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X-Mansion Level
Speaking with Marvel writer and universe architect Brian Bendis, ComicMix got a little insight into the sudden death of the Microsoft-backed Marvel MMO.
Bendis, who was one of the executive producers of the game, said that it was "gorgeous and fantastic" but ultimately killed by a faceless Microsoft exec.
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Plenty of high praise has flowed to Metal Gear Solid 4, but N'Gai Croal offers a different take in his latest posting over on Level Up. The game, like others, makes timely use of Private Military Corporations (read: mercenaries) to create an environment players want to explore and a story they want to advance. But MGS4's true point lies in its "war economy," which governs or responds to the choices made by players.
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Poor mobile games. Always the hope for the future! Always the laughing stock of the present. And fair enough, too. Cheaply made, rubbish to control, the vast majority of mobile games are a waste of everyone's time. Oh, unless you're Japanese, and pick up a Panasonic p906i. If you do, well, you'll be able to play Professor Layton. In widescreen, no less! And if you can't be arsed counting matchsticks, there's a nice-looking Gundam game on offer as well. Can have in West, please? Kind of bored of my 4th successive phone with a Worms clone.
Panasonic P906i [Product Page]
golden axe
The uncanny valley in video games is only made deeper when polygons attempt to recreate celebrities, as illustrated by this Iron Man story trailer. The odd lighting on robo-Terrence Howard isn't helping, but I remain convinced that Sega can make up for the PlayStation 2 travesty that was Astro Boy with the similarly jet-booted Iron Man. The game certainly looks like it could be competent, but we've been burned by movie-to-game adaptations plenty. At the least, the trailer gave me a cheap Halloween costume idea, requiring nothing but a halo of LED lights and a heather blue thermal shirt.
rumor
It's great that Level 5's Professor Layton and the Curious Village got an English release. The weekly DLC is a nice touch as well! Bummer that folks are having online issues. Apparently, people are having difficulty downloading the game's weekly puzzle. They'll start downloading, but then get cut off and sent back to the menu without an error message. Over at the Nintendo Tech Support Forums, an administrator writes:
Hello, and thank you for reporting this. We are looking into the situation and will post a reply here when we know more.Thanks!
I'm actually kind of digging the art design of these new Golden Axe: Beast Rider screens from Sega's Secret Level. A subtle, rounded, almost cartoon characteristic has softened a game that, while appearing serious, isn't taking itself too seriously (in that hardcore, epic, gonna kill you mo fo, summer box office flick way). The environment looks fairly spartan, but I could still see this one turning out to be fun. Secret Level [Secret Level]
Ace Attorney fans looking for fresh Nintendo DS adventures sprinkled with puzzle-solving would do well to familiarize themselves with Professor Layton, who will be arriving in the West in just a few short weeks. Brought to us by Level 5 (aka the "new Square Enix") by way of Nintendo, the series has been a smash hit in Japan, with the follow up to Professor Layton and the Curious Village hovering closer and to closer the million-sold mark overseas. Adventure games may not necessarily be my thing, but throw in some logic puzzles and you have a confirmed sale, Nintendo.
japan
I'm very happy about Level 5's decision. Fukuoka's position in the gaming industry is rising every year. The involvement of the youth is increasing. The meaning of this naming rights is that Fukuoka is putting greater effort in the gaming world, and this is a symbol of that.
It's not that text heavy games are hard on the eyes. Tiny text games are hard on the eyes. Just check out these screens of the English localization of Professor Layton (yay!). Sure, they're not to exact size so they obviously are smaller. But don't they look, I dunno, kinda smushed? Still! Choosers cannot be beggars, and it's nice to see Layton get its long overdue English language release — tiny text and all. Game's out in the States February 11th. Everyone knows what day that is, right? Yup, it's three days before Valentine's. (That, and the same day Super Smash Bros. Brawl supposedly comes out.)
Professor Layton and the Curious Village was supposed to be playable at E for All. It was. Wired's Chris Kohler sadly reports that the localized version of the popular Japanese puzzle game was nowhere to be seen. Nintendo confirmed that it had been yanked from the E For All line-up. It was previously announced that the DS title slipped to 2008, and Nintendo's decision to pull the game at E for All shouldn't come as a surprise. Sucks, though.
Doors opened for the second TGS press day at 10 am sharp. Immediately, a huge mob descended on the Level 5 booth, and the wait clocked in at 90 minutes by a few minutes after 10am. (Level 5 is of course the developer behind Professor Layton, Dragon Quest IX and Jeanne D'Arc.) Remember: this is a press day. So if journalists and industry types are willing to wait an hour and a half to get a free demo DS cart of upcoming Level 5 titles Inazuma Eleven and Professor Layton and the Devil's Box, just imagine how brutal the public days will be. Hell! Hit the jump for the mass of people.
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Besides a new Professor Layton game, Level5 also announced a soccer RPG calledd Inazuma Eleven. The game centers around a junior high school team that has gotten an exchange student from Australia. Original teams can be created and exchanged with friends via Wi-Fi. Players use the touch pen to draw lines for passing and tap the touch screen to shoot. There are a thousand-plus characters as well! The game features comical, unrealistic soccer moves like the "God Hand" in which a huge hand blocks the goal. The music is being done by Yasunori Mitsuda, who worked on Chrono Trigger before getting ulcers. While the release date hasn't been announced, TGS attendees have an opportunity to snag a demo cartridge that not only features Inazuma Eleven but also an original mini story Professor Layton and the London Holiday. Called "Level5 Premium Silver," expect this limited edition cart to be snapped up FAST! 
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