Super Monkey Ball Banana Splitz Trailer Is Slightly Nostalgic (Sort Of…)

Posted on January 14, 2012 by geelw

…Only because I’m ancient enough to immediately think of The Banana Splits (wait, they have an OFFICIAL web site? yikes!) and not the upcoming PS Vita exclusive. Still this is a pretty funny bit of CG, right? Of course, Sega wins in the end here, as just about any SMB game would be a lot better than a game based on a really kooky kids television show that’s older than most people who read this blog. Of course, Cartoon Network might prove me wrong one day (but I hope not!)…

PlayStation Vita Launch Lineup (25 Games & Counting)…

Posted on December 26, 2011 by geelw

It looks as if SCEA is absolutely making sure Vita owners have ZEO complaints about a weak launch/launch window lineup. Below is the official listing of Vita games scheduled to hit retail and digital (through PSN) when the new handheld is released on February 22, 2012. Based on the nice selection of genres here, there are more than enough titles to take care of nearly anyone’s gaming needs. In addition, SCEA has clarified the memory card pricing structure (it’s slightly lower that initially reported by some outlets) as well as announced a bunch of cool accessories, but you’ll need to head below the jump to read all about those…

PS Vita Launch Titles (Pricing ranges from from $9.99 – $49.99 US)

Escape Plan (SCEA, PSN Only)
Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational (SCEA)
Hustle Kings (SCEA, PSN Only)
Little Deviants (SCEA)
ModNation Racers: Road Trip (SCEA)
Super StarDust Delta (SCEA, PSN Only)
UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss (SCEA)
wipEout 2048 (SCEA)
Army Corps of Hell (Square Enix)
Asphalt Injection (Ubisoft)
BEN10 GALACTIC RACING (D3Publisher of America)
Blazblue: Continuum Shift EXTEND (Akysys)
Dungeon Hunter Alliance (Ubisoft)
Dynasty Warriors Next (Tecmo Koei)
F1 2011 (Codemasters)
EA SPORTS FIFA Soccer (EA Sports)
Lumines Electronic Symphony (Ubisoft)
Michael Jackson The Experience (Ubisoft)
Plants vs. Zombies (SOE, PSN Only)
Rayman Origins (Ubisoft)
Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen (Namco Bandai)
Tales of Space: Mutant Blobs (Drinkbox Studios, PSN Only)
Touch My Katamari (Namco Bandai)
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 (Capcom)
Virtua Tennis 4: World Tour Edition (Sega)
Launch window titles plus Memory Card and accessory pricing are a click away… Continue reading →

Escape Plan: A Look At The Vita’s Stylish Noir Puzzle/Adventure

Posted on December 23, 2011 by geelw

From the always informative PlayStation Blog, check out this nice slice of info on one of the Vita’s most intriguing US launch window games. I love these types of cool visual experiments and I’m hoping the game catches on with as many people as possible so the developers can expand this into something bigger and better.

Sumioni: Demon Arts Coming To Vita From Xseed Spring 2012

Posted on December 17, 2011 by geelw

As someone who’s into Japanese art of all types, I love it when developers are inspired by old woodblock prints, Sumi-e and textile art from the past when creating new games. While some less savvy gamers will see this Sumioni trailer and immediately think of the late Clover Studios’ wondrous Okami, in Acquire’s upcoming Vita exclusive, I see yet another in a long list of Japanese games that takes from the past and presents itself to modern gamers with an eye toward a bit of education under all that fun. Well, that’s how a bit of MY mind works, folks… Er, anyway: GO, Xseed!

Eleven Good Reasons To Buy A PlayStation Vita (And More to Come)*…

Posted on December 14, 2011 by geelw

Nothing but game trailers here, folks. I figured why not run them all in one shot instead of padding out the blog with separate posts. Besides, I’m up too late again and need my beauty sleep before getting back into the saddle for another ride around the ol’ inbox. Anyway, enjoy the videos and go pre-order a Vita if you haven’t yet. Japanese gamers are already grabbing theirs, but apparently, it’ll be about a week before Famitsu posts the first pro reviews. I like all that I see here so far and can’t wait to see how they’ve turned out since I saw and played a few of them last.

(*Make that 12 good reasons if you add in RUIN with its wonderful cross-platform play seen in yesterday’s video)

Continue reading →

A Double Shot of PS Vita Trailer Love…

Posted on December 13, 2011 by geelw

Two slick trailers from Sony showing off the upcoming Vita and its many cool features. Between the games coming and the cross platform play with the PS3, it’s clear that Sony has a winner of a handheld system here. All those app-crazy types strangely betting on the Vita to fold are in for a shock, I say. Those inexpensive iOS games are way out of the quality league when compared to what’s coming and hell, some of us core gamers don’t want a damn phone in our gaming systems, period. That and I’d bet good money that Sony won’t be replacing the Vita in under a year and telling you the system you JUST bought is now obsolete.

Hey, Sony! Here’s How To Make Vita Memory Cards Less Of a Knife In The Wallet…

Posted on December 12, 2011 by geelw

With the announcement of prices for the PS Vita’s proprietary memory cards getting a lot of gamers up in arms (despite Sony recently stating that they’re not set in stone), I figure I may as well add my two cents here in order to help smooth things out a bit. There’s a simple solution Sony can use to quell some of that anger and get a few consumers to snap up multiple cards in the process. If the cards haven’t been produced yet, Sony can (and should) add a few free PSPminis to them as bonus content at retail or for those who have PSN accounts, add a voucher redeemable for their choice of minis as DLC when they register their card online. As we’re in the age where people want something extra when they spend what they feel is a lot of money on something they feel is overpriced, I’d say a bit of a reward for their loyalty (even though there’s not a cheaper third party solution in sight) will go a long way. Continue reading →

Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock Coming to PS3/PS Vita

Posted on December 10, 2011 by geelw

According to a posting on the PlayStation Blog by Simon Harris, Executive Producer for BBC Worldwide, Supermassive Games is working on a new Doctor Who game for the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita. No info was released as to what genre the game will be, although in the past two years, there have been two previous games featuring The Doctor made for the Nintendo Wii and DS that weren’t received too well. This new game looks to turn the tide as it’s being developed by a different studio and while no gameplay info or footage has been revealed, I’d imagine it’s going to be a mix of adventure and puzzle elements while being light on the action (given the good Doctor’s penchant for non-violent actions). We’ll keep an eyeball peeled for screens and updates as they become available. Fingers crossed that this one’s solid, as I’d actually love to see Torchwood get the video game treatment at some point on a console. Oh yeah… let’s HOPE this one comes out in an actual retail package, as too many digital-only games just get buried after a short time on PSN even with decent review scores.

PlayStation Vita Gets Simultaneous 2012 NA/EU/LA Launch Date

Posted on October 19, 2011 by geelw

February 22, 2012 is the big day Sony fans here in the US (as well as in Canada, Europe and Latin America) have been waiting for. No news on a launch lineup just yet, but the full press release (which mentions a few titles in the works) is below the jump, system specs and all. Color me thrilled. The Japanese Vita launches on December 17, 2011 and from what I’ve been reading, interest seems fairly high amongst some (including those who will import the region-free hand held a few months early at a premium).

Of course, it’s really less about what we as critics have to say about the Vita than all about enough people having enough money to afford a new handheld and games for it in this very shaky economy for too many out there. I’ll have to figure out which body part to sell of that I’m not using much, but I may not have to go that route after all if I can get my finances where they need to be… Continue reading →

EA Just Keeps it Coming…

Posted on October 13, 2011 by geelw

A quickie post before I keel over, as I need to bounce out of bed bright and early for day one of New York Comic Con. EA has some really nice surprises coming up this year and next in pretty much every category. Battlefield 3 multiplayer on the PS3 was amazingly fluid and controls like a dream (seriously, Call of What?). There was a really nice Mass Effect 3 surprise I can’t share just yet (as it’s embargoed until10/27). Speaking of surprises, Syndicate is going to make even the most hardcore fans of the PC classic bow to Starbreeze’s skills. They nailed the dark feeling of the original but as a first-person experience (it’s not a Deus Ex: Human Revolution clone either, which is even better). SSX is another shocker – don’t let the more realistic visuals fool you at all – the game is SUPER fun to play (the tricks flow off the controller) and the mountains are massive. SWTOR is an instant addiction (I had to stop playing before I got hooked) that’s sure to be huge once it ships (look out WoW!). The Secret World brings a fresh, modern take to the MMO (and NEEDS to come to consoles with a single player offline mode, as there’s a lot of good under the hood that begs to be explored). There’s a LOT more to yak about, but that’s for later – i need my beauty rest…