Most Recent: PS3

Hard Corps: Uprising Review: A Contra Game By Any Other Name…

Posted on February 16, 2011 by John Scalzo

The definition of a “shooter” game has changed greatly since the days of the NES. In those days, a “shooter” was a game like Contra: a side-scrolling, brutally hard, assault on wave-after-wave of enemy soldiers, followed by a screen-sized baddie that flashed red when you shot its weak point. Today, a “shooter” more likely means a first person shooter as visions of Halo, CODBLOPS and Gears of War dance through your head.

But Konami has shown that the old ways don’t have to fade away as the publisher has taken great care to bring the Contra series into the 21st century. Recognizing the franchise’s trademark stlye, the most recent Contra games have been 2D side-scrollers that specialize in controller-throwing difficulty. There was the grittiness of the PS2 entries, the portability of Contra 4, and the 16-bit stylings of Contra ReBirth. Now, there’s the anime-inspired Hard Corps: Uprising, the first game in the series not to carry the Contra name. (more…)

Posted in PS3, Reviews, Top Story, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood leads BAFTA noms with seven

Posted on February 16, 2011 by John Scalzo

Somebody alert the world, a Brotherhood of assassins has infiltrated the British Academy Video Games Awards. Ubisoft’s stealthy sequel, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, garnered seven nominations, more than any other game, including one for Best Game.

Other big honorees from this year’s Video Games Awards include Call of Duty: Black Ops, Heavy Rain (six nominations apiece) and Mass Effect 2 (four nominations).

Awarded annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), the winners of this year’s Video Games Awards will announced in a ceremony on March 16.

The full list of every nominee and every award up for grabs can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360 | Tagged , , , , ,

Arcana Heart 3 gets punched onto PSN this spring

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Ryan Littlefield

Wow, okay, that sounds kinda painful. No, but really. Hot on the heels of Marvel vs Capcom 3‘s recent release, Arcana Heart 3 may accidentally get overlooked, though it shouldn’t. Aksys has localized the game for release on the PlayStation Network, due out sometime this Spring.

The game will utilize 23 fighters, which includes three newcomers to the series. Ironically but not unintentionally, there are 23 unique arcana types as well, which will be used to match each player’s specific fighting style. Arcana Heart 3 will also be implementing “Simple Mode,” where casual players can get a leg up on the combat. The game will offer a full arcade-style story mode, training mode, and online multiplayer – replete with online leaderboards and ranking systems.

Posted in News, PS3 | Tagged

Battlestar Galactica’s Helo to play Stryker in Mortal Kombat: Rebirth

Posted on February 15, 2011 by John Scalzo

Tahmoh Penikett may not be a household name, but if you’re a fan of science fiction you’re no doubt familiar with some of his most famous roles including Helo on “Battlestar Galactica” and FBI agent Paul Ballard on “Dollhouse.”

According to an exclusive IGN report, Penikett will take his ass-kicking ways to the currently shooting Mortal Kombat: Rebirth webisodes as riot cop Kurtis Stryker. Stryker is known as the black sheep of the Mortal Kombat family, but Penikett’s experience filming fight scenes for Joss Whedon on “Dollhouse” may give the character a newfound respect.

Mortal Kombat: Rebirth will be released digitally this Spring, sometime around the launch of the Mortal Kombat reboot on the PS3 and Xbox 360.

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

Mindjack receives more maps for endless troop-killing

Posted on February 15, 2011 by Ryan Littlefield

Square Enix has let loose on content for Mindjack, the recently-released sci-fi shooter for the PS3 and Xbox 360. Two new map packs will soon be available for download on each console’s online service. The first pack was actually released yesterday, on Valentine’s Day. D’awwwwww, how sweet. The second pack is scheduled for March 8th.

Each of the two collections will cost $7.00 (or 560 Microsoft Points) each, and will each feature three new maps which allow the player to continue the fight against the endlessly-invading Nerkas soldiers.

I don’t know about any other players of this game, but as far as I’m concerned, there was already enough endless shooting on the game’s first time around.

Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Noob Saibot teleports into Mortal Kombat

Posted on February 15, 2011 by John Scalzo

John Tobias may have left NetherRealm Studios more than a decade ago (when it was still known as Midway), but his namesake ninja still lives on. Although Noob Saibot is an undead ninja, so I guess it’s not really that surprising.

After being bypassed in Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe, Noob will make his PS3/Xbox 360 debut in the upcoming Mortal Kombat reboot, which will be released April 19th alongside a whole mess of other Mortal Kombat media. You can check out a Noob Saibot-centric trailer, where he performs a bone-crushing finisher on Jade (and smacks around the previously unseen Sindel), right here:

Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged

A Eulogy For Guitar Hero: The Day the (Plastic) Music Died

Posted on February 14, 2011 by Adam Woolcott

A wise man once said that it’s far better to burn out than fade away. Apparently Activision agreed with the sentiment, as after a bit more than five years of rapid-fire releases, the company has shuttered the Guitar Hero franchise. Just 40 months ago the music gaming business was at its absolute peak – Guitar Hero III sold roughly 2.45 bazillion copies across a half-dozen platforms – but now the series is in complete shambles, what with the latest installment releasing with the authority of a farting ant. This legendary tumble from grace is no doubt why the company canceled the forthcoming Guitar Hero 7 and put the entire series on hold, perhaps permanently. Rather than harp on all that went wrong and led to its untimely demise, let’s discuss what went right – and what the future may hold if Activision dares to bring the music back. (more…)

Posted in DS, Features, Mobile, PS2, PS3, PSP, Top Story, Wii, Xbox 360 | Tagged , ,

New Releases: Marvel vs Capcom 3, Dragon Quest VI, Hyperdimension Neptunia, More

Posted on February 12, 2011 by John Scalzo

This week it’s all about RPGs, except for the return of a favorite fighting franchise…

The Marvel and Capcom universes will be colliding in a battle for one-on-one fighting supremacy again with the release of Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds this week for the PS3 and Xbox 360.

But every other major release will be much more enticing to RPG fans everywhere including Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation on the DS. Once Dragon Quest VI makes its way into stores on the 14th, it’ll mark the final game in the franchise’s main series to make its way across the Pacific. It just took a little over 15 years.

And speaking RPGs that are hard to find in America, Square Enix is bringing Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together to the PSP this week. Tactics Ogre has always been hard to come by in collector’s circles, so this new version means that everyone who wants to play it will finally get the chance to.

Also available this week is Hyperdimension Neptunia for the PS3. The game tells the story of the console war as if it were a typical Japanese RPG. Oh yeah, and a nearly naked girl representing “Sega” is the hero. Man, how can you not love NIS America?

Finally, Frictional’s Amnesia: The Dark Descent, which was originally released in 2010, will receive a retail release this week.

The full list of the rest of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in DS, News, PC, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360 | Tagged ,