Odama - GC

[dogbert]

http://cube.ign.com/articles/513/513775p1.html

 

By the team behind Seaman on the Dreamcast, this is a mix of a strategy war game & pinball. It sounds very odd & inventive...

 

Here's the official blurb:

 

Mix all the intensity of classic pinball with the sights, sounds and savagery of war and what do you get? Odama ? the first pinball game that throws you into the midst of mighty clashes between armies on boards laid out like chaotic battlefields.

 

Charge! Fire the giant pinball known as the Odama (tentative name) into the fray and use the flippers to send it crashing over battalions and into troop barracks. As you collect prisoners of war, they'll fight for your side, but be careful not to crush your own troops.

Call for reinforcements! Your men will automatically try their best to dam rivers, liberate extra flippers and clear the way to the enemy's gate. If another player joins your game, though, they can control where the troops go and even help them dodge the Odama.

Game Storyline: Challenge a general's army in battles set during the period of Japanese feudal wars as you send a giant pinball into the mix.

 

How to progress through the game: Use the flippers to send a giant pinball called the Odama to destroy the enemy's barracks and turrets. Hit enemy soldiers with the ball to make them join your ranks, and as your army liberates more of the screen, you'll be able to assault the gate and move on to the next level.

 

Depending on the orders you give, your soldiers can become tired or even lose confidence in your leadership skills and become complacent. Player 2 can use the DK Bongo controllers, hitting them to get the soldiers' attention and get them moving faster than before. If Player 2 does that, however, the soldiers' confidence in Player 1 declines.

 

Special powers/weapons/moves/features: By powering up your Odama, you can capture prisoners of war by running them over with the ball. You can then release them as your own troops to turn the tides of war. A second player can also help you out by controlling your troops instead of allowing them to make their own battlefield decisions.

[Carlucci]

Nice! Putting it on my watch list at IGN.

 

Screenshots

 

A rumor is going around that Odama may also feature a unique relationship with Nintendo's soon-to-be released DK Bongo controller.

:tu:

 

 

Carlos.

[Mark E]

Awesome.

 

It is my duty to support niche titles. :tu:

[The Daisy]

Another title that looks so bizzare that I just have to try it. Wow.

 

3 titles supporting the bongo's? Gotta like that.

 

Glen

[Carlucci]

Here's another review

with the same screenshots (but bigger for more detail)

 

Carlos.

[Romier S]

Moved to GC areas as E3 subforum has been removed.

[Carlucci]

first impressions here. They mention voice commands with the microphone, but not bongo support.

 

and there's a short clip of Odama in action here.

 

 

 

 

If that's the music, I'll have to play with the sound down.

 

 

Carlos.

[Graeme]

I watched the live demo of it on Gamespot yesterday. It certainly seemed quite interesting and a little bizzare. There were some cool things in it like the interactive environments (the one map has a river, so you have to hit the dam to close(?) it so your troops can get accross), you can get a glowing green Odama which will not harm your troops and convert any enemy troops you hit for a short time, and you can shoot a Hamburger onto the battlefield which the enemy troops will immedietely flock too.

 

The guy giving the demonstration also mentioned in later levels your troops might be able to group up to form bumpers for your Odama to bounce off of. That would be pretty cool.

[ChoiceStriker]

you can shoot a Hamburger onto the battlefield which the enemy troops will immedietely flock too.

This I've got to see.

[Mark E]

That hamburger sounds like it'll go down as one of the most memorable powerups in recent history if it's done properly.

[Graeme]

http://www.gamespot.com/e3/e3live.html

 

It's in the Day One: Kickoff video. The Odama demo starts just before the the 25 Minute mark.

[Ryan FB]

Just found out this should be coming out November 15th in the US.

[Romier S]

New Press release from Nintendo, along with some new screens of Odama for the Gamecube:

 

The legendary general Yamanouchi Kagetora, intent on avenging his father’s death, has devised the most ingenious weapon ever to hit the medieval battlefield: the Odama, a gigantic ball powerful enough to destroy whatever it strikes – friend or foe. Players use the Nintendo GameCube Mic to direct soldiers out of the Odama’s way and into the fray, and prove that they have the skills to back up the power of the Odama.

 

Features

Using giant flippers, players aim the giant Odama ball to bowl over enemies, shatter their defenses and wreak havoc on the battlefield.

 

With the Nintendo GameCube Mic, players command men to charge the enemy, defend positions, seize the enemy gates and much more.

 

Storyline

The main character in Odama is Yamanouchi Kagetora, the general credited with creating the Way of Ninten, a philosophy that puts the greater good above the individual’s needs. With this philosophy to guide him, he finds that his individual soldiers can band together to create a force strong enough to defeat even the most powerful enemy.

 

When his nemesis, a general named Kendare, kills his father, Kagetora exacts his revenge against a vast army with only 30 soldiers in his command. Kagetora has a secret weapon, however – a legendary weapon called the Odama.

 

The Odama itself is the most prominent character in the game. This gigantic ball rolls across the battlefield, pulverizing anything in its path – friend or foe. A commander stands guard between the two flippers, hacking down any soldiers who attempt to pass. The army of soldiers carries items for players and obeys their every order.

 

Gameplay

The L and R buttons control the flippers, which operate exactly like those in any pinball game -- they smack the Odama back into the battlefield, directing it into targets and away from soldiers. Players also can tilt the battlefield, allowing them to alter the course of the Odama once they have hit it into the fray.

 

Using the Nintendo GameCube Mic, players will direct their soldiers by giving voice commands to them. The goal is to shatter the enemy gates with the Odama and direct a crew of men carrying a giant bell to pass through the opened gates. Players’ soldiers will defend their crew and seize enemy positions to protect the men on their mission.

 

The Nintendo GameCube Mic is the most important addition to this title. By holding down the X button on the Nintendo GameCube controller, players activate the microphone. There is a vast array of commands that Odama can understand, allowing players to order their soldiers to ford rivers, charge enemies, retreat, line up in formation or defend positions, just to name a few.

 

The battlefield in Odama is made up of a series of eleven intricately detailed 3D environments, ranging from mountains and hills to valleys and rivers. Each environment type affects the dynamics of the Odama. Several bonus stages can be accessed by mastering the main Game Mode. These include a modern-day level based in Japan, featuring Nintendo's headquarters. Once the main Game Mode has been completed, players can replay all of their favourite stages in Free Play Mode.

 

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More screens here..

[Carlucci]

Is it going to come with some sort of clip that attaches the mic to the gamecube controller? I'm trying to envision how you would use both without it being attached somehow.

 

 

Carlos.

[Romier S]

Yes Carlos, I'd imagine there will be a mic peripheral that will clip onto the controller for ease of use. I'm sure we'll be screenshots of the device as the release date looms closer.

[secretvampire]

Awesome, didn't see this the first time around and had no idea of its existence. I will be keeping an eye out for it.

[Graeme]

Is it going to come with some sort of clip that attaches the mic to the gamecube controller? I'm trying to envision how you would use both without it being attached somehow.

 

At E3 they were just using the same Mic as the Mario Party Games, and the guy demoing it was just holding it between his right hand and the controller.

[AnthonyVolpe]

That had to be the most bizarre videogame I have ever seen in my life second only to Vib Ribbon.

 

I want it.

[Starhawk]

Anyone still planning on picking this up? The official website is up along with a video describing gameplay:

 

http://odama.nintendo.com/prelaunch/

[The Daisy]

Man... that looks insane. I can't wait to try it out. I was hoping to rent it... but I can't do that without a Microphone.

 

Glen

[Romier S]

I'm definitely buying. The poor old Cube hasn't been turned on in a good long while to be quite honest (not since Killer 7). It could definitely use some loving very soon. Odama is definitely right up my alley. I saw a few pics of the microphone attachment which looks really funky. I'll check out that video here in a bit (when my connection at work stops crawling). Thanks for the link Cameron!

[secretvampire]

Yep, still waiting here, I'll be buying when it comes out.

[Angry the Clown]

I'm definitely buying. The poor old Cube hasn't been turned on in a good long while to be quite honest (not since Killer 7).

 

Chibi-Robo, damn you. Damn you all!

 

I’m certainly looking to get Odama sooner rather than later. I’ve been giving the Gamecube a lot of attention recently having picked up a bargain or five.

[secretvampire]

I've still been playing quite a bit of Fire Emblem: Path of Radience, but besides that my soul has been owned by Guitar Hero (still!), Oblivion, and Geometry Wars with a dash of some of my newer retro buys (Dracula X on PC-Engine and some shooters). The Gamecube could definitely use some more love though.

[Romier S]

Eurogamer has thier review up. Tom seems to have liked the game but there is a bit of frustration involved in playing it and the amount of chaos going on. They awarded the game a 6/10. Give the review a read here:

 

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=63692