SCEA Gamers' Day 2007
Quite possibly the most impressive tri-platform showing in history just happened. Here's the skinny on everything shown and announced.
Published: May 17, 2007
Sony says they're considering the PSN a whole platform in and of itself, so we'll do the same. There certainly were a hell of a lot of games coming, and it's here that Sony may well stake its claim as having the most diverse and meaty set of offerings of the big three next-gen console manufacturers. Shooters, tactical shooters, flying shooters... okay, fine there was more than that, liiiiiike:
[ Blast Factor: Advanced Research ]
[ Screens ]
Blast Factor was a surprisingly solid little shooter that most passed off as a Geometry Wars clone. In point of fact, it was pretty similar, but with multiplayer updates and SIXAXIS support, it at least was a decent demonstration of what a particle-heavy shooter taking place in the hexagonal walls of an infested cell could be. But what happens if the walls are no long hexagonal?
[ Calling All Cars! ]
[ Review ]
Though the game is technically already out, that didn't stop Sony from pimping David Jaffe's latest mini-creation. Drive a vehicle around and pick up stray crooks, or shoot and slam into the other guys to steal the crook en route to jail. Simple, addictive, balanced and fun. The full review is just a click away.
[ Go! Puzzle ]
[ Preview | Screens ]
Sumo Digital's once-titled Swizzleblocks game is now a straight, simple puzzler. Three of them, actually, including the aforementioned Swizzle Blocks mode, complemented by Skyscraper and Aquatica, which are, with respects, a match-four rotating challenge, a Dr. Mario/Lumines-style underwater falling block puzzle, and a colored path-climbing exercise. Intrigued? So were we...
[ High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition ]
[ Preview | Screens ]
The stakes must have been real damn high, because nooobody was playing this game on the first night of the Gamers' Day until they were good and liquored up -- ourselves included. Luckily, when it comes to uncompromising preview coverage of a game you can probably already guess the mechanics for just by reading the title, we're there doin' it for you. Yes, you, baby.
[ High Velocity Bowling ]
[ Preview | Movies ]
Think the Wii is the only system to have motion-controlled bowling? Well, silly person, you were so very, very wrong. Sony is getting into the act too, and if you thought bowling with a wand was a little weird, wait until you try it by clutching the SIXAXIS like you're going to do something naughty to it, and flicking your wrist.
[ Mortal Kombat II ]
[ Screens ]
Like Calling All Cars!, this one's already out, and we haven't had a chance to touch it -- not even at the Gamers' Day event. Was it really there, or just another mysterious ticked-off game on the list of supposed appearances? We'll never know, but a review just might show up in the next couple of days.
[ PAIN ]
[ Preview | Screens | Movies ]
What happens when you take ragdoll psychics and apply them to huge, ornately designed environments created with the express purpose of completely liquefying some slingshot-thrown dude? You get PAIN, and if your idea of humor is watching a mime get chucked through a series of plate glass stanchions, well then you have a new favorite downloadable game.
[ Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix ]
[ Preview | Screens ]
Yet another game supposedly on show but we never saw it. Luckily, just a few weeks prior, we did manage to get us a little peek at the game -- albeit running on the Xbox 360, though the two versions couldn't be more identical unless the PS3 suddenly adopted Achievements. Take a little looksee at that thar preview link, why doncha?
[ Super Stardust HD ]
[ Preview | Screens ]
With all this attention toward remaking classic games (or, uh, re-releasing them as they were online for a few bucks), it's surprising that not many Amiga games have been picked for an update. Well, them days is over, and if you're old enough to remember Stardust, then you probably already know how awesome scooting around a world shooting asteroid-like breaking chunks of rock and kicking off super-weapons feels.
And there you have it. Weep as we try to upload all the media and hands-on previews of the event. It won't happen all at once, but when one person has to single-handedly type up the literally dozens of games that were played for a few minutes during the event, it's going to take a while. Pray for our souls.
[ Blast Factor: Advanced Research ]
[ Screens ]
Blast Factor was a surprisingly solid little shooter that most passed off as a Geometry Wars clone. In point of fact, it was pretty similar, but with multiplayer updates and SIXAXIS support, it at least was a decent demonstration of what a particle-heavy shooter taking place in the hexagonal walls of an infested cell could be. But what happens if the walls are no long hexagonal?
[ Calling All Cars! ]
[ Review ]
Though the game is technically already out, that didn't stop Sony from pimping David Jaffe's latest mini-creation. Drive a vehicle around and pick up stray crooks, or shoot and slam into the other guys to steal the crook en route to jail. Simple, addictive, balanced and fun. The full review is just a click away.
[ Go! Puzzle ]
[ Preview | Screens ]
Sumo Digital's once-titled Swizzleblocks game is now a straight, simple puzzler. Three of them, actually, including the aforementioned Swizzle Blocks mode, complemented by Skyscraper and Aquatica, which are, with respects, a match-four rotating challenge, a Dr. Mario/Lumines-style underwater falling block puzzle, and a colored path-climbing exercise. Intrigued? So were we...
[ High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition ]
[ Preview | Screens ]
The stakes must have been real damn high, because nooobody was playing this game on the first night of the Gamers' Day until they were good and liquored up -- ourselves included. Luckily, when it comes to uncompromising preview coverage of a game you can probably already guess the mechanics for just by reading the title, we're there doin' it for you. Yes, you, baby.
[ High Velocity Bowling ]
[ Preview | Movies ]
Think the Wii is the only system to have motion-controlled bowling? Well, silly person, you were so very, very wrong. Sony is getting into the act too, and if you thought bowling with a wand was a little weird, wait until you try it by clutching the SIXAXIS like you're going to do something naughty to it, and flicking your wrist.
[ Mortal Kombat II ]
[ Screens ]
Like Calling All Cars!, this one's already out, and we haven't had a chance to touch it -- not even at the Gamers' Day event. Was it really there, or just another mysterious ticked-off game on the list of supposed appearances? We'll never know, but a review just might show up in the next couple of days.
[ PAIN ]
[ Preview | Screens | Movies ]
What happens when you take ragdoll psychics and apply them to huge, ornately designed environments created with the express purpose of completely liquefying some slingshot-thrown dude? You get PAIN, and if your idea of humor is watching a mime get chucked through a series of plate glass stanchions, well then you have a new favorite downloadable game.
[ Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix ]
[ Preview | Screens ]
Yet another game supposedly on show but we never saw it. Luckily, just a few weeks prior, we did manage to get us a little peek at the game -- albeit running on the Xbox 360, though the two versions couldn't be more identical unless the PS3 suddenly adopted Achievements. Take a little looksee at that thar preview link, why doncha?
[ Super Stardust HD ]
[ Preview | Screens ]
With all this attention toward remaking classic games (or, uh, re-releasing them as they were online for a few bucks), it's surprising that not many Amiga games have been picked for an update. Well, them days is over, and if you're old enough to remember Stardust, then you probably already know how awesome scooting around a world shooting asteroid-like breaking chunks of rock and kicking off super-weapons feels.
And there you have it. Weep as we try to upload all the media and hands-on previews of the event. It won't happen all at once, but when one person has to single-handedly type up the literally dozens of games that were played for a few minutes during the event, it's going to take a while. Pray for our souls.