Video Games & Technology
Will Disney Infinity prove that the third time actually is the charm for Disney Interactive?
![](https://jimhillmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Slit-Second.jpg)
Disney Interactive keeps trying to play catch up with the
gaming industry but often misses out with gamers. The upcoming title Disney Infinity
is another attempt for the company to reinvent themselves for audiences. The
previous two high profile showings from the company have failed to turn heads.
In early 2010 the studio had touted the evolution of the
racing game by marrying the reality TV show concept with the spectacle of big
budget chase films like The Fast and The Furious, and Gone in 60 Seconds
. The
result was the mixed bag known as Split / Second. Developed
by Black Rock Studio and published by Disney Interactive, many gamers and
editors were likening the title to a game that would have been designed by
Jerry Bruckheimer or Michael Bay.
This was not necessarily a compliment. Both directors have been known for
putting style ahead of substance.
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved
In the case of Split / Second the
game played well and looked great on the gaming consoles. The “Powerplay”
feature was supposed to set this racing game apart from the ones that had
dominated the market, like Need for Speed
and Burnout
. Players and opponents
could trigger a Powerplay which often meant a big explosion that ripped
freeways apart, collapsed buildings and rained debris onto the streets. The
sizzling effects created obstacles for opponents and revealed alternate paths
for gamers. The spectacles created by the explosions were akin to the flashy
effects used in films like Transformers. They were nice to look at but
after a while audiences found them redundant.
As a racing game Split
/ Second was good but not great. The Powerplay feature wore out its welcome and
Disney was left without an action game to act as the summer tentpole.
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
Fast forward six months and Disney Interactive gave it
another go. This time Epic Mickey
was going to be the new flagship title from
the publisher. The company spared no expense in acquiring Warren Spector and
his Junction Point Studios. Spector had made a name for himself with hit PC
titles like Wing Commander
, Deus Ex and Ultima VII
. He was easily the most
knowledgable developer when it came to Disney history and IP and seems a
perfect match to lead the new generation of DI titles.
Epic Mickey was a mix of ideas not tried before in most
console games. It was not quite a role-playing game, not quite an action
platformer and not quite an adventure title but instead something in between
the three. The choice to publish it exclusively on the Nintendo Wii, the
awkward control scheme and rigid camera left many players frustrated with the
experience.
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
The studio was given a second chance to get things right. They
created a new engine, fixed the control and camera features and added all sorts
of secrets and details that would delight serious Disney fans. The Holiday
2012 release of Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two sold fewer copies than the
original despite being released on multiple platforms and having the support of
a large marketing push. Spector and Junction Point were let go while Disney
restructured its gaming divisions.
To narrow down why the game failed would boil down to
gameplay. The game never found its audience. It attempted to be too many things
to too many people. The hardcore Disney fan was not necessarily a gamer and the
gamer did not enjoy countless backtracking through the twisted version of the
theme parks.
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
Split / Second
and Epic Mickey had demonstrated that a solid budget and strong ad campaign did
not equal success. A mixed bag of gameplay ideas and even the use of the most
popular cartoon icon ever were not enough to generate sales.
This leads me to the first real industry showing for Disney
Infinity. The game is combining the collectable figures of a title like
Skylanders from rival publisher Activision, with the do-it-yourself gaming
experience of indy sensation Minecraft. John Lasseter has appeared in the
promotional videos to talk about what a great experience the title is. Unfortunately
gamers are sitting on the fence. They respect what the man has done for Pixar,
Walt Disney Animation Studios and the theme parks, however his name does not carry star
power in the game community.
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
Hideo Kojima, Cliff Bleszinski, Shigeru Miyamoto and Warren
Spector, on the other hand, do. Those designers have spent decades creating great
titles. The development of a successful franchise had more to do with focusing
the down the story, control, animation and music into a self-contained
experience. None of the best titles had ever felt like a mixed bag of ideas.
Spit / Second and Epic Mickey suffered from a lack of
focus. Disney Infinity seems to be going down the same path. But all judgment
will be reserved for when editors and buyers get some serious hands-on time
with the game at the E3 2013.
Video Games & Technology
“Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion” game coming this summer
![Adventure Time Pirates of the Enchiridion](https://jimhillmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/jim-hill-media-adventure-time-enchiridion.jpg)
“C’mon on, grab your friends … ” A new Adventure Time game is coming out across multiple platforms.
Copyright Cartoon Network / Outright Games Ltd. All rights reserved
In this open world game, Finn and Jake will be sailing on a raft (Named Jeff) through the flooded land of Ooo to solve the mystery of why water engulfed their home and to help others & get in hijinks along the way. With a ragtag gang of friends (From a vampire, to an Ice King, to a little robot) Finn and Jake will travel from the melting Ice Kingdom to the Fire Kingdom and fight in turn-based combat like an RPG.
Copyright Cartoon Network / Outright Games Ltd. All rights reserved
The trailer shows off some absolutely gorgeous character models and environments. I’m particularly enchanted by the gorgeous Candy Kingdom that’s briefly shown in this footage. The art design sticks close to the show, but brings with it a soft, sweet design rarely seen in adventure games. Which is a refreshing thing to bring to the table. Likewise, it’s a joy to see the characters translate to 3D so well. Outright Games has done some fantastic work here with their art design.
Copyright Cartoon Network / Outright Games Ltd. All rights reserved
Likewise, the voice cast for the show will be reprising their roles as characters in the land of Ooo. And they’ll have a lot of lines to record. Not only can you control Finn and Jake, but you’ll be able to play as BMO and Marceline as well. You can upgrade these characters to unlock unique abilities for combat and the map holds plenty of fun mysteries too. With side stories and secret locations, this seems like a game that’ll have hours & hours of fun.
Copyright Cartoon Network / Outright Games Ltd. All rights reserved
What strikes me particularly about this game is how much it resembles Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. This is no coincidence. Adventure Time have a history of being direct corollaries to Legend of Zelda games. “Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why’d You Steal Our Garbage?!” ‘s gameplay references “Zelda II: The Adventure of Link” and “Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom” has the same top down look & combat stylings as “Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.” With this in mind, it’s absolutely delightful to see a Wind Waker homage with a series like this. Wind Waker was a gamechanger for the Legend of Zelda series, and it feels like “Pirates of the Enchiridion” will be a gamechanger for the Adventure Time games.
Copyright Cartoon Network / Outright Games Ltd. All rights reserved
‘Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion’ will be out July 17th for the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Playstation 4, and PC.
Video Games & Technology
Do you like treasure hunting and/or cooking soup? Then Pokemon Quest is the game for you
![Pokemon Quest](https://jimhillmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/jim-hill-media-pokemon-quest.jpg)
Immediately after the Pokemon press conference on May 29th, the mobile-switch cross platform game Pokemon Quest was available to download on the Nintendo eShop (with the mobile device version debuting later this month). Curious about the ‘Free-to-Start’ game, I snagged a download and started playing.
Copyright 2018 Nintendo. All rights reserved
Pokemon Quest is a game that feels best letting itself auto-run. You check in several times a day to see what Pokemon have appeared at your camp (The conceit behind this game is that you’re a treasure hunter & Pokemon flock to you to fight their brethren in your honor. They also sometimes just come by because you make really good soup. What can I say?). With the Pokemon at your disposal, you build a small exploration team much in the same style as the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon game series. And you then set them out to fight other Pokemon in open levels. From these battles, you win power stones (which allow you to upgrade your Pokemon’s health & attack power), and ingredients to lure other Pokemon to your camp.
You may’ve taken notice use of the term ‘Free-to-Start’ earlier in this article. That’s because — like many mobile services — this game offers add-ons for purchase. I don’t see any age limit on the Nintendo Switch version to take away ads for purchases (which many mobile games have chosen to add. See Disney’s own ‘Disney Crossy Road’) but the Pokemon Company may be expecting parents to set their own controls over the switch with the parental controls available on the system.
Copyright 2018 Nintendo. All rights reserved
Still, the game is typical in mobile game fare for trying to wring money out of players. Energy to play the game costs P tickets, which you can earn 50 a day … or you can just buy. The game gives you an amount to start with, shows you how to use them to speed up your game, and then takes you to the shop where you can see an advertisement to buy it — along with Pokemon furniture to help your team.
These packages can go up to $30 and include Pokemon in-game items & exclusive furniture. And while Pokemon Go offered items in bundles like this, it’s still odd to see in a Pokemon game — let alone a Pokemon game on the Nintendo Switch (albeit, this is a cross-platform game). The game itself doesn’t seem to have any sort of hard-pay line for gameplay, though. I’m up to the fifth world in my game without making any purchases. And while the game difficulty has dramatically ramped up, likely to encourage purchases, it’s still completely manageable to play without paying.
Copyright 2018 Nintendo. All rights reserved
In that sense, for a free game, it’s really cute & enjoyable. The graphics are pleasing and colorful. And if you return to camp, you’ll find all the Pokemon you’ve befriended hopping around adorable decorations. Sometimes stacking on top of each other, other times following each other around in what seems like games of tag.
The ‘cooking’ mechanic to encounter a random Pokemon makes encountering them feel less like gambling and more like strategy. By cooking certain recipes from materials you find on missions, you can draw certain types of Pokemon to your camp. Cooking in certain pots (unlocked by playing through the game) can draw higher powered Pokemon at the cost of more materials. And waiting while your energy fills up means running out of ingredients (At the point of the game I’m at, about half-way through) doesn’t seem to be a problem.
Copyright 2018 Nintendo. All rights reserved
All in all, I’d say, if you have access to this game, check it out and see if it’s for you. There doesn’t seem to be cross platform support for other Pokemon games. But as a standalone, it’s a cute, fun blip of a game. The hard ‘end’ of the levels within surprises me, especially since it seems to end with 150 Pokemon (out of the over eight hundred available). So I’m not sure what there is to get out of it when you get to the end level outside of getting every Pokemon. But it’s still a fun, very casual strategy game. Just keep an eye on purchases if your children decide to play.
Video Games & Technology
“Pokemon — Let’s Go, Pikachu !” & “Pokemon — Let’s Go, Eevee !” to come to the Nintendo Switch this year
![Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee - Pokemon Nintendo Game](https://jimhillmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/pokemon-game-nintendo-switch-lets-go-pikachu-lets-go-eevee.jpg)
During a conference in Japan earlier this week, the Pokemon Company revealed three new games : A mobile and Nintendo Switch cross platform game, “Pokemon Quest,” with graphics similar to Crossy Road and some absolutely adorable furniture in a “free to start” format; and for the Nintendo Switch, “Pokemon — Let’s Go, Pikachu !” and “Pokemon — Let’s Go, Eevee !”
Taking inspiration from gameplay styles from the popular “Pokemon Go” for mobile devices, “Pokemon — Let’s Go, Pikachu !” and “Pokemon — Let’s Go, Eevee !’ adopts the thrown Pokeball system. By using one controller with the Switch system, you can make a tossing motion to throw a Pokeball and capture a cute critter for your team.
![](https://jimhillmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/lets-go-pikachu-lets-go-eevee-pokemon-game-screenshot.jpg)
Additionally, you can buy the “Pokeball Plus” accessory to act as an additional “Joy-con” controller for your Switch to capture Pokemon. Then load a Pokemon into your pokeball, and take it out on the go.
From there, with the accessory, you’ll be able to interact with the Pokemon you have inside. Although current information doesn’t offer whether we’ll have more options than putting Eevee or Pikachu in the Pokeball Plus, the footage seen in the linked trailer is absolutely adorable.
The game itself seems to be a remake of Pokemon Yellow, a game released twenty years ago for the Game Boy Color. You explore the Kanto Pokemon region, and seem to be limited to the 150 Pokemon available when that game was out (Well, 151, if you were lucky, or good at exploiting glitches). But these games ditch the random encounters of mainline Pokemon games and adopt the overworld encounters of Pokemon Go. What Pokemon you see on the overworld is what you get.
![](https://jimhillmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/kids-playing-lets-go-pikachu-eevee-switch.jpg)
Additionally, Pokemon can follow you around and you can ride some of them. In footage, we see a trainer riding a giant Onyx (i.e., a giant snake made out of rocks. Who wouldn’t be comfortable riding on that?) and followed by a starting Pokemon, Bulbasaur. Although in these two games, you start instead with the series mascot Pikachu, and the evolution Pokemon Eevee, which can evolve into several different pokemon. You can also put little outfits on them. Which is – frankly — incredible.
Likewise, this seems to have local multiplayer. Hand the left Joy-con to a friend and let them enter your game. Or if you’re feeling really lonely, put the left Joy-con in your hand and pretend you have a friend while controlling the new trainer that arrives. What a fun time!
You and your friend can then team up to capture Pokemon together, or go exploring together- And you can have Pokemon you capture in Pokemon Go (of the original 151 Pokemon) arrive in your game. You can also send “Presents” back to your Pokemon Go game, including a possible new form of Pokemon as the trailer discusses.
![](https://jimhillmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/lets-go-pikachu-lets-go-eevee-nintendo-switch-games.jpg)
“Pokemon — Let’s Go, Pikachu !” and “Pokemon — Let’s Go, Eevee !” will be arriving on the Nintendo Switch this November. Likewise, a new Pokemon game will be released in the second Half of 2019. With a Mario movie in development and theme park additions on the way, it’s sure to be a busy year for Nintendo.
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