Pikmin 2 - Wii

Sorry about the lack up updates recently. With longer working hours and the annual Christmas games rush well and truly underway, I've had little chance to update the old blog.

Anyway, I've been going through this year's releases trying to pick my top 20 games of the year - so far. All the usual suspects are included, but I thought I'd take time to highlight a few crackers which might have escaped people's attention, so let's start with the Wiimake of Pikmin 2.

Initially available on Gamecube, this year Nintendo decided to release a few old classics on Wii, adding motion control support. The 480p option also means that these old timers are looking better than ever.

Created by Mario's dad, Shigeru Miyamoto, the Pikmin series takes the form of a fun and light-hearted real-time strategy game.

You control Captain Olimar and his sidekick Louie, and are tasked with revisiting the Pikmin's home world in a bid to raise funds for their ailing freight company back home. To do this, everyday objects such as fruit, batteries and crushed cans must be collected, which add to your company's funds.

Of course, the two intrepid explorers can't do this alone, so they employ the services of the planet's Pikmin - strange plant-like creatures who are only too happy to lend Olimar and Louie a hand.

These flower-topped creatures come in five different flavours: red, yellow, blue, purple and white, and each have their own strengths and weaknesses.

Pikmin can be thrown at objects, which they will then carry to Olimar's spaceship, while throwing them at enemies causes the Pikmin to start fighting. Thrown en masse, they can also destroy most obstacles blocking your path.

To help manage the different coloured Pikmin, the player can switch between Olimar and Louie to command different armies, which helps things from getting too chaotic.

It might all seem a bit complicated, but with Miyamoto pulling the strings, Pikmin 2 is incredibly easy to pick up and a wonderful experience.

The added Wiimote controls add a great deal to the title, and commanding your Pikmin army is now far easier than it was using the old Gamecube pad.

For those who love collecting in-game items, Pikmin 2 has plenty to keep you occupied. The Piklopedia catalogues all the flora, fauna and creatures you come across on your travels - each one accompanied by a beautiful videoclip.

You can also keep track of all your treasures, each one featuring an excerpt from Olimar's diary. The attention to detail throughout is typical of Miyamoto-san and makes for an excellent all-round package.

With hundreds of objects to be collected above and below ground, lush and beautiful locations to explore, surprises around every corner, and two-player support Pikmin 2 feels as fresh today as it did back in 2004.

For those who played through the original back in the day, there's not a great deal more here to tempt you back. But for newcomers to the series, Miyamoto's masterpiece is an essential purchase and one of the finest games out on the Wii.

PlayStation Home - PS3

Sony's social networking hub, Home has had its fair share of criticism. Some virtual clothing and items cost real cash, while the European experience lacks much of the content North America and Japan currently enjoys.

On the plus side, more companies seem to be getting on board, and the interactive EA Sports space is a great place to hang out, while the Buzz! space is attracting gamers thanks to its multiplayer quiz questions and colourful setting.

The latest patch brought with it a camera to take snaps, so I thought I'd take a few and share them. Oh yeah, the guy dancing is my avatar!

Shiren the Wanderer 4 - DS

Sporting a new day/night system and a tropical island setting, forthcoming Shiren the Wanderer 4 is at least trying to add something new to the dungeon crawling formula.

As a huge fan of Shiren's previous outings, I can't wait to play Shiren 4. However, like Shiren 3 on Wii, there is no word of a European release.

Fingers crossed someone like Rising Star Games takes a punt on these two titles and brings them over here. In the meantime, here are a few pictures of Shiren and Koppa's latest adventure.

3D Dot Game Heroes: Update - PS3

3D Dot Games Heroes is less than a month away from release and with every new screenshot, it's hard not to be excited.

The story is fantasy fluff with a curious twist. In the Kingdom of Dotnia, six wise sages kept watch over six orbs which contained the power of God. However, when a demonic overlord attempted to lay waste to the kingdom, a hero took up the challenge and defeated him.

After the epic battle between good and evil, Dotnia became a tourist attraction, but eventually people stopped visiting. The King then had a brainwave that would hopefully entice visitors back - transforming the flat, 2D gameworld into glorious blocky 3D.

However, with the land now full of monsters, this course of action didn't go according to plan, so it's up to your character to explore the kingdom and find out what went wrong.

There's obviously more than a passing nod to Zelda, with similar gameplay elements and weapons, including a boomerang - which is used to hit far off switches - and bows. Even the game's music has a Zelda flavour.

It's still not clear how long the game will last, but with four character classes to choose from - hero, prince, scholar and - unusually - the lead character from the classic underground adventure Spelunker, plenty of items to find and an optional hard difficulty level, hopes remain high that 3D Dot Game Heroes will be a lengthy quest.

There's even a character editor packed in so you can throw your own blocky character into the action.

3D Dot Heroes is released in Japan on November 5. Check out the official site - complete with wonderful music HERE



Images courtesy of FROM Software.

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing - 360/PS3/Wii/DS

While the wait for Shenmue 3 goes on - it's been eight years since Shenmue II hit Dreamcast - Ryo Hazuki is back, but not in a free-roaming, quicktime-driven adventure.

Instead, Ryo is the latest character to be added to the forthcoming Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing.

A strange fit alongside Sonic, Dr Robotnic and Amigo from Samba de Amigo, but who cares when it looks this much fun?

Check out the vid to see Ryo race the opposition on a motorbike and strapped in to his famous forklift truck.

Epic Mickey - Wii

With Warren Spector on board - the man behind Deus Ex - Disney Interactive are due to get something a little different in their next big-budget Mickey Mouse title.

Concept art for new game Epic Mickey has been released and it's jaw-dropping.

Fusing recognisable Disney characters and settings with a steampunk aesthetic could ruffle a few feathers at Disney, but Spector looks like he's bringing a fresh approach to the table.

Actual game details are extremely thin on the ground, but just look at these pics!

Spelunky - PC

I've spent most of the evening playing Spelunky on PC. It's a fusion of ZX Spectrum classic Fred and a Roguelike. The aim is to try and pilfer as much treasure as you can, while making progress though the subterranean levels.

It's full of neat touches - I picked up a golden idol, which resulted in the ground shaking before a huge boulder chased after me in an Indiana Jones style. Unlike Indy, however, I didn't survive.

You have access to ropes and bombs to help you through the mines, while shops are scattered throughout the levels selling extra bombs and weapons.

In typical Roguelike style, there are many fun ways to die, and as the levels are randomly generated, you never have the same game twice.

It's free to play and can be downloaded from here

It's also coming out on Xbox Live Arcade in the future.