Young Justice: Legacy Cover Art Revealed: Revenge (of Sorts) Is Sweet…

 

Young Justice Legacy_coverOK, so the show is dead, killed off somewhat unceremoniously by Cartoon Network (the curse of poor ratings, most likely) but that’s not stopping the development on this game fans have been eagerly waiting for since it was announced. Here’s the official cover art for Young Justice Legacy, set to hit the PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo 3DS, PC (and hopefully a few more platforms). Developer Freedom Factory is going all out to make sure its upcoming action/RPG is one those fans of the show will really get into and definitely make a day one purchase. It would be nice to see sales hit a fast high and sustain that for a bit so CN could reconsider its termination of the cartoon, but that’s a harder thing to do with a niche series no matter how much the most loyal fans shake their fists at their monitors and cable boxes.

As always, (yeah, repeat after me, folks): We Shall See…

Humor: Top Hand Rodeo Trailer: “If That Kinect Works Right For 8 Seconds…”

 
 

“… then maybe this MIGHT be cool.” was the first joke I heard from a friend who saw this trailer and pointed it my way. Ouch and ha – ha. Well, it might be cool indeed… unless you’re a die-hard ro-dey-o fanatic who takes this Xbox 360 game way too seriously and start flopping around your living room like Elizabeth Berkeley in that infamous pool scene from Showgirls. Well, I’m a glass half-full guy, sooooo… at least when you fly off that invisible bull and bust you ass and/or any other important bits, once you wake up from that coma, you can end up riding a Rascal scooter with a fake bull tail stapled to the back of the seat. It HAS to be a fake tail, as who wants to be chased down the street (slowly) by some pissed off PETA members?

Those scooters only do what, 1/4 a mile an hour or something like that and if they went faster, you’d just go off a curb or bump in the sidewalk or street like Evel Knievel and land just like he did on some of his more unsuccessful motorcycle jump attempts. Hmmm… I wonder if Rascal makes a street-worthy riding bed? That way, when you come out of that second coma, you can get fake bull horns for the front to go with the replacement tail you ordered from that Cabela’s catalog.

Hmmm… perhaps there’s something to this “video games causing violence” thing after all… Yee haw.

D3Publisher of America’s Holiday 2012 Lineup Is Mysteriously Free Of Bugs…

 

Hey D3! Nice family-friendly lineup you’ve got there. One teeny-tiny thing irks me, however. You know, TEASING viewers about Earth Defense Force 2017 Portable (which comes out on February 12, 2013) in your otherwise fine Holiday Gift Guide YouTube video would have been a REALLY cool thing to do. Since you didn’t, I have an idea: cook up another of these videos for that game and post it, oh, I dunno BEFORE the end of this year (or at latest, at the beginning of 2013) just so people KNOW that the game is available as a pre-order from a few places. Look, the Vita is getting the crap kicked out of it by the 3DS and some games journalists who aren’t happy with some of Sony’s decisions. It needs any game that could be a potential hit (and system seller) to get as much notice as possible as early as possible. Sooooo, get ‘er done, I say! Take Two… ACTION!

Young Justice: Legacy Teaser: It’s Getting Closer…


Finally (after a wee bit too long and quiet time), here’s a cool short teaser for the upcoming Young Justice: Legacy game, set to hit home and portable consoles in 2013. Thanks, Little Orbit! OK, that’s one more game to keep an eyeball peeled for next year. If you feel like reading some insider stuff about the game, boogie on over here and here for some posts that are pretty informative about what goes into making a game like this come to life. Naturally, the big fat question for many fans remains just how good it’s going to be. Then again, given that it’s an action/RPG and there’s a nice pedigree behind the product in progress, I think the Little League (a ha ha) is in fine hands indeed. Now, let’s see an all gameplay trailer next time!

Update Before the Update Department: Some Kinect-ing Thoughts…

So, I played a bit of Dragon Ball Z Kinect yesterday and (*surprise!* ) I didn’t hate it at all. It looks great (well, for a DBZ game), the controls are simple enough to understand (I’d say most fans will appreciate them more than non-fans) and yes, there’s a good workout in there with all that punching, ducking and occasional jumping you’ll be doing.I didn’t ask if there was a calorie counter option, but they will definitely be burned as this game is played…

That’s a good thing, although I’d bet once it hit stores, more kids will enjoy the game than adults. I was about to keel over like a fallen oak tree after one fight. Maybe Namco Bandai is planning some sort of revenge on jaded, out of shape games journalists who keep knocking them when they try to do something different. Then again, I’m not jaded, just really out of shape. The amount of physical exertion needed to play DBZ keeps it from really being a “casual” game experience and it looks as if families with a Kinect in the living room will be getting another game to keep them occupied (and relocating furniture before a foot goes through it).

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DragonBall Z Kinect: You’ll Probably Want To Punch Your TV For Real, But…

Remember… it’s a game for kids, so there’s that. Motion controls aside, it’s also a tiny bit close to what the Bandai Playdia DBZ games were in a few aspects, so there’s that as well. That means again, it’s a game for KIDS, first and foremost. All the Super Saiyan furor boiling up and way over about this one is a bit much, I think. Hell, if you’re screaming about a motion-controlled DragonBall game and you’re old enough to vote or drink, you should probably be consuming less caffeine and sugar or something. Maybe go read some Shakespeare, get out for a nice walk? I hear there’s some nice jazz in the park somewhere near you… Cultchah, folks, cult-chah…

Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor Stomps Into Retail. You’ll Need Patience And Practice To Survive, Period

 

And even if you HATE Kinect with a passion, this super-niche game is worth a look because developer From Software has cleverly cooked up a game that uses BOTH the peripheral and the Xbox 360 controller to give players a realistic simulation of being inside and out of that VT (Vertical Tank). The low-tech alternate time period setting adds a nice touch as well to the world war whatever locales you’ll be trying to survive in. That said, be prepared to put in some heavy time with this one (you can read the manual here just to see what you’ll be getting into), as it’s not aiming for the casual gamer at ALL.

Tip: Pay attention to that tutorial to learn the ropes, get fully immersed in the story and don’t do anything stupid to break the mood the game sets up, as the idea is to put yourself into the boots of one of the crew of that VT during some tough combat missions. Before you get to all that, expect to spend a good deal of time calibrating your Kinect and game area so you’re able to get the game to do what you want it to when you want it to. Yes, this will seem strange to gamers used to simpler stuff, but Capcom and From want you to work hard here (as with the first SB game) and this one’s only going to be enjoyed fully by the hardcore that put in the time necessary to learn and play the game. Besides, any game with a live action trailer directed by Mamoru Oshii can’t be all bad, I say…

 

Steel Battalion “How To” Trailer: “First, You Buy A Kinect…”

 

Ha ha… Well, that’s how it SHOULD begin for those who still don’t own a Kinect, right? Out of all the games for the thing, this one is the main reason I’m interested in the peripheral. I like that it’s set up as a simulation where you’re not just using the Kinect to do EVERY action. With gameplay taking place in and out of the tank, it looks as if there will be a wide range of things to keep players busy as they tromp and blast through some pretty deadly war zones. The sense of immersion looks off the charts and HOPEFULLY, the jaded folks out there will give this one a try even if they’re still whining for a special (and one use) controller. Look kids – that’s not going to happen, as it would be too expensive to produce and useless just for this ONE game. Sure, the first Steel Battalion got that great big 44-button monster, but Capcom was smart enough not to overproduce it. Still, I;m sure SOMEONE will hack their SB controller to work with the new game (good luck with that project!)…

Steel Battalion Captivate 2012 Footage: Time To Get Kinected, I Suppose.

 

Hmmm. Not only does it look as if I’ll be hopping on the Kinect bandwagon for this game (OK, and the new Fable and maybe some other stuff that doesn’t involve dancing around in front of the TV), I’ll also have to do a Game Appreciation 101 class on artistic stylization choices made by game developers, as way too many people don’t “get” that the game is SUPPOSED to look a bit rustic and aged and not all Unreal-y and shiny up the wazoo. It’s amazing to me that those who don’t get this, but hey… I guess here to educate and it’s a long, hard process for sure. Don’t worry, Capcom and From – I got your back.

 

Dragon Ball Z On The Kinect: “Kamehameha” Means “Heart Attack” In What Language Again?

Well, “Holy Hmm…,” Batman, the rumors are true. There’s actually a Dragon Ball Z game hitting the Kinect in October, so make some room in the living room and pad the walls for those screaming sessions you’ll be having in front of your TV. All I’ll say is this had better be fun as hell or else Namco Bandai’s formerly impenetrable HQ will be stormed by angry DBZ fans wearing bright gold wigs and costumes they made in their basements (some with the assistance of a parent or very understanding significant other!). This could get ugly and fast. I can see the newsflash now: Angry Dragon Ballers Raging At Game Publisher’s Offices! Details at 11…

What? Don’t get offended, now. They’re NOT going to show up in person or post those angry rants on the internet while sipping a snifter of brandy and thoughtfully stroking their beards, if that’s the other direction you want me to go here. Eh, whatever. With a franchise like this, there’s sort of no middle ground unless you don’t take the series seriously enough to be upset about the Kinect getting a DBZ game. For me, there are more urgent things to be pissed off about (like the fact that I need to get a Kinect at some point, but I’ll probably need to punch a hole in a wall so I have enough space to use the damn thing)…