Monday 26 May 2009
On Wednesday the 20th of May, Impulse Gamer was invited to Helensvale Queensland to get a sneak peak of some of the latest games by Australian distributor All Interactive Entertainment. Now the exclusive distributor for 505 Games, Black Bean, Nv3 Publishing and System 3, All Interactive Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of All Interactive Distribution, one of Australia’s largest distributors employing upwards of 160 people. Thanks to Senior Brand Manager Angela Spehr, we joined the media to get a hands on experience of the following games;
- Fast Food Panic
- Majesty II
- ARMA II
- Super Car Challenge
- We Rock: Drum King
- New U Fitness First
- PT Boats: Knights of the Sea
- SBK09
Fast Food Panic
The first game we had a chance to see was Fast Food Panic (N3V Publishing) on the Nintendo Wii which allows gamers to run their own restaurant. With anime inspired graphics, Fast Food Panic puts gamers in the role of chef as they greet customers, prepare food and ensure that their restaurant is running smoothly. With a target release of July 2009, Fast Food Panic is definitely aimed at the younger market, however casual gamers will also be able to appreciate the fast food antics as they prepare a variety of foods thanks to the innovative control system of the Wii.
Key Features
– 10 Exciting mini games to play along
– 4 types of meal to be cooked in several recipes: hamburgers, steak, pizza, pasta & pancakes
– Crazy special events randomly generated to break the routine and make your job even funnier: washing up, cleaning rubbish, cashing up…
– Multiplayer up to 4 (and 2 in coop)
Majesty II
Next on the list was Majesty II (N3V Publishing), a real-time strategy title with a twist. Majesty II goes beyond its predecessor as gamers control heroes who have their own goals and wills, however it’s up to the dungeon master-esq gamer to control them. Although these heroes have a mind of their own, the player has the ability of setting monetary awards for quests and depending on the difficulty of the task, a hero or more will join in the adventure. To make “money”, these heroes are taxed when they access your building in the town which allows you to upgrade. Although this was a BETA version that we saw, the potential of Majesty II is quite impressive and we’re eager for the final version. The expected release date is August 2009.
Key Features
– Real time strategy game with indirect control – your heroes will have a will of their own
– Play through a campaign with 16 missions divided into 4 chapters, as well as a few quick missions and a variety of multiplayer maps
– Build the fantasy city of your dreams and experience an engaging world, but beware: monsters are waiting to lay siege to your domain
– Defend your realm with noble warriors, spell-wielding wizards or wild barbarians
– Choose from more than 10 different classes to oversee the protection of your lands
ARMA II
From 505 Games comes ARMA II, the sequel to the popular and highly realistic ARMA which puts gamers into an elite squad of soldiers. Your task is simple, restore peace to the fictitious Soviet town of Chenarus which has been destroyed by civil war. Boasting both single-player and multiplayer modes, ARMA II is pure eye candy when it comes to graphics. Seeing it on the 60” screen was a true treat and at times, the graphics seemed real. The gameplay was quite realistic and unlike shooters where you can run in like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, ARMA II requires tact, especially in terms of subterfuge and strategy. With a release date of July 2009, ARMA II was definitely one of the most realistic first person shooters that we have seen in ages. Best of all, the game boasts online play of up to 50 players and over 80 playable vehicles. Unfortunately the title is a PC game only for console lovers. Might be the time to upgrade though?
Key Features
– Single player mode with emphasis on resource management and RPG elements, the player commands a squad through a story full of twists and surprises
– Cooperative multiplayer and team-based large scale multiplayer over entire map for 50 live players
– Built-in mission editor allowing player to expand the game beyond original content
– Complex weapons simulation based on technologies used in military training and real-world data: ballistics, deflection, material penetration, glowing tracer rounds
– Comprehensive library of over 80 full simulated modern firearms
– Over 80 playable vehicles
Super Car Challenge
For the PS3 comes Supercar Challenge by System 3 which is based on the Ferrari Challenge racing engine. Allowing gamers to race some of the world’s most advanced supercars on the planet, this is definitively the game for car lovers. Boasting next generation graphics, 40 different cars and a variety of different gameplay modes, Supercar Challenge has an August 2009 release date. Unfortunately we missed out in seeing this game, however press releases will be available soon.
Key Features
– Over 40 different cars ranging from the Lamborghini Murcielago RGT, to the Aston Martin DB9, to the McLaren F1, to our previous favourite the Ferrari FXX
– Over 20 tracks, from favourites such as Silverstone and Nurburgring to less well known greats such as Mugello Italy
– Trophy mode, Career mode (more details to be announced soon), Arcade mode, Quick Race and 16-player online/LAN multiplayer
– Dynamic AI: rival drivers will get better or worse depending on how you race so you’ll always have a decent challenge going on around you. Of course, should you wish to have consistent AI you can switch this mode off.
We Rock: Drum King
As the gaming world becomes flooded with music games, We Rock: Drum King by 505 Games is actually a different kettle of fish on the Nintendo Wii. Unlike the horrendous Wii Music, We Rock: Drum King doesn’t try to be too clever as it transforms the gamer into a drummer, thanks to the Wii controls. Whether you’re using a wiimote and nunchuck or two wiimotes, this game has the perfect control system and by raising your controllers and lowering them, they will in its essence create a drum sound. With a variety of world class bands, We Rock: Drum King is destined to become the next big party game on the Wii.
I must admit that we were quite impressed by this game, although not as in-depth as Rock Band or Guitar Hero World Tour, the simplicity of the game is what makes it work so well. The title does contain a variety of difficulty modes such as pushing buttons on the controller, ensuring that this can be played by gamers of all levels. Thankfully the songs in this game are quite mainstream, unlike Activision’s Metallica. Decent graphics and even better music, we for one cannot wait for We Rock: Drum King which has a release date of June 2009.
Key Features
– Wide range of drumming styles/music
– Ready to rock straight from box – no need for costly peripherals
– Create your own drumming legend
– Single and multiplayer modes
– Top quality tracks from 30 artists including Bloc Party, Queen, The Clash, Gorillaz, Biffy Clyro and more
– Difficulty scaled so beginners have fun but experts face a real rock challenge.
New U Fitness First
Apart from ARMA II and We Rock: Drum King, the next stand out attraction was “New U Fitness First” that when used in conjunction with a real-world fitness program, this is the perfect product for the home and your exercise regime. Created in conjunction with Fitness First, gamers use the Wii Balance Board and Wii controllers to assist in their fitness.
The best part of New U Fitness First was the impressive interface, unlike the childish Wii Fit that allows you to set your goals and even choose between 4 personal trainers and four different locations. Although this was an early BETA that we saw, the product looked quite impressive. Unfortunately we were not able to test this product due to the product being in the testing stage, however the variety of exercises available was truly impressive. It even boasted 130 different recipes to assist with your fitness plus the ability to connect online to monitor your fitness. This is one product that Impulse Gamer will be carefully keeping an eye on.
Key Features
– Slick, Modern Apple like interface
– Personalised workouts based on the goals you choose
– Over 130 recipes, all created by professional nutritionists built around your specific requirements i.e. no wheat / nuts etc
– 4 trainers, 2 male & 2 female (Real Fitness First personal trainers)
– Train in 4 locations, beach, mountain, forest & a gym
PT Boats: Knights of the Sea
NV3 Publishing’s next big naval game is PT Boats: Knights of the Sea which features state of the art graphics thanks to DirectX 10 and allows gamers to experience the turmoil of World War II as either the Allied Forces, Russians or the Germans. With historical accurate missions and crafts, the sneak peak that Impulse Gamer saw of this game left us wanting more. Although it’s a niche market, good naval games are hard to find, especially in terms of graphics. Thankfully PT Boats: Knights of the Sea appears to be delivering on both fronts, except for when all your crew falls into the water from a crash which should be fixed in the final version. It’s a BETA so don’t take the bugs too seriously 🙂 Needless to say, PT Boats: Knights of the Sea appeared like an extremely realistic naval simulation
Key Features
– Unique gameplay concept: Everything is under control! From a big fleet to any crew member of any ship
– Worldwide Hall of Fame: Web statistics sever to store multiplayer and single player achievements.
– Developed by an experienced casual games studio
– Stunning visuals: 3d graphics never seen before in naval games
– Historical accuracy: Naval battles of WWII brought back to life. Realistic physical and tactical parameters of every sea vessel in the game.
SBK09
The last title of the day was SBK09 from Black Bean and revolves around the Superbike World Championship. The first thing that we noticed with this game was the amazing graphics, especially the cool menu system which seemed quite interactive and would not look out of place on a race day. The in-game graphics were extremely impressive and best of all, the bikes handled quite well. Boasting a variety of different in-game options from weather and the tweaking of bikes, SBK09 is set to be released at the end of June 2009 and this is another game that is going to be HUGE!
Key Features
– Three game modes from the retail version
– Online Time Attack
– New 3D realistic environments
– Motorbike fairings and ride suits damage
– Terrain deformation – Overprints from the TV broadcast
– Tracks from real CAD data
After a long day at All Interactive Entertainment, Impulse Gamer is happy to report that this company has some wonderful upcoming releases. Whether you’re interested in real-time strategy, racing or if you are just a casual gamer, All Interactive Entertainment ensures that it caters for both the casual and hardcore gamer. Bring on the new year of Games!
Bravo!