Oh and Blast Works for the Wii looks great as well.
There's also Nascar 09 (PS3, 360, PS2), Dragon Ball Z Burst Limit (PS3, 360), Don King Presents Prizefighter (360), Backyard Baseball '09 (Wii), Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles (DS), and more crappy DS shovelware, but who cares? There's only one game that TRULY matters this week.
Yo, sup homies? After outgrowing our previous server and temporarily moving operations to WordPress, we are finally back in action on our home base right here at RFGeneration.com. In celebration of our triumphant return, the game companies have dumped a massive load of (hopefully) great games for you to look at this week.
Playstation 3
Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii
•The Bourne Conspiracy •GRiD •The Incredible Hulk •Kung Fu Panda •Lego Indiana Jones
•The Bourne Conspiracy •GRiD •The Incredible Hulk •Kung Fu Panda •Lego Indiana Jones •Ninja Gaiden 2
•Cabela's Trophy Bucks •The Incredible Hulk •Kung Fu Panda •Lego Indiana Jones
PSP
Nintendo DS
Playstation 2
•Lego Indiana Jones •Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2
•The Incredible Hulk •Kung Fu Panda •Lego Indiana Jones •Paws and Claws Pet: Healing Hands •Summon Night: Twin Age
•The Incredible Hulk •Kung Fu Panda •Lego Indiana Jones
In a week with so many games, it's tough to give out a pick of the week. However, I've got to go with GRiD. The game is made by Codemasters, the same team behind last year's awesome rally racer DiRT, and attempts to bring the style of racing game presented in that game onto the streets. GRiD stands apart from most other racers in that it is neither a simulation like Forza or Gran Turismo nor an arcade style game like Burnout or Project Gotham, but somewhere in the between. It definitely has some great physics, but it isn't too overbearing for casual racing fans. Better yet, it carries over the amazing menu design philosophy as seen in DiRT, which is arguably the greatest interface ever seen in a video game. The game is available now on Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC. If you're interested in the game, be sure to download the demo for it on your platform of choice...it's definitely worth your time.
Check back next week where there will undoubtedly be a ton of games for me to cover.
Not a great release week overall, but again the Wii gets a great game. Wii comeback anyone?
Playstation 3
Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii
•Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
•Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
•Castle of Shikigami III •Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian •Deca Sports •We Ski
PSP
Nintendo DS
Playstation 2
...
•ATV Thunder/Monster Trucks •Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian •Drone Tactics •Myst
•Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
In a week with basically no interesting titles, there are two that really stand out from the pack. One of the being Myst for the Nintendo DS. Sure, Myst originally came out over 14 years ago for the Mac and since has been ported to damn near every operating system and disc based console ever, but this is the first portable edition of Myst (outside of lugging around a laptop). Now, I'm a huge Myst fan, but I wouldn't buy this port unless you have absolutely no other way of playing the game. The reviews have not been very good thus far. However, there are some pretty awesome additions made to this DS version. There's a new notebook you can scribble notes in (extremely handy because you NEEDED a real notebook to play the original one), a camera to take photo (only one at a time) with, some new video clips, and you'll get to explore the Rime Age from the 3D remake of Myst, realMyst. However, if you really want Myst, just go buy the Myst 10th Anniversary Collection from Ubisoft for the PC. This 3 DVD set is cheaper and includes not only Myst, but Riven and Myst III: Exile as well. The set also features some bonus content as well such as interviews with Cyan Worlds and some documentaries that you won't find on the DS version. Don't worry about the system requirements because if you're on this site, chances are you can run the games in that collection (just so long as you have a DVD-ROM drive in your computer). Or maybe wait for the PSP version which could end up being better because of the increased space.
Or just go buy the game of the week, Castle of Shikigami 3 for the Nintendo Wii. For those of you not in the loop, Castle Shikigami is a series of vertically scrolling shmups that are known for their fairly brutal difficulty...and convoluted release scheme in America. The first game came out on the Playstation 2 as Mobile Light Force 2, which is a "sequel" to Mobile Light Force on the PS1 (which is actually an American release of a game by Psikyo called Gunbird). Castle Shikigami 2 was released in America for the PS2 under its proper name, but given one of the most horrible dubs ever heard in a video game. Now, Castle of Shikigami 3 is coming out in America for the Nintendo Wii. It's basically your standard shmup but with a cool grazing system that rewards you for flying in close proximity to the bullets. There's not really much else to say. It's a freaking awesome game! Go get it! Watch some footage of the game here!
Don't forget that Nintendo is launching it's WiiWare service this week as well. RF Generation will have an article detailing the launch (and maybe a review of one of the games) sometime this week. So, keep it here on Channel 4 for all your gaming needs!
GTA IV and Mario Kart Wii came out last week. Knowing that fact, do you expect a great release week? If you said no, then you're correct...unless you're a Wii owner, then you have a FANTASTIC week. In addition, it appears that many games are on this week's release date that were delayed from weeks past. If you tried to buy a game I listed in the past but had no lucking finding it, you might want to check out the release list for this week and see if your game is on it.
Playstation 3
Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii
•Call of Duty 4: Game of the Year Edition (We'll see if it actually comes out this time...)
...
•Blast Works: Build, Fuse, Destroy (I'm getting conflicting release dates on this one, but I'll include it anyways. I'll talk more about the game next week, because it's really important for the Wii.) •Boom Blox •The DOG Island •Speed Racer
•Brain Voyage •Crosswords DS (This one is actually published by Nintendo!) •Speed Racer
...
My game of the week goes to Boom Blox on the Nintendo Wii. Developed by EA and Steven Spielberg, Boom Blox offers a unique twist on the puzzle genre, along with some of the most creative use of the Wii remote ever seen in a game. The basis of Boom Blox is extremely simple, knock a structure of blocks down. You can knock down these stacks of blocks in many different ways, including throwing balls, blowing wind, and shoooting them. In addition, there are some blocks with special properties, such as exploding when hit with something. Perhaps the most exciting feature of the game is in the built-in level editor, which will allow you to build your own block structures for both single and multiplayer modes. Once you build a level, you can send it to friends over the internet and have them play it. However the game features no online multiplayer, only split screen. If this sounds lame, then I urge you to . It explains the concept far better than I ever could. While I do highly recommend checking out this game, I don't know if it's worth the $50 asking price. But if no one buys the game right away, then it could cause EA and other developers to think that no one wants this type of game that makes very creative use of the Wii, causing more shitty shovelware. I'm going to wait until EA lowers the price to around $30 or so, which shouldn't be too long knowing how EA operates, and buy it NEW (not used because they won't know about that sale, and it would be the same as not buying it in the first place).
Other than the two obvious picks of the week (which you should know about, so I won't explain them in any detail), SNK Arcade Classics V.1 looks pretty damn awesome as well. The game is a compilation of 16 Neo Geo classics which include Art of Fighting, Baseball Stars 2, Burning Fight, Fatal Fury, King of Fighters 94, King of the Monsters, Last Resort, Magician Lord, Metal Slug, Neo Turf Masters, Samurai Shodown, Sengoku, Shock Troopers, Super Sidekicks 3, Top Hunter, and World Heroes. The price is definitely great on it too, only $20 for your choice of the PS2 or the PSP version. I'd pick that up if you don't want the big releases this week or want to buy something a little more "retro".
This week is just preparation for next week which has two megaton releases. However, there is still some pretty neat stuff coming out this week. Take a look:
Playstation 3
Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii
•Call of Duty 4: Game of the Year Edition •NBA Ballers: Chosen One
•NBA Ballers: Chosen One
•Battle of the Bands •Heavenly Guardian •Target Terror •Wild Earth: African Safari
PSP
Nintendo DS
Playstation 2
•Chameleon
Dream Pinball 3D •Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness •Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time •River King: Mystic Valley •The World Ends With You
•Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES
Looks like a good week if you're an RPG fan. You have a rerelease of one of the most critically acclaimed (and hard to find) games of last year, two new Pokemon games, and a game from RPG powerhouse Square Enix.
What is my pick of the week? I'll say Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES. I'm not an RPG fan, but this looks like a great rerelease of Persona 3. It will include an additional chapter and additional storyline/gameplay elements for a total of 30 additional hours of gameplay. If you're at all interested in this game, I recommend you get it right away since it is an Atlus game and will probably be impossible to find in 3 months.
Next week will be a huge one because we have both Mario Kart Wii and Grand Theft Auto 4 coming out. So, start saving because next week is going to be a good one! Until then, happy gaming!
Taxes are due Tuesday...did you get them done? If so, it's time to start thinking about how to spend that refund. Maybe this week's release list will help you.
Playstation 3
Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii
•Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (Also available as a download from the Playstation Store)
...
•Okami •Summer Sports: Paradise Island
PSP
Nintendo DS
Playstation 2
...
•Cory in the House •High School Musical 2: Work It Out •MLB 2K8 Fantasy All-Stars •Rondo of Swords
...
Yeah, it's a light week number wise but game wise, it's an extremely heavy hitter.
My pick of the week depends on what category you fall in to. If you have a Wii, but don't own Okami on the Playstation 2, then I demand that you buy Okami for the Wii this week. Okami was a PS2 adventure game in the style of Zelda, but got severely underlooked by most people because of the release of Twilight Princess. Now that the hype of Twilight Princess has settled down, it's time for you to revisit the game that was far superior to the vastly overrated Wii launch game. There, I said it. Okami is better than Twilight Princess. I'm not theonly one to feelthis way either. Zelda fanboy flaming aside, Okami on the Wii looks to be a fantastic port of the PS2 classic. The port will feature the same great game you never played on the PS2, however the team at Ready At Dawn (the same team behind the excellent Daxter and God of War: Chains of Olympus for the PSP) have taken the liberty to do some enhancements to the Wii edition including 16:9 widescreen visuals running at 480p and some wagglan controls (sadly). However, you can paint with the Wii Remote, which is awesome and hopefully inspires Nintendo to make Mario Paint for the Wii.
However, if you're like me, a snobby bastard that's a part of the hip alternative gaming scene, you'll have Okami already and most likely won't be interested in a Wii port of the same game. What do you do then? You buy Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, that's what. Gran Turismo 5: Prologue is a demo of Gran Turismo 5 fully featured racing game that will give you an early glimpse at what to expect from Gran Turismo 5 when it ships next year (or in 2010, knowing Polyphony Digital). This title follows in the footsteps of previous pre-release GT titles Gran Turismo Concept and Gran Turismo 4 Prologue, but what makes this one different is that it is the first one to receive a worldwide release. The game features 76 cars, 6 tracks, 12 track layouts, 16 player online racing, Full HD 1080p graphics, and uncompressed LPCM 7.1 surround sound. New to the Gran Turismo series with 5 is GT-TV, a video on demand service that will be regularly updated with both free and pay content related to the world of racing and automobiles. However, the game does not include in-game voice chat (dumb move, Sony) nor private racing with your PSN friends, but Taku Imasaki, the producer of the North American release of the game, confirmed that they are working on adding that in a future update. Sepaking of updates, the lead director of the Gran Turismo series at Polyphony Digital, Kazunori Yamauchi, has said that vehicle damage will be coming to Gran Turismo 5 Prologue as an update, and that GT5P will eventually reach the full functionality of Gran Turismo 5, but with fewer tracks and cars. So, maybe buyers of Prologue will get a discount on the full game when it comes out, but probably not knowing Sony. Anyways, demo or not, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue looks quite awesome, but it definitely isn't for everyone. Remember, this game will be released as both a retail Blu-ray and as a download from the all-new Playstation Store. Both versions cost $40 and offer the same content, but the PS Store version will be a 2 GB or so download and will make you download the GT TV videos from the internet to view them. The Blu-ray edition will include all of the GT TV videos available at launch on the disc for instant viewing.
And we're back from an extended break. In order to celebrate our triumphant return to the internets, here's a list of games that are out this week!
Wait a minute...
Playstation 3
Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii
...
...
•Baroque •Mini Copter Adventure Flight
PSP
Nintendo DS
Playstation 2
•World Championship Cards
•Fab 5 Soccer (Sorry, this isn't a game with The Beatles, it's a shitty budget title) •Plushees
•Arcana Heart •Baroque
Looks like the release list is taking a break this week too...
HOWEVER! There are two big releases this week that fall outside my realm of coverage. The first is Sony's long-awaited US release of the new DualShock 3 controller. The new controller adds rumble back into the controller and makes your PS3 controller not feel like a cheap piece of plastic. I got mine last night and I must say it's a definite improvement over both the Sixaxis and the DualShock 2. I highly recommend any PS3 owner to get one as soon as you can. Also, here's a list of games that have vibration support at the moment. More will be coming in the future with game patches. In addition, the DS3 supports vibration on all PS2 and PS1 games.
That is not my pick of the week, though. My pick of the week easily goes to Ikaruga on Xbox Live Arcade. That's right, Treasure's classic (and very hard to find) vertical shooter has been ported to Xbox Live Arcade and will be selling for the ultra-low price of $10. If you have an Xbox 360 and don't buy this game, I will be extremely disappointed in you because Ikaruga is one of the greatest games ever created and is something that everyone needs to experience it at least once. Sure, you could be old-fashioned and buy the Dreamcast or Gamecube version, but you'll be paying at least $30 or $40 more for a disc and a case. Not worth it just for that. Come on, you know you want it. Drop your fear of digital distribution and experience one of the greatest games of all time.
•Naruto Ultimate Ninja 3 •Obscure: The Aftermath •Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure
My pick this week goes to Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword. Now, before all you Final Fantasy fangirls start crying becuase I didn't pick your OMFGKAWAIIBISHIE ^__^ game, let me just say that I would never award FF7 or FF anything, other than "Series Tony Most Hates". Now to the pick at hand, Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword for the Nintendo DS. This game, while lacking the graphical prowess of Sigma, Black, and II, it definitely looks like a well thought out and well executed version of the game that you can put in your pocket and play anywhere. The game really seems to live up to the high bar set by the console iterations of the series. The critics so far seem to agree with my analysis, as it has been getting very positive scores across the board.
In addition to Dragon Sword, be on the look out for Dark Sector and Viking: Battle for Asgard. Dark Sector may end up being meh, but Viking looks like it could be a real surprise. The first review I've seen of that game gave it a 9.5/10. Be sure to check out the other reviews of it as the week progresses, because this might wind up being a game to buy. The fact that it's based on the Vikings only makes me more intrigued, because Vikings are freaking badass.
Also, I have a correction from last week's list. World Championship Cards for PSP has been delayed until April. Sorry for disappointing all less than two of you who are looking forward to this game.
Check back here next week to find out what games are begging for your money!
This week is actually a damn good one for new games considering we're right in the middle of March. If you have a PS3, 360, DS, or PS2, there's a great game coming out. The other consoles, not so much unless Sega Superstars Tennis completely beats my expectations (which it won't). So without further ado, here's what you can buy this week:
Playstation 3
Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii
•Condemned 2: Bloodshot •Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds •Karaoke Revolution: American Idol Encore •Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 (Also available in a Limited Edition) •Sega Superstars Tennis
•Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 (Also available in a Limited Edition) •Sega Superstars Tennis
•George of the Jungle •Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 •Sega Superstars Tennis •Worms: A Space Oddity •WWII Aces
PSP
Nintendo DS
Playstation 2
•World Championship Cards
(No highlight game here this week. I'm not going to tell you to waste your money on World Championship Cards. Go buy God of War, Wipeout Pulse, or Patapon instead.)
•Diary Girl •Fantasy Aquarium •Go Pets: Vacation Island •Lost in Blue 3 •Sega Superstar Tennis
•Metal Gear Solid: Essential Collection •Samurai Warriors 2: Xtreme Legends •Sega Superstar Tennis •Singstar 90s (Also available as a bundle with 2 microphones)
My overall pick of the week goes to Metal Gear Solid: Essential Collection. This package is a collection of the first three Metal Gear Solid games in a specially priced $30 bundle in preparation for the release of the highly anticipated (50GB, dual layer Blu-ray) PS3 exclusive Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of The Patriots which comes out in June. The Essential Collection is a fantastic deal if you are new to the MGS series, have only one or two games in the series, or are a completist. It's really hard to say no to $30 for three of the greatest games ever.
Check back here next week to find out what games are begging for your money!
Remember, this week is GDC and the main show starts today. Well, here's the frist big news of the show: Nintendo has revealed the release dates for both Wii Fit and WiiWare, and oddly enough they are within a week of each other!
WiiWare hits first on May 12. The games that will launch on the service are not known yet, but Nintendo stated in their press release that some of the early WiiWare games would be Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life As A King, LostWinds, and an episodic game series from one of my favorite developers, Telltale Games. Other known WiiWare games are Bomberman, Gravitronix, Pokemon Farm, Dr. Mario & Bacteria Extermination, IGF Grand Prize finalist World of Goo, and the amazing looking Eternity's Child. Pricing or size on the games are unknown, but I imagine we'll hear more as launch gets closer.
Nintendo has also announced a May 19 release date (just six days after WiiWare!) for their bathroom scale/game combo, Wii Fit. If you've been living under a rock for the past year and don't know what Wii Fit is, it's basically trying to further the Wii's reputation as a fitness machine (and as a gimmicky minigame machine). Honestly, I don't care one bit about Wii Fit, so here's a link to Wikipedia's article on it.
I'm really excited for WiiWare as this could be the breakthrough that the Wii needs to appeal to me. What I really hope to see is indie developers dream up imaginative ways to use the Wiimote and make innovative games that Nintendo would never think of. Hopefully we'll see more of a indie-driven, innovative and creative environment on there rather than a bunch of existing franchises made for the service. It's looking to be a mix of both with estabilished franchises like Pokemon and Final Fantasy, but those games will be mixed with stuff like Eternity's Child. If we get more games that are like that, then the WiiWare games might possibly end up being better than the actual disc-based games. One can only hope, I guess.
Anyways, be sure to keep it on RFG for all the important GDC news.
Professor Layton and the Curious Village, developed by Level-5 (Dragon Quest 8 and 9, Rogue Galaxy, and Dark Cloud) and published by Nintendo, is a point and click adventure along the same lines as Phoenix Wright, Hotel Dusk, Touch Detective, and many others on the DS, but it's unlike any of them. The best way I can describe the game is Brain Age on crack with a storyline. The puzzles in this game are some of the most difficult I've ever encountered in any puzzle games and totally make this game worth getting, but there is a whole lot more to this game than just the puzzles.
However allow me to explain the puzzles in this game for a moment, because they are pretty special. The main reason this game exists is because of Level-5 President Akihiro Hino's love of Head Gymnastics, a long-running Japanese series of puzzle books. Hino wanted to turn these puzzles into a video game, so he got in touch with Akira Tigo, the 82-year old author of the series and professor at Chiba University in Japan. Together, they teamed up to create more than 30 new puzzles specifically for the game, and Professor Tago allowed the team at Level-5 to use any of his 2,000 puzzles in the game. Now, Level-5 could have just released a puzzle compilation like Professor Ryuta Kawashima and Nintendo's popular Brain Age series, but they decided to take it a step further and add a story on top of it because, in Hino's words, "Prof. Tago is one of the originators of the genre, we didn’t want to be buried amongst many other similar games." Great decision, great decision. And one that caused Japanese gamers to buy it in droves. Now, Nintendo has made the decision to bring the first game in the trilogy over to the United States.
The story is about a world renowned professor, Archeologist, and puzzle aficionado named Layton and his young apprentice, Luke. The pair is summoned to St. Mystere by the family of the recently deceased village billionaire, Baron Augustus Reinhold, who has left his whole estate to whomever can find the Golden Apple he has hidden somewhere in the village. In addition to the mystery of just where this Golden Apple is located, the townspeople are fond of puzzles and challenge each other with them. That is how most of the game's puzzles are found, by talking to citizens who talk to you and give you information about what they know...and puzzles.
I know that sounds like a minigame compilation with a story, but the thing is that Professor Layton is so much more than that. Almost every aspect of this game is a puzzle, from the various mysteries you'll have to investigate, to the collecting of painting pieces, and even decorating your hotel rooms, this game is just filled to the brim with all sorts of puzzles. As I've stated, the puzzles in this game can be very difficult at times. For example, there are typical pattern matching puzzles, but then there are ones that ask you "What is necessary for human life, appears in almost every house you've visited, and decreases in amount the longer it's around? Oh, and express your answer by moving one matchstick in a series of matches that we have laid out for you." The latter type of puzzles, while very clever and challenging, tend to stump me easily and impede my progress in the game. Damn you Level-5!
The game also is a technical masterpiece, which is surprising considering just what kind of game it is. There are many sequences of fully animated video, the cutscenes have full voice acting, and the music is just incredible, and it all sounds amazing through headphones and even on the built-in speakers. However, I really wish they would have added voice acting for all the text in the game, because it's jarring to go from an animated sequence with voice acting to a Phoenix Wright styled text adventure.
Now, this game is a puzzle game, and will probably lose its appeal once you've learned how to solve everything, but Nintendo offers you a solution to that problem: free puzzle downloads every week over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection! That's right, you'll be able to download an all-new brainteaser each week in order to keep you engaged in the game. The weekly puzzles do not offer you any bonus coins for use in the game, but will keep you amused for 20 minutes or so every week. It isn't much, but at least it will keep you thinking about the series until Nintendo brings the next game over (please?).
Overall, the game is an extremely challenging compilation of puzzles wrapped in a pretty good story with an awesome art style. However, the replayability issues may keep you from picking up the game at its current price of $30. I also have minor complaints about the small amount of video and voice acting, but I can deal with it as I'm a veteran of Hotel Dusk and Phoenix Wright. Keeping this in mind, I award the game...
9.3/10
Professor Layton officially comes out for the Nintendo DS tomorrow, but I managed to get my copy at Best Buy this past Wednesday. And guess what? I have reviewed this game before every major website on the internet!
Score one for RF Generation!
If you aren't convinced that you should get the game, try out the demo over at the official website (www.professorlaytonds.com)
Lately there's been somewhat of an influx of gaming news, but nothing worth writing a huge post about. What should a good little blogger such as myself to do cope with this situation? Why not write an article with brief overviews of some of the news stories that I've found interesting lately.
EA Sports announces a new arcadey boxing game called Facebreaker (developed by EA Canada) for all next-gen systems. It looks like (to steal a line from 1up) a cross between Ready 2 Rumble (one of my favorite boxing games of all-time) and Team Fortress 2 (possibly my favorite online game ever). EA Sports head honcho (and former Xbox and Sega leader), Peter Moore said "Arcade boxing takes me back to my roots in this industry, and this game signals our shift to adding more approachable fun to our product lineup." Approachable fun? Wii Sports boxing esque controls: CONFIRMED! Now, we've seen arcadey boxing games before, but have any of them had "real-time facial deformation"? I think not.
GamePro inquires: "Which system's controller has the longest battery life?" The answer: Xbox 360 at almost 57 hours. Runner up is the Wii, clocking in at 37 hours. This leaves PS3 for last place at 19 hours, which I'm not going to dispute. That seems about right from experiences with my own PS3. However I must point out that for both the Wii and 360 controllers, standard batteries were used, and that using rechargable batteries in either one of them could lead to decreased battery life. Interesting comparison, but flawed, not surprising coming from GamePro.
Who says the PS3 isn't doing well? It sold 1.5 million more units than the 360 worldwide last year. And people say the PS3 is in trouble...
Miss out on previous the Metal Gear Solid games? Now's your chance to play catch-up as Play-Asia has Metal Gear Solid: The Essential Collection up for pre order in the US! The collection includes the PS1 original along with the directors cuts of both Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance and Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, all for only $35! If this listing is accurate, then sign me up! I have MGS2 and MGS3, but not the later versions of them. However, what I am wondering about this package is if it includes the VR Missions for the first MGS or the Document of Metal Gear Solid 2 thing. I really hope so, but if not that's ok since the pack is still a great deal for some of the greatest games ever made.
Nintendo truly has a great thing going with their Virtual Console service. You are able to get games from a wide variety of classic and retro systems such as the NES, Genesis, TurboGrafx, and Neo Geo. However, some systems are missing from the lineup. But don't you fear! Sega is here to save the day!
That's right, Sega has announced that they will soon be bringing over games from their 1986 system, the Sega Master System, to Nintendo's retro game download service. The first games from the system being ported over to the Wii are Fantasy Zone (500 Wii Points), and Fist of the North Star (600 Wii Points). Both games will be hitting the Virtual console this February in Japan. There has been no announced date for when these would be coming to America or Europe, but I imagine it will be fairly soon after, most likely in March or April. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if Fist of the North Star stays in Japan due to licensing issues, but I'm sure Fantasy Zone will be coming to America/Europe.
But that's not all! Sega will also be bringing games for the Mark III and the Game Gear to Nintendo's Virtual Console as well! Alas, no game details have been announced yet.
So, kudos to Sega for keeping your retro systems alive through this new distribution channel! Hopefully this leads the way for 32x (and possibly Sega CD) games to be added to the Virtual Console repertoire.
METAL GEAR SOLID 4: GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS
In a week with so many games, it's tough to give out a pick of the week. However, I've got to go with GRiD. The game is made by Codemasters, the same team behind last year's awesome rally racer DiRT, and attempts to bring the style of racing game presented in that game onto the streets. GRiD stands apart from most other racers in that it is neither a simulation like Forza or Gran Turismo nor an arcade style game like Burnout or Project Gotham, but somewhere in the between. It definitely has some great physics, but it isn't too overbearing for casual racing fans. Better yet, it carries over the 
In a week with basically no interesting titles, there are two that really stand out from the pack. One of the being Myst for the Nintendo DS. Sure, Myst originally came out over 14 years ago for the Mac and since has been ported to damn near every operating system and disc based console ever, but this is the first portable edition of Myst (outside of lugging around a laptop). Now, I'm a huge Myst fan, but I wouldn't buy this port unless you have absolutely no other way of playing the game. The reviews have not been very good thus far. However, there are some pretty awesome additions made to this DS version. There's a new notebook you can scribble notes in (extremely handy because you NEEDED a real notebook to play the original one), a camera to take photo (only one at a time) with, some new video clips, and you'll get to explore the Rime Age from the 3D remake of Myst, realMyst. However, if you really want Myst, just go buy the Myst 10th Anniversary Collection from Ubisoft for the PC. This 3 DVD set is cheaper and includes not only Myst, but Riven and Myst III: Exile as well. The set also features some bonus content as well such as interviews with Cyan Worlds and some documentaries that you won't find on the DS version. Don't worry about the system requirements because if you're on this site, chances are you can run the games in that collection (just so long as you have a DVD-ROM drive in your computer). Or maybe wait for the PSP version which could end up being better because of the increased space.
Or just go buy the game of the week, Castle of Shikigami 3 for the Nintendo Wii. For those of you not in the loop, Castle Shikigami is a series of vertically scrolling shmups that are known for their fairly brutal difficulty...and convoluted release scheme in America. The first game came out on the Playstation 2 as Mobile Light Force 2, which is a "sequel" to Mobile Light Force on the PS1 (which is actually an American release of a game by Psikyo called Gunbird). Castle Shikigami 2 was released in America for the PS2 under its proper name, but given 
My game of the week goes to Boom Blox on the Nintendo Wii. Developed by EA and Steven Spielberg, Boom Blox offers a unique twist on the puzzle genre, along with some of the most creative use of the Wii remote ever seen in a game. The basis of Boom Blox is extremely simple, knock a structure of blocks down. You can knock down these stacks of blocks in many different ways, including throwing balls, blowing wind, and shoooting them. In addition, there are some blocks with special properties, such as exploding when hit with something. Perhaps the most exciting feature of the game is in the built-in level editor, which will allow you to build your own block structures for both single and multiplayer modes. Once you build a level, you can send it to friends over the internet and have them play it. However the game features no online multiplayer, only split screen. If this sounds lame, then I urge you to . It explains the concept far better than I ever could. While I do highly recommend checking out this game, I don't know if it's worth the $50 asking price. But if no one buys the game right away, then it could cause EA and other developers to think that no one wants this type of game that makes very creative use of the Wii, causing more shitty shovelware. I'm going to wait until EA lowers the price to around $30 or so, which shouldn't be too long knowing how EA operates, and buy it NEW (not used because they won't know about that sale, and it would be the same as not buying it in the first place).
Other than the two obvious picks of the week (which you should know about, so I won't explain them in any detail), SNK Arcade Classics V.1 looks pretty damn awesome as well. The game is a compilation of 16 Neo Geo classics which include Art of Fighting, Baseball Stars 2, Burning Fight, Fatal Fury, King of Fighters 94, King of the Monsters, Last Resort, Magician Lord, Metal Slug, Neo Turf Masters, Samurai Shodown, Sengoku, Shock Troopers, Super Sidekicks 3, Top Hunter, and World Heroes. The price is definitely great on it too, only $20 for your choice of the PS2 or the PSP version. I'd pick that up if you don't want the big releases this week or want to buy something a little more "retro".
What is my pick of the week? I'll say Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES. I'm not an RPG fan, but this looks like a great rerelease of Persona 3. It will include an additional chapter and additional storyline/gameplay elements for a total of 30 additional hours of gameplay. If you're at all interested in this game, I recommend you get it right away since it is an Atlus game and will probably be impossible to find in 3 months.
My pick of the week depends on what category you fall in to. If you have a Wii, but don't own Okami on the Playstation 2, then I demand that you buy Okami for the Wii this week. Okami was a PS2 adventure game in the style of Zelda, but got severely underlooked by most people because of the release of Twilight Princess. Now that the hype of Twilight Princess has settled down, it's time for you to revisit the game that was far superior to the vastly overrated Wii launch game. There, I said it. Okami is better than Twilight Princess. 
However, if you're like me, a snobby bastard that's a part of the hip alternative gaming scene, you'll have Okami already and most likely won't be interested in a Wii port of the same game. What do you do then? You buy Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, that's what. Gran Turismo 5: Prologue is a 
That is not my pick of the week, though. My pick of the week easily goes to Ikaruga on Xbox Live Arcade. That's right, Treasure's classic (and very hard to find) vertical shooter has been ported to Xbox Live Arcade and will be selling for the ultra-low price of $10. If you have an Xbox 360 and don't buy this game, I will be extremely disappointed in you because Ikaruga is one of the greatest games ever created and is something that everyone needs to experience it at least once. Sure, you could be old-fashioned and buy the Dreamcast or Gamecube version, but you'll be paying at least $30 or $40 more for a disc and a case. Not worth it just for that. Come on, you know you want it. Drop your fear of digital distribution and experience one of the greatest games of all time. 
My pick this week goes to Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword. Now, before all you Final Fantasy fangirls start crying becuase I didn't pick your OMFGKAWAIIBISHIE ^__^ game, let me just say that I would never award FF7 or FF anything, other than "Series Tony Most Hates". Now to the pick at hand, Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword for the Nintendo DS. This game, while lacking the graphical prowess of Sigma, Black, and II, it definitely looks like a well thought out and well executed version of the game that you can put in your pocket and play anywhere. The game really seems to live up to the high bar set by the console iterations of the series. The critics so far seem to agree with my analysis, as it has been getting very positive scores across the board.
My overall pick of the week goes to Metal Gear Solid: Essential Collection. This package is a collection of the first three Metal Gear Solid games in a specially priced $30 bundle in preparation for the release of the highly anticipated (
Remember, this week is GDC and the main show starts today. Well, here's the frist big news of the show: Nintendo has revealed the release dates for both Wii Fit and WiiWare, and oddly enough they are within a week of each other!
Professor Layton and the Curious Village, developed by Level-5 (Dragon Quest 8 and 9, Rogue Galaxy, and Dark Cloud) and published by Nintendo, is a point and click adventure along the same lines as Phoenix Wright, Hotel Dusk, Touch Detective, and many others on the DS, but it's unlike any of them. The best way I can describe the game is Brain Age on crack with a storyline. The puzzles in this game are some of the most difficult I've ever encountered in any puzzle games and totally make this game worth getting, but there is a whole lot more to this game than just the puzzles.
The story is about a world renowned professor, Archeologist, and puzzle aficionado named Layton and his young apprentice, Luke. The pair is summoned to St. Mystere by the family of the recently deceased village billionaire, Baron Augustus Reinhold, who has left his whole estate to whomever can find the Golden Apple he has hidden somewhere in the village. In addition to the mystery of just where this Golden Apple is located, the townspeople are fond of puzzles and challenge each other with them. That is how most of the game's puzzles are found, by talking to citizens who talk to you and give you information about what they know...and puzzles.
The game also is a technical masterpiece, which is surprising considering just what kind of game it is. There are many sequences of fully animated video, the cutscenes have full voice acting, and the music is just incredible, and it all sounds amazing through headphones and even on the built-in speakers. However, I really wish they would have added voice acting for all the text in the game, because it's jarring to go from an animated sequence with voice acting to a Phoenix Wright styled text adventure.
Nintendo truly has a great thing going with their Virtual Console service. You are able to get games from a wide variety of classic and retro systems such as the NES, Genesis, TurboGrafx, and Neo Geo. However, some systems are missing from the lineup. But don't you fear! Sega is here to save the day!
