Seven Psychopaths Trailer: Definitely Not Another Shaggy Dog Story

Posted on August 14, 2012 by geelw

“What a cast!”, was my first reaction and given that this film is by the same director who brought us the wonderfully dark In Bruges (go rent it if you haven’t seen it yet!), you can expect all sorts of excellent craziness of the controlled and uncontrolled varieties. It’s looking almost like a modern day Ealing Studios comedy directed by Quentin Tarantino. Which means it’ll be weird and good, I say. I have the feeling that this will be one of those films that might not blow the doors off at the box office, but once it hits home video and cable, people will be glued to it multiple times and quoting lines like they thought them up themselves…

Sony’s Puppeteer: I Love The Smell of New IP In The Morning…

Posted on August 14, 2012 by geelw

What I’ve always loved about Sony since the PlayStation days is they’ve continually had new first-party games for their systems that aren’t just the same old stuff year after year. Puppeteer is coming to the PS3 sometime soon (next year) from Japan and it looks quite cool, super creative and a little creepy. I like the overall look of this footage as well as the possibilities for future installments (the press release calls it a new franchise) or even (and hopefully) a Vita version. Sony, you’ve made that commitment to making the Vita a portable hardware, wonder so let’s see more great software for it, grrr! Anyway, the PS3 is NOT going out with a whimper at all, ladies and gents. What a 2013 it’s going to be for those of us who crave PREMIUM content and lots of it.

Spy Hunter Returns For Another Blast Down Memory Lane

Posted on August 14, 2012 by geelw

Granted, we’re talking newer consoles and handhelds here for this reboot, but It’s nice to see that slick, speed-busting, gadget-ridden Interceptor back in action (and no “The Rock” mucking up the works this time, thankfully!). Granted, car combat as a genre is sort of flat at the moment, but there’s always been a primal thrill in most Spy Hunter games that keeps me playing until the end. Then again, I go back to the original arcade game, so maybe it’s just me trying to play catch up with nostalgia or something. More on this one as my own spies dig up what they can…

Remember Me: Your Mind Is Up For Grabs In Capcom’s Newest IP

Posted on August 14, 2012 by geelw

This one sounds pretty cool (and more than a tiny bit like Chris Nolan’s mind-bending film, Inception), so color me intrigued. Capcom dropped news on this upcoming game at GamesCom 2012 and it’s already getting a lot of buzz. Developed by Paris-based DONTNOD Entertainment, the game has you playing as a female “memory hunter” who can tap into people’s minds and steal or alter their memories. Of course, when someone has her memory stolen, our heroine sets out to find out who did it and as the press release says, “discover how she can change the world.” Expect a lot of athleticism, a bit of stealth and lots of ass-kicking in a few varieties in this third-person game set to hit PS3, Xbox 360 and PC in May 2013. More to come on this one, now that it’s on my radar…

Borderlands 2 Update: Say Hello To Handsome Jack (He’ll Be A Big Pain Later On, I Bet)…

Posted on August 13, 2012 by geelw

Looks like those of us who played the original Borderlands will get a nice treat with this DLC, er, provided we go the pre-order and Premiere Club route. Of course, as much as I love Gearbox’ great series, I’m a bit aginst this sort of buying into content, as sticking it on the disc (or the inevitable Game of the Year Edition) will serve the needs of those who dislike pre-ordering or buying digital content. We. Shall. See, I suppose. As it is, Borderlands 2 is going to be a pretty huge hit without the need for extra content, but this should do well among the most rabid fans who want everything before those of us who can wait a bit longer (because the main game will be so darn HUGE)…

NEOGEO X GOLD: It Lives, it Breathes, It Has A Release Date (And A Damn Good Price)!

Posted on August 13, 2012 by geelw

“Great game consoles don’t die; they’re just reborn in much more affordable and convenient packages,” said Tommo CEO Jonathan Wan. “The NEOGEO X GOLD is a love letter to one of my favorite consoles of all time, and working with SNK PLAYMORE to acquire the NEOGEO license, Tommo Inc. looks to provide gaming and entertainment enthusiasts with a classic arcade experience both at home and on the go.”

Holy cats – not only was I right about the price of the unit NOT being the outrageously misreported nonsense other sites had listed a few months back, this is turning into a rather SUPERB value for SNK fanatics. Here’s a pic of the NEOGEO X GOLD In all its glory:

Not only do you get a handheld unit with a 4.3″ screen, expandable card slot, built-in stereo speakers and a headphone jack, the NGX GOLD comes with a base unit and arcade controller modeled after the original AES console allowing you to turn the handheld into a home system! Spectacular, and at $199.99 US, it’s a steal, and a great one at that. December 6, 2012 is the launch date and I expect this one to be a huge holiday hit this year. So much so, that it’s the first entry in this year’s Holiday Gift Guide. What’s in the box are the fun stuff above and 20 pre-installed games listed below the jump (and clipped from the press release, as I’ve been up too long working on some stuff and am about to keel over with a big grin on my face at this fantastic news).

Oh yeah, memo to SNK Playmore: If you can get as many NEOGEO Pocket games as possible AND Samurai Shodown RPG on the NGX GOLD at some point, you’ll make a LOT of fans very, VERY happy. Get on it (please!)…

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Sleeping Dogs Launch Trailer: As Long As It’s True To Itself (And Well Done), I’m Happy…

Posted on August 12, 2012 by geelw

I’m a story guy first and foremost, so I’m hoping the game has a well-written plot to go with all that expensive voice talent. I don’t care much for yet another open world urban game experience, so if I do review this one, it’ll be all about the story, characters and gameplay as opposed to how many billions of mini-games there are and how huge and accurate United Front’s version of Hong Kong is compared to the real city I’ve never been to. Of course, replay value also makes a difference, but for me, even if a game is relatively short and linear, I’ll play it a few times if it’s entertaining and yep, well done.

WRC 3 Update: Vodafone Rally De Portugal Gameplay

Posted on August 12, 2012 by geelw

Milestone keeps the good times rolling with this latest work in-progress trailer. I’m liking what I see here a lot, but as always, the proof is in the playing. Still, the developer has a decent track record with a nice lineup of racing games for different platforms, so my fingers are crossed that they go the extra mile in doing the WRC license justice. I’ll probably go for the PS3 and Vita versions, as it’ll be fun to compare the two in terms of features and see how much the dev team has managed to fit onto a Vita card. OK, it’s getting late and I’m running out of gas in terms of the auto-related puns. Back with more on this one as new footage magically appears on the internet…

What Is QuakeCon? A Video Primer Of Sorts For People Like Me…

Posted on August 12, 2012 by geelw

Yeah, that’s right… I’ve never been to a QuakeCon, as it’s always been way out of my budget and I’m not the biggest PC gamer out there (unless it’s some vintage vault classic, super fun indie stuff or RPGMaker epic that’s worth raving about), so that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it. Still, I’ve been to a few East Coast tournaments (that World Cyber Games held here in NYC a bunch of years back and some other fun events), so I know that things get really fun and really crazy in a good way for fans of id Software’s games. Eh, one day I’ll get out west again, so perhaps I’m not a total loser. Hell, I do need a decent vacation. after not having one for ages..

Sega’s Hell Yeah!: This Rabbit Tale Is Getting Curiouser and Curiouser…

Posted on August 9, 2012 by geelw

Fun and funky visuals aside, I’m still trying to figure this game out and I can’t quite put my finger on why I like it despite it trying to be too, er…. something. Well, it’s not a bad thing that quirky still tickles my fancy and Hell No!, I’m NOT one of those mildly angry internet folk clamoring for Sega to make a Sonic game that looks something like this. As usual, some hands-on time will clarify and crush any doubty rumblings I may have, but overall, I like what I see, pushing the crazy vibe overkill and all. Go, Sega!