The Tanooki » Pete Betcher

Day in the life of PAX

Pete Betcher — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:09:23 +0000

PAX is nothing like other game conventions. There are very few people in the Convention Center merely doing their job, very few frowns on the show floor, very few people closeted in the corner getting away from everyone, and very little whining about lines or swarms of people. I think its why I always pick PAX Prime as my show of choice. Not GDC with it’s professionalism, or e3 with its megaton potential, or even comic con for it’s over-the-top cosplay.

So I guess when I said PAX was nothing like other shows, I meant to say it is exactly like all of them, in one beautiful package. PAX lands smack dab in the middle, busting with cosplay, wall to wall with unreleased software, and laced with more developer commentary than you could stick a shake at. While we are on the topic, if anyone has an extra shake and needs somewhere to stick it, I’ll take vanilla please and aim for my mouth.

That being said, here’s why I’m here. I would like to present to you unbridled PAX emotion caught on film. I took a few hours to photograph unsuspecting gamers doing what they do best: Gaming.

Nintendo lets Skyward Sword trailer fly for SDCC

Pete Betcher — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:58:19 +0000

Some thing tells me that all of the Nintendites in San Diego this weekend patiently waiting to get there mitts on a Master Sword with a WiiMotion Plus attachment jammed into the hilt will be treated to a 90-second loop of this music. Luckily, the music is pretty darn fantastic.

While there is a fair amount of repeat footage in there, you really can’t complain about a Zelda trailer that eclipses the 90-second mark. That Goron with a backpack better be bringing me super rare wallpapers or carpets for my brand new house, especially considering Sahara hasn’t shown her face in quite some time.

Fieldrunners HD finally arrives on Android

Pete Betcher — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 16:42:46 +0000

After several days since the original launch plans on the Android market, the little-tower-defense-game that could has popped up as today’s freebie on Amazon’s market. You heard me, its free today. That means you don’t have to pay for it, if you go right now. No cost. Really. For today.

For anyone who hasn’t been following the winding road this poor little guy has taken to hit the green pastures of Google’s mobile platform, it has been quite the struggle. See, the Android Market will let you move the price of an app around, but won’t let you move it from free to paid. Developer Subatomic Studios didn’t realize this, and wanted to keep their promise of making the tasty morsel available for free to early birds. They jumped ship, struck a deal with Amazon, and now the game is here (what seemed like AGES later) ready to be picked up. Hope you didn’t have plans to get anything productive done today.

DroidGamers

E3 2011: Star Wars slices to Kinect

Pete Betcher — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 17:43:30 +0000

If you are still wondering when a motion controlled Star Wars game will give you the light-sabering that you have wanted since the reveal of the Wiimote, you have another chance incoming.

Microsoft has just shown off a brand new Star Wars title that allows you to force throw wreckage, get irresponsible with virtual light sabers, pilot podracers, and just about anything else that translates from the Star Wars universe to the Kinect experience. If this is a collection of themed mini-games, or a large inter-kinected adventure stands to be seen.

E3 2011: Best be prepared

Pete Betcher — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 02:32:10 +0000

Now I know that the official dates of E3 are June 7th-9th, but really, for many of us, the excitement starts much earlier than that. Many from our staff are sipping margaritas along Venice Beach (or at least should be), ready to pounce on any information seeping out of the cracks in Los Angeles. As for the rest of us less-fortunate folk, there are still a few things to do. Luckily, I’ve provided a handy 3 step guide to make your e3 week as smooth as possible:

Step One: Clear your schedule.
Sell your dog, break up with your significant other, quit your job, and turn off your phone. Heck, if you want to make things easier, just fake your death and then reappear out of the wilderness with a story at the end of the week.

Step Two: Clear your mind
You must stay sharp, and I don’t mean tack sharp. I’m talking sharp as a chemically assisted, spatially controlled, field evaporated, single atom tip. I want you to clear all your preconceived notions out of that file cabinet on your shoulders, and be prepared for everything you didn’t expect. If you get caught up in it, you going to get left behind.

Step Three: Clear your cache
This is potentially the most important step. If your looking at TheTanooki right now and thinking “I’m not sure I like this new plate of spaghetti format they went to”, it’s probably because we didn’t. The site has had a few changes, and you may be stuck hovering between them. Just dig into your browser settings and do some spring cleaning.

Done with all that? Well good! Now that you are a game-news Jedi, go get some sleep, and I’ll see you here soon.

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Want to unlock all the Pokewalker routes? Be prepared to walk 1,000 miles!

Pete and Jason Talk about Games with Chris, Episode 2

Pete Betcher — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 03:45:52 +0000

Just in case you had no idea what to do with your day off tomorrow (I tip my hat to you, Mr. Presidents. My big, full brimmed stovepipe hat), The Tanooki has you covered with the second Episode in the Pete and Jason Talk about Games with Chris series. Or PJtagC. Topics cover the pending launch of the 3DS, the death of a few well know franchises, and how to keep a rabbit foot from fading in potency. Subscribe on iTunes! And stay on the lookout for another Episode soon. [Note: If the audio player does not play, please click the link below]

Pete and Jason Talk about Games with Chris: Episode 2

Pete and Jason Talk about Games: And So It Begins

Pete Betcher — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 19:59:36 +0000

This could get ugly. It could also get pretty, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard of something getting pretty so just to be safe let’s just assume it’s going to get ugly. This is the world premiere of Pete and Jason Talk About Games, a podcast that has you covered on all game industry goings-on.

This week we go over Nintendo World, what lies ahead for the industry, the successes of 2010, and how to score some free ice cream across the pond (not the sissy pond to our east, but the big mama pond to the west.) Feedback is very welcome, and keep your eyes peeled for the next podcast coming soon. Be sure to subscribe through iTunes! [Note: If the audio player does not play, please click the link below]

Pete and Jason Talk about Games: And So It Begins (44.2MB)

Club Nintendo keeps Mario’s birthday bash going

Pete Betcher — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:32:04 +0000

There doesn’t seem to be much that can stop Nintendo from celebrating the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., and that is a very good thing if you are a fan of the portly plumber (let’s be honest, who isn’t?). Nintendo of America has started offering new rewards through Club Nintendo in honor of the event, and man are they sassy. Click over to see what’s in store.

The first is a “Evolution of Mario” screen saver featuring footage from games ranging from the original title on the NES to the recently released Super Mario Galaxy 2. The best part of all? It will only put you back 10 coins. That’s only one tenth of a free life! Which, thanks to the economy, translates roughly to just under a quarter of a penny, or .0023 cents.

The second reward is a series of pins (two pictured above) to spice up your favorite man-purse, collared coat, or breast pocket with a little Nintendo love. The pins are a bit more expensive, clocking in at 450 coins a piece.

If you’re a Club Nintendo member, I suggest checking both rewards out. I have the screen saver uploaded right now and let me tell you. I’ve never been so excited to NOT use my computer before.

ClubNintendo

Game Boy and Game Boy Advance titles offered on the 3DS

Pete Betcher — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:46:39 +0000

Some of the best news out of Nintendo’s 3DS extravaganza was the mention of a system similar to the Virtual Console of the Wii for the Nintendo 3DS. There will be all sorts of goodies available, including classic games from the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance era. In the words of Tychus Findlay, “Hell, it’s about time!”.

Speaking of classics available for the Nintendo 3DS, it was also confirmed that many old school titles will be getting the 3D treatment, and re-released as downloads. Remember those tech demos at e3 of the original Super Mario Bros. with an extra dimension added? Think along those lines.

Vooks

Miis make the move to 3DS

Pete Betcher — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 05:47:02 +0000

Finally, you won’t have to bring all your friends over to show them the Mii that you crafted that looks so much like them, that they may have actually been crafted in its likeness. You know, remember that Mii that took you hours to perfect and you skipped your calc final to finish and then you tried to take a picture with your cell phone but it’s a Motorola so it sucks and then you tried to tell them about it but it just doesn’t do it justice so you just brought them over and they awkwardly giggled and you reached for the paper bag to breathe into and then.. wait.. no? Just me? Well fine then. See if I show you the Mii I made of you.

In all seriousness though, Nintendo’s avatar system is seeing a rebirth on the 3DS. It will even flex a few new muscles, as it takes advantage of tag mode on the system and will allow you to exchange information in an endless parade of friends you come into contact with. The new creator will also come with the ability to take a picture of your face (or others) and use that image as a template to set up the various Mii attributes.

IGN

Rumor: Plug pulled on Project Milo

Pete Betcher — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 19:37:31 +0000

Sources are reporting that Peter Molyneux’s brain child Milo may have been officially taken to the showers. After introducing the world to Kinect (then Project Natal) at E3 2009, there have been several reports on the state of Lionhead’s relationship simulator, ranging from positive to canned.

The newest word comes from a source close to the studio that claims 19 contractors were let go, and project Milo officially halted. Supposedly, the tech will be used in a Fable themed Kinect game, although no official details were given.

Eurogamer

Updated: Halo fails to reach the top of LIVE activity

Pete Betcher — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 19:01:09 +0000

I wasn’t too surprised to see the newly released Halo: Reach missing the number one spot. There just aren’t enough copies of the game out there living on their own yet, especially to contend with the Modern Warfare 2 juggernaut that is coming up on its first cake and candles day.

What did catch me off guard, is that Reach wasn’t even the highest ranking Halo title on the list. That’s right, you heard me, Halo 3 clung on to the number 2 spot over diaper dandy Reach. Never underestimate the old timers I suppose. It will be interesting to see where everything stands next week. Full list after the break.

Update: Major Nelson made a boo boo with the list earlier, and Reach did in fact assassinate its older brother out of the number 2 spot. Modern Warfare 2 still remains on top of the pile. (Thanks yankeesrule3526)

Xbox 360 Top LIVE Titles (based on UU’s)

1    Modern Warfare 2
2    Halo: Reach
3    Halo 3
4    Call of Duty: WaW
5    Call of Duty 4 (Purchase the full game for direct download)
6    Mafia II Playable Demo
7    GTA IV (Purchase the full game for direct download)
8    Red Dead Redemption
9    Gears of War 2
10    FIFA 10
11    Halo 3: ODST
12    Battlefield Bad Co. 2
13    Madden NFL 11
14    DEAD RISING 2: CASE ZERO
15    Left 4 Dead 2
16    Forza Motorsport 3 (Download the demo)
17    Monday Night Combat
18    Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2 – DEMO (Purchase the full game)
19    Trials HD
20    FIFA Soccer 11 Demo

Top Arcade Titles (Full Versions purchased)

1    DEAD RISING 2: CASE ZERO
2    Monday Night Combat
3    SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD: THE GAME
4    Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
5    LIMBO
6    Plants vs. Zombies
7    Shank
8    Trials HD
9    Castle Crashers
10    Castlevania Harmony of Despair
11    Deadliest Warrior
12    Hydro Thunder Hurricane
13    RISK: FACTIONS
14    UNO
15    Sonic Adventure
16    Toy Soldiers
17    Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2
18    Game Room **
19    Magic: The Gathering
20    Battlefield 1943

The above arcade list is based on full versions purchased.
**Combined sales of all Game Room titles

Top Indie Games (Full Versions purchased)

1     MILITARY SNIPER-SIM 3.18
2     I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES!!!1
3     The Impossible Game
4     Baby Maker Extreme
5     Avatar Paintball
6     Avatar Racedrome
7     So Many Girls So Little Time
8     Try Not To Fart
9     Avatar Ninja!
10    ADVENTURES of CAPTAIN Becky
11    Avatar Onslaught
12    Miner Dig Deep
13    Zombie Estate
14    Avatar Drop
15    Avatar Showdown
16    Jet Pack War
17    Globe Clicker
18    Beat Hazard
19    Breath of Death VII
20    radiangames Inferno

Games for Windows Top LIVE Titles (based on UU’s)
1    GTA IV
2    Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II
3    Fallout 3
4    Colin McRae : Dirt 2
5    Bioshock 2
6    Street Fighter IV
7   Resident Evil 5
8    Halo 2
9    Batman: Arkham Asylum
10 Red Faction Guerrilla
11 Gears of War
12   Tinker
13   Blacklight: Tango Down
14   FlatOut UC
15   Fuel
16   Battlestations: Pacific
17   Kane & Lynch: Dead Men
18   Quantum of Solace
19   LOST PLANET COLONIES
20   Section 8

These lists are based on global unique users connected to Xbox Live or in the case of Arcade and Indie Games, full versions purchased during the week.

MajorNelson

Review of Metroid: Other M, tag team flavored

Pete Betcher — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 00:17:26 +0000

I was nervous for Metroid: Other M to be released, and not the nervous anticipation that strikes every 6 year old standing in line for ice cream. No, I was genuinely nervous… for Metroid’s sake. See, I was a huge fan on the series growing up, from the Justin Bailey code, to hanging with my GameBoy at swim meets, to crying at the end of Super Metroid, to driving three hours (one way mind you) to pick up Metroid Prime on release day. Needless to say, I have been through a lot with those cute little fanged blobs of energy devouring goo. Laugh all you want at me crying during Super Metroid, but those were tears of concentrated hate and they were quickly justified by the helpless squeals of Mother Brain eating more hyper beam than she ordered. Anyway, Cue Other M, a game that seemingly lands somewhere between the classic 2D games of yesteryear and the more recent first person Prime affairs. My initial fear was that the game wouldn’t be quite up to par, especially with such big high jump boots to fill. On top of that, the game moves away from the classic Nintendo format of story telling and is jam packed with cut scenes, videos, voice acting, and dialogue. All of those are, in many ways, exactly what Metroid isn’t. So, I got nervous. Could Other M pull off this new direction, and remain a Metroid game? Or would there be too much lost in translation? I’ve brought fellow Tanookian Jason along for the ride, and we’re going to give you two points of view to answer exactly that and much more. Please don’t let me down Team Ninja..

Jason- Let me calm your fears right off the bat. The game is an incredible entry in the long running franchise. An important distinction to recognize early on is that presentation wise the game acts more like a successor to Super Metroid, and less like the free-roaming exploration heavy (motion sickness-inducing) first-person Metroid Prime trilogy, although truly way more linear than any title in the series. With gorgeous cut scenes laced throughout the third-person adventure, the game in large part still plays like a 2D Metroid title, within a three-dimensional space. Played solely with the Wii Remote held sideways, I was blown away by how well the control scheme actually worked. Forgoing the added benefits the Nunchuk would have offered, the game harks back to the minimalistic 80s, mastering just a few buttons to excel. Samus can also switch to a first-person-shooter mode (pointing the Wii Remote towards the sensor bar), either to deploy missiles at enemies, or survey her surroundings, although she’s entirely immobile. The enemy battles requiring a missile blast or two seemed to be designed so that Samus is given the pockets of time necessary to do a quick flick of the wrist into FPS mode, adding a nice level of diversity to boss battles.

While taking inspiration from the past, Team Ninja and Nintendo made sure to present a new type of gameplay experience for Metroid lovers abroad. Gone are the complexities of trial and error, having to figure out which weapon or suit upgrade would be needed to complete a certain task. In contrast, Other M offers a very straight forward experience. Under the direction of Adam Malkovich, (Aran’s former commander during her time under the Galactic Federation) Samus will take on missions based on his orders. This also goes for her arsenal. While she’s fully equipped when entering the Bottle Ship, the setting for this galactic adventure, Samus can only use a specific weapon or upgrade once given the go-ahead by Malkovich. It may seem odd that a powerful galactic bounty hunter is following the orders of an ex-leader, but Malkovich taking charge keeps the game on track, erasing those migraine inducing moments when you just don’t know what to do or where to go, something the franchise is no stranger to. I much prefer the game’s new pacing, thanks to Malcovich — and your handy compass — as you can more efficiently get to your next destination. Just don’t get too cocky out there, as there are plenty of mysteries, twists and turns along the way to keep you on your toes.

Although most of the game’s events take place within the Bottle Ship, Team Ninja did an incredible job diversifying your surroundings. Whether entering a frozen tundra, transforming a holographic jungle, or escaping a lava filled lair, there’s hardly any room to be claustrophobic aboard the vessel. And with diverse environments comes diverse enemies. The game’s enemies and bosses, many both new and familiar, are unique depending on climate, and can often put up a challenge. While your weapon of choice is pre-determined, you’ll still have to use your brains to determine how to take down your opponents. If you’re worried, you can take the time to retrieve a good amount of energy packs and extra missiles before heading into battle. You should also probably grab a pair of diapers and a sippy cup, you baby.

Other M is a brilliant entry in the series, throwing out the rules of what you thought Metroid titles should be, while delivering a solid, challenging shooter that’s sure to delight fans of Samus Aran both young and old. Don’t think for a second that a shift towards a more straight forward, story oriented gameplay experience will translate into an easier game. While certainly different than you may expect, the bold design choices, satisfying character development and creative gameplay mechanics make this a must play for any shooter fan, offering quite a few challenges along the way. Of course, despite all the praise, I can’t say the game is flawless…

Pete – Gaarr! Angry sounds! Okay, you have some good points, and some serious thought going in there, but let me throw in my two cents. First off, to imply that the Prime series was “free-roaming exploration heavy” and that Super Metroid and the other 2D games were not is a huge misunderstanding. Maybe you breezed through those games, but I can remember searching around for hours looking for extra booty while looking for the right path to advance forward. For a game that takes roughly 3 hours to complete (down boy! talking Super here, not Other M..) it must have taken me at least 10 hours to fight my way through the first time. This is one of my biggest complaints about Other M, is that the game is entirely too linear. There were a couple times I attempted to go out and explore some missed items to boost my missile count, only to find that the door leading to them was closed. Not the “you need a better weapon to open” kind of closed either, more the “oh you were just here but now you’re supposed to be going that way” kind. Blasphemy! The Bottle Ship shouldn’t be able to think, and I want in that room. Unless Adam is somewhere keeping me away from all the treasures, jerk. Being able to back track and search around at will is a HUGE part of the Metroid franchise, and Other M just doesn’t quite have it. For many, this could be a positive, but for me it broke the experience every so slightly and I felt like the developers were holding my hand a bit too much. I have a map, I can find my way back, now let me go.

The other thing I wanted to touch on was the weapon/suit/equipment upgrades. As Jason mentioned earlier, Samus doesn’t find any of these in the game world, instead she is given clearance to use them from Adam. I actually didn’t mind this at all, although it did take some getting used to. I kept looking for loot after I blasted a boss right in the heart, only to remember that I was given my new weapon before the battle so that I could kill him/her/it. Not a big deal though, just different. The issue I had was that none of the upgrades really ever changed the experience. All of the guns performed relatively the same, just with a different animation. Sure, enemies got frozen but the players tactics remain roughly the same from the first enemy you fight to the last one. You simply get better at it. One of my favorite parts of the three Prime games was picking up new suits and seeing Samus all shiny and new and bad ass. That was a first person shooter, and I didn’t even get to see my character. *Spoiler* Other M had an amazing opportunity to have some seriously rocking suits with all that third person gameplay, but they never really did anything with it. *End Spoiler* I kept waiting for some new item or an oldie that I didn’t expect to show up and surprise me. Sadly it never happened.

As far as the story portion of the game goes, It was all over the map. On one hand, I couldn’t get enough of the awesome fully rendered videos. They are oh-so-sweet and almost warrant a purchase for any long time fans of the series. On the other hand, the story itself sort of ruined Samus for me. She used to be so cool, with her awesome suit and crazy powers and ability to be quiet. If you have accompanied the bounty hunter on all of her adventures besides Other M, prepare to potentially shatter many of your preconceived notions of Samus. I mean sure she can be emotional, but next time you put whining into my protagonist make sure its necessary. On the third hand, the actual plot of the game was.. okay. There were times I found myself slack jawed at plot twists, a few times I found myself scratching my head, and many moments in between. But the story was enjoyable, although I swear at times it tries not to be.

Jason – Pete’s right that classifying the similarities between Other M and Super Metroid shouldn’t give the impression that the SNES title is not exploration-heavy. In fact, its essence is to explore the hidden sectors of a vast world map trying to uncover secret locations, weapon upgrades, power-ups and bosses. Other M is very different, where the only true exploration you do consists of optional side missions trying to acquire more energy tanks and missile packs. The main story mode is as linear as you can get. Still, I recognize Super Metroid as the inspiration of Other M. And unlike Pete, I’m in favor of this more linear approach.

However, I think we both will agree on this aspect. Anyone that plays the game will agree that the Samus Aran you thought you knew does not personify Other M’s lead heroine. Through flashback cutscenes, Samus often acts like an immature child, hardly resembling the leader you’ve witnessed her to be through countless adventures. And while she’s portrayed as a younger version of herself, I kind of don’t want to know about her past, especially if it’s comprised of unflattering temper tantrums. And throughout the main adventure, the protagonist’s excessive voice over work just didn’t do it for me. It only made her character seem like an emotional wreck, over-analyzing her actions based on her relationship with Adam Malkovich. Just very “Dear diary…” of her. Where audibly presenting her inner monologue did work however was in conjunction with the overall story. Samus would learn to question the motives of those she encountered, including Adam. Her confessions of distrust made the story more intriguing, and only made me want to play further to discover the truth behind the secrets of the Bottle Ship. I found the latter half of the game became immensely more interesting, including Samus’ relationships with friends, and battles against surprising final foes. And there’s also that rewarding heart-pounding second ending…

Pete – You mean that second ending that was so sweet it almost hurt? The one that had me squealing with joy in disbelief that *SECRET BOSS NAME* made it into the game? Yeah I suppose it was okay. In all seriousness though Other M is a very tight package. While it may not deliver a classic Metroid experience, it does add up to a very good game. The combat is fast paced and fun, there is more fan service than you can shake a stick at, and it fills in a lot of the back story that otherwise didn’t really exist in a Metroid game. While it may not be at the top of my list, I would recommend it to anyone who might be interested.

Pete - For the slow motion dive rolls and the abundance of beautiful cutscenes, I’ll give it an 8.2.

Jason – Why yes Pete, it is a “very tight package.” I highly recommend Metroid: Other M to not only franchise fans, but adventure shooter devotees of all ages. For the high-action, story driven, sweaty-palm boss battles, Other M earns a well-deserved 8.8.

The Tanooki Rating: 8.5

PAX 2010: Movin’ on up with PS3

Pete Betcher — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 02:52:40 +0000

I’ll try to make this quick. With the launch of Sony’s motion control counter attack looming on the horizon, the question on everyone’s mind seems to be whether or not they should pick up a set on launch day, soon after, or ever. After a quality session with Sony today at PAX, I can confidently say I now know where I stand on the issue. Right smack dab in the middle.

First off, the technology does almost exactly what it promises to do. After E3 I was a little unsure of the precision of the device because of troubles plaguing most of the units on the show floor. Today, however, in the comfort of a small room without all the interference, it worked very well. We started off playing a few rounds of Sports Champions (the obligatory sports mini game fun fest that absolutely must launch with a motion controller). We played rounds of disk golf, gladiator arena, ping pong, and (my favorite) volleyball. The gameplay consists of exactly what you would expect, similar affair to what can be found in Wii Sports Resort and similar game collections, but that isn’t what is important. The controller only failed me once in any of the games, which is pretty good as far as motion controls go. Small twists were recognized, spin on the ping pong ball was always picked up, setting a volleyball felt so so right, and I finished off my friend Matt with a crushing overhand blow to the cranium.

The software, on the other hand, leaves a little bit to be desired. Seeing Killzone 3 in action with the move controller showed promise, and with other big titles like Socom coming down the pipe, there is some serious potential for the future. For now? I’m less convinced. Everything worked well (and was quite entertaining) but it just doesn’t have the depth that would inspire me to purchase it right away. So I’m giving it a wait-on-it stamp. The technology works, it just needs some time to mature.

Metroid turns up in Starcraft 2

Pete Betcher — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 01:07:45 +0000

Playing through the secret mission of Starcraft 2 earlier today, I stumbled upon one of my favorite easter eggs in quite some time. In order to keep spoilers to a minimum, just know that the secret mission takes place on a laboratory is space, and if you have a lab in space, its pretty obvious that you’re going to need some oversized glass tubes to fill will all sorts of creepy creatures. There are several fun secrets hidden in the level and even more throughout the game, but there was only one had me trying to switch to my Ice Beam. Naturally, one of the aforementionded glass tubes was populated by a lone SR388 native. Can you imagine how scary a Metroid/Queen of Blades combo would be? I don’t care if Tassadar has 50 Carriers to fly into it, there would be no containing the terror. Click over if you want to track down little guy for yourself.

First, you need to unlock the secret mission, if you don’t know how I suggest getting on your google machine and checking it out. Don’t worry, I’ll wait. Once you have that figured out, play through the mission as usual, until you come to the room with the Brutalisk. I would suggest beating the pulp out of him first, so you can have all the tasty easter eggs to yourself. Once you’ve done that, go towards the exit at the top of the room, but don’t leave. To your immediate right, there should be a series of tubes on the floor, and the closest one to you may or may not be exposed yet. If it is, you must have accidentally activated it already, and if not simply walk towards it to see it spring to life, and push the specimen into the lime light. Tada! Samus would be proud. Now all you have to do is liberate the little guy, have it mistake you for it’s mother, and wait for it to save you during the biggest battle of them all. Man, I want to play Other M… Right. Now.

The Tanooki » Pete Betcher

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