Meh, I thought I'd play some WSR but my motion plus is borked. I played archery just fine for the most part (it's now my favorite mini game because swordplay AI has gotten too tough and I can't beat it anymore, when archery is just your own ability) but it seems there are random moments where it stops responding for a milisecond and can get messed up. I'd be at the back swing in Golf or Frisbee and it did this so the swing never went that far back even though my arm was all the way back. I'd be rowing and it would do this so I'd have my arms down while the paddle was all the way up still. With no room for me to go further back/down to fix either case. It just does this momentary skip but it's enough to mess up the whole gameplay in an instant... I think it's out of warranty too by now (the site is down for maintainance so I can't check when exactly I bought it atm)... I guess I'll wait until Zelda to get a remote plus (I hope that has included and expanded fishing, I love it in TP even without motion plus).

Edit: sweet, I think it wasn't the motion plus after all. I guess one should not run WSR via a USB loader. I popped the disc in the Wii, tried frisbee golf and canoe and I didn't seem to have issues. This is weird though, usually when I install games to the hard drive they load faster so my HDD is faster than the Wii's optical drive. Maybe it's a bug they'll fix in the future. Although I still kinda want a remote plus I'm glad I don't need to do that expense.

Raven where are you? Making your family a higher priorty than the VGPress no doubt. SHAME! SHAME ON YOU!

Agnates said:

Nice De Blob 2 info dump.

There are some dumb parts. They mention including the soundtrack of the first game, but only on the PS360 versions, because apparently their discs hold more data, as if the Wii doesn't use the same DVD format the 360 does. They also have depth of field and grass shaders on the PS360, both of which the GameCube/Wii do fine in other games. I'm glad about the lack of depth of field, I personally disable all such effects on PC, as well as motion blur, I don't like them. I guess I won't miss the grass shader. Other enhancements are a glossier look apparently, and more objects that sprout up in those areas that change color and form whole rather than just where you paint. That makes some sense, as long as they've expanded it from what the first game had, which didn't exactly stress the Wii. Other than that, it sounds promising. They also don't plan DLC as the game is complete, hurray.

Oh, for fuck's sake. I want that soundtrack! But I don't want to pick up an inferior port.

SteelAttack said:

Oh, for fuck's sake. I want that soundtrack! But I don't want to pick up an inferior port.

Huh?

Epic Mickey get. Impulse buy but it was supposed to be a Christmas gift for me and it was roughly the same price online as I got it in store.

For a start, it's not a platform game. Not in any way, shape or form so get that notion completely out of your head.

Controls are fine, jumping feels good, IR is decent. Those reviews saying that Mickey shoots ink at his feet, jesus, they are pointing at his feet.  

Camera has a C-button center which works well and you will end up using that the most. You can use the d-pad to manually turn the camera and it's perfectly functional - BUT - you cannot invert the axis of either horizontal or vertical. So if you like pressing down to tilt the camera up - you will have to get used to pressing up to make the camera go up.

Combat, is okay, functional, nothing special. You can spin attack or jump on them or shoot paint.

Puzzle solving is rudimentary, environments are designed in an okay fashion, nothing special. The game levels are constructed so you use the paint or thinner to make your way through them - but only on the areas the game specifies. Using the brush is like using a paint hose, but it feels good and is quick and painless to use.

The first 2D level was simple fun and reminded me of old snes games. It was nothing special either.

So, from the first 50 minutes or so - gameplay wise - it's pretty functional and simple. Nothing to get excited about.

That's half the story. The other half is the beautiful world they have constructed. Everything is lavished with loving care and if you like N64 like platformers or the atmosphere of Mickey Mouse games you will love this. The cutscenes are either stylised and really lovingly animated, or graphics that look too good to be realtime yet not good enough to be CGI. It looks realtime with a few post effects added, very special.

The in game character models are perfectly rounded and sumptuously animated. The music adds to the mystical, dark cartoon world. The lighting is superb, colours are rich, colourful and deep. They even have things like little notes played each time Mickey's feet touch the floor when creeping. You feel almost immersed neck deep in the environment and you just want to explore - despite knowing full well that the rewards for exploration are most probably just a chest or barrel with a collectible in.

So far, so good, I hope you guys put more merit in the words than the score, but tentatively I would agree with the 8.0 mark so far. Although bear in mind I am very early in the game.

SteelAttack said:

I read somewhere that the Wii version is the lead development platform, and that it's possible that the PS360 versions will have performance issues because of that. I had already decided to pick up the Wii version. But I want that soundtrack. : (

It's not like they are giving you a free soundtrack CD. If you own the first De Blob you have got the music in the game already, the sequel just lets you play the new levels with the old music.

On the Differences Between the PS3, Wii and 360 Versions


Nick Haggar: "We didn't want to make them a different experience. There's a couple of unlockables that you get on the HD SKUs, which you get because we've got more space on the discs, and definitely for the HD SKUs we've included the Blob 1 soundtrack, so as you complete the levels you can unlock those tunes as well and play them back. The beauty of the music system is that it is so flexible, and it works with music from either game. So it's a nod to the old game. If you never played it on Wii, here's some of the fun you're missing out on."

On the Wii Version


Nick Haggar: "We didn't start off as a cross-platform game, but as a Wii exclusive, and the Wii game looks amazing. It really is one of the most beautiful Wii games out there. It holds its head up next to Super Mario Galaxy..."

-------------------------------------

GG: But if you read the info it says their HD engine is improved and they put more effects in like water and grass shaders to the HD version. But they didn't do too much because they didn't want a typical HD game look, as De Blob is a stylised game, in their own words, about design. LOL at them not putting depth of field in the Wii version, fricking Starfox adventures had it on gamecube. I think, even Jett Rocket has some grass shaders, but I would have to go back to check.

bugsonglass said:

I'm sure part of the reason is employs use that as an excuse to play the games and still sell them on as new

This happens quite a lot.

gamingeek said:

It's not like they are giving you a free soundtrack CD. If you own the first De Blob you have got the music in the game already, the sequel just lets you play the new levels with the old music.

Oh. Somehow I thought the game would include the tracks in a separate fashion, so they could be added to the 360 or PS3 music library. Bummer.

gamingeek said:

For a start, it's not a platform game. Not in any way, shape or form so get that notion completely out of your head.

Ok.

gamingeek said:

and if you like N64 like platformers or the atmosphere of Mickey Mouse games you will love this.

Wat.

jk mate. I think I understand where you're coming from.

I think. : P

SteelAttack said:

Oh. Somehow I thought the game would include the tracks in a separate fashion, so they could be added to the 360 or PS3 music library. Bummer.

Youtube used to have the full OST but the lawyers took it down. It only took them like 8 months to get round to it.

EDIT:

That library add could be a feature, best thing to do would be to wait till it comes out and ask someone on GAF.