Daily Scoop: February 23, 2011 – Amazon Gold Box Edition!

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Nicole Kline

It’s my favorite Amazon Gold Box day… Video Game Gold Box all day! YAY!

The all-day deal is Ubisoft’s Michael Jackson: The Experience for the Wii. It’s $29.99 down from $49.99, so if Billie Jean is not your lover you want to get some choreographed moves going on in your living room, now is the best time.

Other deals coming up are:

6:00 AM PST: Zombie Alert!
7:00 AM PST: Play as a living, breathing, precision instrument of war.
9:00 AM PST: Hook up your keyboard to Rock Band 3
10:00 AM PST: Another Classic Nintendo RPG
11:00 AM PST: Blast your way through a Nerf research facility.
1:00 PM PST: The latest Rock Band bundle for your Wii
2:00 PM PST: Hit the gridiron in the latest installment of this storied franchise.
4:00 PM PST: Enhance your Wii Sports Experience
5:00 PM PST: Dance Dance Dance with your Nunchuk
7:00 PM PST: Welcome to Sid’s world
9:00 PM PST: Play the Pro Mode in RB3 with this guitar

Ryan Littlefield also wanted me to tell the world that Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is $19.99 today on Amazon. It’s a good day to be a cheap gamer.

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Fallout: New Vegas “Dead Money” DLC, Xenogears added to PlayStation Store

Posted on February 23, 2011 by John Scalzo

Sony has performed their weekly update to the PlayStation Store and dropped a ton of DLC onto gamer’s laps… especially those that love RPGs and games with RPG elements.

The big release this week is the addition of the “Dead Money” DLC expansion for Fallout: New Vegas. The pack was previously exclusive to the Xbox 360, but Bethesda has said that all future expansions will be released simultaneously on the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. But for fans of classic RPGs, the bigger news is that Xenogears has been added to the PSone Classics section of the shop. The game is currently selling for over $100 on eBay, so the PlayStation Store’s $9.99 price tag is incredible.

More RPG fun can be found in two of the demos uploaded this week. Sega has released a demo of Yakuza 4, their open world game with RPG elements; while EA has added a demo of Dragon Age II. Non-RPG demos Lego Star Wars III and MLB 11: The Show.

As far as new releases go, Sony has added a trio of titles: Space Ace, a spiritual sequel to Dragon’s Lair; Days of Thunder: NASCAR Edition, a racing game based on the 20 year old movie; and Alien Breed 3: Descent, a good old-fashioned space shooter.

Finally, the voting for the first annual PSN Gamer’s Choice Awards has begun. Don’t forget to vote!

More information on all of this week’s new releases can be found after the break and all the details about this week’s game add-ons can be found at the PlayStation.Blog.

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Posted in News, PS3, PSP | Tagged ,

Stacking Review: Yertle Ain’t Got Nothing on Double Fine’s Puzzler

Posted on February 22, 2011 by Mike Gutierrez

In a space where a million small studios are trying to make the next big hit, world-class developer Double Fine productions returns to the downloadable scene with Stacking. From the mind of Art Director Lee Petty and under the mantle of the legendary Tim Schafer, this puzzle-solving adventure game combines pleasantly appealing visuals and intuitive gameplay with the social commentary and quirky humor of the era of silent films.

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

Red Faction: Armageddon gets its ass to Mars on May 31

Posted on February 22, 2011 by John Scalzo

Because references to Total Recall never go out of style. Anyway…

THQ has announced that the latest entry in their Mars-based shooter series, Red Faction: Armageddon, will be released for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 on May 31.

Developed by Volition, Armageddon is set 25 years after the events of Red Faction: Guerrilla. Starring Darius Mason, the son of Guerrilla’s Alec Mason, the game digs deep into the heart of Mars to reawaken the ancient Martians. And unlike the benevolent ancient Martians of Total Recall, these space aliens are pissed.

Gamers will get a second helping of Red Faction this May when Syfy airs the tie-in movie Red Faction: Origins. The film, which stars Robert Patrick, is meant to bridge the 25-year gap between Guerrilla and Armageddon.

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First Bulletstorm DLC announced

Posted on February 22, 2011 by John Scalzo

Bulletstorm, the latest psychotic shooter from Epic Games and People Can Fly, is in stores today. And, like with Dead Space 2, publisher Electronic Arts is wasting no time in announcing the first downloadable content pack.

The Gun Sonata pack will be available this Spring on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Marketplace. It’ll be priced at $9.99 (800 Microsoft Points) and include three new maps for the Anarchy multiplayer mode. The maps will take place in “the wretched” Sewers of Stygia, “the dilapidated ruins” of Hotel Elysium and “the open spaces” of Villa.

The DLC pack will also feature two new Echo mode maps: Crash Site, “where Final Echo soldiers must deal with the ramifications of their crashed ship”; and Guns of Stygia, “in which a captive commando escapes from an enemy prison.” The final piece of the Gun Sonata pack will be two new Leash enhancements, the Flamingo and the Pulp.

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Super Meat Boy delivers additional free Grade A content to XBLA

Posted on February 22, 2011 by Ryan Littlefield

Late last night, Team Meat announced two new chapters for players to complete in the XBLA version of their extravagantly-crafted Super Meat Boy. The two chapters – titled “Expert Remix” and “Cramps” – are totally free for current owners, and collectively feature 40 new levels for players to whiz through.

The expanded levels are encompassed under the name “Teh Internets,” by collecting 15 bandages or completing 40 levels in the main game. 20 of the levels (or half of the content) are user-created, which marks Team Meat’s first release of user-created content. They also stated that more developer and user-created levels will be coming in the future, adding to the game’s excellence.

These levels are XBLA-exclusive for now, but Team Meat has promised that PC gamers will be able to sink their teeth into them shortly.

Check out Team Meat’s page for more info, as well as images of the new stages.

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Daily Scoop: February 22, 2011 – Return to Helghan

Posted on February 22, 2011 by Nicole Kline

I’m sure many of you will not read this until later, when you’re catching up on your daily reading through a Killzone 3 hangover (like Mike G says, “It has ‘ill’ in the name!”). I look forward to joining you!

There’s no Amazon Deal of the Day in video games today, which is probably because they’re gearing up for tomorrow’s huge Video Game Gold Box Event. We’ll give you updates as soon as we have them.

That’s all for today…unless you want to take your chance at the shirt.w00t grab bag today. Maybe you’ll score some good booty!

Posted in Daily Scoop |

3DS launch day lineup will include 18 titles

Posted on February 22, 2011 by John Scalzo

With the 3DS’ March 27th release date a little over a month away, Nintendo has unveiled the 18 titles that will be available on day one alongside the handheld’s launch.

Nintendo themselves plans to release three games on March 27, although heavy hitters like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Star Fox 64 3D, Kid Icarus: Uprising and Mario Kart 3DS will be released “later in 2011.”

Instead, gamers will be able to get their hands on Nintendogs + Cats, Pilotwings Resort and Steel Diver, each of which has been priced at $39.99.

“Seeing 3D visuals without the need for special glasses is just one aspect of Nintendo 3DS,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “The real test of any system is whether the games and applications draw you in and keep you engaged. Through the launch window and beyond, Nintendo 3DS delivers.”

Third party publishers will add an additional 13 games to the launch day lineup including the very impressive Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition and these other titles:

  • Asphalt 3D
  • Bust-A-Move Universe
  • Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs 3D
  • Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
  • Madden NFL Football
  • Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D
  • Rayman 3D
  • Ridge Racer 3D
  • Samurai Warriors: Chronicles
  • The Sims 3
  • Super Monkey Ball 3D
  • Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition
  • Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars

The final two games will come pre-installed on the 3DS: Mii Maker, which is just what it sounds like, an application to make Miis; and Face Raiders, a game that makes use of the 3DS’ camera.

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