E3 2013: Puppeteer Trailer: Another “Little” Treasure on the PS3…

Puppeteer TinyI don’t know about you, fellow ancient gamers out there, but Sony’s upcoming PS3 exclusive, Puppeteer actually reminds me of something that legendary developer Treasure would have done back in the day as a 2D game on a 16 or 32-bit console or a 3D game on a later platform. That’s not a negative, by the way.

The game’s new trailers certainly bring back fond memories of Treasure hits and near-hits such as Gunstar Heroes, Dynamite Headdy, Mischief Makers and a few other classics not named Mario this or that, but with a more modern level of visual polish not found in those older titles.

Even better, it’s coming to retail (yes!) at a very reasonable $39.99, so you get that quality game experience of old (as in a cute platformer that would cost twenty bucks more on a cartridge) with the budget-minded pricing of a company that knows gamers want to spend less on much of what they’re interested in. Sure, I’m betting there’s some “Well, it doesn’t LOOK like a AAA game!” nonsense going on in some heads out there, but if it’s fun, has some decent replay value and gets noticed as a stellar experience by the jaded critics out there, it’s worth more than it’s selling for, I say…

Bethesda Gets You Cultured (Sort of): Welcome to Uppsala, Sweden!

RoW_GunpointWhile Machine Games toils away on its new game, Wolfenstein: The New Order, Bethesda (and YOU) get a little more cultured in this latest update that actually features no game footage at all (whee!). OK, OK… stop panicking, people. You see soon enough that the game is definitely in good hands (I’ll post a gallery after E3 is over and done). Think of it this way: the lighthearted travelogue and studio tour going on above and below is just fluff to keep your eyes and ears in shape for the upcoming shooter.

In plain English: giving you too much candy now will just ruin your appetite for dinner, you know… that’s your free lesson of the day.

Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara – Meet The Thief (Your Wallet Will Be Lighter, But You Won’t Mind)

 

D&D ThiefAnother week, another class from Capcom’s upcoming arcade classic set to hit PC, PSN, XBLA and Nintendo’s eShop later this month. As I noted in my hands-on preview last week or thereabouts (hey, it’s close to E3 and I’m up to my newly clipped nose hairs in press releases and such!), the game is coming along fantastically and will be packed to the gills with content and game modes that should make it highly replayable.

Hopefully, this will do well enough that we also see portable versions hit as well as a new sequel or all-new D&D game starring the same characters plus a few more classes for good measure. All that’s up to you (well… partly, as I’m not sure how “easy” it is to get the license for a new game from whomever owns it these days), so make sure you make yourself happy and Capcom happier by snapping this up.

UPDATE! Release dates from Capcom incoming: Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara is due out this June on PSN (NA: 6/18; EU: 6/19), Xbox LIVE (NA: 6/19; EU: 6/19), Wii U e-Shop (TBC – more info coming soon!), and PC (NA: 6/18; EU: 6/18) for $14.99.

E3 2013: South Park: The Stick of Truth Trailer: They Didn’t Kill Kenny!

Nope, THQ’s dying off in slow flames didn’t stop this game from getting snapped up by the highest bidder when the publisher’s assets were sold off, so veteran developer Obsidian Entertainment and new publisher Ubisoft are making sure fans of the TV show will have nothing to worry about. Granted, if you hate South Park, you’re shaking your fist at the screen and screaming “Whyyyyyyy??!!” or something (and if you’re at work or in a public place, you’re just mouthing it so no one gives you a dirty look), but this one looks like it’ll be fun and as pointedly crude as the show.

I’m not a regular viewer myself, but it does make me laugh and cringe at all the proper moments. One thing, though… where the hell is the Wii U version? Ubisoft? Get on that, please. I’ll most likely grab this for the PS3, but I’d say Nintendo’s console could use some more love…

Now Playing: Remember Me (and Other Stuff)…

rm_preview_screenshot_062.pngOf course, I had to run out early on Friday evening and zoomed past the UPS truck a block away that I SHOULD have hung around a few minutes to bug the driver about any packages that were mine on board, but, oh well. Anyway, Remember Me popped up again yesterday and I’ve been playing it since (which is why there weren’t a load of posts happening, folks). Anyway, it’s quite a blast and yep, a review is incoming probably tomorrow.  So far, it’s quite original, somewhat linear, but very gorgeous in a “this is the game you make when your studio is in Paris!” kind of way.

Back in a bit – spoiler: the score will be good unless the game falls apart in what looks like the last few areas I’ll be getting back to soon enough. As for “Other Stuff”, that’s not a game – it’s just my queue stacked up with a bunch of games I’ll try to get to before the E3 crunch steamrolls me…

Killzone: Shadow Fall Update: Guerrilla’s in the Midst (and Not Monkeying Around)…

Well, it sure looks like Killzone: Shadow Fall is going to be another marquee title for Sony’s new console and as you can see here, the guys and gals at Guerrilla Games are making sure series fans get their money’s worth and then some. What’s really impressive here is despite being yet another shooter in a very well-packed genre full of them, if you follow the game from its first chapter on the PS2, you can see the developer maturing as they lay down the series’ trajectory as the focus shifts from one side to another.  Win or lose, war is indeed hell for both sides at the end of the day…

Mamorukun Curse! PSN Announcement Trailer: The ONLY Time “Crazy Meets Cute” Works.

Mamorukun Curse Logo

Consider the humble “bullet hell” arcade shooter. Some think they’re a dying breed, but for some reason they keep turning up all over the place as developers and fans of this niche genre know what they like and there seem to be enough old to new games appearing on a few platforms obscure to current that keep things really interesting. Anyway, G.rev Ltd. and Gulti’s insane “cute ’em up” Mamorukun Curse! is finally hitting PSN on July 16, 2013, so here’s a look at the announcement trailer and a small batch of screens. This one’s cool because you’re not in a spaceship or plane at all, but on foot or floating about in some maps, which reminds me of Pocky & Rocky, Twinkle Tale, Elemental Master, Undeadlinee and a bunch of other classics. But harder, as you’ll see above. Anyway, mark that date down and keep an eyeball peeled I say. Finger exercises optional, but if you go down in flames because of hand cramps, it’s your own damn fault…

MC_SS001 MC_SS002 MC_SS003 MC_SS004 MC_SS005 MC_SS006

Here’s what to expect in the game:

3 exciting game play modes: Netherworld Action Mode, Arcade Mode, and Story Mode
Online Leaderboards: Use Curse Powers to rack up huge bonuses and challenge your friends to the top-ranking spot of the online leaderboards
Includes all previously released DLC from the original Japanese version:
2 Extra Netherworld Adventures Courses
2 Additional playable characters: Nowa and Rukino for use in Arcade Mode and Netherworld Adventures Mode
Alternate Costumes for all 7 characters
66 challenging PS3 Trophies to unlock

Mamorukun Curse Banner

Batman: Arkham Origins Update: The Riddler Is Back To Drive Bats Nuts…

Hoo boy. Those darn Riddler Challenge puzzles were am optional set of very tricky timed action sequences that extended the life of the previous games for anyone up to the task, and WB Montreal isn’t forgetting about them in this next installment. You know the drill, folks. You’re doing your Darkight Detective thing and while on a rooftop or some other otherwise nondescript location, you spy a glowing green “?”, accidentally or intentionally trigger a pressure plate and need to race to hit a few other spots so you can nab something cool before it’s locked away. The first one’s a gimme, but they get harder and harder and the next thing you know, you’re up at 4am consulting an online FAQ or making one yourself. This is actually the ONLY question I had about the game, as I know it’s in mighty fine hands otherwise. Off to look at jumbo-size aspirin, as some of those later puzzles will no doubt require a few…

rain Story Trailer: It’s Absolutely Dripping With Atmosphere…

Oh, ha-ha. I couldn’t resist that one, sorry. Anyway, Sony’s Japan Studio’s upcoming PSN exclusive is looking quite good and should be another one of those innovative games that shows the “old” PS3 isn’t dead by a long shot. Sony at least seems to realize that killing off all the content made for them on PSN is a really bad idea when the PS4 rolls around (at least I really HOPE they don’t expect longtime consumers to repurchase digital content they’ve already paid for), unlike Microsoft, which seems to e taking a damn the torpedoes, all our eggs in one basket approach to the upcoming Xbox One. Well, E3 will reveal all, so I’ll let that happen and see if either corporation has a strategy that brings in as many past, present and future gamers as possible…

GRID 2 Launch Trailer: “Hotter Than Georgia Asphalt…”

Yeah, I was watching Wild at Heart again this week _ I don’t think Sailor and Peanut will mind me swiping that line. Anyway, GRID 2 Codemasters’ gorgeous and innovative racer is zooming into stores and yes, go grab a copy and see what the fuss is all about, I say. I’ll be reviewing this sometime next week or around the weekend when my review copy slides into my mailbox. Yeah, yeah, it’s not the upcoming 1200+ car overkill beauty pack that is Sony’s upcoming Gran Turismo 6, nor is it the “Everyman’s a winner because of our difficulty curve assuring you do indeed win a lot of races on the first or second go!” that the stunning-looking Forza games are. The team here if focusing on a ton of cool offline and online play that looks to shake up the racing game field and hopefully, many will dive in feet first and enjoy the ride. Back in a bit with more words dropped onto a digital page at random about this one…