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Ripten Holiday Guide – Wii Edition

Nadia Oxford — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 02:24:23 +0000

Ho Ho Ho, ‘Tis the Season and all that. Nine out of ten priests agree that the best way to commemorate the birth of Our Saviour is to waste a few Goombas and maybe even Ridley, the resourceful leader of the Space Pirates from Metroid.

If you’re looking for a Wii to decorate the underside of your Christmas tree, best of luck to you. But if you do happen to be as lucky as a leprechaun or if you know someone who bought Nintendo’s latest system before everyone decided they wanted one, you’ll want a few good games just in case Wii Sports doesn’t enthrall you forever.

Metroid Prime 3 — The whole world already knows Samus is pretty bad-ass, and Metroid Prime 3 reinforces that fact with more of the same fighting and exploration that made the original Metroid Prime such a lovely title. What’s more, Samus is forced to battle her deadliest enemy yet–herself. Dun dun duuuun.

Super Mario Galaxy — When it comes to running and jumping, Mario is king. You wouldn’t think that fat little guy has the moves he does, but wow. Super Mario Galaxy tests Mario’s old abilities and gives him a few others; now he can blast through space, run around tiny planets and take on topsy-turvy upside-down enemies. He makes it look so easy.

Battalion Wars II — Battalion Wars is the spiritual successor to the Advance Wars line of strategy war games, though the battle commands are all given in real time versus turn-based increments. Goofy characters accompany some serious challenges as you command platoons of grunts, flamethrower veterans, bazooka-wielders and all the fun accessories that come with them.

Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn — The Fire Emblem series, on the other hand, is still turn-based and has been since its Famicom conception. The Wii installment does add some gameplay bonuses though, like the ability to save at pretty much any time; in other words, Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn still subscribes to Nazi rules, but it’s a little gentler than usual. Of course, true to the spirit of Fire Emblem in general, if you lose your Pegasus knight because of one jackass archer equipped with a longbow, your My Little Pony princess ain’t coming back.

Trauma Center: Second Opinion – Frostbite and snow blindness aren’t the only medical emergencies that the doctors in frigid Alaska have to deal with. Using the Wii-mote, you can perform sutures, suction, and bandages to keep those patients alive. This sequel adds voice acting and more of the same ER-style intensity from the DS and Wii originals.

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Super Mario Galaxy Review

Nadia Oxford — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 02:36:53 +0000

Most kids born and raised in the 80s revere Mario more than the Pope, and it’s no secret why. The Super Mario games have defined and re-defined video games since conception. The original Super Mario Bros introduced side-scrolling platform games on the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Super Mario 64 for the N64 marked another major shift for video games with its deep 3D worlds. So it’s no surprise that Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii changes the way we perceive games once again, this time by doing away with the notion that the sky is always up and the ground is always below.

When video footage of Mario’s latest adventure was unveiled for the masses at E3 2006, some of those in attendance scratched their heads and wondered what Nintendo was attempting–and how it would all incorporate into the Wii’s whacky control scheme. The good news is that the answer is “very well.” By all the laws of physics and nature, Super Mario Galaxy should be a nightmare to control, but the game actually stands as an example of what developers need to do to make the Wii remote a real commodity instead of an inconvenience.

Even though Mario abandons the horizontal plane to blast through space and run around the surface of small planets (think “The Little Prince”), there’s rarely any doubt about how to make him interact with his environment. The analog stick on the Wii’s nunchuck attachment makes Mario run in any direction, and the A button on the remote makes him jump. There are a few new moves aside from the basics, most of which are executed by using the Wii remote’s motion sensor. For example, Mario can throw Bob-Ombs and Koopa shells by flicking the remote towards a target. He can do a spin attack by moving the remote side-to-side. It’s all very intuitive for anyone who’s played a 3D Mario game in the past, and in moments of uncertainty an animated diagram often appears to let the player know what motion they need to make to let Mario proceed.

In the true spirit of Mario, the game’s story is as simple as its controls. Super Mario Galaxy opens with a small tale told in storybook fashion about the Mushroom Kingdom’s preparation for a starlight festival (there is an illustration of two Toads reverently carrying a large star between them like the golden calf). Mario is invited to the festival by Princess Peach, but Bowser crashes the party and heaves Peach’s castle into space. When Mario tries to do the Hero thing, he’s knocked off the floating castle by a Magikoopa and he wakes up on an unidentified planet. There, the mysterious Rosalina and her family of stars(?) implore Mario to recover the Grand Stars they need to repair their stranded space station so that Peach might be rescued.

Rosalina’s space station acts as the game’s central hub. Mario can visit “observatories” in order to access the dozens of galaxies that make up the game’s levels. As he collects more stars, more observatories and galaxies open up. It’s not unlike Super Mario 64′s Castle, which gave Mario access to the game’s actual levels and opened up new pathways depending on how many stars he collected in said levels.

Initially it’s a little disappointing to realize that Nintendo hasn’t altered Mario’s basic level structure since the N64. But Super Mario Galaxy contains one very important difference: Though each galaxy has several stars that need to be collected, there are much fewer stars in each one. Even in instances where a galaxy contains multiple stars, the player usually can’t collect them all in one visit. He must return when certain circumstances have changed (for example, a “prankster comet” can visit a galaxy and open up the opportunity to win a star by completing a speed run), which encourages him to move on and explore other levels. By the time a new star becomes available in an old galaxy, the necessary return feels refreshing and less like a chore. There are 120 stars up for grabs, but only about half of that amount is needed to finish the game.

Super Mario Galaxy looks gorgeous. There is no HD support, but there’s no reason to mourn its absence. Mario’s environments are amazingly varied and colorful. Super Mario Sunshine for the Gamecube looked good, but the tropical setting never varied far from sun, sand and surf. But the galaxies are hardly unchanging cold vacuums. There are fields, ghost houses, fire worlds, ice worlds, airships, rivers, space graveyards, glass planets and much more (irony: Mario can breathe in space but he can still drown in water). There’s no slowdown, and blasting through space against the soft colors of a nebula is an absolute thrill.

Even though most of the levels are composed of small planets or otherwise small chunks of land, claustrophobia is never an issue because progressing as easy as jumping onto another planet (thus getting pulled into its gravitational field) or blasting off, which never gets old. This is an important observation for anyone who played The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker and felt like the game’s islands were small and far between.

One of Super Mario Galaxy’s nicest surprises is its orchestrated music. Mario has always had very definitive music (even grandmothers know the Super Mario theme), but Galaxy’s soundtrack is moving. Each tune is suited perfectly for its environment, sometimes even speeding up, slowing down or changing seamlessly depending on the gameplay. Some classic Super Mario Bros 3 tunes make a return, which is enough to make any fan giddy. Mario still bounces around with his now-trademark “Ha!” and “Woo hoo!”, but Peach, for some disappointing reason, still sounds like a braindead little girl.

Super Mario Galaxy is the kind of game you can’t watch someone else play, simply because your hands start to twitch with the desire to try it yourself. And when you do play it (possibly after a scuffle for dominance) it reminds you thoroughly of why you fell in love with Mario in the first place. The plumber has always seemed at home during his adventures, turning the Mushroom Kingdom into his playground and happily taking you along for the ride. Now his stomping grounds span all of space, and you’re invited once again. Play well.

A Vampyre Story Preview

Nadia Oxford — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 06:26:33 +0000

Normally, a title that uses “vampyre” as an alternate spelling of “vampire” is a cue to run the hell away because you’re entering cheesy goth territory, my friend. However, A Vampyre Story is a PC game being put together by Autumn Moon Entertainment — and some of the brilliant minds behind the Monkey Island adventures — so run the hell towards it.

The story even features the same (loose) historical fantasy-humor blend as Monkey Island: A young and talented singer named Mona De Lafitte is being held deep in the haunted land of Draxsylvania (tell me that’s not fun to say) after being turned into a vampire by the evil (and oedipal) Baron Shrowdy von Kiefer. When Shrowdy fails to return home after haunting the countryside one evening, Mona seizes her chance for escape and flees for home with the help of her friendly pet bat, Froderick. Her journey is barred by strange creatures and plenty of puzzles.

Vampyre Story’s point-and-click interface should come easy to anyone who’s already familiar with Monkey Island, though Vampyre Story’s Carpathian setting makes for some varied gameplay circumstances. For instance, a Gaming Today interview with Autumn Moon’s founder, Bill Tiller, reveals that Mona is in denial about being among the ranks of the undead. Her new vampire powers bring certain pluses and negatives as a result (she probably shouldn’t stand in full sunlight).

The mix of darkness and comedy in the game’s 3D graphics might bring Tim Burton to mind. Not surprisingly, Tiller cites “The Nightmare Before Christmas” as an inspiration for Vampyre’s Story, though the game’s primary inspiration actually lies with the work of Edward Gorey. But according to his interview with Gaming Today, he doesn’t stop there. “I am also heavily influenced by the Hildebrandt Brothers too.”

“So if you combine Edward Gorey, Universal and Hammer Studios horror movies, the Hildebrandt Brothers art, Monkey Island, and Warner Brothers cartoons together, you get the cartoon style in A Vampyre Story. Let’s say I had a lot of influences, Tim Burton being just one of many. Plus he only uses black in his art. I almost never do. I am all about the color.”

A game like Vampyre Story aches for the right kind of soundtrack, and with veteran compser Pedro Macedo Camacho on the job, it should strike all the right notes. Pedro even talked a little bit about his experience writing the music for Vampyre Story in his interview with Ripten. “The soundtrack will be a mix of my own composing language with a bit of inspiration on John Williams’ work in Harry Potter, some groovy pieces that remind me of the Monkey Island setting and folk music from around the world.”

Will A Vampyre Story siphon the fierce love that gamers have reserved for Monkey Island all these years? We’ll find out after a few more full moons: The game’s release date is set at “early 2008.”

Interview With Fury Composer Pedro Macedo Camacho

Nadia Oxford — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 22:22:49 +0000

A game’s music has the power to completely immerse the player, or drive him totally insane. A well-placed song can turn a regular gaming experience into something deeper, even spiritual.

Portuguese composer Pedro Macedo Camacho recognizes that a game’s music should augment its environment, not pollute it. With several awards to his name and a varied resume that includes Autumn Moon’s upcoming Vampyre Story, it’s not surprising that Pedro was picked up to compose the music for Auran’s Fury.

With its fast-paced PvP matches, Fury needed background music that players would be happy to bust heads to, and according to Producer Paul Whipp, they found it with Pedro:

“We’ve agonized over getting the perfect music for Fury for well over a year now. Pedro nailed it with his well paced, sharp and beautifully themed compositions. We’re delighted to have such a talented composer working with us.”

Ripten was fortunate enough to net an interview with Pedro. He talks to us about how he achieved Fury’s intense sound, his inspirations, and a little bit about upcoming projects.

Q: Since Fury boasts some of the fastest gameplay ever presented in a PvP game (with less lag before or after characters cast spells, etc), did you compose the game with a tribal hunt in mind? There’s a lot of heavy percussion in some of the pieces that really stirs the blood.

A: Fury is all about hardcore and fast action gameplay and working for the game completely changed my own concept of “battle music”. In Fury, normal battle music would not have enough power for a warm up. I still remember my surprised reaction when I submitted my first composition for a battle track on this game.

I did the most active music I thought possible to suit any game and the feedback was that is was too soft! Imagine that. A day later I had a new version made with the most aggressive and powerful percussion I ever used (with a lot of care in terms of theme development and overall art direction of course) and that one finally was approved.

Screen image from “Fury”

The game is about 4 combat schools (Growth – Earth Element; Life – Water element; Death – Fire element, Decay – Air Element) So in the each of the combat pieces I gave them a different setting to fit the school in question. Tribal Hunt, as you mentioned, was really in my mind for Growth School.

Q: Of course, there are pieces that are calming and beautiful–but still menacing. Did you find it difficult to strike a balance between melody and urgency?

A: It is not an easy thing but I was glad everything came out very natural from me. Apart from the first combat piece, all my other pieces came out suiting the game quite well and quickly. I am a melodic composer and I think music in the end should always serve a melody. If you notice, most soundtracks that you can remember from the past are the ones you can sing the melody in your brain. With this in mind, I always make sure melodies are not compromised at all by the orchestration, so ‘urgency elements’ in the orchestrations are added with a lot of care.

Still in the melody subject, I shared in all tracks a common main theme melodic motif. This motif was used and reused in the most different ways you can imagine so you might not catch every time the motif comes in.

Screen image from “Fury”

Also in this game Life and Death are distant in terms of setting (Fire vs Water) but very close since heroes never actually die. With this in mind I used a second melodic motif to share in all Life and Death school tracks. The main difference is that Death school track were composed in 5/4 time signature with a dark mood and Life school tracks in the usual 4/4 time signature with a lighter mood.

Q: How far along was Fury when you began composing for it? Was the game still an idea on paper? Were several environments already built? Or were you just given an extensive idea of what Auran was looking for in terms of music?

A: I came into the game quite late in the production process so things were already in mid alpha but for me the most important thing is to understand the world I am working in and take some days to read the story of the game for at least three times. Then I was given a precious written description of each piece. Having some screenshots and being able to test the game was a plus but I never actually needed that to compose. Music is extremely important for a videogame and it must “paint” what you can and cannot see in your monitor.

Q: You’re also working on “A Vampyre Story” by Autumn Moon, which is a little more lighthearted than Fury–but still carries a bit of a dark theme. Though the soundtrack likely won’t be as urgent as Fury’s, are you still aiming towards a more ghoulish sound, or something a little less serious?

A: Let me tell you, A Vampyre Story is going to be really great game! For starters it is being done by the same art team that did all Monkey Islands while at Lucas Arts. Music in this game has absolutely nothing to do with Fury. In Fury I did an epic soundtrack mixed with a lot of ethnic and some electronic sounds. A Vampyre Story is a really funny and spooky pure orchestral soundtrack. The soundtrack will be a mix of my own composing language with a bit of inspiration on John Williams’ work in Harry Potter, some groovy pieces that remind me of the Monkey Island setting and folk music from around the world.

Screen image from “A Vampyre Story”

Q: Do you have a preference for composing haunting, serious music over more lighthearted fare?

A: I have a preference in being able to work at the same time for different kinds of projects that enable me to explore an orchestra under a complete opposite angle and orchestration. I love variety because that each time I switch project I feel like I am breathing fresh air. Something I would not like to do would be to compose epic music for many games one after the other all of them with a similar story setting.

Because I am a classical trained composer I must say I love to use orchestra but I love to mix it with several other types of sounds. For example, I wish I have a project in a near future of a hardcore fast paced racing game so I could make an electronica / experimental soundtrack with some orchestral elements.

Q: Your biography on Autumn Moon’s website mentions that you started composing music at the age of fifteen, an age where average kids are still having trouble dressing in matching clothes. What inspired you to start writing music? What were some of your earliest projects like?

A: I always loved music and games a lot, just like my father, but I only decided to start composing around that age. I am not sure if it is directly linked but that was as soon as my father got extremely sick.
In the last months of his life I composed my first music ever and showed it to him. He liked it a lot and praised it and that meant a lot to me. Some days after that he got worse and I would never be able to show him any music again.

It was made in the computer that marked my life the most, the Amiga in a program called OctaMED Pro that came in a coverdisk of a magazine. I can go around things like this quite easily but I am sure music helped a lot on this one because it kept my mind busy all the time and made me quite determined that I wanted make music for games when I was older.

My earliest projects were making music just for the sake of doing them and composing for live ensembles as part of my composition studies.

After years of studying composition, harmony, orchestration, counterpoint and more than a decade sequencing on my own I decided it was time to accept my first game project. This happened only 1 year ago.

Q: Obligatory question: What/who are your inspirations today? Are there any specific games that you feel have particularly inspiring music?

A: The composers that most influenced me were: Johann Sebastian Bach, Josquin des Prez, Johannes Ockeghem, Palestrina, Igor Stravinsky, Olivier Messiaen, Eurico Carrapatoso, Luís Tinoco, Claude Debussy, Herbie Hancock, Duke Ellington, Matt Uelmann, Richard Wagner and John Williams,.

Also, in general, World Ethnic Music and Old School Amiga Demo Scene Music and metal, influenced me a lot.

My favorite music pieces are The Firebird and Rite of Spring from Stravinsky, Tristan and Isolde from Wagner, St. Mathew Passion and so many other incredible works from Bach, Quator pour la fin du temps from Olivier Messiaen.

Elvira’s game music served as an inspiration

Some games that were musically inspiring were: Shadows of the Beast, Flashback, Another World, Project X, Monkey Island 1, 2 and 3, James Pond, Elvira Mistress of Dark, Diablo 2, Dragon’s Breath (aka Dragon Lord), Wipeout, Zack Mckracken, StarCraft, Speedball 2 and The Chaos Engine.