DS in 2013

Posted on February 21, 2012 by geelw

Well, well… someone realizes that a LOT of gamers still play Nintendo DS games (he said, not at all facetiously). Little Orbit is teaming up with WBIE to bring a video game version of the popular cartoon series to current generation consoles in 2013. The game is an action/RPG with an online/offline multiplayer focus (which wisely means a kids in a family can play together on the couch if need be). More details and screens to come as they fly into the inbox here. In the meantime, check out the official site and Facebook page, which are both up and running, although the official site is slim pickings for a good reason – not all those character boxes? Reveals, folks.. reveals. With a dozen playable characters, a ton of guest star cameos and a dozen villains, this is going to be fun in terms of seeing who’s going to be in the game.

SSX Gallery Mini-Update: The Only Snow Some Of You Will See All Year. Yikes.

Posted on February 19, 2012 by geelw

So far, “winter” here and in a few other places has been a complete bust, but thankfully, EA is on the case with way TOO much snow and a bunch of fearless boarders you’ll soon get to play around with. Inside, where it’s warm, at that. I’ve played a few chunks of the game at press events since last year and at the Spotlight EA event earlier this month, this slick reboot was looking amazing and is definitely headed to fans as a fantastic addition to the hugely popular franchise. Run out and grab it, I say, but If there’s still no snow on the ground by the time the game reaches a retailer near you (it’ll be in stores on February 28 for the PS3 and Xbox 360), just keep a few windows open in the house so you can at least catch an ice cold breeze while you’re playing.

Note: Diving face first into a big plastic bucket of ice cubes to simulate falling in the digital snow isn’t at all recommended. But, hey… it’s your living room (and your face).

Escape Plan: The Vita’s Fun, Funky Puzzler That Needs To Be Played…

Posted on February 19, 2012 by geelw

What, another Vita hit? Yup. Escape Plan’s black & white “comic noir” visuals, easy to learn, tricky to master puzzle/adventure gameplay and just pure sense of fun make this a memorable launch title. Sure. it’s probably not going to make some of you “hardcore” gamers get all gushy (you’re getting your shooters, don’t worry!). Nevertheless, it’s great to see all sorts of games coming to the Vita that just aren’t the usual ports or other truncated “casual” experiences derived from a social network page. More, please!

Classic Gaming Expo 2K12 Update: Registration Is Open, Prices Are Awesome!

Posted on February 18, 2012 by geelw

And so it begins! CGE 2012 Registration kicks off with an excellent pricing whether you sign up for Early Bird, Advance or even at the door tickets. Additionally, the lovely and newly renovated Plaza Hotel is the venue and the special CGE rates are quite affordable at $65 per day for a Deluxe room. Of course, you’ll need to do something about transportation to and from Las Vegas (road trip!) as well as any sightseeing options. As for food, well you’d be surprised (or maybe not so surprised) to find way too many options in Vegas to make sure you’re not going to starve at any hour of the day.

Back with more CGE 2012 updates as they’re announced…

Toy Fair 2012: Skylanders Giants: Activision’s Other (Not-So) Secret Weapon For 2012

Posted on February 18, 2012 by geelw

Despite all the skeptics (professional and otherwise) out there predicting all sorts of astronomical failure for the product, Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventures was a massive hit for Activision and veteran developer Toys for Bob across multiple platforms, transforming the gaming landscape with a crossover product that combined a solid, fun video game with collectible figures. At Toy Fair 2012, the next wave of Skylanders was rolled out to what looked like pretty positive overall response. Skylanders: Giants introduces eight new characters into the fold including four huge elemental hulks that change up the gameplay considerably. If last year’s success caught Activision off guard, this year they’re loaded for bear and ready to rake in even more of your gaming and collecting dollars…

Continue reading →

Kid Icarus: Uprising Three Sacred Treasures Trailer (Try Saying That Three Times Fast)

Posted on February 17, 2012 by geelw

Nintendo’s biggest (or at least most wanted by many) first-party 3DS game of 2012 is soaring toward its release – here’s the latest trailer bound to get fans thrilled (and me wanting to see an sequel on the Wii U). Of course, I’d also love a new 3D Metroid game at some point, but I guess we’ll have to see what’s what at E3 this year…

Max Payne 3 Trailer # 2: I’ll Have a Shot Of That…

Posted on February 17, 2012 by geelw

Delay of game aside, the new May 15 launch date also gives me time to recuperate from my birthday a week earlier. Given that I’ll most likely be spending it buried in some new game, I get a few extra days to finish whatever I’m playing before Max makes his appearance. Perhaps Rockstar was thinking of me after all? Well, maybe not, but a guy can hope, right? That new trailer is up on the other blog if you’re curious, George…

Double Fine Adventure Update #1: Tim Goes Platforming, Money Still Rolling In…

Posted on February 17, 2012 by geelw

Well, the game is hugely popular, big name publishers are kicking themselves in the face and butt simultaneously and all sorts of game projects are looking to Kickstarter or other crowd funding sources as all of a sudden people realize that SAYING a genre is dead because you’re too damn lazy to make games and drum up interest for them is a LOT different than allowing developers who KNOW what they’re doing to make the games they want to make in the first place…

Remember kids, just because something is popular (i.e., makes a ton of money automatically year by year), doesn’t mean it’s actually GOOD. Class dis-missed!

Jak & Daxter Collection Behind The Scenes Shows There’s Defintely A Storm In Every Port…

Posted on February 16, 2012 by geelw

Some folks out there think it’s “easy” to get an HD version of an older console game out, but it’s far, far from just porting the graphics and adding a shiny layer of high def texture maps and too much depth of field. Especially when the games you’re looking at giving the glossy graphics treatment broke all the rules on the console they were created for. If you were wondering why it’s taken so long for Sony to get the Jak games onto the PS3, this video will give you a good idea of just how well Naughty Dog did their job with the original games. Mass Media has their work cut out for them, but it seems that they’re going to be knocking this collection out of the park and making a LOT of fans happy (like yours truly)…

Armored Core V “DOOMSDAY” Trailer (Plus A GameStop Exclusive… A Pretty Cool One, At That)

Posted on February 15, 2012 by geelw

Usually, I kind of roll my eyeballs around in my skull until they fall out of my head and get all linty from rolling under a dresser when I see these pre-order bonuses. This time, I managed to catch one eyeball and pop it back in just so I could do a proper double-take. Pre-ordering ACV from any GS in North America will get you the Heavy Armor Pack DLC, which features 168 parts you can use to give your Core a big honkin’ advantage over those who just grab the game at retail on day one and have to work harder to get the cool gear.

On the other hand, a GOOD AC player will probably figure out a way to rig up a mean mech without taking the pre-order plunge. Of course, 168 FREE parts are very hard to pass up, that’s for sure…