Man, August has been a S-L-O-W month for games! I hardly reviewed anything new this month! But looking forward into the fall season, starting around my birthday, there are tons of games coming out in time for the holidays. So I figured I’d write a blog about the ones I’m looking forward to playing and reviewing.

A PAX Approaches

But before we get to that, I’d like to announce that next weekend, I’ll be in Seattle for the PAX show with my brother Jeff. So I probably won’t have another blog up until after the show. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers that we have a safe and fun trip there and back. And hopefully in a little more than a week from now, I’ll post articles and pictures here about the show. And if you’re going to PAX as well, maybe we’ll see each other there! Who knows?

Cary’s Fall Forecast

OK let’s talk about the games I’m looking forward to for the rest of the year. Some of these games I’m looking forward to reviewing, and some of these I’m looking forward to playing. There’s a difference, but it’s kind of hard to explain. I love reviewing kids’ games, so if you see a kiddy game on my list, there’s a good indication that it’s one that I think would be fun to review. Also, I broke these up into games released for each month, but as we all know, those dates could change closer to release. So let’s get started!

September

September is my birthday month, so what are you all going to get me for my birthday? Ha ha! Just joking. I think it’s kind of weird that a bunch of new releases are being released around my birthday, though.

One game that I am looking forward to reviewing in September is Nicktoons MLB, a baseball game starring Nicktoons characters as well as real professional baseball players. Some video game baseball games are pretty fun, and I think I’ll probably write a blog about the Nicktoons characters featured in the game, kind of like what I did with Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion.

In that same week, Aksys is supposed to release the Bit.Trip games all in one package for Wii and DS. The Bit.Trip games were pretty decent (albeit hard) WiiWare titles, so I can’t decide if I would want to get the Wii or 3DS versions of the collection. Finally in that same week, Camping Mama is coming out on DS, and since I like the Cooking Mama series so much, I’ll definitely be getting this one, too.

Could it be coincidence that Kirby Mass Attack for DS is being released a couple of days after my birthday? I don’t know, but knowing how much I like Kirby games, you know I’m really looking forward to this one. In fact, around my birthday I’ll probably write a special Kirby blog and we’ll all have a pink Kirby birthday party!

Later, Harvest Moon: Tale of Two Towns will be released on DS, supposedly, but I’m not so sure since the 3DS version is being released the month after. I figured they’d put them out simultaneously, but who knows? Since I like Gradius games, I’m also looking forward to Otomedius Excellent. But Konami keeps delaying it so I’ll only believe it’s coming out when I see it on the shelf. But when it does come out, I’ll probably write a blog about my favorite Gradius games and other 2-D shooters. Speaking of Konami, they’ll also be released Frogger 3-D on 3DS that week, so I may check it out since I like Frogger.

Finally in the last week of September is a game I’ve been looking forward to for more than ten years, more or less. Back on the PSOne, there was a game called Tail Concerto and I loved it. You played as a police dog and you rode a mech around and caught criminal cats. It had a cartoony Miyazaki anime style, and it was a very endearing game. The makers of Tail Concerto have wanted to do a sequel for many years, and they finally got a chance to on the DS! And XSEED is bringing that sequel, called Solatorobo, to the US! I’ll probably even write a blog around that time on how XSEED has surpassed Atlus as my favorite niche game company.

October

Halloween month has even more game releases, and Natsume starts with Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove, a monstrous dance game on 3DS that will be great to review around this time of year. I just got done reviewing a Sesame Street game on Wii, and in October there’s another one coming for Kinect called Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster. I don’t have a Kinect so I may not review it, but the game is interesting because it was made by Double Fine, who also did Psychonauts, which was my Game of the Year one time.

A week later, Namco will release Go Vacation on Wii. It’s kind of a sequel or spin-off to the We Ski games, which I liked a lot, so I can’t wait to play this one. I think you can even do dogsledding in it, and I’ve never played a dog sled game before! In honor of Go Vacation, I may even write a blog about other games that make you feel like you’re at a resort or on vacation.

Also that same week is The Hidden for 3DS. It reminds me a lot of Face Raiders, but with a ghost hunting theme. And since I kind of like those dumb Ghost Hunter shows on TV (it’s a guilty pleasure of mine), I might check out this game, too. Natsume is supposedly going to release the 3DS version of the Harvest Moon game this week, too, but I have my doubts about that.

Then the week after that is Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventures, which combines action figure collecting with a Gaunlet styled game for kids. Sounds like an interesting concept at least, so I’ll be looking more into that one. Also, Natsume will release Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny for Wii and PS3. I like the Rune Factory games better than the Harvest Moon titles since you can fight monsters as well as farm in the Rune Factory games, and the premise of this one seems interesting in that your farm is on a giant travelling golem, and you can even fight huge monsters with it! I think I might get the PS3 version, since I don’t give the PS3 as much attention as I should.

And finally in October we have Cooking Mama 4 on 3DS, and since you know I like the Mama games, I’ll give this one a try, too. Pokemon Rumble Blast on 3DS from Nintendo is also coming then, and since I never tried the WiiWare version, I might do this one instead. And last, Atlus should release King of Fighters XIII, which I might check out if I feel like it.

November

Sonic kicks off November with Sonic Generations, which combines classic chubby Sonic with new Sonic, so it should be interesting. I may check out LEGO Harry Potter Years 5-7, but not right away since I never got past the fourth book. I still need to get the LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean game, too. There will also be a Wii classic update called Centipede: Infestation, which was made by WayForward. Speaking of WayForward, they’re also doing a 2-D BloodRayne game you can download on the consoles, but I’m not sure when it’s coming out exactly. Sometime this fall, I’m sure, and it’s the only time I would ever be interested in playing a BloodRayne game!

Pac-Man Party 3D is also coming from Namco for the 3DS, but I would only get it since I like to collect Pac-Man stuff. The Pac-Man Party game on Wii was horrible. Speaking of horrible games, there’s also supposed to be a version of Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion for the bigger consoles. But I would only get it if they added Rigby and Mordecai from the Regular Show since the 3DS game was so horrible. Also on 3DS coming about this time is Cave Story 3D, which I might have to check out since Cave Story is such a neat game.

I’ll probably get Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 since it’ll have Phoenix Wright in it finally. I know that it’s bad to support Capcom by getting this game since they’re not doing anything original lately and they cancelled Mega Man Legends 3 and all that stuff. But you know, I’ll still have fun with the game anyway, so if I don’t get it, it’ll just be cutting off my nose to spite my face. I don’t buy games to support companies anyway; I buy games because they’re fun. Also, the people who bring up that the game is cheaper than buying the characters through DLC do have a point. Plus, even though Capcom hasn’t done anything original lately, I bet they and many other companies in Japan are still suffering from the earthquake and tsunami from back in March. So even though it’s bad what Capcom may be doing, I think we should try and show a little more compassion. So yeah, I’m buying the Ultimate edition even though I have the old game. So what?

Since I do like reviewing kids games, I may take a look at a few that are being released in November, like Nickelodeon Dance for Wii, and Dora and Kai-Lan’s Pet Shelter and Team UmiZoomi for DS. And since I like to review fitness games, too, I may also look into Zumba Fitness 2. And Nano Assault on 3DS may be out then and it’s made by the same folks who did the Nanostray games.

Finally, Nintendo announced a release date for Zelda: Skyward Sword, so you know I’ll be playing that during the Thanksgiving holiday!

Conclusions

Of course there’s some games that don’t have release dates yet but may be out this year that I’m looking forward to, like Mario Kart and Super Mario Land 3D on 3DS. And what about Kirby on the Wii, which I heard a rumor now has the name Return to Dreamland. So if that comes out this year, too, you know I’ll be looking forward to that!

And that’s all I can think of that’s coming out this year that sounds interesting to me. What games are YOU looking forward to in the fall and holiday season? Let me know in the comments section. See you after PAX! –Cary

Tags: Misc