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Posts with tag survival

More Lost in Blue 3 info and screens surface

One of the biggest complaints about Konami's Lost in Blue series is that the games feel like too much work. If you weren't working your butt off in order to ensure your own survival, you were probably leading a vision-impaired girl around the island or doing some other sort of menial task.

Gamers don't necessarily mind doing "chores" in games -- if so, titles like Harvest Moon wouldn't exist. The work and play needs to be at least somewhat balanced, though, for a game to succeed.

Fortunately, it seems like Konami has come to realize this, and the third installment of the series will show improvement over its predecessors (and not just artistically). A new game page for the title claims that time will be equally spent exploring the island for fun and ... well ... doing survival stuff. Lost in Blue 3 will also include over twenty minigames if you're looking for other ways to break up your daily tasks.

There will be four playable characters in the game. You choose one character at the beginning to control throughout, and that person's attributes will affect the gameplay (this is something we've see before, but this time you get more characters to choose from). All in all, we think Lost in Blue 3 is shaping up nicely and might be the best game in the series yet. To check out some news screens of the upcoming survival sim (which will be released in America this month on the 18th), make sure you check out the gallery below.

Gallery: Lost in Blue 3



[Via CVG]

Lost in Blue 3 screens wash ashore

While it possesses a potentially awesome premise -- you're marooned on a desert island, now fend for yourself using only what nature gives you -- we're not sure that the Lost in Blue series has fulfilled that potential yet. The first two games had their heart in the right place, but were weighed down by unreasonably dependent AI partners and poor pacing.

In other words, it's been left to Lost in Blue 3 to patch things up and finally do this superb concept some justice. These screens -- the first English-language shots of the game -- feature two of the new characters, including James, who seems to have some aggression issues, and Claire, who (much like Skye from the first game) looks like an unbearable drip, and certainly not the type to take down a snake with her bare hands.

Gallery: Lost in Blue 3

Lost in Blue 3 trailer shows promise


By promise, we really mean fist-fighting a snake. When a trailer has something of that magnitude within it, we're forced to pay attention. All of the survival stuff we can take or leave, but fist-fighting wildlife in a video game is too cool for school. It's only a step away from piledriving a shark.

So, what do you all think? Does Lost in Blue 3 look promising?

Lost in Blue adapts to survive

When (if) Lost in Blue 3 arrives on our shores, you may be surprised at its appearance. Konami has changed the art style used for the character portraits, from normal human proportions to more of a chibi look. In fact, the simplified characters look more like the avatars found on Japanese livedoor blogs than anything else. Hopefully the change in appearance won't ruin the grave atmosphere of the game during those dolphin chats.

We would be surprised if we got a deluxe pack for the game like Japan is getting on the 20th. The Survival Kids Original Gloves and Towel Compressed Set includes -- you guessed it -- a towel and some gloves. We're guessing that they're vacuum-sealed and compressed like those football-shaped t-shirts. The idea, we think, is for you to be able to fit them into a bag in case you encounter a survival situation requiring ... a towel and some gloves. At the very least, a tiny, compressed towel would make it easier for you to identify as a hoopy frood.

[Via GoNintendo]

Game Center CX's Arino returns to the DS

Shinya Arino, the put-upon host of Game Center CX, is also a member of a comedy duo called Yoiko along with Masaru Hamaguchi. They starred in a television special in December of last year called Mujintou Seikatsu (Deserted Island Life) in which the two of them survived on an island for three days. That sounds like a perfectly reasonable basis for a minigame collection, right?

Namco Bandai assessed the situation similarly, and thus Tottado!~ Yoiko no Mujintou Seikatsu (Yoiko's Deserted Island Life) was born. The minigames involve survival-related tasks -- building and maintaining a shelter, catching fish, and cooking -- with lots of wacky comedy faces. "I caught a fish WACKY COMEDY FACE!"

We don't need to tell you how likely we think this is to leave Japan.

DS Daily: Survival horror


We were poring over the new Silent Hill 5 "details" today (more like vague statements from Akira Yamaoka about how awesome it's going to be) and all we really know about it is that it's going to be more like Silent Hill 2 (yay) and it's coming to some consoles that aren't the DS (boo). Our first reaction is to be outraged. We love our system and we love Silent Hill and its atmospheric, psychological horror storytelling.

But would we actually love them together? The larger question here extends beyond the boundaries of one foggy town: is the DS an appropriate format for survival horror? We had one outing already in Resident Evil: Deadly Silence, which a very trustworthy source tells us wasn't an entirely successful experiment.

Alternately, if the major discussion topic doesn't interest you, we can just talk about Silent Hill and how great it is.

Lost in Blue 2 pre-order bonus

It's probably too late to place a pre-order for Lost in Blue 2 at your local game shop, but you might still be able to get the bonus offer by ordering a copy online. Gamers who were motivated enough to put down a cash advance for the survival sim's sequel will receive a themed stylus and screen wipe.

The Lost in Blue 2 stylus is crafted to look like a twig, but we doubt that it'd be useful for actually starting a fire if you happen to get stranded on a deserted island. The tip of the stylus does light up though, so at least you'll have its weak glow to comfort you for a night or two. The tropical screen wipe isn't as useful as a hatchet, but it will keep the sand off of your Nintendo DS. You could probably eat it too, if it came to that.

Lost in Blue 2 shipwrecks onto store shelves today, March 20th.

[Via Insert Credit]

New Lost in Blue 2 details and screens



There's some updated news on Lost in Blue 2, including gameplay details. Notably, players can choose to navigate the game as either the male or female character, and Jack and Amy each have their own unique skills. Previously, we thought the setup was similar to the original Lost in Blue, with the girl serving as an unplayable character (at least, until you beat it once). Also, the sequel will feature a limited two-player mode via local wireless, in which players can compete in survival mini-games. We're hoping for things like "Outrun the Croc" so we can watch our pals brutally eaten. That's just good, clean fun.

Once again, the touch screen and microphone will be a big part of the game, but Konami promises to expand on touchscreen play for a more immersive and interesting experience. Let's hope for less drudgery and more fun.

Continue reading New Lost in Blue 2 details and screens

Pointy sticks in Lost in Blue sequel

Er, we mean self defense, obviously, via the use of pointy sticks. Jeux France has all sorts of new goodies from the survival-centric Lost in Blue 2, including new screens that show off some of the in game actions, from building a fire to protecting your little lost lambs as they struggle to eke out a place in the wild.

Check out the new screens after the jump.

Continue reading Pointy sticks in Lost in Blue sequel

TGS 2006: new Lost in Blue 2 trailer

Ah, the soothing sound of ocean waves, the fragrant smoke from a handmade fire, the abject terror of fending off a crocodile ... somehow, that last doesn't sound too relaxing. This new Lost in Blue 2 trailer captures the essence of the game by blending tranquil shots of scenery with a few surprises, like a spider leaping onto your face. We really could have done without that last one. Time to start sharpening some spears!

The new trailer, fresh from the Tokyo Game Show, is embedded after the jump. We hope to pick up a few survival tips ... maybe we can even figure out a way to escape from the dungeon that is the Fanboy office. Can anyone spare some rope?

Continue reading TGS 2006: new Lost in Blue 2 trailer

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