2009

Posted on October 6, 2009 by geelw

Big week for a few titles and it’s only going to get better from here – let’s take a trip, shall we:

Demon’s Souls is of course, my pick of the week, if not the year for PS3 owners (go read my review), but if you’re not into the insane level of challenge this one provides and perhaps require something a lot less intense (and family friendly), Natsume’s Afrika might very well be up your alley. Think of this grand photo safari adventure as a passport-less trip and a really cool way to see a bit of nature (and interact with it without getting eaten alive or trampled). Fifty bucks for an African Safari and you don’t need to get shots? Sign me up!

For you shooter fans, try and play Codemasters’ superb tactical FPS Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising as if it’s a mere run ‘n gun and you’ll be in for a very quick trip to the morgue for you and your squad mates. And, hey – isn’t it a total trip to see a new Star Wars game show up on every console and portable platform? Wii owners even get a few special peripherals to help them enjoy their version of Clone Wars: Republic Heroes.

A Boy and His Blob is a trip of a different sort, as this remake of the NES classic goes a long way in reinvigorating that nostalgia vibe. Trippy might describe elements of Obscure: The Aftermath, a survival horror game that’s inspired by teen slasher flicks and horror games, while tripping over something trappy in SAW could cause poor Detective Tapp to lose his life. Finally, don’t trip on that balance board when playing Wii Fit Plus or Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Ultimatum or else that busted femur will have you laid up in bed exercising your stylus hand in the DS version of The Biggest Loser instead.

Wait… an exercise game for a handheld system? Er… hmmm… I don’t even know what to say about that… Anyway, here’s this week’s list:

10/04/2009
Wii Fit Plus (Wii)

10/05/2009
Obscure: The Aftermath (PSP/PSPgo)
Squeeballs Party (DS/DSi/Wii)

10/06/2009
A Boy and His Blob (Wii)
Afrika (PS3)
A Witch’s Tale (DS/DSi)
The Biggest Loser (DS/DSi/Wii)
Cabela’s Outdoor Adventures (PC)
Demon’s Souls/Demon’s Souls Limited Collector’s Edition (PS3)
Disney Sing It: Pop Hits (PS2/PS3/Wii)
Fate: The Traitor Soul (PC)
Game Party 3 (Wii)
Imagine: Zookeeper (DS/DSi)
Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Ultimatum 2010 (Wii)
Naruto Shippuden Legends: Akatsuki (PSP/PSPgo)
NBA 2K10 (PS2/PS3/PSP/PSPgo/Xbox 360)
NBA 10: The Inside (PSP/PSPgo)
NBA Live 10 (PS3/PSP/PSPgo/Xbox 360)
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising (PC/PS3/Xbox 360)
SAW (PS3/Xbox 360)
The Sims 2 Best of Business Collection (PC)
Star Wars: Clone Wars Republic Heroes (DS/DSi/PC/PS2/PS3/PSP/PSPgo/Xbox 360/Wii)
Spore Hero (Wii)
Spore Hero Arena (DS/DSi)

10/09/2009
MotorStorm: Arctic Edge (PS2)
Shimano Xtreme Fishing (Wii)

In addition, Valve’s Steam download service now has the following EA PC games available for download NOW:

Need for Speed: SHIFT
Battlefield 2: Complete Collection
Medal of Honor: Airborne
Godfather
Godfather 2
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3: Uprising

Review: Dead Space Extraction

Posted on October 6, 2009 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo Wii

Developer: Eurocom

Publisher: EA

# of Players: 1 – 2

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Official Site

Score: A

In case you’re staring at that cover art and wondering (raised eyebrow and all), Dead Space Extraction works brilliantly on the Wii as both a solid horror game as well as a technical showpiece for Visceral Games and Eurocom. This “guided FPS experience” as it’s been dubbed manages to be scary as hell, spectacular to look and absolutely nails it in terms of the aural assault. In terms of story, the game dishes up an excellent prequel to the events in the PS3/360/PC horror hit Dead Space packed with some great emotional moments that make the original game’s plot all the more poignant. Of course, if you don’t have a PS3 or 360 and your PC can’t run Dead Space, all of this may mean nothing. However, what’s here is certainly solid enough that I could see a few formerly Wii-only gamers eyeballing a new console just to catch up on the first game’s descent into sci-fi themed fear.

Continue reading →

Demon’s Souls is HERE (And So Is The Wiki!)

Posted on October 6, 2009 by geelw

Yeah, some of you have it, all of you will die multiple times playing it and more than a few of you will want to jump up and down on your PS3 until it’s a flat black file folder with sparks coming out of it.

Before you reach that point (it’s an expensive file folder, folks), head on over to the new Demon’s Souls Wiki and get some assistance for those problem areas (which will be pretty much the entire game for those trying to play this like it’s Diablo 2 or some other simple chase ‘n chop game with a basic multiplayer and PvP mode… which it isn’t at all)

As the Wiki is *NEW*, a LOT of stuff needs filling in, so if you’re getting really great at surviving what’s being thrown at you in the game and can string a sentence together, SUBMIT to the Wiki! Just remember to use that spellchecker, folks. Poor grammar is a worse death than the False King Allant can ever give you…

P.S. The servers are officially UP – enjoy the game!!!

Fairytale Fights Updated Hands-On

Posted on October 6, 2009 by geelw

Preview versions of the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Playlogic’s Fairytale Fights showed up last Friday and after digging myself out from under a pile of other work, I finally got a chance to spend some quality time with the game. After diving in and coming up covered in blood and chunks a few days (and many replays) later, I’m even more impressed with how the game has progressed. The Unreal 3 powered hack ‘n slash/platformer hybrid is really coming together in this latest build and is shaping up to be an outrageous, surefire hit for hardcore gamers when it’s released on October 27. If you like your games bloody, challenging, controversial and off the charts hilarious, what’s here will keep you giddy and bouncing up and down like kids in the back seat on a Sunday drive sugar high.