Nintendo has finally added some downloadable content to its DS puzzler, Picross DS. The puzzle packs, released for free over the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service, are a collection of 20 puzzles split up into two packs. Both of the packs are comprised of puzzles from Nintendo's only other Picross game that has come out in North America, Mario's Picross for the original Game Boy. The puzzles can be downloaded for free by going to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection on the main menu of Picross DS, selecting Community, and Classic Puzzles.
I am an extreme Picross DS addict, and I have been waiting for at least three weeks for Nintendo to upload some puzzles. I haven't completed every puzzle that is included with the game yet, but it is nice to know that I have 20 more puzzles waiting for me when I am done.
If you haven't picked up Picross DS yet, then shame on you. It's one of the greatest puzzle games to ever grace Nintendo's little dual screen portable, and it will only cost you $20 new. If you have it already or do get it in the future, add me as a friend and let me know your friend code, so we can exchange puzzles and play each other online! My friend code can be found on my collection profile page.
What does Red Faction, Ico, Tribes 2, Oni, Myst IV: Revelation, Frequency, Klonoa 2, Anachronox, Kinetica, Katamari Damacy, Oddworld Munch's Oddysee, Viewtiful Joe 2, and Cave Story have in common?
I have no words for these two videos. These videos make the Mona Lisa look like some 1st Grader's painting, Citizen Kane look like From Justin To Kelly, The Legend of Zelda look like Pimp My Ride (the video game), etc.
Telltale Games has released the trailer for its upcoming second season of the Sam and Max episodic series. For those of you unaware, the episodic series is a continuation of the adventures of Steve Purcell's comic book characters Sam, a 6 foot tall dog, and Max, a "hyperkinetic rabbity thing". Sam and Max have been featured in comic books, an animated tv series, and a LucasArts game. The series got its start after LucasArts cancelled a planned sequel to Sam and Max Hit The Road in 2004 due to "market place realities and underlying economic considerations" (read: people don't like adventure games any more). After LucasArts cancelled the sequel, the employees working on that title left the company and went on to make Telltale Games, an independent game development company. In 2005, LucasArts let the license to Sam and Max expire, and Steve Purcell approached Telltale and asked them to work on a new game. This eventually led to the decision to make it episodic and the financial backing of Turner's GameTap service.
This trailer premiered at Penny Arcade Expo last weekend, and I must say that it's looking just as good and funny as the first season was.
Sam and Max Season Two hits both GameTap and TelltaleGames.com this fall.
Another week, another great set of free games for you to download! This week, I've got an addictive mathematical action puzzle game, a fun destructive game, and a platformer that will drive you insane.
First up this week is one of the most addictive puzzle games I've played in my entire life. It's called Blocksum and it's by a small studio based out of Japan named Circle Infotech. The premise is extremely simple, clear all of the numbered blocks by linking together blocks of the same sum. For example, if you have a block with the number 5 in it, you need to use the blocks adjacent to it to make a sum equal to 5. You could do this by using a 3 just to the right of the 5 and a 2 above the 5. That would make an L shaped block that is equivalent to 5. Now, you must find 4 other ways to make 5 adjacent to either the 5 block you started with or the L shaped one you just made. It's hard to describe in words, but once you try it, it's simple. The game starts out simple enough, however, it gets a lot more difficult when the numbers in the blocks get larger and come faster.
Here's a hint for you. Try and go for large combos of large numbers. For example, try and clear all the blocks by making sums of 4 or 5, you get a multiplier for each additional sequence you make.
Sound confusing? As I said, just go download it. A word of warning for those of you with slower connections, the download is 32 megabytes.
Next game up this week is Death Worm. The game is simple, but oh so fun. You play a killer worm, and all you have to do is eat humans, animals, and cause general destruction while not getting shot by soldiers or hitting mines. Very simple concept, but very addictive! Download it at the Game Maker Community forums (3.5 mb).
When you get done punishing humans and animals, punish yourself with the aptly titled platformer, Punishment. This is an extremely hard game but not because the jumps are hard, but because the game plays tricks with your mind. Levels rotate as you move, touching an eye icon will screw around with your mind, touching the Democrat/Republican will do something that will just make you scream in anger, and of course the pixilated backgrounds that become clear as you get to the top of the level are distracting as well. You will hate this game with every last ounce of your being...however, you won't be able to stop playing. Also, notice the special guest appearance in the second screen (the one you start on). I think many of you will recognize who it is.
If you think that's all the punishment there is, you'd be wrong...dead wrong, because Messhof Games just released the sequel, Punishment: The Punishing, last week. The sequel does not play as many tricks on your mind, but it has its fair share of mind trickery (just wait until you get to the third screen in the game). Oh, and this game has one added twist that drive you up the wall more than ANYTHING in the first game. I can't say what it is because I want you to scream out obscenities when you discover it. Again, this game will drive you insane, but it's so addictive.
So, that's it for this week. Comment on the article with your thoughts on the games, high scores you wish to share, or total frustration with Punishment.
One more thing before I go. Mark August 30 on your calendar because I have an extremely special article planned for that day, and you will not want to miss it. It's so special that I'm going to start working on it this week.
From the category of EXTREME RUMORS, Kotaku mentioned that The International House of Mojo, a LucasArts/Telltale Games/Double Fine fansite, ran a story talking about the new game from Double Fine that will supposedly be revealed at Leipzig during Tim Schafer's (head honcho of Double Fine and designer of Day of the Tentacle and Grim Fandago at LucasArts) keynote speech on creativity in the games industry. The new game is reportedly called Brutal Legend and will star Jack Black as a roadie who dies, is banished to hell, and must get to rock heaven. Since that story was posted at IHOM, Double Fine requested that they take down the story, which we all know means that there must be some merit to it.
Personally, I think this rumor has a rather large amount of merit to it even though IHOM retracted the story. But of course, I'm a big fan of Tim Schafer and Jack Black, and it would be the most incredible thing ever if they were to team up. Maybe I think it's got merit because of how much of a fan I am of them.
According to 1up, it was revealed at Microsoft's XNA GameFest 2007 that the company plans to bring Xbox Live Arcade to Windows as part of its Games For Windows Live initiative. That's right, now you'll be able to play Uno on your PC...or wait a minute...you already can. Or, what about Geometry Wars on Windows? Well, there's Grid Wars (I'm not linking to a download site because MS did a cease and desist on the creators. If you want it, Google it), or you can get the real Geometry Wars on Steam.
Despite all my sarcasm in the last paragraph, I think this is a good idea for Microsoft, if they actually do it right. By that I mean Microsoft should allow you to play games on your PC that you have already bought on your Xbox and vice versa so that you aren't stuck buying the same game twice. That would be a great move for current Live subscribers. However, I do think XBLA on Windows may not be a good idea because people who don't have an Xbox Live subscription because there's already a great service that does what XBLA would do, GameTap. But still, props to Microsoft for not forgetting the PC gaming market.
Fresh out of Comic Con 07, comes a sneak peek at Capcom's new Phoenix Wright inspired attorney game based on the hit Adult Swim show, Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law. The game comes out this fall for Sony's Playstation 2 and PSP systems.
I remember when I first heard about the game this past spring, I was worried about how it will turn out, but I think all my concerns have been erased by this gameplay demo. The graphics are flat and 2D, the voice actors are there (oh dear God let Stephen Colbert be in the game), and it's funny. Of course, the cameo of Guile of Street Fighter 2 fame in the jury in that clip sealed the deal for me. I'm so buying this game on release day...and Aqua Teen Hunger Forice Zombie Ninja Pro-Am.
If you have your Wii hooked up to WiiConnect24, you'll notice that the blue light surrounding your disc slot is glowing. You know what that means. No, not that someone sent you a message because no one uses the message sending feature anymore. So, that leaves only one possiblity, Nintendo has something to tell you! This time, it's a firmware update. This update adds many nifty features to your Wii. Here's a listing of the new features from Nintendo's website.
Wii Menu - The weather forecast will now be displayed on the Forecast Channel icon in the Wii Menu. - Headline news will now be displayed on the News Channel icon in the Wii Menu. - The current time will now be displayed in the Wii Menu. - The area around the Wii Message Board button will now flash when a message arrives..
Wii Message Board - You're now able to rearrange the order of your Wii Friends in the address book. - You're now able to go into the Wii Friends registration screen by pressing the A Button on a blank spot in the address book. - Envelope message icons will now appear on the calendar only on the dates when a message is received. - Your message sending history will now be displayed in Today's Accomplishments. - You can now scroll the message text by pressing the B button on the message screen.
Wii Shop Channel - The search function on Virtual Console has been enhanced.
So, it took Nintendo eight months to realize that it would be nice to rearrange your Wii Friends, add friends by just clicking an empty slot, and see the weather without having to select the Weather Channel? Wow. They are really on top of their game!
What's sad is that this is the most useful firmware update the Wii has ever had. And what's that?! A DIGITAL CLOCK! WHOAMG! That's next-gen technology next there!
(Image from Kotaku.com)
P.S. I like the Wii, but I just like poking fun at how behind the times it is.
I CALLED IT! Microsoft has officially dropped the price on their Xbox 360, effective tomorrow. The new prices direct from Xbox.com for the various models of the console are as follows:
Core: $279.99
Pro (now referred to simply as Xbox 360 by Microsoft): $349.99
Elite: $449.99
While they were at it, Microsoft announced the price of the Halo 3 edition Xbox 360 which will come out with the game's launch next month. This model will retail for $399.99 and will include "an authentic Spartan green-and-gold finish, this console includes a matching Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, 20GB hard drive, Xbox 360 Headset, 360 Play & Charge Kit, and more."
From Kotaku, here's Sega's rumored Tokyo Game Show lineup, with some entries bolded for my emphasis...
Alien Syndrome (Wii, PSP) After Burner: Black Falcon (PSP) Beijing 2008: the Official Videogame of the Olympic Games (PS2, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, DS, PC) ChuChu Rocket! (XBLA, PC) Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars (PSP) Fighters Megamix 2 (Xbox 360, PS3) Ghost Squad (Wii) Happy Tree Friends False Alarm (XBLA, PC) JET SET RADIO NEXT (Xbox 360, PS3) Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii, DS) Medieval II: Total War Kingdoms Visit (PC) Nights: Journey of Dreams (Wii) Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus (PS2, Xbox 360, PC) Samba De Amigo Fever (PSP) Sega Classics Collection 2 (PS2,PSP) Sega Rally Revo (Xbox 360, PS3, PSP, PC) Sega Superstar 2 (Wii) SHENMUE 3 (XBOX 360) SHENMUE I & II PLUS (Xbox 360) Skies of Arcadia 2 (Wii) Sonic Rivals 2 (PSP) Sonic Rush Adventure (DS) Sonic the RPG (Xbox 360, PS3) Space Channel 5 Part 3 (Xbox 360, PS3) Space Channel 5 Showtime (Wii, DS, PSP) The Club (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) The Golden Compass (PS2, PC, DS, Xbox 360, PSP, PS3, Wii) The House of the Dead 4 (Xbox 360, PS3) Universe at War: Earth Assault (Xbox 360, PC) Virtua Fighter 5 (Xbox 360, PS3) Virtua Fighter Kids 2 (Wii) Worldwide Soccer Manager Live (Xbox 360, PC) Yakuza 3 (PS3)
OMFG! Next gen versions of Chu Chu Rocket, Jet Grind Radio, Space Channel 5, Samba De Amigo, and EFFING SHENMUE?! COULD IT BE?! Well, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that this list is true. Why? We all know Sega hasn't been doing great lately, and they could be trying to resurrect some of their fan favorite Dreamcast franchises like Shenmue, JGR, and Space Channel 5.
Regardless, if Shenmue I and II Plus and Shenmue III are indeed real, that will push me over the edge and make me get a 360.
Don't worry, I'm still a Sony fanboy at heart, but I gots to have me my Shenmue
The internet. In addition to being a great resource for funny videos, email pyramid schemes, and pr0n, is a great place to find games. This series will feature the best in free and independent games from all over the web, and bring you up to date on indie studios who are bringing their work to consoles.
The first free game of the week is called 3D Logic by Alex Matveev, and can be found at this site. The object of the game is to link together every pair colored squares on the cube. For example, in the screenshot, you have to link orange to orange, purple to purple, blue to blue, and so on. Sounds simple right? WRONG! Later levels will require you to think outside of the box and use very indirect ways of linking them together. I've been able to reach level 18, but after that I get stumped. Thank God for the continue feature.
Our next game this week is Amberial by OddGoo, a rather fun platformer with very simplistic controls. All you need to do in this game is move left and right to reach the goal. However, you must use your ability to bounce to help you reach your destination and avoid obstacles. This is one of the most enjoyable Flash games I've played in a while. It's not entirely original since there are a billion platformers on the net, but this one is different because you must actually use your environment and the objects in it in order to reach the end of the level. There is also added challenge if you try and collect all the Ace symbols. I must caution you however, this game is addictive as crack, so make sure you have some time you can easily waste before playing this.
The internet is full of clones of other, more famous games. Flash Flash Revolution is one of the most well-known and well-regarded clones on the internet. As you could figure out, it is a clone of Konami's Dance Dance Revolution series, developed in flash. There are three different versions of FFR on the site, and all of them have something different to offer. Try fooling around with all three of them, and make an account if you want. With an account, you can keep track of the scores you get and buy songs using credits you earn in the FFR store. The only downside of the game is that many of the players have crazy skills, and a lot of the site is kind of geared towards them. However, for us who will never be as good as this guy, there are a bunch of easier songs to get you used to playing. Check out the Arcade section of songs in the first FFR version on the site for a bunch of fun game remixes to play. I'm signed up on the site as tondog38. If you sign up, shoot me a message there and we can set up challenges or something.
In honor of 300 coming out on DVD, Blu Ray, and HD DVD last week, the final game of the week is the aptly titled SPAAARTA!!! It's not the best game in the world, but it's cool if you're a fan of 300, mainly so you can kick some Persians into the hole and scream THIS IS SPAAAARRRTAAAA! The controls are simple, move around with the arrow keys, kick some ass with the S key, and do a little dance with the A key. All you need to do: kick the Persians into the hole and inform them that THIS IS SPAAAARTA all while not kicking your fellow Spartans.
Keep it on channel 3 for more fun, free games next week. Until next time, have fun.
It seems that what The Hollywood Reporter said a week ago is coming true...Xbox 360 is getting a $50 price cut (For the Pro model. It's $30 if you're an Elite fan or $20 if you're going for the Core) next week.
Wait a minute! Didn't we go through this whole rigmarole a few weeks ago with Sony's PS3 price cut? We sure did, but what makes this round different? A ton more evidence and leaked ads...
What are these marketing materials mentioned? Hmm, I bet it's either Halo 3 posters or 360 price cut signage. My guess is that it's the latter because they've been promoting the crap out of the former for what seems like a year now and probably don't need more promo material for it. Plus it seems in line with what's being reported all over the internet.
Why cut the 360's price tag? Well, there are some very good reasons for them to do so right now. First, PS3 just got a hefty price cut, and a price cut will help the 360 look even more attractive to consumers. Second, it's been out for dang near 2 years without a price cut. Seems like a long time to me. Three, um, isn't there something coming out next month? I forget.
In light of all this evidence and my own speculation, I rule... TONY'S JUDGEMENT: Definitely happening
Eat Sleep Play will consist of David, Scott, and a bunch of key players from Incognito/Singletrac. Don't get all excited Nintendo and Microsoft fans, because Eat Sleep Play has a contract with Sony to publish 3 games exclusively for them. After that, however, who knows. I bet they extend that contract even further because everyone at that company is comfortable with how Sony handles their work. As David said in his blog entry on this subject:
Quote
Again, we are working with Sony and that just feels great. We met with some other interested parties but at the end of the day, Sony is our home, our family, and we're really thrilled and honored they wanted to work with us and continue the relationship we've spent almost 15 years cultivating. So in many ways, it's like very little has changed, other than the pay cut.
So I don't think they will be making stuff for Microsoft/Nintendo in the future. I'm sure they'll be exactly like Insomniac, a totally independent company that likes working with Sony.
The company's first project is an enhanced port of the PSP game Twisted Metal: Head-On for PS2. The game will also include 5-7 levels from the unreleased Twisted Metal Black: Part 2, and a documentary on the history of the series. Their first original game will be out sometime in 2008.
So, from all of RFGen, best of luck to David, Scott, and co with Eat Sleep Play, and we can't wait to see what you do in the future!
Nintendo has finally added some downloadable content to its DS puzzler, 
Telltale Games has released the trailer for its upcoming second season of the Sam and Max episodic series. For those of you unaware, the episodic series is a continuation of the adventures of Steve Purcell's comic book characters Sam, a 6 foot tall dog, and Max, a "hyperkinetic rabbity thing". Sam and Max have been featured in comic books, an animated tv series, and a LucasArts game. The series got its start after LucasArts cancelled a planned sequel to Sam and Max Hit The Road in 2004 due to "market place realities and underlying economic considerations" (read: people don't like adventure games any more). After LucasArts cancelled the sequel, the employees working on that title left the company and went on to make Telltale Games, an independent game development company. In 2005, LucasArts let the license to Sam and Max expire, and Steve Purcell approached Telltale and asked them to work on a new game. This eventually led to the decision to make it episodic and the financial backing of Turner's GameTap service.
From the category of EXTREME RUMORS, Kotaku mentioned that 
According to 
If you have your Wii hooked up to WiiConnect24, you'll notice that the blue light surrounding your disc slot is glowing. You know what that means. No, not that someone sent you a message because no one uses the message sending feature anymore. So, that leaves only one possiblity, Nintendo has something to tell you! This time, it's a firmware update. This update adds many nifty features to your Wii. Here's a listing of the new features from 
I CALLED IT! Microsoft has officially dropped the price on their Xbox 360, effective tomorrow. The new prices direct from 
The big announcement David made is that he is 
