Nintendo “Sizzle” Reel Time: High Steaks on the Video Game Grill…

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Nintendo really wants you to know it’s that time of year again (no, not that time… THAT time – holiday shopping season), so here’s a little reminder that they want you to think about the 3DS if you haven’t already. That and hey look – their eShop is up and running nicely, they have a new console on the way they want you to buy (you may have heard of it) and yeah, if you’re a gamer (and Nintendo fan), all is pretty much right as rain these days. Or something like that – there’s a ton of stuff coming out, that’s for sure.

Lost Planet 3 NYCC Panel: Watch and Learn (Once Again!)

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Spark Unlimited is really pulling out the stops to make Lost Planet 3 the best game they’ve done to date. This prequel has been getting some way out of place hatred from some who aren’t yet hip to the fact that the game doesn’t replace the LP they know with something new and different at all – it just sets up the world and events the other games will jump off from. Anyway, take a gander at this presentation from New York Comic Con which covers a few fun development facts including the great motion capture work that’s going into the final product.  From the brief demo I played a few months back, it’s looking like the single player story will have memorable characters and plenty of exposition that could make this the most interesting game in the series for those who love a tale told well. The action’s not bad, either.

Transformers Prime – The Game: Today’s Lesson in Multi-Platform Visuals (Nintendo Version)…

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Ack! It’s a stupidly busy day for me (I’m buried in a few too many games this week), but here’s a quickie post about Transformers Prime – The Game, set to hit the Wii U (and Wii, 3DS and DS) on November 18th. I find it interesting that the visual style skews a bit younger than High Moon’s War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron, and it seems a few internet idiots are mistaking this for Nintendo’s new console not having enough power to render a more” realistic” looking game. The Wii U can indeed handle higher texture and model detail just fine. Go peek at more screens and HD movies of the launch lineup to confirm this. I’d gather that as the game was probably started on the Wii, the Wii U version is more likely than not using the same assets and will run in HD where the Wii version won’t.  Thus endeth the lesson – now go play some games!

 

The Hobbit TV Spot 1: It’s No Time For Comedy Central, I Say…

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Someone told me the other day that Stephen Colbert (a super huge Tolkein fan) is supposed to be in this new flick in some sort of cameo and if it’s true, I’ll wince a bit now and hope it’s as minimal a part as possible that doesn’t take anything away from Peter Jackson’s hard work. Look, I like Colbert and his show a lot (well, most of the time), but this sort of placement is troublesome, annoying and frustrating (like the product promos he does on his show). I don’t need to see the man EVERYWHERE in the media and the fact that a number of key crazed conservatives in the US have been doing his act for real for a few years (unfortunately, they take the crap they say too seriously) makes him almost obsolete at times. Hell, he’s got a treadmill or whatever on the International Space Station, is probably sinking an image of his face to the bottom of the sea to be discovered by future travelers and I’m surprised someone hasn’t stuck him in a popular iOS game or something yet. Meh, maybe I’m getting old and cranky, but I just think that the last person who needs a Colbert Bump (TM) is Stephen Colbert…

Orgarhythm Now Available On PSN – Another Vita Must Have for Xseed Fans…

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As this went live only a short time ago (a bit late, I think), I’m sitting here trying to download the game at a Starbucks, but may have to get back to getting it tomorrow, as it’s a big file and I’ve under an hour left before they kick me out. Gyaaaa! Still, I’m also in the middle of too many other games on the Vita at the moment: Dokuro, Retro City Rampage (I just started my review for that) and the import version of EDF 3 Portable so I won’t even get to touch Orgarhythm until at least Friday. Still, it’s a very, very good time to be a Vita owner, that’s for sure. I still need to get my paws on Virtue’s Last Reward, Corpse Party: Book of Shadows was just announced yesterday for the PSP (and will hopefully be playable on the Vita) and more key to niche gems are on the way. Sony fans, take heart – the Vita is far, far from “dead” these days…

 

KontrolFreek’s FPS Freek Havoc & FPS Freek Infinity: The Science of Shooting Stuff Faster

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Whether you play a lot of console FPS games in online or single player modes, you know that getting the drop on that enemy before you’re ventilated is all that matters and everything you can do to make that perfect shot is a good thing. Atlanta, GA-based KontrolFreek has been around for a bit providing console FPS fans with some cool controller enhancements that actually improve performance without the need for spending a ton of money on a custom pad or taking apart your favorite controller. The KontrolFreek Havoc (inspired by Call of Duty Black Ops II) and KontrolFreek Infinity (inspired by Halo 4) are a set of analog thumb stick extenders that actually add more range of movement to your character while requiring less pressure on the sticks, meaning you can play longer and better as soon as you snap these onto your favorite gamepad.  Hey now, don’t be such a skeptic! There’s actual SCIENCE here to prove it! Go, Science!

I was quite surprised at how more responsive games like Killzone 3, Resistance 3, Halo ODST, Metro 2033 and a few others I tried out with the Havoc and Infinity on a few different first and third-party pads I have around the home office were and both even work well with other   genres where extended play usually brings tired digits.  If there’s a FPS fan on your holiday gift list, either (or both) would make a perfect addition to their package. Grab a pair of either for $19.99 MSRP at a game shop near you, but if they don’t have these, you can order direct from KontrolFreek for $13.99, a savings of $6 with FREE shipping if you order $25 or more of merchandise. Sounds like a deal if you ask me. Anyway, get to it and maybe tell a few friends so they can get in on this. Of course, telling people you play AGAINST that you’re putting holes in them faster because of KontrolFreeks is probably not a good thing (but it will make the folks at the company happy, that’s for sure)…

NEOGEO X Gold Update: Limited Editon Pre-Orders Nab Ninja Master’s For Free

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SNK Playmore’s handheld wonder is getting some nifty pre-order love over at online retailers Amazon and GameStop. Consumers who pre-order the Limited Edition (which comes packed with some nice bonuses that turn the handheld into a home console) will get a FREE game card (the 1996 beat ’em up, NINJA MASTER’S*) with their order when the new portable ships out on December 6, 2012.  As I’ve been saying for months now, for a dedicated console with a fairly large library of classics (more of which will be made available after the system launches), that $199.99 isn’t a lot at all considering you also get 20 free classic NEOGEO titles you can play on the road using the X as a dedicated portable or at home with the dock included in the LE box.

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Hey Sony! You’re Missing a HUGE Opportunity With Wonderbook…

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Here’s the second developer diary from SCEE about Wonderbook, but let’s forget about that for a minute. Four little words, Sony, just four little words:

Fifty Shades of Grey.

Grab the rights to this NOW. I’m just saying… that stupid book and its two sequels have sold in the millions and you have an untapped (pun not intended) source of potential female PS3 owners (that thinner cuter model you just introduced, y’know) who’d LOVE to have an interactive version of the book they can surprise their significant (or insignificant) others (or other selves) with. Sure, the kid books will do OK, but get a dev team to whip out (no pun intended) a version of the first book with some nice PS Move bells and whistles, get it in a limited edition package with a coupon from Trojan Vibrations and BOOM – watch the money rollllllllllllll in.

I’m just saying – tap that market fast before the movie hits and the fad wears out. No charge for this idea – you can thank me later.

TIny Troopers To Get 100% More DLC Zombies This Week

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Nice – Hot on the heels of the recent Steam patch that added some nice tweaks to the gameplay and control layout, Iceberg Interactive and Kukouri Mobile Entertainment are adding zombies to the PC/Mac version via a DLC update to be released for both retail and download versions.

Per the press release, Tiny Troopers new Zombie mode features will include:
• Face endless waves of brain-munching zombies, including undead chickens!
• Utilize air dropped crates of special weapons to lay devastation on the zombie hordzs!
• Use all your favorite Special Forces troopers to take down the undead.
• Survive as long as you can against unending waves of normal and special zombies!

Yep, “hordz” is Iceberg’s spelling not mine – Hey, it made me laugh, so I left it as is. Anyway, I’ll post an update when this new update goes live. Hey Kukouri! How about a PS Vita version of this game? It’s pretty cool as it is, but on that Vita widescreen, it would be even better, I say…

Sega Model 2 Collection: Virtua Everything (Now, Let’s Get This Stateside!)

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Hmmm… looks like Sega is finally going to unleash more of its arcade history on gamers soon (well, in Japan, at least). Hopefully, Sega of America and Sega of Europe are on the case in getting these out over PSN and XBLA. Personally, I’d prefer to see these all pop up on a single disc so I don’t have to worry about any online issues and heck, these NEED to be Vita and Wiiware bound at some point just because gamers who haven’t heard of these hits should absolutely be playing them. I’m betting Sega Rally is coming up next, as are some other Model 2 games not in this initial batch… it’s going to be fun seeing these roll out, that’s for sure…