I hope you've heard of Mega64. If not, they're a comedy group that does live action re-enactments of games in public. Go look them up on YouTube.
So, their new skit is Metal Gear Solid 4, and they manage to squeeze in a few fantastic special guests. I won't ruin who it is, so hit the jump if you want to find out who. This video really needs no more introduction, so here you are:
I'm well aware this is old news, but I wanted to post it anyways. So, last month, Gamestop had a promotion targeted at women titled "Sharpen the mind; shape the body", which was targeted at women. Basically, you get a free subscription to Oprah or some other magazine women would be interested in if you buy X amount of DS or Wii stuff. Obviously, GameStop's core market is not females, so GameStop's HQ sent out this pathetically sexist training video to all their stores, informing employees how to sell things to females.
If the video wasn't good enough for you, then check after the break for an (NSFW) version with some hilarious commentary.
I'm pretty sure most of us here have played that NES classic, Contra. What better way to celebrate its legacy than to turn it into a series of LittleBigPlanet levels? Well, that's what a bunch of people from the NeoGAF forums thought of, and they decided to make it a reality in a collaborative effort called LittleBig Contra. Using a lot of assets (including the paint gun) from the Metal Gear Solid DLC, they've managed to make a near perfect conversion of the original game.
Here's a look at what you can expect:
To locate the levels in LittleBigPlanet, search for the creator's PSN names. I've listed all 8 levels below in this order, "Level Name: PSN Name"
Jungle: Leonidas2123
Base 1: SaitoHalifax
Waterfall: RyanardoDavinci
Base 2: SaitoHalifax
Snowfield: NinjaMicWZ
Energy Zone: El_Beefo
Hangar: Jaeyden
Alien's Lair: gevurah22
I've played through first two levels so far, and I must say that I am very impressed with their creative skills. I glanced at the others briefly, and they seem just as brilliant as the two I've already played. The only weak spot are the base levels. Remember how those were a 3D perspective in the original? Well, they tried to replicate it, and the results are decent at best. However, considering the circumstances and the limitations LittleBigPlanet placed on the level creators, I'm rather impressed. If you have a PS3 and LBP, you must seek out these levels as they are some of the best examples of what can be done with LittleBigPlanet's creation tools
Oh yeah, the Konami Code is most definitely in these levels.
So, you know Adam Sessler, host of G4TV's X-Play? Yeah, he pretty much showed how amazing he is yet again, as if his rally against bigots on Xbox Live and his complete ownage of Final Fantasy fanboys wasn't enough. Watch this video in response to the hate mail they received from SONY FANBOYS (not 360 fanboys, PS3 fanboys) accusing them of being biased in their 5/5 review of Killzone 2 for the PS3.
He comes vicious at both 360 fanboys claiming Gears of War 2 is better because IGN gave it .1 point higher than Killzone 2, and PS3 fanboys who claim they weren't serious because they sounded upset that it was a good game.
I for one applaud Adam for saying what needs to be said in this day of console fanboyism on the internet. Bravo, good sir, bravo.
There's a reason why I haven't done this in three weeks, you'll see why. Here's the release list for the last three weeks.
Playstation 3
Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii
• Lord of the Rings: Conquest
• Lord of the Rings: Conquest
• Deal Or No Deal • Fishing Master World Tour • Hotel for Dogs • Neighborhood Games • Paws and Claws Pet Resort
PSP
Nintendo DS
Playstation 2
NOTHING
PC • Cartoon Network Universe: Fusion Fall • Delta Force 10th Anniversary Collection • Lord of the Rings: Conquest • Mirror's Edge
• Bigfoot: Collision Course • Elebits: The Adventures of Kai & Zero • Hotel for Dogs • Inkheart • Jumble Madness • Lord of the Rings: Conquest • Moon • Paws and Claws Pampered Pets • Personal Trainer: Math
NOTHING
Very exciting for not doing it in such a long time, I know. First thing worth mentioning is Mirror's Edge on the PC. If you have a good gaming PC and haven't experienced the game yet, please do so. Mirror's Edge is easily one of the five best games of last year. Yeah, the game is technically "short", but it never feels short. The pacing and length feels perfect. After you beat the game, there's plenty more to do, such as speedruns on all the game's levels and trying to beat your friend's scores on the online leaderboards. Please, don't skip this game. Give EA your support by buying the game. Let them know that they are truly headed down the right direction with innovative, original titles like Mirror's Edge.
The other title worth talking about is Elebits: The Adventures of Kai and Zero for the DS. In case you don't know, I'm like one of two people that actually bought and enjoyed the first Elebits game on the Wii, so I was intrigued when I heard there was a DS version coming. A few weeks ago, I downloaded the demo to my DS from the Nintendo Channel on the Wii and played through it. I thought it was pretty fun, but repetitive and nowhere near as good as the original. What's different about the DS version is that it's structured more like an RPG/Adventure rather than a puzzle game. I'm not really sure what else to say about it. It's merely a decent game that's kinda fun. I certainly wouldn't rush out and buy it right now, but maybe when it hits $10 or so in a few months.
I'm sure you've heard the news about EGM being shut down in the whole UGO buying 1UP thing. For those who don't know, EGM's closing marks the end of a 20 year legacy and the passing of one of the biggest influences on gaming journalism (and gaming as a whole).
In honor of EGM's closing, the Drunken Gamers Radio podcast has dedicated this week's episode to reminisce on the glory years of the magazine and their early memories of it. In addition, hosts John, Moe, and Hilden bring in special guests and former EGM employees, "Trickman" Terry Minnich, Ken "Sushi-X" Williams, and Dan Hsu to talk about their time working at the magazine.
Many podcasts have dedicated themselves to the EGM/1UP closing, but DGR has done the best job of any of them. This podcast is highly recommended listening for everyone here since we all have a soft spot in our hearts for classic gaming. Even if you're not familiar with EGM, this podcast should help you realize just how big of an influence EGM had on the gaming world and how huge this closing really is.
I'm not dead, I just took a week off to do my final exams and stuff like that. Plus, this time of year is dead anyways, so I figured it could wait. So, here's what came out last week and what's out this week.
Playstation 3
Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii
• Rise of the Argonauts • Sonic Unleashed (get the Wii/PS2 version instead)
• Rise of the Argonauts
• Calvin Tucker's Redneck Jamboree • Neopets Puzzle Adventure • Rock Band 2 • Summer Sports 2: Island Sports Party • The Tale of Despereaux • Word Jong Party
PSP
Nintendo DS
Playstation 2
• Dungeon Maker II: The Hidden War
PC • Band Manager • Lost Secrets: Bermuda Triangle • Hidden Expedition: Amazon • Hired Guns: The Jagged Edge • Prince of Persia • Rise of the Argonauts • RPG Fantasy Action Pack • The Tale of Despereaux • Zoo Tycoon 2 Ultimate Collection
• Animal Boxing • Australia Zoo Quest • Build-a-Lot • Candace Kane's Candy Factory • Cate West The Vanishing Files • Driver's Ed Portable • Dreamer: Horse Trainer • Dreamer: Puppy Trainer • Learn Math • Left Brain Right Brain 2 • Mystery P.I.: Portrait of a Thief • Slingo Quest • The Tale of Despereaux
• Rock Band 2 • Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 • The Tale of Despereaux
Very boring, am I right? Get used to it. That's what the next few weeks are going to be like.
The only highlight here is Persona 4 for the PS2. I don't know much about it other than it's a weeaboo JRPG with an even more weeaboo translation that keeps all the honorifics and stuff on there. Also, you commit suicide to gain powers. Apparently it's good if you're into that kind of thing, but I'll stick to Fallout 3 thank you very much.
So, next week, I don't think anything is coming out. Literally, nothing.
Sorry for being so late with this, but this is the last week of the semester for me before finals, so the professors have been dumping all sorts of homework on me. Yippie. So, I need to keep it short and sweet this week.
Playstation 3
Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii
• Prince of Persia • SingStar ABBA
• Destroy All Humans 3: Path of Furon • Prince of Persia
• Bigfoot: Collision Course • Family Party: 30 Great Games • King of Fighters Orochi Saga • Mushroom Men: Spore Wars • My Fitness Coach • Nancy Drew: The White Wolf • Safecracker • Ski & Shoot • SPRay • The Tale of Despereaux
PSP
Nintendo DS
Playstation 2
NOTHING
PC • Disney's Bolt • Grand Theft Auto IV • Neopets Puzzle Adventure • The Tale of Despereaux • A Vampyre Story • Zoo Tycoon 2 Ultimate
• Animal Boxing • Dreamer: Puppy Trainer • Emma at the Farm • Emma in the Mountains • Happy Cooking • Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi • My Fun Facts Coach • Prince of Persia: The Fallen King • Slingo Quest • The Tale of Despereaux • Wordfish
• Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories • SingStar ABBA • The Tale of Despereaux
Yet another slow week, but there's some good stuff. Such as Prince of Persia. This installment in the long-running series has UbiSoft trying to reinvent the game with a new cel-shaded Okamiesque art style and open world gameplay...and apparently the results are good if early reviews are to be believed.
The other big game I'm interested in this week is Mushroom Men for the Wii. Why is this shovelware sounding game so intriguing? First of all, the game's music was composed and performed by none other than Primus bassist, Les Claypool. However, what makes the game really interesting is that the entire game is synced to a metronome that runs at 120 beats per minute. The result is a very unique look and sound that I've never seen in a video game before. It really must be seen to be fully understood, so take a look at this trailer from GameVideos about the metronome system. IGN also has a great article about the system. Oh, I supposed I should probably mention what the gameplay is like. Well, it's basically your standard platformer, but with some neat MDK2/Fallout 3 like weapon creation elements. I just hope the gameplay is as brilliant as the metronome system, but even if it isn't, I know I'll like the game since it's a bold experiment in sound design. Unfortunately, I can't afford to buy this game right away. If anyone gets this game or hears anything about it, leave a comment, because I'm dying to know how this game turned out.
Oh yeah, there's some new Kingdom Hearts game out this week on the good ol PS2. It's a 3D remake of the GBA game, Chain of Memories entitled Re:Chain of Memories (clever). Since I don't know anything about Kingdom Hearts other than a lot of weeabos that don't normally like Disney love this game...probably for "kawaii" artwork and stuff. Never understood the appeal of this game.
If you missed out on the consoles, GTA IV will hit Windows this week in all it's SecuROM-protected "glory" (if you can call it that). Hooray DRM!
Anyways, check back next week when I'll be burned out by final exams. But then I'm done with school for a month.
Here's the post that makes the weekly release list look like child's play. The black friday deals! For those of you in Euroland or where ever and don't know what Black Friday is, it is the day after Thanksgiving here in the US in which all the stores try to get people to come in and buy stuff for Christmas by offering insane deals. Of course, many stores entice gamers to come in and get stuff, so here's what's being offered this year. Before I get into it, I want to give props to cheapassgamer.com, bfads.net, and blackfriday.info for all the information found in this post.
Please note that the deals in bold are the ones I recommend most of all.
To get started, choose a store below to see what they have to offer.
Gaming has changed. It's no longer about top-notch AAA blockbusters and quality games, it's an endless series of shovelware developed by guys in business suits and programmed by machines that follow their every command. Gaming has changed. ID tagged consumers carry ID tagged weapons, use ID tagged gear. Nanomachines inside their bodies enhance and regulate their tastes. Hannah Montana. High School Musical. Imagine. The letter Z. Everything is monitored and kept under control. Gaming has changed. The age of innovation has become the age of shovelware. All in the name of making of quick buck from unsuspecting consumers. And he who controls the gaming battlefield...controls history. Gaming has changed. When the battlefield is under total control... shovelware becomes routine.
Playstation 3
Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii
NOTHING!
• NPPL Championship Paintball 2009
• AMF Bowling World Lanes • Calvin Tucker's Redneck Jamboree • Cake Mania: In the Mix! • Championship Foosball • Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine • King of Fighters Orochi Saga • Safecracker • Skate City Heroes • Ski & Shoot • Winter Sports 2: The Next Challenge
PSP
Nintendo DS
Playstation 2
NOTHING!
PC • Band Manager • Disney's Bolt • Gothic 3 Collector's Edition • Neopets • Zoo Tycoon 2 Ultimate
• Age of Empire: Mythologies • All Star Cheer Squad • Chrono Trigger • Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force • Cradle of Rome • Emma in the Mountains • Neopets Puzzle Adventure • Personal Trainer: Cooking • Syberia
NOTHING!
Looking through the ashes of the holiday season, I observe three beacons of hope for this week, even if they are all rereleases of things have have been out for at least ten years.
First among them is King of Fighters: Orochi Saga for the Wii. It's a compilation including the following games: King of Fighters '94, '95, '96, '97, '98, and '99. I don't have much experience with any of those games, but I know they're well liked by many people, so I thought I'd highlight it.
The next "good" game to come out this week is a DS remake of one of the most appreciated (and expensive to track down) games ever, Chrono Trigger. Originally released for the SNES in 1995, Chrono Trigger is yet another RPG from Square, and yet another game I've never had any desire to play. This new DS edition of the game has several all-new features including a couple of new dungeons, a new final boss with his own dungeon and ending that is unlocked after getting the original ending, two modes of play (DS and Classic), wireless play for 2-4 people, and arena mode, changes to the English script to more closely reelect the original Japanese game, no load times for the anime cutscenes (the same ones from the PS1 version included with Final Fantasy Chronicles), and improved sprites/music. But I honestly don't care. I've NEVER played Chrono Trigger, nor do I have much desire to since it looks like yet another generic JRPG grindfest. OH NO! I have sinned and tarnished the name of one of the "greatest games ever". So, RPG fans, why should I care about this game? What makes it different from other JRPGs? How does it innovate? Tell me why the hell I should play this game, and maybe I will.
However, the absolute highlight of the week is the long-awaited Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (aka: Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Dub Edition Remix Gaiden: The Director's Cut: Deluxe Edition). In addition to being the newest member of the ridiculously long name club (along with Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars), it's a member of the awesome downloadable games from Capcom club. What makes this remake so great and worth getting? First off, the sprites have been upgraded, BIG TIME! Just check out this comparison of Ryu, this one of Ken, and this one of Akuma. Quite the difference if I must say so myself. These awesome sprites will be rendered in 1080p HD goodness along with plenty of new features including an optional "rebalanced" mode that changes around the balance of the characters, training mode, both widescreen and standard 4:3 aspect ratios, a remixed soundtrack created by people at OverClocked Remix (the original soundtrack is there too if you prefer to hear that, the ability to use either the new sprites or the old ones from the original, and, of course, online play with voice chat, matchmaking, stat tracking, and leaderboards. The best part is that this whole package is going to be selling for only $15 on both Xbox Live Arcade (out Wednesday) and Playstation Network (out Tuesday). In addition, PSN people will be getting a free Street Fighter Underground soundtrack with original songs by hip-hop artists like Redman, DJ Qbert, and Heiroglyphics. I don't know about you, but I am ultra pumped for this game because I haven't played Street Fighter II (or any fighter) in quite some time, and I really want to get back into the groove of things. In addition, the online modes sound awesome as well. So, anyone getting it for PS3? Wanna set up some matches? I bet I know the answer to that: no. Whatever. Hope you like not having fun.
That's all for this week. Hopefully you all enjoyed my pretentious as hell intro.
•Alone In The Dark: Inferno •Disney's Bolt •Karaoke Revolution: American Idol Encore 2 •Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe •NCAA Basketball 2009 •Need for Speed Undercover •NPPL Championship Paintball 2009 •Rock Band Track Pack Volume 2 •Shaun White Snowboarding •Tomb Raider Underworld
•Disney's Bolt •Karaoke Revolution: American Idol Encore 2 •The Last Remnant •Left 4 Dead •Lips (Oh, how far iNiS has fallen) •Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe •Naruto: The Broken Bond •NCAA Basketball 2009 •Need for Speed Undercover •NPPL Championship Paintball 2009 •Rock Band Track Pack Volume 2 •Shaun White Snowboarding •Tomb Raider Underworld •You're In The Movies
•Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun •AMF Bowling World Lanes •Animal Crossing: City Folk (Nintendo's hardcore game for this Fall!) •Castlevania: Judgment (It's the crappy looking fighter, move on) •Championship Foosball •Cooking Mama World Kitchen •Disney's Bolt •Gallop and Ride (HAWT! Rated AO!) •Karaoke Revolution: American Idol Encore 2 •Merv Griffin's Crosswords •Need for Speed Undercover •NPPL Championship Paintball 2009 •Petz Crazy Monkeyz (THIS IS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE WII! Someone kill me now.) •Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party (For the love of God Ubisoft, make a REAL Rayman game again!) •Rock Band Track Pack Volume 2 •Shaun White Snowboarding •Skate City Heroes •Skate It •Sonic Unleashed •Tomb Raider Underworld •Ultimate Band
PSP
Nintendo DS
Playstation 2
•Need for Speed Undercover •Shaun White Snowboarding
PC
•Chronicles of Mystery: Scorpio Ritual •CSI: New York •Disney's Bolt •Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods Left 4 Dead •Left 4 Dead •Legendary •Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria •Need for Speed Undercover •Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir •The Sims 2 Mansion & Garden Stuff •Tomb Raider Underworld •Spore Comic Book Creator •Spore Creepy and Cute Parts Pack
•Cradle of Rome •Disney's Bolt •Hello Kitty: Big City Dreams •Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades •Imagine: Ballet Star •Imagine: Movie Star •Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine •Luminous Arc 2 (More FATlus RPG action. Go nuts fanboys.) •Metal Slug 7 •Need for Speed Undercover •Robocalypse •Petz Catz Clan •Petz Monkeyz House •Petz Rescue Endangered Paradise •Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party •Rune Factory 2: Fantasy Harvest Moon •Shaun White Snowboarding •Skate It •Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff •Tomb Raider Underworld •Tony Hawk's Motion •Ultimate Band
•Burnout Anthology •Disney's Bolt •Dynasty Warriors 6 •NCAA Basketball 2009 •Need for Speed Undercover •NPPL Championship Paintball 2009 •Pop Star Guitar •Rock Band Track Pack Volume 2 •Shaun White Snowboarding •Sonic Unleashed
Things are starting to slow down as we approach the holidays, in fact, next week there will be next to nothing released, but it's not next week, so we have an insane amount of games to deal with.
First among them is Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, which is getting surprisingly great reviews, a 79 on MetaCritic at the moment. As you can figure out from the title, it's a new Mortal Kombat game, but featuring characters from DC Comics. For those of you not well-versed in your comic knowledge, DC includes Batman, Superman, and Green Lantern. Oh, and get this, the story is apparently pretty damn good, especially for a fighting game! But all is not rosy, because the American version is censored in order to maintain a Teen rating.
Don't want a fighting game? Then maybe Tomb Raider Underworld would be a good choice. Underworld is the latest installment in the long-running series with gaming's best-known female star. This time, it looks like they're trying to follow in the footsteps of Naughty Dog's incredible PS3 exclusive from last year, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. Interesting that a franchise that inspired a game is getting inspiration from that same game, but such is life. However, one that that Underworld innovates on is truly adjustable difficulty, which allows you to change all sorts of settings including enemy damage, damage you take, ammo capacity, and more. To find out more about the innovative approach Crystal Dynamics took to the game's difficulty, check out MTV Multiplayer. I've not played the game, but I hope others take a hint from Underworld and give us settings like Underworld has.
And because we need more installments in long-running franchises, Sonic Unleashed comes out this week (at least for PS2 and Wii, the 360 version has apparently been delayed to next week, and the ps3 edition isn't coming until next month). So far, only the Wii version has been reviewed, and it's been scoring decently. Everyone seems to say that the daytime speed levels are awesome ane a throwback to the glory days of Sonic, but the nighttime levels are slow and tedious. Why does it seem like for every good idea in a new Sonic game, there has to be something that totally screws up the rest of the experience? No clue. I honestly think Sega needs to take a good look at Bionic Commando Rearmed and Mega Man 9 and see what they are doing and apply those lessons to Sonic.
Yet another entry in a long-running series comes out this week. Metal Slug 7 for the DS. It's pretty much what you expect, Metal Slug, but on the DS. There's really nothing else to say about it. It's Metal Slug...in your pocket. Speaking of more of the same, Animal Crossing: City Folk comes out this week and according to reviews, it's pretty much the same thing as the GameCube edition, but now with online play.
Perhaps the most surprising game of the week has got to be Skate It for the Wii. I thought it had the potential to be as good as the PS360 version of the game, but figured it would suck. However, IGN gave it a GLOWING reivew that really piqued my interest. In case you don't know, Skate It is a toned down version of one of this generation's best games, skate., but with added Wiimote and Balance Board controls. I don't know that I want this game right now considering skate 2 is coming out in January, but I'm so happy to know it doesn't suck.
But the biggest game of the week is undoubtedly Valve's co-op zombie shooter Left 4 Dead. Based on the demo, this game is DEFINITELY one to get! I'll be getting it very soon, probably for Christmas. Who's up for some online action (on the PC)?! I really don't have much to say that hasn't already been said about the game. So go look up one of the many other previews.
Also out this week is The Last Remnant, some Square RPG I don't care about, and a track pack for Rock Band for those of you who hate downloadable content (most of you here, unfortunately).
Check back next week for a rather subdued list...and the return of RF Generation's most-read blog article EVAR!
So, uh, past tense. Here's what came out this past week:
Playstation 3
Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii
•Call of Duty: World at War •Mirror's Edge •Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 •WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009
•Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts •Call of Duty: World at War •Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 •Mirror's Edge •Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 •WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009
•Big League Sports •Block Party •Bratz Kidz: Slumber Party •Call of Duty: World at War •Candace Kane's Candy Factory •FaceBreaker K.O. Party •Guinness World Records: The Videogame •Hasbro Family Game Night •Imagine: Party Babyz •Kung Fu Panda: Legendary Warriors •Luxor 3 •Monkey Mischief: Party Time •Mortimer Beckett and the Secrets of Spooky Manor •Pet Pals Animal Doctor •Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World •WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009
PSP
Nintendo DS
Playstation 2
•Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 •WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009
PC
•Call of Duty: World at War •CSI: New York •History Channel Civil War: Secret Missions •Petz Horsez Club •Sacred 2: Fallen Angel •Secret Service: Ultimate Sacrifice •World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
•Amazing Adventures: Forgotten Ruins •Avatar - The Last Airbender: Into the Inferno •Call of Duty: World at War •futureU: The Prep Game for SAT •Guinness World Records: The Videogame •Hello Kitty Daily Kung Fu Panda: Legendary Warriors •My Stop Smoking Coach with Allen Carr •National Geographic Panda •Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia •Pony Friends: Mini Breeds Edition •Populous •Sally's Salon •Six Flags Fun Park •Star Wars Clone Wars: Jedi Alliance •Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff •Tropix •Zoo Vet: Endangered Animals •Winx Club: Mission Enchantix •WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009
•Eternal Poison (It's a FATlus RPG, go nuts fanboys) •Hasbro Family Game Night •Onimusha: The Essentials (This is NEVER coming out) •Pop Star Guitar •Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 •Think Fast •WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009
One of the biggest games this week is Call of Duty: World at War, the first game in the popular series since last year's awesome Modern Warfare. This game takes the series back to its WW2 roots...and back to off-year developer Treyarch, two strikes against the game in the eyes of many fans of last year's Infinity Ward developed installment. However, don't be worried because I think the game looks great, especially since it keeps the same addictive multiplayer XP/perk system found in 4...AND BECAUSE IT HAS NAZI ZOMBIES! How can you say no to that?! Well, other than saying "I'm waiting for Left 4 Dead next week".
Next up is Mirror's Edge, the ambitious first person running game from BattleField developers, EA DICE. In case you've been living under a rock, Mirror's Edge is a first person game inspired by Parkour, or free running, in which you play as Faith, a messenger who is being pursued by the man. Based on the demo on PS3, I must say it's one of the best games I've played this year, and definitely the most original big-budget disc-based game of the year. Don't let IGN'sBSreviews fool you, Mirror's Edge is a game worth getting.
Of course the biggest game of the week is World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Litch King, the latest expansion to the wildly popular MMORPG. I really don't know much about WoW except it steals your life and turns you into a fatass basement-dwelling neckbeard nerd. Needless to say, I've never played it, but I've seen what happens to friends that get into it, and it scares me off from playing...plus the game looks boring as heck.
Also out this week is Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts (the awesome N64 platformer is back...with little platforming and lots of vehicle building), Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 (360 this time, in case you missed it on the PC), Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff (The classic is back...with no NFL license), Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia (moar Pokemans, hopefully moar mudkipz), and Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World (people like the Tales series from what I know...)
Honestly, I can't say much about this video without ruining it for you. So, just press play.
Japan never ceases to amaze me. This could rank in the top game advertisements of all-time with the Japanese ad for God Hand. Kudos SCEJ bringing us the best game related marketing rap since the infamous Zelda Rap (or All I Want For Xmas Is A PSP, take your pick).
•History Channel Civil War: Secret Mission •James Bond 007: Quantum of Solace •Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa •Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm •Resistance 2 (Also available as a collector's edition) •Tom Clancy's End War •Valkyria Chronicles
•Gears of War 2 (Also available as a collector's edition) •History Channel Civil War: Secret Mission •James Bond 007: Quantum of Solace •Legendary •Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa •Namco Museum Virtual Arcade •Secret Service: Ultimate Sacrifice •Tom Clancy's End War
•Bratz Kidz: Slumber Party •James Bond 007: Quantum of Solace •Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa •Monster Lab •Movie Games (What?) •North American Hunting Extravaganza •Petz Sports (Sports totally should have ended with a z) •Pop Star Guitar •Rubik's World
PSP
Nintendo DS
Playstation 2
•Tom Clancy's End War
PC •CSI: New York •Guitar Hero III/Aerosmith Bundle James Bond 007: Quantum of Solace •Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa •Operation Mania •Petz Sports •Princess Pack •Realms of Arkania Trilogy •Space Trader
•Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Snow Princess •Dragonball: Origins •Exit DS •futureU: The Prep Game for SAT •Goosebumps HorrorLand •Guitar Rock Tour •Hello Kitty Daily •Imagine: Interior Designer •Imagine: Wedding Designer •Korg DS-10 •James Bond 007: Quantum of Solace •Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ •Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa •Monster Lab •My Baby Boy •My Baby Girl •Petz Dogz Pack •Pony Friends: Mini Breeds Edition •Princess on Ice •Real Soccer 2009 •Theresia (Holy shit, an M rated game on the DS!) •Tom Clancy's End War •Winx Club: Mission Enchantix (That's one x away from XXX) •Zoo Vet: Endangered Animals
•Call of Duty: World at War Final Fronts •Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World •History Channel Civil War:Secret Mission •James Bond 007: Quantum of Solace •Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa •Monster Lab •NHL 09 •Onimusha: The Essentials (I highly doubt it) •Pop Star Guitar •Secret Service: Ultimate Sacrifice •Think Fast
If you haven't joined the new age of gaming and don't like downloading games, you may want to check out Namco Museum Virtual Arcade since it includes many games available on the Xbox Live Arcade service on one disc including Galaga Legions, Pac-Man Championship Edition, Mr. Driller Online, Pac-Man, Galaga, Ms. Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Xevious, and New Rally-X. Achievement whores will be happy to know that all the XBLA games on the disc retain their achievement points, so you can further boost your e-penis. In addition to all those (mostly) excellent XBLA games, there's the usual cross-section of classic Namco games that you've come to expect from the Namco Museum series.
This week also sees the release of the latest James Bond game, Quantum of Solace. This looks pretty good because it is based on one of the best FPS engines out there, the Call of Duty 4 engine. Reviews, however, have been a mixed bag so far, so be cautious.
Next up is the the game of the year based on just the title, Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ for the DS. It's sort of a shmup with fairy tales and zombies. Surprisingly, it's getting good reviews on the interwebs. Plus, it's only $20, so what do you have to lose? NOTHING! That's the answer!
The most unique (and sure to be rare) release of the week is the Korg DS-10 synthesizer for the DS. In case you don't know what this is, it's a full-featured Korg synthesizer for only $35. Want to learn more? Watch it in action on the June 20th episode of the 1UP Show. Want to buy the game? Chances are you'll have to order it online because almost no retailers are carrying it, including GameStop.
Also out this week are two big name exclusive shooters: Gears of War 2 for the Xbox 360 and Resistance 2 for the PS3. I'm not a Gears fan, so I'll spare you my thoughts on that game (actually, horde mode in that game looks hella fun), but I did try out the "beta" (aka demo) of Resistance 2 and had quite a fun time in both competitive and co-op modes. Haven't played the single player mode, but judging by how multiplayer is and how the first game was (and my Insomniac Games fanboyism), it should be awesome.
Rounding out the week is Valkyria Chronicles (Sega's incredible PS3 exclusive RPG/Third Person Shooter combo), Naruto Ultimate Ninja: Storm (BELIEVE IT!), and Tom Clancy's End War (an RTS that you can control entirely using your voice, which is actually pretty fun based on the demo).
Again, I am sooooooooooo sorry for how late this is and how it doesn't live up to my usual standards. Things got in the way Sunday and Monday, and then the election was last night. Hopefully you all forgive me enough to check back next time.
Very exciting for not doing it in such a long time, I know. First thing worth mentioning is Mirror's Edge on the PC. If you have a good gaming PC and haven't experienced the game yet, please do so. Mirror's Edge is easily one of the five best games of last year. Yeah, the game is technically "short", but it never feels short. The pacing and length feels perfect. After you beat the game, there's plenty more to do, such as speedruns on all the game's levels and trying to beat your friend's scores on the online leaderboards. Please, don't skip this game. Give EA your support by buying the game. Let them know that they are truly headed down the right direction with innovative, original titles like Mirror's Edge.
I'm sure you've heard the news about EGM being shut down in the whole UGO buying 1UP thing. For those who don't know, EGM's closing marks the end of a 20 year legacy and the passing of one of the biggest influences on gaming journalism (and gaming as a whole).
No matter what language you speak, there are no games out this week. So, Merry Christmas everyone!
Very boring, am I right? Get used to it. That's what the next few weeks are going to be like.
Yet another slow week, but there's some good stuff. Such as Prince of Persia. This installment in the long-running series has UbiSoft trying to reinvent the game with a new cel-shaded Okamiesque art style and open world gameplay...and apparently the results are good if early reviews are to be believed.
If anyone gets this game or hears anything about it, leave a comment, because I'm dying to know how this game turned out.
Looking through the ashes of the holiday season, I observe three beacons of hope for this week, even if they are all rereleases of things have have been out for at least ten years.
Things are starting to slow down as we approach the holidays, in fact, next week there will be next to nothing released, but it's not next week, so we have an insane amount of games to deal with.
One of the biggest games this week is Call of Duty: World at War, the first game in the popular series since last year's awesome Modern Warfare. This game takes the series back to its WW2 roots...and back to off-year developer Treyarch, two strikes against the game in the eyes of many fans of last year's Infinity Ward developed installment. However, don't be worried because I think the game looks great, especially since it keeps the same addictive multiplayer XP/perk system found in 4...
If you haven't joined the new age of gaming and don't like downloading games, you may want to check out Namco Museum Virtual Arcade since it includes many games available on the Xbox Live Arcade service on one disc including Galaga Legions, Pac-Man Championship Edition, Mr. Driller Online, Pac-Man, Galaga, Ms. Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Xevious, and New Rally-X. 
