Earth Defense Force Insect Armageddon 2011 Calendar Brings Warmth To The Holiday Season (and how!)

Posted on December 15, 2010 by geelw

So… guess what showed up today courtesy of D3Publisher of America? Yow-za. Now, D3 just NEEDS to answer that musical question: “Will Pale Wing be in EDFIA?” All kidding aside, that “exclusive interview” cover teaser, has me HOPING she’s added into the upcoming game as a playable character (and they’ve had Vicious Cycle use one of the lovely ladies in the calendar as a model for her). One can only hope! Note to D3: the more fan service the better!
By the way… What, NO screen shots at all in the calendar? (Just kidding!)

Batman Arkham City Teaser (Yet Another Long Wait That’s Going To Be Worth It)

Posted on December 10, 2010 by geelw

Well, now we know it’s next fall as far as the release date goes. WBIE may be stingy with revealing assets, but heck, that’s not going to stop the game from being as good as (or even better than) the original, I say…

Review: Epic Dungeon

Posted on December 9, 2010 by geelw

Platform: Xbox 360

Developer: Eyehook Games

Publisher: Microsoft

# of Players: 1

ESRB Rating: None

Official Site

Score: A+

In this year of huge-budgeted “Triple-A” releases that get massively hyped midnight launches, expensively overblown limited edition bundles and millions of juiced-up fans blowing each other away in online matches while ignoring the single-player aspect, Eyehook's brilliant (and brilliantly simple) Epic Dungeon crushes them all with its no-nonsense approach to challenge and pure fun. For a measly 80 Microsoft Points (one whole dollar!), you're getting a tough game with infinite replay value, a great “retro” look and overall, an absolute must-play for anyone who considers him or herself a true gamer. Easily worth twenty times its cost or more, don't let the cheap-ass price point fool you into thinking this is some play once and dump forever bit of fluff. A minor bug or two aside, nothing should stop you from finding out just how awesome and addictive this gem of a game is.

Earth Defense Force 2017 Now Available On Xbox Live (Finally!)

Posted on December 7, 2010 by geelw

I was wondering when D3Publisher was going to answer the call of the wild ones who either sold off or traded their copies, missed out on Sandlot’s superior sleeper or just want to play what all the fuss is about. Having played and beat the disc version to death and beyond a few years back, I’ll re-review the downloadable version shortly and see if it’s still as addictive as ever. in addition to the Xbox Live Games On Demand relaunch, D3 is looking to draw in fans old and new by reviving the EDF 2017 website.

Sadly, there’s no news of a PS3 port of 2017 any time soon, but I’m hoping D3 has plans to introduce western gamers to the two previous games in the series in the form of the PAL versions of the game (Monster Attack and Global Defence Force). While PSN would be the best format for some EDF fans, I’m also hoping (memo to D3: DO this for the fans!) the games are added to the Earth Defense Force Insect Armageddon Blu-Ray disc for those who don’t yet have PSN accounts. Hell, there’s more than enough space on that format to fit the localized versions, that’s for sure…

In case you haven’t played EDF before, it’s a fantastic chunk of run ‘n gun arcade action that’s surprisingly deep and incredibly long in terms of netting the game’s small amount of achievements. 53 levels, completely destructible structures in the outdoor maps, split-screen co-op (no online play, sorry!) Over 150 weapons to collect and some of the toughest difficulty spikes (in solo play particularly) you’ll ever see await those daring with twenty bucks in hand. Trust me, the experience is worth twice the price, folks…

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!

Sega Announces Binary Domain In Development For PS3 & 360

Posted on December 1, 2010 by geelw

Sega's upcoming sci-fi themed squad-based shooter may be early, but it's looking pretty cool to me in these screens (there's a nice Terminator vibe going on). Click on that nice logo above to hit the official site – the press release is below the jump.

TRON Evolution TV Trailer

Posted on November 4, 2010 by geelw

It’s almost here and looking pretty darn cool, that’s for sure. Propaganda’s got the chops, the gameplay is tight and thrilling and all it needs are a ton of fans who can appreciate all the hard work that’s gone into the project to hop on board and enjoy the ride they’ve created. Back with more video in a bit…

Review: Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2

Posted on October 25, 2010 by geelw

Platform: Xbox 360 (also on PS3)

Developer: CyberConnect2

Publisher Namco Bandai

# of Players: 1-2 (online)

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Official Site

Score: A-

Japanese developer CyberConnect2 pretty much has this Naruto thing nailed up tightly to the point of near perfection. Every time I get my hands on one of their games either PSP or console, I'm amazed at how well the developer can translate the crazy power of Naruto into playable form. Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 manages to be even more of a total blast to play than the original game, adds speedy online play for the first time for those who want it (it's great) and overall, is definitely recommended for fans of the long-running franchise. Sure, it's probably not going to win over hardcore players of deeper fighters out there (who don't know what they're missing, frankly speaking). However, the sheer amount of quality oozing from the final product absolutely deserves a ton of respect no matter what your genre tastes are.

Review: Front Mission Evolved

Posted on October 17, 2010 by geelw

Platform: PS3 (also on Xbox 360, PC)

Developer: Double Helix Games

Publisher: Square Enix

# of Players: 1 (online 2-8)

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Official Site

Score: B+

While there have been a handful of action-based Front Mission games on older consoles, the long-running franchise is primarily known for its solid turn-based gameplay, large cast of characters and near infinite customization options. Taking the series into the current generation, Front Mission Evolved hits the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC as the most accessible FM to date, provided you don't mind the big switch to faster-paced mech action reminiscent of Armored Core with a dash of Mechwarrior for good measure. The game manages to take familiar locations, mechs and gear from the series, ditch the more tactical grid-based strategic play in favor of offline and online combat while being quite a blast to play in either mode. The campaign isn't anywhere as lengthy as any of the turn-based games (that's a given when you're blasting away at enemies in real time as opposed to planning out your moves), but the game looks and controls great overall. Online play has a few hitches, but is quite a bit of fun when you find the right group of folks to play with.

TRON: Evolution Multiplayer Preview Video

Posted on October 15, 2010 by geelw

Multiplayer disc battles or light cycle races, anyone? As long as the game is fluid and actually fun to play, I can see this being a staple as well as a nice change of pace from the usual FPS for some core gamers.