Consider this one a public service announcement for those of you still desperately searching for a Wii - according to a rumor posted over at Kotaku, Amazon.com will be putting their inventory of Nintendo's Wii up for sale today (10/31) at 1pm EST/10am PST.
Even if the rumor is true, don't expect them to last long - the Wii is still highly in demand, and I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who are going to be clicking like mad as zero hour approaches. If you're going to give it a shot, let me be the first to wish you the best of luck.
While one might assume that today's Xbox Live Arcade release would have a somewhat spooky flavor to it in honor of Halloween, that just isn't the case. What we do get is Mutant Storm Empire, the sequel to one of the Live Arcade's earliest titles Mutant Storm Reloaded.
While I haven't had a chance to try Empire yet, according to the product description and most of the previews I've read, Pom Pom Games has done away with my biggest complaint about it's predecessor - namely, the "level-based" nature of the game. Mutant Storm Empire promises to play all sixteen of it's levels as one continuous experience. If you're like me and prefer that your arcade games to ramp up the difficulty without any kind of break in the action, this could well be a major selling point for you. There is also one other new option worthy of note here - the game will now support two-player co-op action, which should certainly add a whole new flavor to the game.
Ultimately, I think my purchasing decision for Mutant Storm Empire will be based less on it's price tag (800 points - $10), and more on just how long each of said levels are. Mutant Storm Reloaded was a game where each level seemed to end just as it was becoming exciting, and while Empire may remove the delay between levels, if each level is still overly short, those sixteen levels could go by far too quickly. Call it a personal preference, but I feel the best arcade-style shooters are the ones that have that never-ending feeling. Mind you, they don't have to actually be never ending, just make the game long enough that it will take a good while to attain the necessary skill to reach that end. As an example, while it wasn't a shooter, I think many (including myself) felt cheated every time that timer ran out in Pac-Man Championship Edition. (Do you hear me Namco? I'm more than willing to pay again for a version of the game with no timers!) Without a doubt, one of the great features of some of the earliest arcade games was their ability to be played forever on a single coin.
My lecture on arcade game design done, it's time to take a look at the particulars surrounding Mutant Storm Empire;
Title: Mutant Storm Empire
Developer: Pom Pom Games
Publisher: Pom Pom Games
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/31/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E10 (Everyone 10+) - Fantasy Violence
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"There's this evil emperor, see, and … well, he's evil. Now someone has decided to put a stop to the whole evilness thing, and that someone is you. It's the right thing to do! Besides, in Mutant Storm Empire, it'll be fun. Battle through line after line of the emperor's minion horde, destroying absolutely everything you can! Blast through bunches of robots, crush colonies of aquatic monsters, smash swarms of UFOs, and demolish devastating bosses. It's a continuous adventure through four immense, strikingly vibrant worlds, and you can fight alone or join forces with a friend in two-player cooperative mode. Enjoy the frenzy!
- The art of blasting: Practice the way of "Blastikkidoo" or the art of blasting, as you plow through the different worlds in Mutant Storm Empire. This all-new sequel to Mutant Storm Reloaded ratchets up the competitive challenge!
- Numerous levels: The four different worlds feature sixteen challenging levels, all in gorgeous high-def 3-D graphics.
- Multiplayer modes: Play co-op offline with a friend, or head into Xbox LIVE® territory and go multiplayer for up to 2 people.
- Achievements: Twelve new achievements to master ranging from easy, such as getting a single combo of beasties, to difficult, such as completing the game on the Black Belt level." - Xbox.com
As for last week's Live Arcade releases, I stand by my comments on each - Battlestar Galactica is still trash and Exit is a game that has a bit of potential for those who enjoy puzzle solving platformers. While I may never even look at BSG again, I'll certainly be revisiting Exit at some point in the future.
You'll have to pardon how brief I keep this post, but I'm feeling quite a bit under the weather at the moment and really want nothing more than to crawl back into bed and go to sleep.
My health aside, what we're here to talk about is the Xbox Live Arcade - namely the fact that Microsoft not only announced which title would be seeing release this week (Mutant Storm Empire - 800 points), but also gave us a peek into what games will be coming in the immediate future.
While Castle Crashers is still nowhere in sight, here are a few of the titles we can expect to see in the coming weeks;
While a few of those titles sound like they could have potential, I have to say that nothing there really gets me excited - then again, the way I'm feeling right now, not much probably would. It's kind of hard to sound enthusiastic when your only goal in life at the moment is to go back to bed.
You know, sometimes when I'm putting these lists together, I completely blank on a game or two. I bring this up, because last week, I completely forgot about the Sunday release of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. Yes, I suck - it's true. I apologize for any inconvenience that omission may have caused anyone living under a rock.
It's because I feel so bad about the whole thing that I'm not only going to include GH3 with this week's release list, I'm also going to make it my pick of the week. Guitar Hero III, as you are no doubt aware, is the latest game in Activision's massively popular rhythm game series - and this time around, it's more than just a new set of songs. Whether it's because of new developer Neversoft, the looming competition coming from Rock Band or just a natural progression of the series, GH3 introduces guitar battles to the mix in order to liven things up. Guitar battles are played much like the standard game, with the exception that instead of generating star power, players generate power-ups that can be used to make life more difficult for the competition.
The power-ups take the form of such dirty tricks as temporarily raising the skill level an opponent is playing, doubling the number of notes on screen, breaking parts of your nemesis' guitar and even going so far as to reverse the notes being played on screen. All's fair in love and rock, I guess.
The other big news with Guitar Hero III is that it marks the series' debut on the PlayStation 3 and Wii, as well as being the first time a wireless guitar is being offered for the Xbox 360. Now gamers can rock the night away free from the danger of yanking their consoles off the shelf. Rock on dude.
Now that we've talked about GH3, let's get on with this week's retail highlights;
Be sure to check out the below list for all the titles you can expect to find at retail this week.
Please keep in mind these are only estimated release dates and could change at any time.
A single player demo of Crytek's highly anticipated shooter Crysis is now available for the PC via most of your favorite file download sites. Approximate download size is 1.77GB.
Please note: Crytek strongly recommends that you update your video drivers before attempting to play this demo.
About an hour ago, I went out in search of a store that would have the Wood Swarm theme deck for The Eye of Judgment in stock, and happened to stop in my local Walmart on the long shot that they would have it. While I didn't find the theme deck, what I did find were a few accessories for the Xbox 360 on clearance.
While I can't say for certain that the same will be in effect at every Walmart, this store had the following items on clearance;
While many gamers won't care about the remote or memory card, the Wireless Gaming Receiver is a nifty little item that will allow you to use your wireless Xbox 360 accessories on your PC.
Bottom line? If you're in the vicinity of a Walmart anytime soon, you may want to stop in and check out the gaming section to see if there are any deals available.
A demo of Screenlife Games' Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action for the Xbox 360 is now available for download in all regions except Asia via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Download size is approximately 619.00MB.
While we're on the subject of this week's PlayStation Store updates, Sony has finally gotten around to releasing another classic PlayStation title for both the PlayStation 3 and PSP. Spyro the Dragon, the first in the now familiar series of games, is available for download through the PlayStation store at a cost of $5.99.
"Meet Spyro, the adorable and mischievous little dragon on a GIGANTIC adventure. Take on an astonishing and completely 3D platform adventure game unlike any other! Take a wonderful journey as you glide, fly, roll, and frolic through fantasy worlds." - PlayStation.com
I remember playing Spyro when it first came out back in 1998, and despite my general dislike of platform style games, I did enjoy my time with it. Maybe it was the fact that the main character was a dragon, or maybe just the fact that I found making Spyro charge headlong into objects utterly hilarious, but I did like it.
That said, I still won't be purchasing this one. I've got my Emotion Engine equipped PS3 and the original game right here, so there's no need to shell out any more cash for nostalgia's sake. I do wonder if part of the reason Sony is backing away from any support for backward compatibility is so they can rake in the cash the same way Nintendo does with the Wii and it's Virtual Console. Just something to consider.
One of the item's released in this week's PlayStation Store update was EyeCreate - a free program for the PlayStation 3 that will allow PlayStation Eye owners to edit their own videos using the console.
"PLAYSTATION®Eye required. EyeCreate™ is the first video editing software for the PLAYSTATION®3. Using EyeCreate™ and the PLAYSTATION®Eye camera, you can capture video, audio and even photos which can then be edited into a movie. An extensive list of special effects such as Color Filters, Distortions, Art Filters and Motion Trails can give your video a professional touch. There are even advanced features such as Time Lapse and Stop Motion to experiment with. Once you're done creating and editing your masterpiece, Export it to watch it on the Video folder of the XMB. EyeCreate™ will let you express yourself and get creative!" - PlayStation Store
While I do understand the need to support the just-released PlayStation Eye camera, I do have to wonder why this wasn't just included with the Eye itself. Ultimately, EyeCreate sounds like a nifty little program for those looking for some simple video creation fun - and since the price is right (free), it certainly couldn't hurt to give it a download.
Following in the footsteps of the latest MAME update, MAME32 v.120.1, the Windows GUI port of MAME v.120u1 is now available. The same advice I gave about the latest build of MAME applies to this version of MAME32 as well.
Check out the official MAME32 page here for more details and the download links.
The updates continue on the Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator, as version .120u1 is now available for download. This update focuses on improvements to Namco System 21 emulation as well as the addition of a new generic polygon rendering system for multi-core processors.
Because of these changes, unless you’ve been having a problem with your current installation, I’d recommend holding off on upgrading until the next full release. As always, those of you interested in testing this build for the dev team should download the update and then head on over to MAME Testers to find out how to get started.
The updated emulator files can be found at the official MAME development page at Mamedev.org. You can Click here to see the full list of what’s new in this update.
It’s wednesday, and you know what that means - it’s time for another edition of Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays. Once again, it’s a double feature week as two more original titles find their way to the Live Arcade in the form of Battlestar Galactica and Exit.
Battlestar Galactica is a top down, free roaming shooter based on the current incarnation of the show of the same name. You take the side of either the human race or Cylon empire and fly about, performing missions to advance your cause in either a free-play mode or a campaign. Online, the game also offers domination and multiplayer dogfight game modes for up to 8 players.
Having just finished playing both of today’s releases, I feel pretty confident in saying that while Battlestar Galactica is a pretty game, there’s not much meat to it. At 800 points ($10), I certainly could think of better games to spend the money on, so my advice to you is to be sure to try the demo before you buy this one.
Title: Battlestar Galactica
Developer: Auran
Publisher: Sierra Online
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/24/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4 / 2-8 Online
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E10 - Everyone 10+ (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Enter the Battlestar Galactica universe in Battlestar Galactica™. Sign up to defend the Galactica, or play as the ruthless Cylons as they seek to remove the Human Race from existence. Pilot iconic ships from the Viper II to the Heavy Raider and lead your squadron in enormous fast-action multiplayer space combat (with up to eight players online) or play through the exciting single-player campaign.
- Single-player campaign: Pilot various ships and complete memorable missions from the TV series.
- Multiplayer game mode: Play online with up to eight players in this relentless space-based action shooter in Firefight, Skirmish, and Domination modes.
- Spaceships: Pilot four human and four Cylon ships, from the Viper II to the Heavy Raider, each with unique weapon capabilities.
- Special weapons: Coordinate attacks with an arsenal of destructive weapons including missiles, guns, and more.
- Defensive maneuvers: Avoid annihilation with the barrel roll, quick turnabouts, and other aerial moves." - Xbox.com
The second Live Arcade title of the week shows a little more promise if side scrolling platform puzzle games are to your liking. Exit is a stylized take on the classic platformer where your mission is to escape from a series of buildings using items found throughout each of the game’s levels. Adding to the mix is the need to rescue other people trapped in the building, and in many cases use them to help solve the puzzle that will allow you to escape unharmed.
The tutorial levels that I tried are fairly straight-forward and didn’t include any truly mind-bending puzzles, so I really don’t know whether or not this one is going to live up to it’s promise. As usual, my advice is for you to download the demo and see whether or not the game suits your tastes.
In my case, while I liked the puzzle solving aspect of the game (despite the tutorials simplicity), I found that it was just a little too slow paced for me to really get into - which is why I didn’t play the tutorial levels all the way to their completion. it’s one of those titles that I’ll probably go back to soon in order to see if it still leaves me cold or if I was just feeling a bit impatient today. I guess the best thing I can say about Exit is that it reminds me of a cross between the Castle of Dr Brain and Mario vs Donkey Kong.
Title: Exit
Developer: TAITO Corporation
Publisher: TAITO Corporation
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/24/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E (Everyone) Cartoon Violence
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Meet Mr. ESC, otherwise known as Mr. Escape. Mr. ESC is an escape artist whose objective is to save people from disastrous situations, clearing each danger-filled stage within a limited amount of time. Save lives in EXIT®, a frantic, mind-stretching, action-packed puzzle game!
- Frantic rescue action: As Mr. ESC, take control and rescue people from dangers like fires and earthquakes. Turn them into Companions and lead them to safety.
- Puzzle-solving skills required: Use your Companions by commanding them to use items, solve puzzles, and reach the exit within the time limit.
- Companion abilities: The different Companions you save have different abilities. Young Companions have average abilities, Adults are strong, and Kids can make it through tight passages. Be sure to save the injured Patients as well.
- Multiple stages: There are over 120 challenging stages to escape, and even more stages will be available for download.
- Twelve new achievements and leaderboard: Master twelve new achievements, and compete for the best stage times on the leaderboards to prove you are the greatest escape artist in the world!" - Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade titles, I couldn’t really get into either of them. Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe suffers from both control issues and a general lack of solid fun that easily makes it (imho) not worth the price that’s being asked for it. Every Extend Extra Extreme, while a good title, just didn’t fit my tastes. The game’s design makes you feel more of a spectator than an active participant, and I found myself growing bored of it quickly. It’s not a case where I’ll say it’s a bad game, just one that I’ll say I don’t particularly care for.
It’s wednesday, and you know what that means - it’s time for another edition of Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays. Once again, it’s a double feature week as two more original titles find their way to the Live Arcade in the form of Battlestar Galactica and Exit.
Battlestar Galactica is a top down, free roaming shooter based on the current incarnation of the show of the same name. You take the side of either the human race or Cylon empire and fly about, performing missions to advance your cause in either a free-play mode or a campaign. Online, the game also offers domination and multiplayer dogfight game modes for up to 8 players.
Having just finished playing both of today’s releases, I feel pretty confident in saying that while Battlestar Galactica is a pretty game, there’s not much meat to it. At 800 points ($10), I certainly could think of better games to spend the money on, so my advice to you is to be sure to try the demo before you buy this one.
Title: Battlestar Galactica
Developer: Auran
Publisher: Sierra Online
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/24/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4 / 2-8 Online
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E10 - Everyone 10+ (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Enter the Battlestar Galactica universe in Battlestar Galactica™. Sign up to defend the Galactica, or play as the ruthless Cylons as they seek to remove the Human Race from existence. Pilot iconic ships from the Viper II to the Heavy Raider and lead your squadron in enormous fast-action multiplayer space combat (with up to eight players online) or play through the exciting single-player campaign.
- Single-player campaign: Pilot various ships and complete memorable missions from the TV series.
- Multiplayer game mode: Play online with up to eight players in this relentless space-based action shooter in Firefight, Skirmish, and Domination modes.
- Spaceships: Pilot four human and four Cylon ships, from the Viper II to the Heavy Raider, each with unique weapon capabilities.
- Special weapons: Coordinate attacks with an arsenal of destructive weapons including missiles, guns, and more.
- Defensive maneuvers: Avoid annihilation with the barrel roll, quick turnabouts, and other aerial moves." - Xbox.com
The second Live Arcade title of the week shows a little more promise if side scrolling platform puzzle games are to your liking. Exit is a stylized take on the classic platformer where your mission is to escape from a series of buildings using items found throughout each of the game’s levels. Adding to the mix is the need to rescue other people trapped in the building, and in many cases use them to help solve the puzzle that will allow you to escape unharmed.
The tutorial levels that I tried are fairly straight-forward and didn’t include any truly mind-bending puzzles, so I really don’t know whether or not this one is going to live up to it’s promise. As usual, my advice is for you to download the demo and see whether or not the game suits your tastes.
In my case, while I liked the puzzle solving aspect of the game (despite the tutorials simplicity), I found that it was just a little too slow paced for me to really get into - which is why I didn’t play the tutorial levels all the way to their completion. it’s one of those titles that I’ll probably go back to soon in order to see if it still leaves me cold or if I was just feeling a bit impatient today. I guess the best thing I can say about Exit is that it reminds me of a cross between the Castle of Dr Brain and Mario vs Donkey Kong.
Title: Exit
Developer: TAITO Corporation
Publisher: TAITO Corporation
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/24/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E (Everyone) Cartoon Violence
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Meet Mr. ESC, otherwise known as Mr. Escape. Mr. ESC is an escape artist whose objective is to save people from disastrous situations, clearing each danger-filled stage within a limited amount of time. Save lives in EXIT®, a frantic, mind-stretching, action-packed puzzle game!
- Frantic rescue action: As Mr. ESC, take control and rescue people from dangers like fires and earthquakes. Turn them into Companions and lead them to safety.
- Puzzle-solving skills required: Use your Companions by commanding them to use items, solve puzzles, and reach the exit within the time limit.
- Companion abilities: The different Companions you save have different abilities. Young Companions have average abilities, Adults are strong, and Kids can make it through tight passages. Be sure to save the injured Patients as well.
- Multiple stages: There are over 120 challenging stages to escape, and even more stages will be available for download.
- Twelve new achievements and leaderboard: Master twelve new achievements, and compete for the best stage times on the leaderboards to prove you are the greatest escape artist in the world!" - Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade titles, I couldn’t really get into either of them. Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe suffers from both control issues and a general lack of solid fun that easily makes it (imho) not worth the price that’s being asked for it. Every Extend Extra Extreme, while a good title, just didn’t fit my tastes. The game’s design makes you feel more of a spectator than an active participant, and I found myself growing bored of it quickly. It’s not a case where I’ll say it’s a bad game, just one that I’ll say I don’t particularly care for.
It’s wednesday, and you know what that means - it’s time for another edition of Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays. Once again, it’s a double feature week as two more original titles find their way to the Live Arcade in the form of Battlestar Galactica and Exit.
Battlestar Galactica is a top down, free roaming shooter based on the current incarnation of the show of the same name. You take the side of either the human race or Cylon empire and fly about, performing missions to advance your cause in either a free-play mode or a campaign. Online, the game also offers domination and multiplayer dogfight game modes for up to 8 players.
Having just finished playing both of today’s releases, I feel pretty confident in saying that while Battlestar Galactica is a pretty game, there’s not much meat to it. At 800 points ($10), I certainly could think of better games to spend the money on, so my advice to you is to be sure to try the demo before you buy this one.
Title: Battlestar Galactica
Developer: Auran
Publisher: Sierra Online
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/24/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4 / 2-8 Online
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E10 - Everyone 10+ (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood)
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Enter the Battlestar Galactica universe in Battlestar Galactica™. Sign up to defend the Galactica, or play as the ruthless Cylons as they seek to remove the Human Race from existence. Pilot iconic ships from the Viper II to the Heavy Raider and lead your squadron in enormous fast-action multiplayer space combat (with up to eight players online) or play through the exciting single-player campaign.
- Single-player campaign: Pilot various ships and complete memorable missions from the TV series.
- Multiplayer game mode: Play online with up to eight players in this relentless space-based action shooter in Firefight, Skirmish, and Domination modes.
- Spaceships: Pilot four human and four Cylon ships, from the Viper II to the Heavy Raider, each with unique weapon capabilities.
- Special weapons: Coordinate attacks with an arsenal of destructive weapons including missiles, guns, and more.
- Defensive maneuvers: Avoid annihilation with the barrel roll, quick turnabouts, and other aerial moves." - Xbox.com
The second Live Arcade title of the week shows a little more promise if side scrolling platform puzzle games are to your liking. Exit is a stylized take on the classic platformer where your mission is to escape from a series of buildings using items found throughout each of the game’s levels. Adding to the mix is the need to rescue other people trapped in the building, and in many cases use them to help solve the puzzle that will allow you to escape unharmed.
The tutorial levels that I tried are fairly straight-forward and didn’t include any truly mind-bending puzzles, so I really don’t know whether or not this one is going to live up to it’s promise. As usual, my advice is for you to download the demo and see whether or not the game suits your tastes.
In my case, while I liked the puzzle solving aspect of the game (despite the tutorials simplicity), I found that it was just a little too slow paced for me to really get into - which is why I didn’t play the tutorial levels all the way to their completion. it’s one of those titles that I’ll probably go back to soon in order to see if it still leaves me cold or if I was just feeling a bit impatient today. I guess the best thing I can say about Exit is that it reminds me of a cross between the Castle of Dr Brain and Mario vs Donkey Kong.
Title: Exit
Developer: TAITO Corporation
Publisher: TAITO Corporation
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/24/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E (Everyone) Cartoon Violence
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Meet Mr. ESC, otherwise known as Mr. Escape. Mr. ESC is an escape artist whose objective is to save people from disastrous situations, clearing each danger-filled stage within a limited amount of time. Save lives in EXIT®, a frantic, mind-stretching, action-packed puzzle game!
- Frantic rescue action: As Mr. ESC, take control and rescue people from dangers like fires and earthquakes. Turn them into Companions and lead them to safety.
- Puzzle-solving skills required: Use your Companions by commanding them to use items, solve puzzles, and reach the exit within the time limit.
- Companion abilities: The different Companions you save have different abilities. Young Companions have average abilities, Adults are strong, and Kids can make it through tight passages. Be sure to save the injured Patients as well.
- Multiple stages: There are over 120 challenging stages to escape, and even more stages will be available for download.
- Twelve new achievements and leaderboard: Master twelve new achievements, and compete for the best stage times on the leaderboards to prove you are the greatest escape artist in the world!" - Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade titles, I couldn’t really get into either of them. Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe suffers from both control issues and a general lack of solid fun that easily makes it (imho) not worth the price that’s being asked for it. Every Extend Extra Extreme, while a good title, just didn’t fit my tastes. The game’s design makes you feel more of a spectator than an active participant, and I found myself growing bored of it quickly. It’s not a case where I’ll say it’s a bad game, just one that I’ll say I don’t particularly care for.
A demo of Electronic Arts’ Need for Speed Pro Street for the Xbox 360 is now available for download in all regions via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Download size is approximately 654.64MB.
A demo of Activision’s Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock for the Xbox 360 is now available for download in all regions via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Download size is approximately 544.82MB.
According to a story running over at Gamespot, Electronic Arts has announced that Army of Two will be delayed until early 2008.
“Previously expected to see release on November 13, Army of Two has been shuffled back into EA’s early 2008 lineup, with the publisher saying it needs the extra time to polish the shooter.” - Gamespot
While I applaud Electronic Arts for not pushing an unfinished title out the door in the name of profits, this move does bring the issue of the company having three very similar games (Army of Two, Battlefield: Bad Company & Mercenaries 2: World in Flames) falling into roughly the same release window to the forefront once more. I can’t help but think at least one of those titles will see another delay in order to avoid the potential lost sales a near simultaneous release would create.
Looks like November is getting more and more affordable for gamers.
There are a ton of quality titles coming to retail this time around, which makes it pretty hard to pick just one to call my “pick of the week”, but I’m going to do it anyway - because that’s just how I roll.
Taking everything into account, I’m going to put my money behind Sony’s The Eye of Judgment as pick of the week. Anytime a company is willing to try something a little different, it should be recognized - and Sony’s hybrid video/collectible card game is certainly falls into that category. While I find the game immensely interesting due to the massive variety of potential strategies that will no doubt appear over the next few weeks, I do worry that the title is going to see lackluster sales.
Between the perceived complexity of the title and the cost of the cards required to play the game competitively, I think a lot of people may be turned off before they ever even give the game a chance. I’ve also found that many game shops are unsure of whether or not they’ll be carrying the booster packs and theme decks at launch (or afterwards), meaning that the game could conceivably be hamstrung by card supply constraints.
I guess what I’m saying here is this - if you plan on buying this game, be sure to get the cards now while they’re still available - because if the game tanks, you may not see them on the shelves for long.
Here are the week’s retail highlights;
Be sure to check out the below list for all the titles you can expect to find at retail this week.
Please keep in mind these are only estimated release dates and could change at any time.
A second demo of Sony’s Folklore for the PlayStation 3 is now available for download via the PlayStation Store. Download size is approximately 1.27GB.
A demo of THQ’s Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights for the PlayStation 3 is now available for download via the PlayStation Store. Download size is approximately 969MB.
MAME32, the Windows GUI port of the Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator, has now made the jump to v.120, incorporating all of the changes seen in the most recent build of it’s command line based parent.
Check out the official MAME32 page here for more details and the download links.
A demo of Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 for the Xbox 360 is now available for download in North America via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Download size is approximately 1.18GB.
After much procrastinating, I’ve finally gotten around to posting my hands-on experience with Sony’s The Eye of Judgment, a hybrid collectible card game developed with the assistance of Wizards of the Coast, for the PlayStation 3.
Since the article is pretty long and somewhat image heavy, I’ve set up the full article on another page so that those of you who have no interest in the game don’t have to deal with seeing the whole story every time you visit the site.
 |
|
Just a taste of what you’ll find in the full article - you know you want to read it! |
As you may have guessed from the title, Capcom has confirmed that Street Fighter IV, the next installment in their classic brawling series is finally in development. While Capcom didn’t divulge what systems the game will appear on or give a firm release date, they did manage to get the first teaser trailer for the game out the door.
Normally, I’d pass on putting up a trailer that doesn’t include any gameplay footage, but because of Street Fighter IV just being confirmed, all the hours of enjoyment the Street Fighter series has brought me, and the rampant speculation that the game’s art style may mimic the stylized look of the teaser, I figured it was at least a bit newsworthy. Okay, it probably didn’t hurt that I fell asleep at my desk (again) and as such still didn’t finish editing my hands-on look at Sony’s The Eye of Judgment. Yeah, I know, I suck.
Let the internet rumor-mongering commence!
Welcome to another edition of Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays. This week, Microsoft is giving Xbox 360 owners another double dose of action with the releases of Every Extend Extra Extreme and Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe, so let’s get right to it and take a look at our two contestants…
Every Extend Extra Extreme is the latest iteration in the Every Extend series, and promises to provide players with more of the music-based, chain-blasting action fans of the previous games have come to expect. One perk found in the Xbox 360 version will be the ability to stream your own music to the 360 for use in the game, which should add a great deal of variety depending on what kind of music you choose to use.
For those of you who are completely lost at this point, let me explain… Every Extend Extra Extreme is a game where the actual frequency of enemies and the timing of the combos players can make is controlled by the music being played in the game. The premise is simple - players sacrifice their onscreen avatar by crashing into the enemies on screen, thereby setting off a chain reaction of explosions that generate their score. Naturally, the longer and more complex the chain reaction is, the more points the player scores.
If you’re still confused, my advice is to try the demo available in the Xbox Live Marketplace or download Every Extend, the original freeware game, for your PC to see if this is a game worth your 800 points ($10).
Title: Every Extend Extra Extreme
Developer: Q Entertainment Inc.
Publisher: Q Entertainment Inc.
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/17/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: Not available
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"The latest creation by Q Entertainment, EVERY EXTEND EXTRA EXTREME (E4) is a unique action-packed shooter. Time your self-destruction perfectly, create chain reactions by exploding enemies, and extend the game life. Enjoy a trippy, trancey clubbing experience through the combination of highly addictive gameplay, music, and sharp visuals. E4 features five exciting game modes as you collect bonus items and detonate your craft to the beat to multiply your scores.
- Wildly fun gameplay: Unique, fun, addictive gameplay mixed with hip and cool original music offers a club-like experience in the living room.
- Next-gen challenge and graphics: Outrageous visuals and high-quality sound add to the richness of the gameplay. There are a hundred times more enemies, a hundred times more chain reactions, and a stylish collection of newly designed visualizers all exploding in high definition with 5.1 surround sound support.
- Multiple game modes: Play E4 The Game Unlimited, a reverse action-shooter where the goal is to self-destruct, create large chain reactions of explosions by defeating enemies, and extend the life of the game by collecting the items they leave behind. Other game modes include E4 The Game Limited, that challenges with a Time Attack version of the main mode. Take on R4 The Revenge, a genuine shooter with up to 100 stages. And go head to head in H4 Versus Live, against other players on Xbox LIVE®.
- Your own music: Add your own music in the S4 Wiz Ur Muzik mode. Enjoy a customized E4 gameplay experience by adding your own tracks and playing to your favorite music." - Xbox.com
If Every Extend Extra Extreme didn’t sound like your kind of game, then perhaps Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe, a remake of the 1991 game of the same name, will be more to your liking.
Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe is a futuristic sports game where players in an enclosed arena attempt to score by throwing a ball into their opponent’s goal. Those are the entire set of rules - how your team does that is entirely up to them, meaning that violence is sure to ensue. I don’t have much first-hand knowledge of this game, so I’m going to highly recommend that you try the demo before shelling out the required 800 points ($10) to purchase this one.
Title: Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe
Developer: The Bitmap Brothers
Publisher: Empire Interactive, LTD.
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 10/17/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E (Everyone) Mild Violence
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"In the year 2326, rival gangs form an ultra-violent streetsports league called Speedball to settle their deadly disputes. Get your steel ball into the opponent’s goal. That’s it, there are no other rules, and anything goes. The sport becomes quite popular, but it is also extremely dangerous. Ten years later, Speedball becomes the national sport with sponsors, professional teams, and insanely brutal action.
Now, the Bitmap Brothers and Empire Interactive bring you the legendary futuristic sports game Speedball™ 2: Brutal Deluxe completely remastered for Xbox LIVE® Arcade. Play the fast-paced and utterly brutal game with its classic 2-D graphics, or go full on with the new super-enhanced high definition 3-D visuals. Smash your way to the top of the league in the solo game or go head to head locally or on Xbox LIVE. The game features 32 teams, 4 leagues, cup and knockout competitions, team enhancements, management and training options, and Ranked Preset or Ranked Career games.
- Updated classic: Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe brings you both the original version with its violently fast action and 2-D graphics, and the exciting new high-def enhanced 3-D graphics for players and arenas.
- Multiplayer mode: Win as many professional matches as you can, join the upper leagues, and unlock new content in the online store. Play locally or on Xbox LIVE. Compete head to head in friendly or ranked matches.
- Expanded gameplay: The solo game includes 32 teams, league championship, cup and knockout competitions.
- Management options: Use your management skills to train your players or buy star players as you mount your challenge for the championship." - Xbox.com
As for last week’s Live Arcade titles, I can sum it up pretty shortly with the following statements… If you don’t already own Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords for another system, you really owe it to yourself to pick it up for the Live Arcade - it’s every bit as addictive as it’s handheld cousins. As for Yaris, it’s a very rare thing for me to say that a free game isn’t worth the time to download, but Yaris accomplishes that feat quite well. It just isn’t even worth the hard drive space it occupies.