• Pole Position: Remix

    Namco Brings Back Pole Position On iPhone

    Prepare to qualify! Namco Networks, the mobile game development and publishing arm of good old Namco Bandai has futzed around with a classic racing title and dropped it on the iPhone for a whole new generation (read: market) of gamers to enjoy. Pole Position: Remix takes the primitive gameplay of the original Pole Position, tacks on some rather nifty new controls, and charges you $9.99 for the privilege of playing it.

    “Pole Position: Remix is a fun and intuitive game that anyone can take for a spin,” says Scott Rubin, senior vice president, Namco Networks. “Similar to playing a racing game in an arcade, Pole Position: Remix makes you feel as if you are actually getting behind the wheel and racing on the track, screeching around turns and breaking to avoid a crash.”

    In a fit of nostalgia I downloaded the game this morning. It's solid, and the controls are fun, both the tilt steering and the on-screen thumb-controlled steering wheel options. It's just the gameplay really hasn't aged all that well. I need some sort of nostalgia alarm that locks my wallet when the feeling hits. If you just can't resist, PP:Remix is now available at an Apple Apps Store near you. More »

    10:00 AM on Tue Sep 30 2008
    By Mike Fahey
    1,809 views, 19 comments

    Most discussed wetworker: why when you can get it for mame free of charge, plus it's much more fun on 24 inch monitor. more »

  • retro

    If Only - Atari Modern Classics

    Video game packaging has come quite a long way over the past 30 years or so, but did it really have to? The -Minus World takes a fascinating look at how today's games might have been represented by yesterday's artists with Atari Modern Classics. They've created retro covers for Halo 3, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Portal, Resident Evil 5, GTA IV, No More Heroes, COD4 and God of War 3, but by far my favorite is their take on BioShock, depicting an epic battle with a Big Daddy in a way only simple block graphics ever could.

    Atari Modern Classics [The -Minus World - Thanks Brian!]

    11:40 AM on Wed Sep 17 2008
    By Mike Fahey
    13,050 views, 38 comments

    Most discussed BMiggs: By demand, here's a high-res PDF download link for all 9 covers. Enjoy! [rs545.rapidshare.com] P.S. Does anyone know a good dedicated server? more »

  • game announce

    The Splatterhouse Press Release Is All Sticky

    One day the official press release will be faster than the preview magazine cover, but until they develop some sort of magical network that spontaneously connects people all over the world our gaming news will come EGM cover first, then official release. Such is of course the case with Namco Bandai's revival of Splatterhouse, which we've known about for a couple of days now.

    The press release does reveal that the game will feature the same characters from the original, including Terror Mask recipient Rick Taylor, his imperiled girlfriend Jennifer, and the iconic setting of West Manor, though a new story written by comic book writer Gordon Rennie (JUDGE DREDD!) will see Rick escaping the confines of the house, scouring the world to rescue his girl.

    The promises brutal, combo-infused combat, a new leaping technique that adds a whole new element of explorations, and a regeneration mechanic that uses visible cues rather than a health meter to display Rick's status.

    The game is coming to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2009. Hit the jump for the whole sticky mess. More »

    12:30 PM on Thu May 29 2008
    By Mike Fahey
    7,531 views, 78 comments

    Latest by Prism Ra: In case any of you Splatterhouse fans missed it, check out this homemade Splatterhouse RPG: [splat2k3.illmosis.net] It's a well made fan effort more »

  • vc update

    What Would Be Your Perfect VC Update?

    I've been doing these Wii Virtual Console updates more or less every Monday since they started uploading games to it, and I'll be damned if I'll let a little thing like not actually updating the VC this week because of WiiWare stop me. Since there are no new games for the classic game service coming out this week, let's fill in the space with our imagination! What would your perfect virtual console update look like? Mine would go a little something like this...

    Soul Blazer (SNES - 800 Wii Points):     Developed by Quintet and published by Enix, Soul Blazer is an action RPG that places you in the shoes of an avatar sent down by a god to restore souls and rebuild towns. The spiritual successor to ActRaiser, and nearly good enough to go toe-to-toe with A Link To The Past.

    Tiny Toon Adventures (NES - 600 Wii Points): They're tiny, they're toony, they're all a little loony, and this theme song will be stuck in your head for weeks.

    That's all I need. Just those two and I will be set for weeks. How about you folks? Shaq-Fu, anyone?

    8:40 AM on Mon May 12 2008
    By Mike Fahey
    7,113 views, 278 comments

    Latest by Kortir: Goldeneye (though I'd much prefer to see the originally reported Xbox 360 release, since that'd be pure genius) Diddy Kong Racing more »

  • mother's day

    The Games My Mother Played

    May 1st 1980 I came home from school to find my mother waiting there for me, a giddy smile on her lips. She always loved birthdays. Back then we were living in an apartment, my younger sister and I sharing one room, my older brother and sister sometimes sharing another, and birthdays were the one time my mother, taking care of four children on child support and a modest income from the dancing school she ran, would really get to splurge on her kids.

    Seven year-old me knew this, so I was nearly as excited as she was as she handed over a small wrapped package, my shaking fingers tearing at the colorful paper to reveal the prize beneath. Space Invaders for the Atari 2600! My heart leapt! At that point I had only been exposed to video games at my dad's house or when my brother borrowed a friend's Odyssey 2, but I had already developed the hunger that would one day lead me here. I looked around the room for the missing piece of the present...behind her, in the kitchen, on the glass coffee table my brother would eventually put his foot through in a bout of teenage rebellion, but it was nowhere to be seen.

    "Where's the Atari?" I asked, my voice shaking with excitement.

    "What Atari?" she replied, looking perplexed. More »

    5:30 PM on Sun May 11 2008
    By Mike Fahey
    9,729 views, 84 comments

    Latest by Spoony Bard: @bgordon: :) more »

  • vc update

    Here's Your Damn Pokémon Puzzle League

    This week's update for the Wii Virtual Console brings what many consider to be the best Pokémon title for the Nintendo 64, which is extremely odd considering it's really just Tetris Attack (Panel de Pon) with Pokémon painted over it. Pokémon Puzzle League (1,000 Wii Points) features Ash, Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and all of their adorable little friends playing Tetris Attack. It's got story modes, continuous play, timed play, animated cutscenes, and even 3D puzzles to keep the gameplay from falling flat. If puzzles and Pokémon aren't your cup of tea you can always check out this week's other release, Renegade for the NES (500 Wii Points), a beat-em up with a unique story about a guy who has to fight his way through several street gangs to rescue his kidnapped girlfriend. Girlfriends were such a liability in the late 80's. More »

    9:20 AM on Mon May 5 2008
    By Mike Fahey
    3,164 views, 53 comments

    Latest by wghj55: @sporkhead: Planet Puzzle League is pretty amazing, if you've played a lot of Tetris Attack, in any of its more »

  • vc update

    Single Update, Double Dragon

    As it generally goes when there's high profile Wii release such as Mario Kart, the Virtual Console is keeping a low profile this week, releasing only one game on the Wii Shop Channel for your classic gaming enjoyment. At least they aren't skimping out on quality as well as quality, as this week's release is none other than Double Dragon, the story of two brothers' fight to rescue one girlfriend from a shadowy organization hell-bent on learning the secrets of their martial arts. We are introduced to Billy and Jimmy Lee, as well as Billy's girlfriend Marion, who gets shot to death in Double Dragon II, making the tragedy of the first game all the more poignant. Double Dragon for the NES (500 points) will be available today for those of you requiring a tiny break from all that furious karting.

    8:20 AM on Mon Apr 28 2008
    By Mike Fahey
    3,129 views, 55 comments

    Latest by Axel: @Winterbringer: That should have been "quality as well as quantity". @BillyLee: No it doesn't for the NES. That really sux b'cuz it did more »

  • vc update

    Phantasy Star Meets River City

    Shortly available on the Wii Virtual Console, two classic games from ages past about saving worlds and kicking ass. Girlfriends always be getting kidnapped, yo, and such is the case in River City Ransom (NES, 500 points), the beat-em-up RPG hybrid that sees Ryan off on a quest to rescue his girlfriend from the sinister Slick, with his friend Player Two Alex along for the ride. Then we have the game I was sincerely hoping for after last week's Euro update, Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom for the Sega Genesis (800 points). This time around it's a choose your own adventure of sorts, as you guide three generations via an innovative mate-picking mechanic that makes replaying the game nearly mandatory. Who you choose to marry decides who you'll be playing in the next generation, and ultimately which ending you'll receive when all is said and done. Love it or hate it, it's a damn fine piece of RPG history. If I had any time to actually play games this week, this would be the one. A very good week for the Virtual Console. More »

    9:40 AM on Mon Apr 21 2008
    By Mike Fahey
    2,928 views, 70 comments

    Latest by freespeech: is that christian bale and edward james almos on the cover of river city ransom??????? more »

  • virtual console

    VC Update - Not Basketball Edition

    Sometimes the VC Update press releases are more entertaining than the games themselves, especially when they are desperately scrabbling for some relevant comment for the opening hook.
    It's a mad season for basketball lovers, but even the most hardcore hoops fan needs a break from the action this time of year. While they're a far cry from basketball, the latest additions to the Wii Shop Channel offer plenty of fast-moving fun and high-scoring thrills of their own.
    It's Final Four time! Here's a couple of games that have nothing to do with that! I could so handle that gig. Cows do a lot of processing the food they eat into nourishing milk! While these games don't feature milk at all, they are just as wholesome and delicious! Gravy. Anyway, this week's VC releases are King's Knight for the NES (500 points), a vertical fantasy shooter by Square, and Powerball for the Genesis (800 points), the fantasy sport that combines football, rugby, and not basketball. Woot. More »

    10:00 AM on Mon Mar 24 2008
    By Mike Fahey
    2,087 views, 37 comments

    Latest by Karlott: P-P-Powerball (I couldn't help it) was actually a great game back in the day. I remember playing it for a more »

  • vc update

    R-Type Of Virtual Console Update

    This week's update for the Nintendo Wii virtual console delves into the dark places, whether they are deep within the earth or in the icy depths of space. Go digging in the dirt with Spelunker (500 Wii points), the NES version of the classic computer game that puts you in the muddy boots of an archaeologist hell-bent on disturbing ancient spirits in his quest for valuable cash and prizes. If Indiana Jones and Mario had a baby, he'd be spelunker's protagonist. Ew. Get rid of that disturbing mental image with thoughts of the only thing stronger than R-Type...Super R-Type! Pretty much a port of R-Type and R-Type II mashed together, the original game was fraught with slowdown, and the lack of mid-level checkpoints made it a real bitch of a shmup. If the Virtual Console release fixes the slowdown issue it could very well be worth picking up. Just don't look at me to try it first. I used to have nightmares about this game. More »

    8:40 AM on Mon Mar 17 2008
    By Mike Fahey
    3,244 views, 38 comments

    Latest by metaly: @futurebiblehero: I've noticed this on a few shooter sites/threads and it makes me sad. FPSes appropriating the shooter name makes more »