Moon Diver, Free Realms, Rush ‘N Attack on PlayStation Store this week

Posted on March 30, 2011 by John Scalzo

It’s another huge week for PlayStation Store updates.

Yesterday, Sony added seven PlayStation 3 games to the store including Split/Secend, the reality TV racer; Rush’N Attack: Ex-Patriot, a new take on Konami’s other side-scrolling shooter series; Chime Super Deluxe, an enhanced version of the popular puzzle game; Sonic The Hedgehog, the first game from Sega’s signature speedster; Free Realms, the free-to-play MMORPG; Moon Diver, a new sword-swinging side-scroller from the creator of Strider; and Episode 2, “Get Tannen!”, of Back To The Future: The Game. Wow. That’s quite a list.

The portable PlayStation Store also got a big update this week as four PSP games were added. They include new releases WWE All-Stars, The 3rd Birthday and Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky as well as a PSP release of Dragon’s Lair.

More information on all of these games can be found after the break or at the PlayStation.Blog.

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MetaCritic drops aggregate developer scores

Posted on March 29, 2011 by John Scalzo

Just as quickly as it appeared, now it’s gone. In light of criticism across the Internet, MetaCritic has dropped the aggregate developer scores for individual members of the video game industry.

Metacritic founder Marc Doyle explained the reversal to Eurogamer: “Although our credits database (which is powered by our sister site GameFAQs) is growing, as our users’ feedback has indicated, it is a work in progress and is not nearly as comprehensive as it needs to be to accurately provide a career score for these individuals. As such, we have removed that career score from the pages dedicated to creative individuals behind games on Metacritic.”

While aggregate developer scores may be dead, Doyle still wants to turn MetaCritic/GameFAQs into the IMDB of the video game industry: “We are still very much committed to building a credits database, and welcome your participation in that process.”

I hope the aggregate scores return some day, I thought it was a cool idea.

Posted in News |

Dragon Age II Review: Defending Kirkwall Like a Hawke

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Adam Woolcott

Though it was greatly overshadowed by Mass Effect 2, Dragon Age: Origins was a high-quality return to BioWare’s days as purveyors of epic fantasy RPGs. It had all the qualities that one expects from the company: an epic plot, great characters & dialog, a huge quest that could be solved in numerous ways, and of course, awkward romances. Dragon Age II brings most of this back – just in a far more intimate, narrow setting. While many things about the game are basic refinements of the Dragon Age: Origins formula, the ultimate result is a game that seems like a reinvention of the franchise, similar to the changes from Mass Effect to Mass Effect 2. The question, of course, is whether the risks taken in Dragon Age II have made for a great game… and hey, that’s what we’re here for.

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

3DS stocked aplenty at retailers

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Mike Gutierrez

Gamer interest in Nintendo’s 3DS has been off the charts and no one was overly surprised when the entire initial shipment in Japan sold out. Indeed, Nintendo may have had another case of the Wii on their hands, which has been scarcely available at many times over the last few years.

That won’t be the case in North America, as retailers are reporting they have plenty of units to sell to consumers. GameStop, Target, and Toys R Us reported to GameSpot that they’ve been able to meet pre-orders and have plenty of units to go around. This doesn’t necessarily mean the system isn’t selling well, instead a Toys R Us representative pointed towards “a very strong partnership with Nintendo” that has allowed them to meet demand.

What about the games? Super Street Fighter IV, Pilotwings Resort, and Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars have been cited as the top selling titles so far. I know Senior Editor Nicole Kline got her 3DS and Podcast Producer Ryan Littlefield is about to get his, so hopefully we’ll have some impressions from launch titles incoming.

Posted in 3DS, News | Tagged , ,

Daily Scoop: March 29, 2011 – A quiet Tuesday

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Nicole Kline

It’s quiet today. Actually, I was looking at the upcoming release schedule last night, and it looks like it’s going to be a quiet few weeks…that is, until April 19th, when gamers everywhere will weep over all the money they’re going to be shelling out. That’s the day Portal 2, SOCOM 4, and Mortal Kombat are all coming out. Weep, friends. WEEP!!

Today’s Amazon Deal of the Day in video games is Sega of America’s Dreamcast Collection for the Xbox 360. The collection includes Sonic Adventure, Crazy Taxi, Space Channel 5 Part 2, and Sega Bass Fishing. It’s $19.99 today from $29.95, so if you’ve been waiting for it to drop in price to snatch it up, now’s your chance! I had friends in high school who were so into Sega Bass Fishing that they named their band Bassin’ Black Bass. I wonder if they’re picking this one up???

Nothing good on the t-shirt front today, but today’s shirt.w00t reminded me of Disney’s Epic Mickey:

Those of you who know me already know that I shuddered in horror at the very sight of it.

Posted in Daily Scoop |

L.A. Noire becomes first game selected for Tribeca Film Festival

Posted on March 29, 2011 by John Scalzo

L.A. Noire, Team Bondi’s upcoming take on the hardboiled detective story, has become the first video game ever to be honored as an Official Selection at the Tribeca Film Festival.

“We’re thrilled that L.A. Noire is being recognized by the Tribeca Film Festival in this way,” said Sam Houser, Founder of the game’s publisher Rockstar Games. “It’s a real honor, and another step forward for interactive entertainment.”

Publisher Rockstar Games will present an exclusive preview of L.A. Noire as part of the Tribeca Talks series. The presentation will take place on April 25 and feature a live interactive screening of a case from L.A. Noire, followed by a Q&A exploring the crossover between filmmaking and “interactive entertainment.”

Geoff Gilmore, Tribeca Enterprises’ Chief Creative Officer was extremely impressed with how L.A. Noire has been coming together: “What Rockstar and Team Bondi have accomplished with L.A. Noire is nothing less than groundbreaking. It’s an invention of a new realm of storytelling that is part cinema, part gaming, and a whole new realm of narrative expression, interactivity, and immersion. We are poised on the edge of a new frontier.”

L.A. Noire will be released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on May 17.

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Bethesda bringing Rage to bookstores in novel tie-in

Posted on March 29, 2011 by John Scalzo

Bethesda Softworks and Del Rey have announced they’ll be teaming up to produce a tie-in novel based on id Software’s Rage.

The novel, which will also be called Rage, will be written by Matt Costello. Costello has some experience working with id Software. Not only did he write the game, but he also previously adapted two novels based on Doom 3 (Worlds on Fire and Maelstrom).

The novel will feature a similar story to the game in that a lone human emerges from an Ark and finds the Mad Max-like world on the outside:

When Lt. Nick Raine emerges from his Ark, he finds the human race has not been wiped out. And people, as resilient as they are, are scraping together a new world from the rubble of the old. This was not what anyone in the Arks expected–a new society where might is right, mutants plague the Earth, and “friend” is a term for the person who hasn’t stabbed you in the back.

The novel is scheduled for release on August 30 and will appear alongside a Dark Horse-published prequel comic book series. So there’s plenty of Rage tie-in stories to go around.

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

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 |