• blizzcon 2008

    Hands On With Diablo III: Everything Old Is New Again

    Remember that excited feeling you got when you first killed a monster in the original Diablo? How you knew that this was going to be a game that ate a great deal of your life? And then Diablo II came out, and it was pretty much the same feeling as Diablo I, only updated for the computer systesm of the day, somehow maintaining the same level of excitement and fun as the original? Well I've just gotten a chance to play through a half hour of Diablo III, and damn if I don't have that same giddy feeling all over again. More »
    10/11/08
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    Comment by topaz420: I never "got" Diablo. I can't seem to muster up any excitement for a game you can play with one hand. 11 Responses | Other threads

  • Global Agenda

    Global Agenda - The Georgia-Grown Action MMO

    Living in Georgia, getting some hands-on time with a game still at a relatively early point in development generally means packing my bags, finding someone to watch the cats, assigning a backup person to check on that person, and plenty of time eating bad airport food. Not so for Global Agenda, a fast-paced action MMO being developed by the Atlanta-based Hi-Rez Studios. All that took was a quick shower, an application of some mostly clean clothing, and a fifteen-minute drive north. That kind of convenience is addictive. We need more developers in Georgia if only to keep me from running down the street every afternoon to stare into Hi-Rez's windows to see what they're doing - most likely testing out the gameplay in Global Agenda, which is exactly what they were doing when I showed up at their offices last week. See? Convenient. More »
    09/25/08
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    Comment by w1ndwaker: I should probably get to know more Georgia companies since I live here, but I can't make it to Siege... 3 Responses | Other threads

  • stix 200

    Stix 200 Impressions - Looks Like A Wii Remote, And That's All

    Back in the beginning of July I wrote up the announcement of GoLive2's Wii remote-aping PC peripheral Stix, a device that would allow PC gamers to play specific web-based games using motion sensing controls, and then just as quickly forgot all about it. Lo and behold, the week before I leave for the Games Convention a package arrives on my doorstep. Well, on my mother's doorstep, addressed to Chris Fahey, but close enough. Inside was the Stix 200 combo pack, which I excitedly ran home with, setting it on my coffee table before leaving for the airport. Now I've finally gotten a chance to crack them open and play through some of their game offerings, and I have to say that this is exactly the sort of Christmas present parents who can't get their hands on a Wii should get their children to make them cry. More »
    08/29/08
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    Comment by Bialia: also, what's the msrp on this?? 2 Responses | Other threads

  • Games Convention 2008

    Fracture Multiplayer - The View From Germany

    I'm relatively sure that my experience with Fracture's multiplayer mode at the Games Convention in Leipzig is a whole lot like what AJ experienced on her experience in San Francisco, only we had much better beer. She's already gone over the modes, the guns, and the grenades, all the while fulfilling Kotaku's quote of fisting references for the next three months, so I won't bore you with those details. The event here in Leipzig was set up as a team affair, with six stations set up on one side, six on the other. Journalists took turns taking on the other team until the matches were over or the tremendous heat inside the room shorted out the power strips. At one point, as you can see in the picture below, they had to turn off an entire side, resulting in a spontaneous free for all death match taking place on the working half. More »
    08/23/08
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    Comment by freespeech3: it's official, from now on anything new in video games is a gimmick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! more » | Other threads

  • Games Convention 2008

    Killzone 2 Multiplayer Hands On - Five Good Things

    I spent the better part of an hour today playing through several rounds of Killzone 2 multiplayer at Sony's Games Convention 2008 headquarters, and rather than spend several paragraphs lying about how well I did, I figured I'd just round up the finer points of the session and present them here in easy-to-ingest numbered form. More »
    08/23/08
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    Comment by stagga: @Passa: "The game still has that major glaring issue with the art-style too. War is colourful folks. Personally I think... more » | Other threads

  • Games Convention 2008

    Beer Goes Well With Guitar Hero: World Tour

    Activision has beer, and they're not afraid to use it. By the time I showed up for my hands on with Activision's Guitar Hero: World Tour yesterday afternoon I had already accidentally downed one beer, having mistaken a bottle with a grapefruit on front of it as fruit juice, instead of the grapefruit-flavored beer that was actually hiding within the bottle. Sneaky beer. Then another was shared with Neversoft's project director Brian Bright upon arriving at Activision's booth for my appointment, which disappeared mysteriously without me remembering having imbibed it. Having an unnaturally low tolerance to alcohol for a man my size I was relatively tipsy by the time I got in to actually play the game, which should explain why I agreed to sing "Spiderwebs" by No Doubt. More »
    08/21/08
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    Comment by virtualex: @Aristeia: It's a good thing to some folks to have those really hard to play songs in GH3. Thank God,... more » | Other threads

  • Games Convention 2008

    Hands On With Street Fighter IV 360

    How I've avoided to avoid touching Street Fighter IV for this long is a mystery to me, but today marks the very first time I've gotten to play the next chapter in Capcom's venerable fighting franchise. The company had an early Xbox 360 build available in their press room, which they were using to highlight focus attacks, a new feature in SFIV that gives players a rather powerful new way to beat their foes into submission. It has been a long time since I had actually gotten to play Street Fighter in any incarnation, but it's like riding a bike - you never completely forget. Once Ryu was in my control I immediately jump kicked, foot swept and fireballed. Ah yes, it's all coming back to me. More »
    08/21/08
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    Comment by NYKnicker: I'm not sure which console version of Street Fighter IV I want to pick up. more » | Other threads

  • Games Convention 2008

    Dark Void - Have Jetpack, Will Travel

    First impressions are very important. My first impression of Capcom's Dark Void at E3 last month basically amounted to "meh". I wandered by the demo machine, saw what looked like a standard third-person shooter, and then moved on. Had I stayed, I might have discovered that there is a lot more to Dark Void than initially meets the eye. Developed by Airtight Games, a company formed from the core Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge dev team, Dark Void takes standard TPS duck and cover mechanics to a new plateau, located atop a sheer cliff side that you'll have to climb in order to get there, but the game really excels when you aren't touching the ground at all. More »
    08/21/08
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    Comment by PhilipWPerna: So long as it allows me to pretend that I'm in an episode of "Rocket Man," count me in. Also ...... more » | Other threads

  • ubidays 08

    Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway Hands-On

    I've loosely followed the Brothers in Arms franchise through its couple of iterations, but despite the tight command system it's never really struck a chord with me. It just wasn't different enough to separate itself from the pack. More »
    05/28/08
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    Comment by Sian: BIA=Puzzle game with guns. Mind you, a pretty good puzzle game. more » | Other threads

  • ubidays 08

    Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. Hands-On

    It feels like Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. is Ubisoft’s attempt at bringing a more, dare I say it, casual gamer into the historically hardcore flight sim fanbase. More »
    05/28/08
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    Comment by Kenny: As far as I know, every Ace Combat game before 6 has been on a PlayStation console. Its perfectly reasonable to... more » | Other threads

  • mario kart wii

    Mario Kart Wii in the House

    The FedEx guy just dropped Mario Kart Wii off at my house. I think my son is going to faint when he comes home. The timing is perfect. It gives me something to play with him until Grand Theft Auto arrives and I disappear from his life for several weeks. More »
    04/24/08
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    Comment by Rondogg: I NEED that freshener more » | Other threads

  • clips

    A 6 Year-Old's Take on the Wii Wheel

    04/21/08
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    Comment by Brodo17: I got this game today and its so sweet. The online rivals that of XBOX live and finds matches even... more » | Other threads

  • capcom digital day 08

    Hands On With Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3

    I was a little reticent when I went into check out Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 since I wasn't really terribly familiar with the franchise and quite frankly it's not the kind game I usually play. Once I got in and sat down in front of it however, I discovered a game that I'll be downloading once it makes its way onto XBLA and PSN. More »
    03/13/08
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    Comment by Harteex: I really enjoyed Monster Madness, and this looks similar, so I'll definetely check this out. more » | Other threads

  • hands on

    Rondo Of Swords - A New Approach To Turn-Based Strategy

    Rondo of Swords, coming soon for the Nintendo DS via Atlus, looks like your standard turned-based strategy, but once you've see it in motion you'll quickly realize it's an altogether different animal. While some elements are the same - you still equip your characters, level them up using experience, catch snippets of storyline in-between battles - the unique Route Maneuver System is what sets it apart. Rather than simply sidle up to your enemy and hit attack, you actually program a path through them, allowing you to damage multiple enemies at once. I've spent a bit of time recently playing through the game, and so far I am really liking what I am seeing. More »
    03/12/08
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    Comment by kurokotetsu: Each time a see this kind of newws I become more involved in Tactical RPG. If I have enough money... more » | Other threads

  • patapon

    Another Look at Sony's 'Patapon'

    Crecente gave us his (really positive) impressions of Patapon back in September during TGS; now Stephen Totilo has written up his take of the almost final version of the PSP rhythm game scheduled for US release in February '08. I love the look of the graphics and the gameplay sounds like a lot of fun - Totilo seems to think if the full version can offer enough variety to keep it interesting, there might be something to Patapon: More »
    12/16/07
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    Comment by MonsterKingRen: Oh dear stop making awesome looking games for the PSP, it's unfair, I don't have one. more » | Other threads

  • hands on

    God of War: Battle of Attica Demo

    I just played through the short, but rather sweet God of War Chains of Olympus demo being shipped out to fans of the game and the PSP. More »
    10/02/07
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    Comment by chainlink13: I'm back and I've finally gotten my copy of the demo. It came with a sweet limited-edition little keychain thingy... more » | Other threads

  • tgs07

    Metal Gear Solid 4 Hands On Gallery

    The story behind the snaps: We were briefed by a random white dude in a colonel's uniform yelling in Japanese, there was some kind of traitor/intruder who was promptly shot, and then we were loosed upon it.
    09/19/07
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    Comment by mitchel_stevens: *he even used a twinkle too. and prob. hax. more » | Other threads

  • hands on

    Limited Edition Halo 3 Game Fuel

    More »
    07/31/07
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    Comment by ramnh: Too bad that there is a trade mark on The word "gamer" that addresses the subject of a soft drink... more » | Other threads

  • e307

    Brunswick Pro Bowling Wii Hands On

    This one is almost a no-brainer. If you own a Wii and spent countless hours playing Wii Sports Bowling like I did, you'll probably be wanting to pick up Crave's Brunswick Pro Bowling for your tiny white box. I got a chance to try out the game yesterday and it once again reinforced the feeling that if a system were ever made for a bowling game, the Wii is it, and Brunswick is shaping up to be a fine example of the genre, taking the core gameplay established in the Wii Sports version and fleshing it out with real goals and realistic physics. More »
    07/14/07
    12,258
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    Comment by r1nce: Hey look, a fight on a messageboard. I don't think I've ever seen one of these on the internet before. I... more » | Other threads

  • hands on

    PSP Star Wars Edition

    More »
    07/13/07
    10,101
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    Comment by wo_shing_wo: @psxndc: no seriously i'm not poking fun at you, just asking you a question thats all more » | Other threads

  • e307

    Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 Hands On

    You might recall that I really enjoyed Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 for the Nintendo Wii back when it launched with the system last November. There were a few minor annoyances with the game, such as having to keep your Wiimote pointed at the screen at all times, but for the most part it was an excellent fighting experience for the fledgling system, whether or not you like DBZ (I don't.) Here at E3 I managed to get some hands-on time with the next iteration of the series for the Wii, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3, and it looks to improve on the last game in nearly every way, while adding a first for DBZ console games...online play. More »
    07/13/07
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    Comment by DocGonzo: @Sabre_Justice Yeah, I've seen/read some pretty horrifying yaoi fanfics with exactly that premise...although if they include the possibility of FAILING your... more » | Other threads

  • e307

    Jenga Wii Hands On

    "So you guys going to make fun of Jenga anymore?" This is the first question asked as I was stood in front of a flat screen monitor, handed a Wiimote nunchuck combo and given a chance to give the Wii version of Atari's virtual version of the party game where everyone gets wood. "That wasn't me!" I reply defensively. See, now this is me making fun of Jenga. It's a sound game concept to be sure, and the Wii is the perfect place for such a party game, save one - actual physical real-life space. While I've never thought I would use the words Jenga and fun in the same sentence (except perhaps to say so), playing the actual physical game of Jenga is much more fun than this game is going to turn out, bells and whistles included. More »
    07/12/07
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    Comment by L_K_M: May be fun as a minigame in something like Mario Party. As a full game? Come on. more » | Other threads

  • hands on

    PSP Slim

    Slimmer, lighter and with a decent D-pad. The redesign is long overdue and slightly underdone. There are no major revisions, but simply a series of tweaks: the Wi-Fi switch has been moved to the portable's top and the speakers are above the buttons and the D-pad. The D-pad itself does get a proper rehaul and finally feels like, well, a D-pad. It's incredibly responsive and not mushy like the current iteration. The casing gets spiffed up with a coat of DS Lite style gloss. This is a needed revision — would've been nice to see it months ago. More »
    07/11/07
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    Comment by oldgit: I'm a middle-aged parent with young kids, I know jack s**t about consoles, I need to know whether DS Lite... more » | Other threads

  • hands on

    Nyko Wii Remote Charge Station

    More »
    06/06/07
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    Comment by Shayneisgreat: Here is a site with a tip for when the connection drops off on the Nyko Charger. This seems like... more » | Other threads

  • gdc07

    GDC 07: Pirates of the Burning Sea Hands-On

    I am...Brian Fahey. More »
    03/10/07
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    Comment by Vegedus: Sounds fun AND the article was genuinly funny. more » | Other threads

  • valve

    GDC07: Portal Hands-On

    Last night, at the EA hosted party in the San Francisco Clift hotel, the company showcased upcoming games from the EA Partners program. On display were Mercenaries 2, Hellgate: London, Crysis and Portal from the upcoming Half-Life 2 Orange Box. More »
    03/07/07
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    Comment by noneother: i love everything about half-life - the style, the gameplay, the story - but they are so goddamn sloooooooow. more » | Other threads

  • god of war 2

    God of War 2: Colossus Battle Hands-On

    More »
    01/31/07
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    Comment by Infradead: Oh of course, Kratos loses his godlike powers you worked so hard to get first time 'round. Metroid Syndrome. more » | Other threads

  • ea

    Hands On: Def Jam ICON

    More »
    01/11/07
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    Comment by Trezweezy: chamillionaire isnt either more » | Other threads

  • xbla

    Hands On: Alien Hominid HD For XBLA

    More »
    01/10/07
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    Comment by Chef: Great game, but the color scheme made it hard to see the bullets (white on white a lot). more » | Other threads

  • heavy weapon

    Hands On: Heavy Weapon For XBLA

    More »
    01/10/07
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    Comment by PlaidNinja: This game was fun for a while. I don't know if I'd get it, though. I had a... more » | Other threads

  • xbla

    Hands On: Castlevania Symphony of the Night For XBLA

    The PlayStation and Saturn classic may be an unexpected choice for the Xbox Live Arcade platform, but it's not unwelcome. The already classic Metroid-vania adventure really should be played by everyone, so we're thankful that Digital Eclipse is bringing it to Live. More »
    01/09/07
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    Comment by retronaut: 200.6% SPOILERZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!! I've got the PSX version with 100% accurate audio. more » | Other threads

  • lair

    Hands On: Lair For PS3

    More »
    01/09/07
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    Comment by Shinto: @JohnnyLA: Its really simple I dont know why people dont understand this but the cell processor is like a Truck.... more » | Other threads

  • shadowrun

    Hands On: Shadowrun For Vista, 360

    More »
    01/08/07
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    Comment by MonocularJack: I don't see how the radial mapping will be an issue. For old keyboard game players I'm sure mapping... more » | Other threads

  • ps3

    Hands On: MotorStorm For PS3

    More »
    01/08/07
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    Comment by Deth: Aside from the usual framerate complaint, one other problem with motorstorm truly aggravates me. I was playing the demo... more » | Other threads

  • vista

    Hands On: Halo 2 For Vista

    More »
    01/08/07
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    Comment by Sweetz: Regarding framerate, Halo 1 obviously had performances problems because Gearbox's graphics programmers did a poor job porting the engine. ... more » | Other threads

  • flight simulator x

    Hands On: Flight Simulator X

    More »
    09/27/06
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    Comment by nevkil: I've been wanting this. Gotta love HOTAS. I consider myself a jack of all aspects of gaming, so... more » | Other threads

  • star fox command

    Hands-On WIth Star Fox Command

    I've had Star Fox Command now for about five days. For some reason I had totally forgotten about it until it showed up in my mailbox along with Star Fox branded mini-bags of peanuts and a barf bag. More »
    08/24/06
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    Comment by RiceBandit: Right on, is there a Slippy-like voice? I can't wait to go Ni-Fi and just scream (over and over), "I-got-one!"... more » | Other threads

  • revolution

    IGN's Revolution Dev Kit Hands-On

    More »
    03/10/06
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    Comment by macdeth: Sockatume, you're sounding a little phallic, there... may want to back away from kotaku for a few days!! XD more » | Other threads

  • brain age

    Brain Age: In the Hands

    More »
    03/06/06
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    Comment by Minister of Fun: I checked on Nintendo.com. They say April 17th. more » | Other threads

  • nintendo

    Hands On: DS Lite Review

    More »
    02/17/06
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    Comment by shigeharu: Do my headphones still fit in the new keyhole jack? Not that I won't buy a first-party headset the second... more » | Other threads