch, especially the end:

[media]http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ci_p6ulyTRg[/media]
*It is argued whether he meant to roll it in the end to add drama to the race. What can't be ignored is the amazing recovery, finishing just a few seconds from the win even after a roll.

Thus concludes today's look at figures in rally-racing history.

Ha, I was close! I knew it was somebody I had played as in an extreme sports game.

Pretty sweet video there though.

Hey Ships (or perhaps the Wrecks?),

Just wanted to give you a shout out for a job well done. Really enjoying the show. They've gotten progressively better each episode. You guys remind me of my wife and I.....if my wife played video games. =(

Etrian Oddyssey sounds wonderful and painful at the same time. If I'm going to go down that road, though, I think it will be with Pokemon (which I have successfully managed to avoid since the days of Red and Blue when I was getting paid to review the game). The TRU 2-for-1 sale is making it WAY too tempting.

Keep up the good work, ya'll.

Mr. & Mrs. Shipwreck, thanks for taking the time to put together the Foreplay podcast and for doing this thread. It's a great asset for the CAG community!

[quote name='Tybee']Just wanted to give you a shout out for a job well done. Really enjoying the show. They've gotten progressively better each episode. [/quote]
I totally agree. In the latest epsiode, you sound much more relaxed and sound like you are having a good time. Congratulations on being both "New AND Notable" on iTunes (see attached).

Yes, the show is improving with each new episode. Great job!

Also, nice avatar Mrs. Ship. A lot better than The San Francisco Pride Pirate (although that was hilarious...sorry).

Good show, though I'm not so sure about conjecturing that Joe Rybicki, the reviewer that gave PQ2 a 9.5, had to have been paid to really like the game. You should mention the other guy that gave it a 9 in EGM, Todd Zuniga, who must have been paid off, too.

[quote name='FriskyTanuki']Good show, though I'm not so sure about conjecturing that Joe Rybicki, the reviewer that gave PQ2 a 9.5, had to have been paid to really like the game. You should mention the other guy that gave it a 9 in EGM, Todd Zuniga, who must have been paid off, too. [/QUOTE]

Yeah, we don't really think that D3 is throwing the cash around at reviewers. The only reason I didn't mention the other EGM score was because it wasn't factoring into the average on Metacritic twice like the 9.5 was.

It looks like the game is actually getting some decent reviews elsewhere (76 average score right now). It's just when somebody throws a 9.5 out there it's kind of shocking. Hey, I guess he must really enjoy PQ2.

[quote name='shipwreck']Yeah, we don't really think that D3 is throwing the cash around at reviewers. The only reason I didn't mention the other EGM score was because it wasn't factoring into the average on Metacritic twice like the 9.5 was.

It looks like the game is actually getting some decent reviews elsewhere (76 average score right now). It's just when somebody throws a 9.5 out there it's kind of shocking. Hey, I guess he must really enjoy PQ2.[/quote]
I don't know how Metacritic does it, but I know GameRankings averages out the EGM scores, so it's more like it's counted 1 and 1/3 times. A 76% is more than just decent scores to me. GR has 5 reviews at 80% or higher and 5 below 80%.

The 7.5 guy took your stance in "not getting it," but he still managed to enjoy the game. The others conjectured that there was a reason he didn't "get it." :lol:

CAG Foreplay Podcast #5 is available for download. Still working on the written version that will be up shortly.

[media]http://media.libsyn.com/media/foreplay/cagforeplay5.mp3[/media]

Hey Ship:

Saw this and thought of you.

http://kotaku.com/gaming/clip/its-foe-its-foe-its-foe-272071.php

[quote name='Tybee']Hey Ship:

Saw this and thought of you.

http://kotaku.com/gaming/clip/its-foe-its-foe-its-foe-272071.php[/QUOTE]

Haha, FOE, the new four letter word. Good stuff.