Earth Defense Force 2025 2nd Trailer: Five Minutes of Everything You Wanted to See (and Then Some)…

More vehicles (at least two types of tanks and a heli that allows three players to blast bugs AND motorbikes now? Nice!) and what’s looking like a larger scope to things means Sandlot isn’t screwing around, ladies and gents. EDF 2025 is going to be their best game to date and features a ton of changes and improvements that look to make it as great a multiplayer game is it already is for solo and co-op play. The new classes get some nice introductions and there’s even some humor here as the video ends on a pretty hilarious bad-ass note borrowed straight from too many action flicks. Anyway, yep, I’m importing this once news of a Japanese release date come out and hopefully, D3Publisher will get the word that fans want to see this game as a DISC release in addition to a download on the PS Store.

Video Game Appreciation 101: Zombies vs. Pirates! Zombies Win.

Amusingly enough, I recdead_minesently requested a review copy of the retail version The Walking Dead from Telltale, but was told they were out of them for the moment and instead I got PSN codes for all five episodes. Which is fine, except for the fact that I can’t use PSN on my PS3 here. So, I simply decided to support the company a few days back by buying a copy of the game from Best Buy.  Telltale gets my thirty bucks and I get to play the game everyone is raving about.  Done and done. A few hours later I get an email from Best Buy telling me the game has shipped out and I can expect it between the 27th and January 2nd. Whee.  But guess what? The mailman pops up today with a bunch of packages and supriiiiiiise! I get a package from Telltale with the retail copy of game you see in the photo. Which means with the PSN codes and the Best Buy Limited Edition I have on the way, I’ll end up with THREE copies of the Walking Dead. Damn zombies are multiplyin’ like rabbits around here, I tells ya…

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Earth Defense Force 4 (EDF 2025) Gameplay: Now, That’s What I Call A Bug Bomb!

 

Finally, we get to see Sandlot’s super efforts on EDF 4 (which will be known as EDF 2025 here) in action and I’m quite happy with the more polished look to the game as well as the new character class system (which seems inspired by Vicious Cycle’s work on Earth Defense Force Insect Armageddon) that shows off the new Air Raider, Wing Diver and others in action. Between this and yesterday’s announcement of Earth Defense Force 2017 Portable getting released over a month earlier than initially announced as a digital-only PSN title (I think that’s some sort of first), things are looking up for fans of the series. That said, the game NEEDS both a physical as well as digital release in North America so more people can play it.

Memo to Sony and D3Publisher:  Think about it – while anyone can take a Vita to any wi-fi hotspot to get games for that handheld, those people who can’t get broadband at home or use a friend’s connection CANT BUY PS3 GAMES OR CONTENT ON PSN AT ALL. Stop NOT taking the money we want to spend on games and listen for a change. That said, how about a low print run disc version which will indeed sell out if you simply let the fans know it’s coming (or even better, Ask us HOW we like to buy our games in the future). That is all.

EDF 2017 Portable Release Date Pushed Up to January 7, 2013 As A PSN Release

EDF 2017 Portable D3Publisher is giving EDF fans some good reasons to cheer (as long as they prefer their content digitally released). That February 12 date for EDF 2017 Portable? Gone like a cool breeze in the desert. A press release just issued reveals that the game is hitting PSH hard on January 8, 2013 for $39.99. Yes, this is ten bucks more than the price originally announced, but as someone who owns the import (which cost me a lot more), I can VERY safely say the game is WELL worth the money. New stages, new weapons and Pale Wing shake the remastered game up significantly, the added Trophies will keep you returning to the game many times and that new 4-player co-op makes for an even more frantic experience when the going gets tough.

Attention Fellow EDF Troopers (and any potential new Vita-owning recruits): adjust your calendars accordingly and get ready to make the planet a bug-free zone.

A Few Minutes of BioShock Infinite: Starting Off on the Right Foot (and Way Up In the Sky)…

 

Just in case you were wondering how the heck Booker gets all the way up to that fancy, falling apart steampunk sky city called Columbia, Irrational Games presents about five and a half minutes of gameplay from the beginning of their upcoming game. If you’ve played the first BioShock, you’ll note a few parallels to how things get rolling, but this new game certainly takes things in its own direction, that’s for sure. I’ll stop writing right about now, as that trip up to the clouds has made me a bit queasy. I do hate flying, especially when it’s more or less straight up with a few too many twists. More in a bit. 2013 is going to be quite interesting to say the least…

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch – Behind the Scenes With Studio Ghibli

 

If that first Ni no Kuni developer diary  from a few weeks back made you want to make games, this one will make you want to pick up a paintbrush and get to making some art and/or go watch a bunch of Studio Ghibli’s wonderful animated films. The PS3 exclusive game hits retail on January 22, 2013 (hey, that’s after the world is supposed to end!) and it’s practically guaranteed to be one of the best JRPGs on the console to date. Go give that PSN demo a shot if you haven’t yet and see what’s what.

Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory LE: Time (Capsules) For Lunch!

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For JRPG fans who crave omake items galore, Nippon Ichi Software America has been leading the charge thanks to direct pre-order sales from their online shop that over time has allowed them to put together some incredible value priced collector’s editions that are worth snapping up. For Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory, NISA Online is offering up a ton of bonus items for the measly price of $64.99. Granted, you need to love really offbeat JRPGs, cute metal lunchboxes (they call them “time capsules”, but I say no matter what size it is, if it looks like a lunchbox, it’s a lunchbox!). The game is shipping out on March 12, 2013, but NISA says this limited edition is selling out rather quickly. So yes, you know what to do, right?

Anyway, what’s in the box, you ask? Well, let’s see now:

Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory game for PlayStation 3
Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory original soundtrack
Online Store exclusive: Hardcover 36-page art book
Online Store exclusive: Small Time Capsule Tin
Online Store exclusive: Large Time Capsule Tin containing all the items listed above

So, it’s like a Russian nesting doll, but it’s not a doll. And you need a PS3 to get the most out of this nifty package. Well, you could call the cute anime gals in the game dolls, but they’d probably get kind of upset and beat you up or something like that. Pillow fight! Or not – game characters don’t get offended my much unless they’re always IN character. Well, that’s what I’ve heard..

Video Game Appreciation 101: Papo & Yo Dev Diaries Let The Music Do The Talking

Minority Media’s sleeper PSN game has a great soundtrack that reacts to what you’re doing (or not doing) in the game in some interesting ways. Here are looks (and sounds) at how the team did the music and how well it’s integrated into the final product. Yes, this is a Video Game Appreciation 101 class – the test is you buying and playing the game to see and hear the results.

Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time Story Trailer: There Goes Your Wallet!

So, it looks as if Sanzaru definitely has the programming chops to whip up a great Sly Cooper adventure. Sly’s original creators (and powerhouse development team, Sucker Punch) have gone on to bigger (and it seems better) things for Sony, so some fans have been a bit anxious as far as what sort of quality to expect in this new entry in the series (especially after so long between installments). Me, I don’t care who makes a game in any series as long as it’s a good one. I suppose this will get Cross Play for the Vita as well (hopefully), as it looks perfect for some long road trip action.

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!