Most Recent: Xbox 360

Stacking, TNT Racers on XBLA today

Posted on February 9, 2011 by John Scalzo

Microsoft is gearing up for their second annual Xbox Live Arcade House Party promotion, but they still added a pair of new games to the XBLA today.

Stacking, a puzzle platformer starring a bunch of Russian stacking dolls from Tim Schafer’s Double Fine Productions is definitely the highlight of the day. It’s been prriced at 1200 Microsoft Points ($15).

Next up is a racing game known as TNT Racers, except the TNT stands for “Tracks N Tricks.” It’s been priced at 800 Microsoft Points ($10).

More information on both of these titles can be found after the break. (more…)

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DC signals a Batman: Arkham City comic series this May

Posted on February 9, 2011 by John Scalzo

Batman won’t just be stalking the streets on the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 this Fall as DC Comics has announced they’ll be producing a six-issue miniseries that will bridge the gap between Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City.

The miniseries will begin this May and it’ll be written by Paul Dini (the creative mind behind both games) and drawn by Arkham Asylum/Arkham City concept artist Carlos D’anda. You can spy a sneak peak of the cover to your left (a variant using in-game graphics will also be available).

Dini and D’anda will explore the yearlong gap between the games over the six issue miniseries (which will also be available as digital downloads) as well as in four “digital-first” interludes. These interludes will run eight pages and be offered exclusively as a digital download for $0.99 each. They will make their print debut as part of the Batman: Arkham City collector’s edition.

Doesn’t quite top a life-size batarang, but I’m sure WB Games will include plenty of other goodies in the Arkham City collector’s edition.

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

Release dates and prices for 2011 XBLA House Party games

Posted on February 8, 2011 by John Scalzo

With just a little over a week to go before we get this party started, Major Nelson has announced the prices and release dates for all of the games in this year’s Xbox Live Arcade House Party.

We knew that Hard Corps: Uprising would lead things off on February 16, but now we know it’ll be followed by Bejeweled Blitz Live on the 23rd, Beyond Good & Evil HD on March 2nd, Torchlight on March 9th and Full House Poker on March 16th.

You can find all of the release dates in list form right here, along with each game’s price:

  • February 16: Hard Corps: Uprising (1200 Microsoft Points [$15])
  • February 23: Bejeweled Blitz Live (800 Microsoft Points [$10])
  • March 2: Beyond Good & Evil HD (800 Microsoft Points [$10])
  • March 9: Torchlight (1200 Microsoft Points [$15])
  • March 16: Full House Poker (800 Microsoft Points [$10])
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Mortal Kombat films upgrading to Blu-ray April 19, bring DLC vouchers to PS3

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Mike Gutierrez

Warner Bros. must be having a good time with the Mortal Kombat name. In addition to its triumphant return to consoles and a series of webisodes helmed by a passionate director with a great cast, the media juggernaut is bringing the original two films to Blu-ray the same day the game launches in the U.S. Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation will release on April 19 in separate retail packages, so you don’t have to waste the extra dough on the mess that was the second film, unless you really want to. Both discs contain theatrical trailers, trailers for the new game, and most importantly, voucher codes on an exclusive costume for Jade in the PS3 version of the game (sorry Xbox 360 owners). Mortal Kombat will also contain the animated film Mortal Kombat: The Journey Begins.

All of this media is making me incredibly nostalgic; April’s going to be chock full of content to really bring you back to when MK was in its prime. Not to mention, after playing it at PAX Prime with Senior Editor Nicole Kline, how insanely good the game is going to be.

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

Jeri Ryan and Ian Anthony Dale confirmed for Mortal Kombat webisodes

Posted on February 7, 2011 by Mike Gutierrez

If you’ve been following the upcoming webisodes accompanying the new Mortal Kombat, you’ll know part of what made Kevin Tancharoen’s pitch video so great was the awesome cast. You’ll be pleased to know that Jeri Ryan and Ian Anthony Dale from the original pitch will be reprising the roles of Sonya Blade and Scorpion, respectively (we hope). Ryan and Dale both confirmed it via Twitter, and seem to be just as enthusiastic about the project as we are. WB Games had previously confirmed that the awesome Michael Jai White will return as Jackson “Jax” Briggs, who seemed to be the potential protagonist of the trailer. This means that all three main actors from the Mortal Kombat: Rebirth short film have signed on for the upcoming webisodes.

Also, Jeri Ryan was allegedly on her way to the farmer’s market with “the hubs” when she broke the good news.

The first Mortal Kombat film has gone down as one of the great popcorn movies of the 1990’s while the sequel Mortal Kombat Annihilation was pretty horrible. Tancharoen’s vision seems to be more adult than either; let’s hope it translates into some great content to go with Mortal Kombat when it launches April 19, 2011 in the U.S. for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 (though European gamers get it a day earlier) .

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

Massive savings on XBLA shooters this week

Posted on February 7, 2011 by John Scalzo

Major Nelson has announced that this week’s Xbox Live Deal of the Week is live. And I’m here to announce that it includes an awesome selection of games!

This week’s theme is “Retro Shooters” and Xbox Live Gold members with a hankering for more retro shooters will definitely want to pick up at least one of these titles:

  • Duke Nukem: Manhatten Project – 400 Microsoft Points (Regular Price: 800 MSP)
  • Space Invaders: Infinity Gene – 400 MSP (Regular Price: 800 MSP)
  • Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 – 400 MSP (Regular Price: 800 MSP)
  • Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter – 400 MSP (Regular Price: 1200 MSP)
  • Serious Same HD: The Second Encounter – 400 MSP (Regular Price: 1200 MSP)
  • Galaga Legions – 400 MSP (Regular Price: 800 MSP)

Space Invaders: Infinity Gene was one of my favorite games of 2010 and if you love retro shooters it should be almost impossible to pass up at 400 Microsoft Points ($5).

Posted in News, Xbox 360 |

New Releases: Mario Sports Mix, Test Drive Unlimited 2, You Don’t Know Jack, More

Posted on February 5, 2011 by John Scalzo

After you’re done watching the Packers and Steelers in tomorrow’s Super Bowl, Mario and friends has five more sports for you to enjoy with Mario Sports Mix on the Wii.

Also available this week is Atari’s open world racer Test Drive Unlimited 2 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) and the return of the irreverent trivia series You Don’t Know Jack (DS, PC, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360).

Speaking of returns, Dr. Kawashima is back in the brain training game with Body and Brain Connection, an Xbox 360 Kinect exclusive. And finally, Tecmo Koei plans to release Trinity: Souls of Zill O’ll, an action RPG for the PS3.

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, Wii, Xbox 360 | Tagged ,

Rumored Halo: Combat Evolved remake materializing November 15, 2011

Posted on February 4, 2011 by Mike Gutierrez

In an act of miraculous prescience, Joystiq is claiming to have learned that some kind of “sort of full remake, but not really” is underway for Halo: Combat Evolved. To commemorate the tenth anniversary of the franchise, New Jersey native (woo!) and developer of TimeShift (boo!) Saber Interactive is executing the project. Features claimed to be hashed out include 1080p, 3D television support, more modern control configurations, and the series’ trademark online co-op. The unannounced remake even supposedly has an unannounced release date: November 15, 2011.

The game will be more than just an HD upgrade, with all new art assets but created with an different engine from the one used in Halo: Reach. The audio is expected to remain unaltered, and I have no idea why.

It’s good to see Microsoft finally getting on the HD-remake bandwagon, and there’s certainly no better time to do it for their flagship franchise than its 10th anniversary. Still, this is essentially the fourth Halo game in a span of three years.

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