Most Recent: News

The Brothers Mario 2 is on like Donkey Kong

Posted on March 29, 2011 by John Scalzo

The Brothers Mario was one of the greatest Mario machinimas ever to grace the Internet. The short was a pitch perfect retelling of Mario’s eternal battle with Bowser over the heart of Princess Peach set in the world of organized crime. For an encore, the creators at CountryClubPictures have everyone know that it’s on like Donkey Kong.

The Brothers Mario 2: Kong Country introduces Don Key Kong, a Keyser Soze-like figure that is aiming to take out Bowser and the Mario brothers. You can aruge all day over which trailer is better, but I nearly lost it when I saw the image on Mario’s parachute.

If you’ve already watched it, watch it again! And if you haven’t watched it, consider it an order from your friends at Warp Zoned.

Posted in Etcetera, News |

Square Enix planning studio that’ll specialize in PS4/Wii 2/Xbox 720 games

Posted on March 28, 2011 by John Scalzo

Square Enix plans to open a new studio in Montreal, Vancouver or Toronto next year and hire 100 new developers to work at it. So what, you say, new studios open all the time. Especially in Canada, which is quickly turning into the leading location for video game development.

Well, what if I told you that this studio would be responsible for creating games for the (currently unannounced) PlayStation 4, Wii 2 and Xbox 720. I’ll wait while your brain processes the change from “So what?” to “Whoa!”

The news comes from a report on GamesIndustry.biz, which cites an article in the Canadian newspaper La Presse. Stephane D’Astous, the director of Eidos Montreal, will make the final decision on where the studio will be located. But he’s not shying away from the fact that this studio is being built from the ground up to create next generation games.

“The new consoles from Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo will require more attention and more staff,” D’Astous said. “We want to prepare ourselves.”

Maybe the next generation of consoles is closer than we think.

Posted in News, PS4, Wii U, Xbox One |

No surprises in first round of Madden NFL 12 cover voting

Posted on March 28, 2011 by John Scalzo

The first round of the Madden NFL 12 Cover Vote has ended with few surprises. The higher ranked seed won in every matchup except for #7 Ray Rice (who lost to #10 Peyton Hillis) and #8 Julius Peppers (who lost to #9 Adrian Peterson).

Voting for the second round has begun today at ESPN.com/maddenvote and with it comes a few very interesting matchups:

Aaron Rodgers (#1) vs Sam Bradford (#8)
Danny Woodhead (#4) vs Hakeem Nicks (#5)
Maurice Jones-Drew (#3) vs Jamaal Charles (#6)
Matt Ryan (#2) vs Peyton Hillis (#10)

Phillip Rivers (#1) vs Adrian Peterson (#9)
Drew Brees (#4) vs Mark Sanchez (#5)
Michael Vick (#3) vs Andre Johnson (#6)
Hines Ward (#2) vs Patrick Willis (#10)

Voting for round two continues through April 3rd.

Posted in News | Tagged , , , , ,

F1 2011 races to stores in September; coming to 3DS, NGP

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Mike Gutierrez

Fans of the Formula 1 breed of motor sport can rest easy knowing that F1 2011 has narrowed its release date down to this September. Developed by Codemasters Birmingham, this comprehensive sim features every racer, team, and circuit from the 2011 Fia Formula One World Championship. The game is currently slated for PC, Xbox 360, and PS3, but Codemasters also confirmed the game is in development for the Nintendo 3DS and Sony’s Next Generation Portable (NGP/PSP2). These versions may be more than gimped ports, as each will “take advantage of the new platforms’ unique capabilities.” No official date for the handhelds has been confirmed.

You can get a chance to preview the game early by uploading a video on YouTube asking a question for the development team. Tubers submitting the best questions, as judged by the team, will be invited out to Birmingham in May to check out the game and be taped for a developer diary. Sounds like a pretty great opportunity.

Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, Vita, Xbox 360 | Tagged

The Witcher: Versus available on iPhone

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Mike Gutierrez

Fans of the PC RPG series can now take their adventures with them on the go. This mobile installment comes courtesy of Chillingo, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts, known primarily for publishing Angry Birds and Cut the Rope. The game is described as a “dark and fierce” turn based battle RPG where players hoard weapons, skills, and abilities and take on powerful opponents in combat. Tight.

Posted in News | Tagged

Nintendo Download for 3/28/11

Posted on March 28, 2011 by John Scalzo

This week’s Nintendo Download is a bit thin as the consolemaker has no WiiWare or Virtual Console titles to add to the Wii Shop Channel.

However, this week will see the release of new demo versions of two previously available games: Dart Rage, a dart-throwing simulator; and Learning with the PooYoos: Episode 2, a “poetic brain-trainer” for the 3 to 5 set.

This week’s DSiWare releases include Simply Solitaire and Faceez: Monsters!. You can find out more about both of these titles after the break. (more…)

Posted in News | Tagged ,

Resident Evil Revelations demo included with RE Mercenaries 3D

Posted on March 28, 2011 by John Scalzo

With the 3DS now in stores, Capcom has some exciting news for the handheld’s new owners concerning the Resident Evil series. According to the publisher, when Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D ships to stores on July 6, it’ll include a demo of the second game in the series planned for the 3DS, Resident Evil Revelations.

“Set on board an ocean liner, the demo lets players take control of one of the full game’s characters, Jill Valentine, as she explores the ship’s dark interior, killing any mysterious creatures that emerge from the shadows.”

That’s all we know for now, but Capcom has promised to reveal more about Revelations at this year’s E3 expo, which will be head in Los Angeles from June 7 through the 9th.

Posted in News | Tagged , , ,

Capcom officially announces Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City

Posted on March 28, 2011 by John Scalzo

After being outed last week by Official Xbox Magazine, Capcom has confirmed that Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City is in development for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 by Slant Six.

Sensing the grumbling of fans that believe the series is straying too much from its roots, Capcom is returning to September 1998 and the events of Resident Evil 2 and 3. For the first time, players will play through the entire game as Umbrella operatives attempting to cover-up the T-Virus outbreak (while also battlnig zombies and Bio-Organic Weapons like Nemesis):

It is September 1998 and the action centres once more on the ill-fated Raccoon City and the horrific consequences of the deadly T-virus outbreak from the Umbrella facility. With a cover up required, Umbrella orders an elite team into Raccoon City to destroy all evidence of the outbreak and eliminate any survivors. Hearing of this plan, the US Government dispatches its own special forces to uncover any evidence that exposes the cause of the viral infection and Umbrella’s actions. Players take on the role of an Umbrella Security Services soldier (U.S.S.), competing alone or in four player co-op in a battle against all the competing forces at play in Raccoon City.

Operation Raccoon City will feature a variety of callbacks to the earlier games in the series including the Police Station and an appearance by Leon Kennedy (who has to be assassinated in one mission). The game will also include several competitive multiplayer modes pitting the Umbrella Security Services against a United States Special Ops team.

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City is scheduled for release this Winter.

Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged