Gaming Hyping Up - Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure

[Hadrian]

Hyping Up

Its been quite a while since we had a decent platformer on the DS, March 17th comes one to look out for. Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure is a game I have been keeping my eye on since August last year, and looks to combine a Nintendo style platform adventure with Panel de Pon (aka Puzzle League/Tetris Attack). While I loved the footage of the platforming sections back then, I was weary about having to play a puzzle game at the same time but many many "hands on" previews have pretty much said that both elements work perfectly and puzzling never gets in the way.

The game is developed by EA Tiburon...WAIT COME BACK! Ok ok they did Superman Returns & GoldenEye: Rogue Agent DS BUT they have also done many great sports titles for EA and this is actually the first none-licensed (excluding Nuclear Strike), that they have done and we know that many developers thrive more when they are developing their own IP.

Here is the company blurb:

Meet Henry Hatsworth, a quirky, light-hearted character who players will guide on their journey through a new style of gaming adventure on their Nintendo DS. In this two-in-one adventure, players explore five exotic worlds, fight a variety of opponents, and venture through more than 30 levels, including nearly a dozen hidden levels while taking on outrageous world-ending bosses. The separate worlds on the two Nintendo DS screens have a cause and effect inter-relationship, and players choose when to switch between conquering the action-platform realm and mastering the increasingly challenging puzzle world. A wide variety of power-ups help Hatsworth in both of these worlds. Players complete puzzle combinations and defeat puzzle enemies in order to gain power ups, health, and energy to supercharge Hatsworth in his adventure.

* Keep on your toes! Make quick switches between the intense action-adventure gameplay and an increasingly challenging puzzle world
* Jump, fight, and shoot your way through more than 30 levels, including nearly a dozen of hidden levels and take on outrageous world-ending bosses
* Explore 5 exotic worlds in a mad hunt for artifacts—each of which grants new abilities for Hatsworth and ultimately unlocks a massively powerful golden mech suit
* Solve challenging combo-puzzles in order to gain more health and energy. The more puzzle combos completed, the more you can enhance your melee and ranged weapons and transform Hatsworth into multiple powerful forms
* Activate puzzle power-ups to help Hatsworth in the puzzle world and the action game
* Keep an eye out for gems and treasure to purchase your favorite weapons and abilities along your way

Ok I was wrong about hyping Insecticide (how would I know that the controls would be piss?) but from what I've read of the previews and seen from the footage, I am confident that this will be a future DS classic, one that most will want to buy and most will keep on their flashcarts forever. So confident that I have just pre-ordered it from play.com for £14.99 (bargain!).

Videos:

 

[Domination]

Wow this game look good!

But how does the puzzle at the bottom screen really link back to the action on the top? Is there like actions you need to do at the top to help in the puzzle below?

 

[GeekyGuy]

Yeah, IGN's latest videos already got me hyped up for it. The combat looks great. I wasn't really expecting anything like that from this game. Of course, I honestly didn't know what to expect. Looks really good, though. That robot power-up (or whatever it is) is simply awesome! Releasing this month?

 

[Hadrian]

Wow this game look good!

But how does the puzzle at the bottom screen really link back to the action on the top? Is there like actions you need to do at the top to help in the puzzle below?
From what I've read & seen it looks like it handles things like missing platforms, getting more ammo, getting through blocked passages & help with bosses.

From IGN:
QUOTEWhen killing an enemy, however, they fall down to the bottom screen in place of a colored block, and right along with everything else on the screen, begin to rise up to the top row by row. If enemy blocks push back up onto the top screen, their spirits will come back to haunt Henry, slamming down from above until killed again.

Its a shame more people are hyped up over the new DS FF game than this, that game looks like a cheap cash in.

 

[granville]

I will say the meat of FF is the online co op mode, but yes it is a cash in. This game looks really amazing, so I'll definitely be trying it. I love the little British character with the tea and monocle.

 

[wilddenim]

I heard about this game few months ago and thought this game would be a keeper on my flashcart!

Another game I'm excited about!

 

[Satangel]

I've checked this game before on DS.IGN, and I too was already very excited for it.
GTA is probably more my type of game, but I'll check this one out for sure too.
Thanks for some more clarification btw

 

[Vague Rant]

The way the lettering for the word "Puzzling" on the box is done even looks similar to the way it was done for the Pokémon era Puzzle League games (Pokémon Puzzle League & Challenge).

 

[wilddenim]

I see what you mean, Vague.

 

[cosmiccow]

oh, wow! that one looks amazing. i love the wacky cover art. and i love the price.
just preordered it

some more screenshots (sorry for the low quality..)

 

[LUGiA]

may have to pre-order this. game looks great

 

[robochrono09]

TEA TIME!

 

[Satangel]

Don't know if it's the first review, but here's the review of IGN:

http://ds.ign.com/articles/962/962480p1.html

A stunning 9.0.

 

[kezlehan]

Can't wait for this. Looks really great! It will definately be on my card for a while

 

[Psyfira]

Back up a sec... is that a robot powered by tea?

 

[Zane]

Good Show!

I so wanna try this. haha

 

[robochrono09]

I can't wait for this to come out!

 

[Trizae]

really itching to play this! and if the gameplay is all its cracked up to be this will definetley be a purchase!

Hopefully Henry Hatsworth among other titles pave the way for more ingenuity and that the publishers know its ok to take risks!

and hopefully it sells decently and we get a sequel!

 

[hdofu]

I so pumped to try this game, maybe even more then space invaders extreme 2

 

[buggernot]

This doesn't work on Cyclo.