Review: Need For Speed Hot Pursuit

Posted on December 6, 2010 by geelw

Platform: PS3 (also on Xbox 360, Wii, PC)

Developer: Criterion Games

Publisher: Electronic Arts

# of Players: 1 (online 2 – 8)

ESRB Rating: E 10+ (Everyone 10 +)

Official Site

Score: A-

In Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, Criterion Games' new Autolog feature is very much like a way too loyal robotic dog that lives on a diet of Red Bull-laced motor oil and rechargeable batteries, and that's a both a good and bad thing, boys and girls. If you absolutely THRIVE on competition, It's a good dog (Good dog! Goooood doggieeeeee!) because it keeps you on your toes, notifying you constantly that your formerly best times have been beaten, who beat you and yes, that you should drop everything and go get your record times back. Paradoxically, if you're a casual gamer who happens to plug into PSN or Xbox Live for some friendly competition (or a mere system update before playing the game) Autolog is a bad dog (bad dog! BAD! NO!), constantly interrupting your set racing schedule to let you know someone's peed or pooped all over your best times and how much of a LOSER you are for not going on ahead and racing every fool that's ready to take you down and leave the smell of virtual burnt rubber in your nostrils. Damn you, Autolog! Now go sit in your box… GO!

Review: F1 2010

Posted on December 4, 2010 by geelw

Platform: PS3 (also on Xbox 360)

Developer: Codemasters

Publisher: Codemasters

# of Players 1 (online 2 – 12)

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Official Site

Score: B-

With Codemasters at the helm and its aptly named EGO Engine powering the game, F1 2010 is a solid racer for fans of the sport or anyone interested in the F1 experience. While it's not quite the perfect blend of simulation and everyman entry-level introduction, it's a decent enough start that bodes well for the future, provided the dev team takes input from the hard core F1 fan in terms of what they want to see and play. Although the game has a novice setting, this definitely isn't one for the more impatient casual crowd nor anyone looking for a step-by-step driving simulator. Screaming sense of speed and mostly fine handling model aside, you're not going to be winning races left and right until you master the tracks, AI craftiness and nearly everything in between.

The Music of TRON Evolution – featuring Daft Punk

Posted on November 24, 2010 by geelw

http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/cAXdML2Xkgs?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0

DAFT PUNK headlines TRON: Evolution – The Video Game with two key tracks from the upcoming TRON: Legacy film score: “Derezzed” and “The Grid.” It’s alllmost here, folks. December 7th is just around the corner…

Review: Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom

Posted on November 23, 2010 by geelw

Platform: Xbox 360 (also on PS3)

Developer: Game Republic

Publisher: Namco Bandai

# of Players: 1

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Official Site

Score: B+

Proof that decent single player game experiences aren't quite dead just yet, Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom is a nice surprise in this insanely busy holiday games avalanche. In this console cycle of endless AAA shooters, non-stop action games packed with multiplayer modes or games where some sort of mandatory online presence have become mainstays, Game Republic's lengthy and quietly beautiful little fantasy wants you to put down the caffeine, turn off the testosterone, pull up a comfortable chair and set a spell with the well-worn tale it wants to tell. Like Namco Bandai's other excellent single-player focused sleeper, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West (and Game Republic's PS3 launch window title, Folklore), there's a lot of love that went into putting this one together and you can see it as you play. While the overall experience isn't flawless, the game is a guaranteed near-total joy for those who fully surrender to its charms.

Atlus Announces Radiant Historia For Nintendo DS in 2011

Posted on November 23, 2010 by geelw

http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/xD9FevMw1_o?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0

We absolutely love Atlus and Atlus loves us right back. Maybe not absolutely, but hey… Sure, it's a long distance relationship and we don't talk all that much, but the gifts keep coming and they're always good ones, so we're hooked. Anyway, yes, it's another DS RPG extravaganza and yup, you'll get a free soundtrack with the game. Details below the jump. Go reserve a copy and make Atlus very happy…

By the way, the game's official website isn't quite up yet, despite the link in the press release. Fear not, dear reader… Atlus is on the case!

Split/Second Skids Onto PSP

Posted on November 20, 2010 by geelw

I didn’t even realize this was coming out until I got the trailer in my inbox, so here you go – now you’re as surprised as I am! I’ll see about snagging a review copy and get back to you with some impressions. It certainly looks amazing, though!

Disney Epic Mickey To Get Disney Epic Times Square Launch

Posted on November 19, 2010 by geelw

All the game needs now is Mayor Mike Bloomberg proclaiming November 30th 2010 Disney Epic Mickey Day or something like that. This party's going to be huge, no doubt – hope the weather's nice and bright on launch day and there's some Disney Epic Coffee for those Disney Epic Tired Parental Units who've gotten their Disney Epic Kids out of bed and into the Disney Epic Spirit of things that early in the AM. Info below the jump.

WIN FREE STUFF!!! Little Big Planet 2 Beta Code Giveaway!

Posted on November 18, 2010 by geelw

Media Molecule's followup to the smash PLAY. CREATE. SHARE. mega-hit is on the way and looking to be an even more spectacularly creative game for users to take apart and do what they wish with. If you want in on this one, you'd better be quick – I have TWO Little Big Planet 2 beta codes to give away. To enter: all you need to do is become a DAF follower by clicking on the Google Friend Connect Tab to the left (where it says FOLLOWERS) and that's it!

I'll pick two random winners on Saturday and email you your codes within 24 hours! The taste of The Handmade Arcade can be YOURS, but only if you act NOW! Fine print below the jump – read it before you enter!

Majin & The Forsaken Kingdom Shipping Early (Well, Now – That’s Cool!)

Posted on November 18, 2010 by geelw

You usually don't hear a whole lot about games shipping on time, so it's awesome to find out there's at least ONE game that's had it's release date pushed UP a bit. Namco Bandai has announced that Majin & The Forsaken Kingdom for the PS3 and Xbox 360 will be hitting retail on November 23, 2010. The Game Republic-developed action/stealth/puzzle game features a single player story driven experience in which players will team up with a hulking forest spirit-totem in order to save a mythical kingdom. A bit of press release below the jump. I absolutely loved this when I saw it in action a few months back and it definitely has “sleeper hit” written all over it, that's for sure…

DiRT 3 Developer Diary #1

Posted on November 16, 2010 by geelw

Looking spectacular, Codemasters’ upcoming rally game set for a Q2 2011 release gets this awesome Q & A video. Check it out and get ready for yet another driving experience that’s going to rattle a few bones loose. I’m hoping the portable versions get as much love…