The general concensus is that we’d like to shake this gentlemans hand forcably before trying to scan him in with some kind of terrifying laser in order to fully appreciate its majesty.  I’ve started looking in the cupboards for one.

In fact its given us the idea that this “SEGA Inkorporated” section could really take off, so if you have a tattoo of SEGA related goodness show us at blogs@sega-europe.com.  We don’t endorse little kids rushing out to to try and tattoo themselves up so DON’T, this is for the more senior fans amongst us.

Its brilliant. Though I must admit to being somewhat un-nerved by Knuckles who, judging from his eyes seems to be possessed or is one of the “infected” (that’s a HOTD in-joke folks). Of course if we were being reaaaally picky we could say the SEGA logo isn’t in the correct style, we can’t endorse it and the whole thing would have to be removed for legal reasons. Probably with some kind of terrifying laser.

I’ll go and look in the cupboard.

Hulk Trailer 

Behind The Scenes Video #1

 [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/v/BLjKO92B-cU[/youtube]

Now those who didn’t enter DON’T start trying to add your name I’ve turned the comments off for that post.

I’ll see if I can do another weekend competition tomorrow.

PS: The answer was B - WAR MACHINE.

But I digress, the new website is still under a bit of development - we’re taking note of your feedback and a couple of little niggles that have come up - but it is miles better than the old one both graphically as well as the back end of the site. We’ll be working through the older games when we’ve got a sec, so if you can’t find Jet Set Radio Future or similar have patience and enjoy the dynamic new look.

One of the things you’ll notice is us getting very big on the concept of Digital Downloads, for example we’ve got ones coming up for release with Iron Man as well as a download only game in Happy Tree Friends. Keep an eye out for more details regarding this medium in future blogs, etc as we’re all very excited about the possibilities here.

As such if you are interested in our other current games available here they are -

Football Manager 2008 - Click Here
SEGA Rally - Click Here
Universe At War - Click Here
The Golden Compass - Click Here
The Club - Click Here
Medieval II Total War: Gold - Click Here

Least said about that the better I think…..

Anyway the weekend starts here with a little competition to get your mits on one of the Iron Man t-shirts made for all SEGA staff to celebrate the launch of the video game. You are litterally competing for mine. Simply add a comment at the end of this post with your email address and answer and I’ll pick a name at random on Monday.

Q: Which of the below is the name of an ally of Iron Man?

A: War Child
B: War Machine
C: Dream Machine

Surprised? You bet I am.  It’s never seen the light of day since purchase. As such I own NO original Game Boy games what so ever, so I’m looking to you o’ wise blog readers to let me know your suggestions for purchases.

Hit me with your suggestions!

Naturally we hope he grows up to be a star gamer and fan of all things SEGA, we at SEGAAUK HQ would like to offer our congratulations and hope that Damo doesn’t get too run down by what I like to term the “Babami Code”:  ↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ ← → ← → Feed Change Cry

Congrats once again Damo.

“We were very fortunate to get the opportunity to reach out to our production team and grill them on some of the questions beating around in our heads.  Big thanks to Andy Alamano, Associate Producer on the Iron Man video game, who was kind enough to sit down and discuss what makes the Iron Man game great. ”

If you want to see the first part of the interview you can check it out here at http://www.marvel.com/news/vgstories.3347.

SEGA Community: How much freedom did you have when crafting the story for the game? Did you work with the movie or comic folks for input/info?

Andy Alamano: Working with Marvel’s rich comic history allowed us a lot of freedom to pick and choose elements from within the comic run. Marvel had a great deal of visibility every step of the way.

SEGA Community: The game looks beautiful, but if you could pick, what one detail do you think fans are really going to be blown away with?

Andy Alamano: I think the greats detail within the Iron Man game is Iron Man himself. Every suit included in the game has amazing detail. Each time you gain access to another armor set, you can’t help but just use the game camera to examine it.

SEGA Community: You guys have some of the film’s cast locked in for voice talent. How was it working with them on the game?

Andy Alamano: Everyone we worked with was very excited to reprise their roles from the film in the game. Robert Downey Jr. is so excited about the role that he actually took a lot of his time to go over our game script and help iterate on specific details to make sure our Tony was the same as the film’s.

SEGA Community: Any obstacles that were especially tricky in overcoming when developing the game? What did you find about Iron Man and his world that was difficult?

Andy Alamano: One of the biggest challenges was creating a world that was big enough for Iron Man. Because he moves so fast, we had to have a world where he could navigate quickly but not feel cramped. The end results are some massive landscapes that allow for total freedom of flight.

SEGA Community: During the development process we all know aspects of the game get removed, were there any features in particular that you wish made it into the final game?

Andy Alamano: I think Tony Stark outside the suit is a great character; it would have been awesome to have been able to include some Stark-esque “mini games” revolving around his lifestyle outside the suit…

SEGA Community: Are there differences between the different system versions?

Andy Alamano: Each version has unique aspects about it. The PS3 and 360 feature huge environments and include exclusive suits. The PS2 and PSP feature more tight quarters fighting and adventure elements. The Wii includes all sorts of Wii themed control abilities and the DS has a great classic top down shooter vibe.

SEGA Community: What are the major differences for the Nintendo DS and PSP versions? Are players encountering the story from a side scrolling perspective, or is the game fully 3d?

Andy Alamano: The game is fully 3D on every platform. The DS is more of an overhead shooter style but we still cover the same story concepts across all platforms the same.

SEGA Community: Do the Wii and Playstation 3 systems take advantage of the motion sensing technology from these consoles?

Andy Alamano: The Wii features full control of view via the Wii Remote. Also some attacks and other special features will require some Wii actions.

Thanks to Andy Alamano for his time answering these questions!  If you haven’t already done so, please read the rest of the interview over at Marvel.com. 
http://www.marvel.com/news/vgstories.3347

Before we get to the videos, the SEGA Europe Community Team Facebook group has had some additions (including the videos I’m about to show you) basically it now has a few new applications and also has the most recent blogs from here and the Blognik featured on a feed.  There’s also going to be photos for Flickr visible on here soon if not already.  For more details on some new Flickr photos check out the upcoming blog of mine on the Blognik.

Iron Man - Vignette #4 - The Suit

Iron Man - Vignette #6 - One Man Army

More soon.
AAUK

Skarin, a lone warrior battles tirelessly for the preservation of his home, but the more of Hel’s dark army he fells the more rise again. As more and more of his fellows fall the last remnants of hope fade from Skarin…

Out of nowhere a huge sword swings over his head, he turns to see a creature neither man nor beast facing him with pure hatred in his eyes. The two do battle, but Skarin is battle weary and the strength of the creature soon becomes too much for him. Its huge sword enters Skarins flesh and all is darkness, but this is not the end for Skarin…

A voice whispers to him in the dark, the goddess Freya offers to return Skarin’s life to him if he swears to be her Champion on Midgard. Without a moments hesitation Skarin takes Freya’s blessing and she uses her power to free his hometown of Brighthelm, giving him a safe haven in the dark times ahead.

This Beginners Guide will give you all the preperation needed to fight Hel’s forces and make the most of your time in Midgard! 

INTRO:

As Viking: Battle for Asgard begins you will find yourself in the now liberated town of Brighthelm. This is a great time to get used to the basic controls of the game, jump ‘Y’, light attack ‘A’ and heavy attack ‘X’.  You can use the ‘B’ button to talk to the villagers of Brighthelm and find out a little more about Skarin and his home.

Certain characters will give you important information which update’s your map, they will also give you hints as to where you need to go next. One of these is Chief Haral who is standing by the palisades at the bottom of Brighthelm. He will explain a little about your past and suggest that you go to help the Vikings at the near by farm. He will also open the gates of Brighthelm allowing you to explore the Southern half of the island.

MAP:

Another important feature to get to grips with is the Brisingaman, a mystical amulet given to Skarin by the goddess Freya. This acts as a radar and shows you where all the quest giving characters can be found, it also highlights enemies you need to vanquish in red.  Another feature of the Brisingaman is the ability to set destinations.

This can be accomplished in the map screen, which you access by pressing the ‘Back’ button. This will then open up four separate tabs; Map, Quest Information, Moves List and Inventory. To mark a destination simply scroll across to the map tab, move the cursor between the different area’s of Niflberg and press ‘X.’ When you exit the map screen you will notice that a blue triangle has appeared at the top of the Brisingaman, this marks your destination.

As I mentioned the map screen is split into 4 tabs, the second of these is Quest Information. This records all of the information given to you by the various characters you come into contact with on your quest.

The next tab on will also prove helpful, it keeps a list of all the moves that you learn through the course of the game and how to perform them. Moves are learnt in the Duel Arena, for more information on this see the section on Power Runes and Rage Crystals.

The final section of the map screen is the Inventory, here you will find all of the items that you have collected and have yet to use in the course of your Quest. There is a scale showing you the level of your Power Runes, an area to keep your Dragon Gems a tally of the amount of Gold your have collected and an area to show the amount of Throwing Axes, Health Potions and in Level 2 the amount of Flame Pots you have purchased.

GOLD:

The currency of Midgard is Gold and it is a key part of the game. It can be found all over the three islands in various places and also earned. In particular there is an innkeeper who will ask you to retrieve Kegs to ease the minds of the troubled warriors. For every Keg you return to him he will pay you for your trouble. These kegs are named after the islands they are found upon and are dotted all around the coast.

EXPLORATION:

As well as Skarin’s main quest there are smaller things that you can do through the course of game play to make the battles and skirmishes a lot more manageable. And the key to all of these is exploration. There are maps that can be purchased from the Shop Keeper (see next section) to make this task a little easier but the key is to fully explore the island. Climb vines, explore caves, and scour the woods. You never know what you might find, it could be a group of captive Viking warriors, a chest full of Gold or even a mysterious Red Skull that can be found in war torn settlements.

SHOP KEEPER:

Another key feature of Viking: Battle for Asgard is the Shop Keeper. One of these can be found in the starting camp on every level. They sell a wide variety of items and their stock increases as you progress through the game. To begin with you will be able to purchase such items as:

Throwing Axes: - A deadly projectile weapon, they are bought as individual weapons and you can carry a max of 10 at a time.

Health Potions: - A quick fix for use in skirmishes or battles. These potions will restore a small amount of your health. Skarin can only carry three of these at a time so use them wisely.

Health Advances: - This does exactly what it says on the tin, advances your health bar. There are 5 Health advance stages the highest of which become available later in the game.

Meals:- These increase your health bar, but be warned, if your health drops down to its original state the effects of the meal will wear off.

Treasure Maps: - (Gold bag, Treasure Chest, Urn) Once purchased these treasure maps will appear as gold dots on your Brisingaman.

POWER RUNES AND RAGE CRYSTALS:

As well as your basic combat moves there are a series of more advanced moves for Skarin to learn on his quest. These can be learned in the Duel Arena where the spirits of dead warriors will teach you all they know, for a price…

You are presented with a list of moves each with its own advantages and you must choose which you wish to master first. Each level of the game presents you with more moves to learn, each making your quest to defeat Hel and her legion that bit easier.

The more powerful the move the more energy it will require from Skarin. He builds this energy in the form of Rage Crystals, which are collected during combat. To release the power of these crystals you hold down ‘LT.’

As well as the power of the Rage Crystals Skarin can also utilize the power of the Runes. These can be purchased at the Blacksmith. There are three different types of Rune, Fire, Ice and Lightning. Holding down the ‘RT’ can activate these powers and pressing the button that corresponds to the power you wish to use (for example to use Fire hold ‘RT’ and press ‘B’.) Each of these Elemental attacks has a special move that can be unleashed by holding ‘A’ + ‘X.’ Ice will freeze the earth in a radial attack where as Fire and Lightning will fire a concentrated blast at an enemy of your choosing.

LEYSTONES:

The islands of Midgard are vast and through the power of the Brisingaman, Skarin is able to travel across them in the blink of an eye. Spread at various points on the island are Leystones, these magical stones must be discovered before they become available for Skarin to use. Once again this is why it is important to explore the islands thoroughly.

Once more than one Leystone has been discovered, travel between them could not be simpler. Approach the stone and you will be prompted to tap ‘B.’ Do this and the map screen will appear but with a difference, instead of the settlements and locations of interest you would normally find there are just Leysones. Select the Leystone you wish to travel to and tap ‘A.’ Skarin will then be instantly transported to anywhere you chose. 

ENEMIES:

Grunts:

Once warriors of Midgard these creatures want nothing more than the total destruction of the land that was once their home. Where the taint of Hel is upon the land you will find the Grunt.

Tough Grunts:

Just as their lesser brethren, tough Grunts were once warriors of Midgard. But unlike Grunts they have their wits about them. They will block your onslaught of attacks and avoid you, making them a much more challenging foe.

Berserkers:

These creatures are nothing short of unhinged. They will attack with speed and ferocity making it difficult to counter attack or even block.

Assassins:

Usually found hiding in trees or caves these Assassins of Hel will sneak up on you when you least expect it and launch an unblockable attack. They are quick and hard to attack but once you have them they are easily vanquished.

Champions:

Much larger than other members of Hel’s dark army, the Champion is a formidable foe. They carry a huge sword with a vast reach. The only way to defeat them is to attack them until they become weak and finish them with a series of timed blows. The style of finishing move will depend upon the angle you attack the Champion from and how close you are when you begin the attack. Once they have been felled, Champions will provide you with a dragon token.

Shaman:

Once loyal to the Asgardian gods, these powerful beings they use dark magic to resurrect Hel’s  forces. They are always protected by a group of legion but as well as this they have 5 totem poles pulsing with energy that prevent them from taking damage. The only way to destroy them and stop them replenishing Hel’s numbers is to destroy the totem poles one by one. Once this is done they become completely helpless and stand at the mercy of Skarin.

Giants:

Slow but with a terrifying blow Giants can kill you in a number of ways. They may decide to grab Skarin and take a bite out of him, or alternatively kick or hit him. Or they could simply bang the ground with their massive fists, sending a shockwave through the very earth he stands on. Either way these big beasts are similar to Champions in the respect that they require completion of timed blows before they are vanquished.

I hope you have enjoyed our Viking: Battle For Asgard Beginners Guide. For more information about the game, please head over to www.sega.com/viking. Also be sure to add Skarin as a friend on MySpace and Facebook!