Breakfast Topic: We heard you like gaming so we put a game in your game so you can game while you game
by Adam Holisky 
Jul 28th 2010 at 8:00AM
The release of StarCraft II brought about a surprise for the observant player -- an object in the cantina of ship that lets you play an arcade game called Lost Viking right in StarCraft II. This is a fun little shooter that's a cross between Asteroids and Space Invaders (Alex tells me it's a lot like Touhou, although I've never played that) and easily took up an hour of my night. Just the kind of thing to do while waiting for a raid to begin.
The name of the game is a nod to an original Blizzard game called The Lost Vikings which was released back in 1994. In that game, you are a Viking and have to find your way home as you escape the evil Tomator. In the StarCraft II arcade game, you're a mighty Viking on a ship and must fight your way back to Vikingville. And watch out for the evil Terra-Tron; he does not like you!!!
I hope that Blizzard sees this game as a success and includes a minigame like this in Cataclysm. Something that can be accessed from the mini-menu would be perfect. Given the awesomeness of Blizzard's newly released Lost Viking (see screenshots below for more pictures), let's give Blizzard a helping hand here and suggest what mini-games they could include with Cataclysm.
I'm voting for AQ Tetris.
The name of the game is a nod to an original Blizzard game called The Lost Vikings which was released back in 1994. In that game, you are a Viking and have to find your way home as you escape the evil Tomator. In the StarCraft II arcade game, you're a mighty Viking on a ship and must fight your way back to Vikingville. And watch out for the evil Terra-Tron; he does not like you!!!
I hope that Blizzard sees this game as a success and includes a minigame like this in Cataclysm. Something that can be accessed from the mini-menu would be perfect. Given the awesomeness of Blizzard's newly released Lost Viking (see screenshots below for more pictures), let's give Blizzard a helping hand here and suggest what mini-games they could include with Cataclysm.
I'm voting for AQ Tetris.
Filed under: Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Alanid Jul 28th 2010 8:05AM
I loved this mini-game, but couldn't play properly as every couple of missons the game bugs out and almost freezes my computer :(
Josin Jul 28th 2010 8:06AM
It does seem odd that Blizzard would let PopCap corner the market on in-game games, rather than adding a few of their own. I'd certainly love to see something silly, even if it's GnomePunter or something.
(I picture something similar to Pain on PS3, where you can launch gnomes, goblins and dwarves into various environments, causing destruction and dismemberment.)
Wulf Jul 28th 2010 1:20PM
You do realize that this is one of their own, and is done in-engine, right?
This was intially created and can be recreated in the map editor.
Josin Jul 28th 2010 1:31PM
Yes, I do realize this. I was saying that inside WoW, I'm surprised they've allowed PopCap (makers of Peggle) to pretty much provide the only in-game minigames for WoW. Seems like an obvious niche that people want filled, and something that's well within Blizzard's scope to provide.
I'm glad they put it into Starcraft 2. I'm hoping they do more of that with Cataclysm.
Iirdan Jul 28th 2010 1:58PM
I would actually prefer they didn't add minigames into WoW.
StarCraft is one thing - it's an RTS game and the "mini-game" is played outside of the main campaign/multiplayer mode. In World of Warcraft, the mini-game could only exist in the world, as there is no "out of world" setting in WoW. Having a mini-game embedded within the game would horribly cripple the immersion and cause WoW to lose a lot of its charm.
That's one reason I have not, nor do I intend to, download the minigame addons.
Josin Jul 28th 2010 2:01PM
The goblin Pleasure Palace looks like a great place for such mini-games, actually. Also, there's no reason that the in-flight pop-up style of Peggle and Bejeweled wouldn't be a good fit for this sort of thing. What else are you going to do when you're locked into a flight from Booty Bay to Eastern Plaguelands?
EasyAnswer Jul 28th 2010 2:50PM
Blizzard made the game, it was shown at Blizzcon 2009 displaying the Galaxy Editor's abilities to make custom maps. Here's a video of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joNPrnY4K_4&feature=player_embedded
Josin Jul 28th 2010 3:16PM
I really don't think you guys are getting what I'm trying to say here.
Iirdan Jul 28th 2010 3:59PM
No, I understand perfectly, but I think it's a terrible idea. Anything that removes even a slight bit of immersion while adding no critical functionality is a bad idea.
Josin Jul 28th 2010 4:07PM
I would find going to a goblin gaming parlor to be quite immersive, especially for any roguish/piratical/goblin characters. Considering the break in immersion from so many other things, I would see this one as relatively innocuous.
Haris Pilton is more immersion-breaking for me than having WoW-related minigames would be.
Bill Jul 28th 2010 8:06AM
I had this idea for a great mini-game. It's about two Gnomes who find a bracelet of power, and they have to take it to the burning steppes and cast it into the cauldron, they form "The brotherhood of the bracelet"! along the way they're trailed by a murloc named "Gothom" who's obsessed with the bracelet, and nine bracelet boogiemen! The franchise would be called "Ruler of the Bracelet"! The first game would be "The Brotherhood of the Bracelet" followed by "A couple of Towers" with a climactic ending called "Hey, the King's back!"
spartan627 Jul 28th 2010 8:15AM
There is also a reference to World of Warcraft. In the Cantina the dancing hologram is a female Night elf.
Bill Jul 28th 2010 8:21AM
Technically it's a terran, I searched for it's ears for a while but nothing stuck out :(
Marcosius Jul 28th 2010 9:08AM
For some reason I could only /facepalm at the dancer. Did they REALLY have to include it.. Oh well.
Josin Jul 28th 2010 9:51AM
Should have been on top of the mailbox, in my opinion. :)
Cambro Jul 28th 2010 10:01AM
"I searched for it's ears for a while but nothing stuck out "
LOL
nikdaheratik Jul 28th 2010 3:19PM
Yeah, but the dance is the Nelf female one, but I think it's a pretty cool addition.
Jamie Jul 28th 2010 8:16AM
Personally I propose the following:
- SI:7 Whack-a-mole - Moles are a terrible threat to intellegence integrity therefore we've captured 9 of the most notorious tattletales we know, hit them on the head with Verigin's Fist when they appear through the holes.
- Super Maraudon Bros 3 - help two Cenataur brothers make it through the caves of Maraudon to rescue the picnic, that's good eatin'!
- Super Street Farmer II: Turbo Cataclysm Edition - Having moved to Stormwind because of the Cataclysm, Farmer Saldean & Farmer Furlbrow struggle to keep control of their cattle, get your mosey on cowboy/girl!
Hal Jul 28th 2010 9:11AM
But what about Larion and Muigin?
Dave Jul 28th 2010 9:56AM
+1000
Lol, "get your mosey on"