Most Recent: Wii

Cam Newton, Calvin Johnson duel for Madden NFL 13 cover

Posted on April 18, 2012 by John Scalzo

After several weeks of intense voting, only two players remain. Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson have reached the finals of the Madden NFL 13 cover vote.

Newton defeated Patrick Willis of the 49ers in a squeaker (53%-47%) while Johnson demolished Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers (67%-33%).

The final round of voting is now open at ESPN.com/maddenvote and it’ll continue until Wednesday, April 25. The winner will be announced after the voting closes on April 25 on ESPN2’s SportsNation.

Posted in News, PS3, Vita, Wii, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Nintendo Europe lets a Pandora’s Tower launch trailer out of the box

Posted on April 13, 2012 by John Scalzo

First there was Xenoblade Chronicles, an action RPG from Monolith Soft. Then there was The Last Story, an RPG from Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi. And today, if you live in Europe, there’s Pandora’s Tower, possibly the last Nintendo-published game on the Wii.

The three games have become a rallying point for Operation Rainfall, a grassroots effort to convince Nintendo to release the previously Japanese-only titles in the US. The group has already succeeded with Xenoblade Chronicles (which was released last week) and The Last Story (a Summer release is planned), but there’s still been no word on Pandora’s Tower. With the game now available on European store shelves, perhaps that’ll change.

I, for one, am definitely pulling for a North American release for Pandora’s Tower. Just check out the trailer above with its operatic score, British voices, and Japanese aesthetic. Pandora’s Tower could be a hack and slash for the ages.

Posted in News, Wii | Tagged

Mass Effect 3 tops NPD bestseller report for March 2012

Posted on April 12, 2012 by John Scalzo

Whether you loved Mass Effect 3‘s ending or you hated it, one thing’s for certain, BioWare made a ton of money selling you the game. In what should be a surprise to no one, Mass Effect 3 took the top spot in The NPD Group’s report of the bestselling games in March 2012.

Even though March was a bit of a slow month for new releases, the remainder of the top ten is populated almost totally by games released in the last four weeks including Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City (#2), MLB 12: The Show (#3), SSX (#5), Street Fighter X Tekken (#6), Mario Party 9 (#7), Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations (#9), and Major League Baseball 2K12 (#10).

Whew!

Hit the break to see the full top ten, including the pair of holdovers from the February 2012 report. (more…)

Posted in DS, News, PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Vita, Wii, Xbox 360 | Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Newton, Rodgers, Johnson, Willis are your Madden NFL 13 cover vote final four

Posted on April 11, 2012 by John Scalzo

Round Three of the Madden NFL 13 cover vote is complete and the final four has emerged. Semifinal voting will run from today until April 18 as these players vie for your votes:

Left Bracket
Cam Newton (#1) vs Patrick Willis (#11)

Right Bracket
Aaron Rodgers (#1) vs Calvin Johnson (#6)

Both of the top seeds still remain and both are competing against some surprising opponents as we near the end. The 11th-ranked Patrick Willis has had the kind of run that Peyton Hillis had last year. A dedicated fanbase pushed him to the finals, which eventually pushed him over the top against the divisive Michael Vick. Johnson is less of a surprise as he was far and away the best wide receiver in the league last year, but anytime Rob Gronkowski gets bested, it’s a surprise.

But I would be surprised if either man makes it to the finals. Those two positions are reserved for Newton and Rodgers, I guarantee it.

Posted in News, PS3, Vita, Wii, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Daily Scoop: April 10, 2012 – T-shirts, t-shirts, everywhere!

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Nicole Kline

It’s another beautiful day filled with gaming deals and gaming t-shirts. What else could you ask for from a Tuesday?

Amazon’s got a bunch of interesting deals, like buy one of these PS3 games. get a 30-day trial of PlayStation Plus. Or this super cheap game download sale, with Crysis 2 for $7.49, and LA Noire for $4.99. Oh and don’t forget about saving up to 50% off Wii games and gear.

And just in case you missed it, there’s been a huge Atlus price drop on the PlayStation Network. Now is your chance to get the Persona games for super cheap! I, personally, plan to devour Hexyz Force, which is a steal at $14.99. Scoop ’em up!

Plenty of great shirts up for sale today: (more…)

Posted in Daily Scoop, Etcetera, News, PC, Wii |

Xenoblade Chronicles Review Revisited

Posted on April 6, 2012 by John Scalzo

It’s April 6 and Xenoblade Chronicles has finally (FINALLY!) made its way onto store shelves in America. Correction, make that one store’s shelves. Xenoblade Chronicles is exclusive to GameStop. If you’re looking for a review to reassure you that buying one of the last big Wii games is a good idea, you’re in luck, we’ve had one lying around since the game’s European release:

Director Tetsuya Takahashi and writers Yuichiro Takeda and Yurie Hattori have managed to craft a world both unusual and yet familiar, allowing us to accompany Shulk and his band of heroes as they travel across two worlds, dealing with Gods and monsters alike. We share in their accomplishments and wallow in their grief. Xenoblade Chronicles is not just a game; it is an experience you will miss when it is finally over. It manages to raise questions about our own beliefs and spirituality as well as about the role of machines in our lives, and all while, offering up one of the greatest game playing experiences of this generation.

Click Here to Finish Reading “Xenoblade Chronicles Review: A Love Letter to the RPG That Changed My Life”

Posted in News, Wii | Tagged

Nintendo Download: Colors, Racers, and Penguins

Posted on April 5, 2012 by John Scalzo

It’s another mish-mash of titles in this week’s Nintendo Download. Want the scoop? Here’s what’s available…

TNT Racers (WiiWare) – TNT Racers is a fun multiplayer game that combines fast-as-lightning racing action with new features. TNT stands for Tracks N Tricks – cool tracks and snappy gadgets lead to one powerful adrenaline kick.

Colors! 3D (3DS eShop) – Colors! 3D is a simple yet robust painting application that combines ease of use and powerful painting tools. Tailored for touch-screen devices, it caters to everyone from serious artists to aimless doodlers.

Penguin Patrol (DSiWare) – Waddle We Do?! Baby penguins have been stranded on thin ice by the evil (but oddly stylish) Walrus, and it’s up to the Penguin Patrol to rescue them!

Posted in 3DS, DS, News, Wii |

Then there were 8: Gronk, Rodgers, Newton, others advance in Madden NFL 13 cover vote

Posted on April 4, 2012 by John Scalzo

The second round of voting for the Madden NFL 13 cover vote has been completed and we finally have a few upsets to talk about.

In the left bracket, Patrick Willis (#11) collected 58% of the vote to push past Maurice Jones-Drew (#3). And on the right side, Calvin Johnson (#6) stomped Arian Foster (#3), receiving a whopping 73% of the vote. In another right bracket upset, Ray Rice (#5) squeaked past Drew Brees (#3).

So that leaves both number ones still in the hunt as well as both number twos. Third round voting begins today and runs until April 11 at ESPN.com/maddenvote. Here’s how the third round matchups shake out:

Left Bracket
Cam Newton (#1) vs Larry Fitzgerald (#4)
Victor Cruz (#2) vs Patrick Willis (#11)

Right Bracket
Aaron Rodgers (#1) vs Ray Rice (#5)
Rob Gronkowski (#2) vs Calvin Johnson (#6)

Posted in News, PS3, Vita, Wii, Xbox 360 | Tagged