A lot of video games out there are just plain ugly, which I find surprising considering all the advances in graphics and art technology.  When a game comes along that is aesthetically pleasing in every way, it really stands out.  The WipEout series by Psygnosis, in my opinion, has been consistently producing titles which feature smooth, cohesive design elements.  This quality really sets the game apart from other games in the racing genre.

The game takes place about 50 years in the future.  Rather than using automobiles, racers pilot anti-gravity vehicles (pictured above) at high speeds around futuristic courses.  Creating an exciting yet realistic future is a daunting task from a designer’s point of view, but the team behind Wipeout make it look damn easy.

The advertisements that appear on the vehicles and scenery are possibly my favorite part of the game’s design.  Each one is for a fictional company (no copyright infringement woo!) and features one or several really cool logos.   Anyone in the design field will tell you that effective logo making is one of the most difficult skills to master.  Here are a few of my favorites:

The feeling of the future is further enhanced by the games UI, which is simple, yet effective.  Menus feature unique fonts, similar to those used in the above logos.  Throw in a dash of techno music and that covers all the bases.

Another aspect of the game that impresses me is the use of symbols.  Teams, tracks, etc., just about everything in the game has its own unique symbol.  Even weaponry players pick up while racing are displayed entirely in symbol form.  This makes recognizing weapons like learning another language:

Plasma, Bomb, Cannon and Auto Pilot respectively.

I admit a bit of my love for this series stems from nostalgia.  One of the first games I bought for my Playstation was the first WipEout.  When it came to racing games I pretty much switched off between that and the Jet Moto games.  I have never been a big fan of racing games with vehicles that actually exist.  (Where is the fun in that?)

WipEout HD is the newest title in the series, and is available exclusively for download at the PlayStation Store for $19.99.  As its name would suggest, the game is capable of full 1080p output, which is pretty much the maximum our pathetic human eyes are capable of perceiving.  If you enjoy racing games with a bit of a twist I highly recommend it.

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Me and Sackboy gonna get tore up.  My cat disapproves, or maybe he’s just jealous.

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Today yet another patch was released for Disgaea 3 in the Japanese Playstation Store.  How come we aren’t seeing any of these yet?  I swear that by the time these patches and characters are brought to the North American Playstation Store, I will be done with the game.  Anyway, here are the new characters available for around $2 each:

Capt. Gordon The 37th defender of Earth from the first Disgaea.  Gordan’s sense of justice is at times blinding, but generally he means well.  In Disgaea 3, he magichanges into a sword.

Jennifer Captain Gordon’s sidekick and a brilliant scientist.  Since she excels at Kung Fu, she magichanges into a fist called Jennifer Punch.

Thursday The All-Purpose robot created by Jennifer when she was 5.  Thursday is arguable the most intelligent of the 3.  In Disgaea 3 Thursday magichanges into a bow.

In addition to the new characters available for purchase is a patch which provides an additional challenge known as Class World Command Attack.  This system counts the number of actions a player performs to clear 10 levels in the class world.  The quicker a player completes the 10 levels – and the less actions performed in doing so – the player is granted a higher rank.  The better the rank, the better the reward the player receives.

Rewards can be a new series of weapons dubbed “Bad Series,” or unlocking a map which can earn you yet another hidden character:

Aramis A young demon from the first Disgaea who keeps Zombies as pets.  Without him you would never be able to steal a horse wiener.  His inherent mability, Necromancy, increases all allied zombies stats on the map by 20%.

Just about every Disgaea character among other numerous NIS characters can now be acquired for Disgaea 3 in Japan.  I really hope some of these patches will be making it over here soon… I am starting to doubt it will ever happen.  I might bother NIS and see what they have to say for themselves.  In the meantime, if you would like to see some more screens of the new DLC, you can check them out here.

Related Entries:
All other Kotowari posts relating to Makai Senki Disgaea 3 can be found here.

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One of my friends has decided it’s his goal to defeat Baal in Disgaea 3:Absence of Justice. It’s not a simple task and is basically the ultimate goal of the game.  I decided to start a brief guide which explains how to best begin to take on the post-game elements of Disgaea 3.

You can access it under my newly added “Guides” tab in my links section or by clicking here.

Right now the guide consists of elementary Item World help as well as equipment and character development.  It is a work in progress, so don’t expect to throttle the game instantly upon reading it. 

Just remember: with a game as massive as Disgaea 3, if you want to do great things, it will take a great amount of time.

Related Entries:
All other Kotowari posts relating to Makai Senki Disgaea 3 can be found here.

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Just try and ignore stuff like this…

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