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Scratch: The Ultimate DJ Impressions
7 Studios is hoping to bring the thrill of live DJing home with Scratch: The Ultimate DJ, the rhythm game that aims for the digital rock ‘n’ roll fantasy of Guitar Hero, only on turntables. Scratch: The Ultimate DJ looks to borrow heavily (and intelligently) from the Guitar Hero and Rock Band style of play,…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 23, 2009 -
Reviews
MadWorld Review: Simple Jack
Madworld gives Wii owners the opportunity to take out their frustrations on scores of helpless bags of meat and brain dead street scum—no match for a buff bounty hunter with a chainsaw for an arm. The first offering from PlatinumGames, by way of Sega, the stylized black and white (and blood soaked red) brawler puts…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 23, 2009 -
You Too Can Watch The Game Developers Choice Awards
One of the highlights of next week’s Game Developers Conference will be the show’s annual awards ceremony. Tim Schafer will host. Sides will be split. Everyone will be happy. And you can watch it. That’s because cable network G4 will be airing the awards on Friday, April 10 at 6:30 PM PST. Yes, the awards…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 20, 2009 -
Sony Responds To February NPD Sales, Seems Pleased
Yesterday’s NPD Group sales data revealed that PlayStation 3 sales were down year-over-year. In fact they were down across the PlayStation family. But that’s only focusing on the negatives. What about the PlayStation positives? While Sony didn’t release a “PlayStation By The Numbers” response this month—putting the fate of our regular Corporate Gloating posts in…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 20, 2009 -
Nintendo Responds To February NPD Sales, Seems Pleased
Yes, the Wii and Nintendo DS continue to sell slightly better than hotcakes in the United States, moving more than 1.3 million units last month. But it’s Wii Play that gets the kudos from Nintendo. Nintendo brags that Wii Play, which has been bundled with a Wii Remote since day one in the States, has…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 20, 2009 -
Microsoft Responds To February NPD Sales, Seems Pleased
Microsoft had a good February. It was the Xbox 360 maker’s “best non-holiday month” with the exception of the release of Halo 3, not to put too fine of a point on it. That’s according to NPD analyst Anita Frazier, but the rest of the best is from Microsoft PR. Yes, the company is justifiably…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 20, 2009 -
UPDATE: Netflix Looking Into Movie Streaming On The Wii
According to a rumored customer survey, Netflix is gauging subscriber interest in a streaming movie and television service on another current generation console, this time on the Nintendo Wii. According to a report on Joystiq, the Netflix streaming subscription service would be comparable to the one implemented via Xbox Live. The proposed service for the…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 20, 2009 -
PixelJunk Eden Plays Encore In April
Fans of Q Games PixelJunk series should set aside some time in April, as the Encore expansion for last year’s rather awesome PixelJunk Eden will hit PlayStation 3s next month. Q’s Dylan Cuthbert writes on the official PlayStation blog that PixelJunk Eden Encore adds “zero gravity, mirror worlds, all new music from Baiyon” and “something…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 20, 2009 -
Oddworld, Indies Get Steam Weekend Deals
PC gamers looking for a deal this weekend should think independently, as Steam offers savings on its indie lineup while also slashing prices on two classic Oddworld titles. Oddworld: Abe’s Exoddus and Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee are a too-good-to-pass-up 75% off. Purchased together, the pair can be had for $3.75 USD. Exactly. Chump change! Lesser, but…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 20, 2009 -
New Wii Punch-Out!! Details Sneak Out From Nintendo
The Wii re-imagining of the NES classic Punch-Out!! will come with a new two-player mode and see the return of more well-known old-school boxers, according to information released by Nintendo of Europe. According to a press release from the publisher’s web site, which has since been pulled, Punch-Out!! for the Wii supports “1-2 players.” Nintendo’s…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 20, 2009 -
Lars Ulrich Is A Dirty, Rotten Guitar Hero III Cheater
We don’t expect celebrities to genuinely be good at the video games they appear in, but one would think that Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich could play his own band’s songs in Guitar Hero. But no… Disappointingly, the Metallica founder, who will digitally appear in Guitar Hero Metallica in May doesn’t have the skills to unlock…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 20, 2009 -
Boom Blox Bash Party Box Downplays The Boom Blox
The newly revealed box art for EA’s Wii sequel Boom Blox Bash Party says a lot. Namely, that the Boom Blox brand doesn’t carry much weight, at least not in terms of pimping the “party.” While Boom Blox‘s success can be argued—EA CEO John Riccitiello would probably call it a hit—the brand doesn’t get much…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 20, 2009 -
Rock Band Gets Eleven From Ten Next Week
The debut album from Seattle grunge-fathers Pearl Jam is coming to Rock Band owners next week, Harmonix and MTV Games confirmed today. Ten adds eleven new tracks, all of which make me feel positively ancient. I mean, we’re eighteen years on from the original release of Pearl Jam’s Ten, a tape that I had on…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 20, 2009 -
What Are You Playing This Weekend?
Metal…. Gear? Solid Touch? That’s right! I’ve gotta finish playing through the iPhone-only entry in the Metal Gear Solid series, not expecting the same dense narrative and tear-jerking tactics from the PlayStation 3 blockbuster. In addition to Metal Gear Solid Touch, I need to wrap up this MadWorld thing before we head up to San…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 20, 2009 -
Midnight Club LA South Central Garaged For Xbox 360
While the PlayStation 3 version of the Midnight Club: Los Angeles “South Central” expansion went up today without incident, the same can’t be said for the Xbox 360 edition. Rockstar has announced it’s been delayed. But only “slightly,” official word says. Rockstar Games points to “an unforeseen bug in the title update,” one that it’s…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 19, 2009 -
Trumpet Hero Mod Makes Rhythm Games Brassier
If you’ve ever had the thought “I wish my Guitar Hero controller had a working spit valve” this is the hardware mod for you. The Trumpet Hero hack will give you that genuine mouth-on experience. Does it work? Apparently it does, as the device will be playable at the Tangible Tech Exhibition in San Francisco…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 19, 2009 -
Get Godlike Control Of Super Mario Bros. With Your Mouse
FCEUX is a cross-platform NES emulator. It supports Lua, a lightweight embeddable scripting language. Look, that’s not important. What is important is what it does, allowing you never-before-seen control of Super Mario Bros. Using the mouse, players can wield Goombas and Koopas like some sort of Mushroom Kingdom deity, often with amusing, potentially brain-melting results.…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 19, 2009 -
PlayStation Store Update: Fortune Favors The Store
Sure, Wheel of Fortune may be the biggest name in downloadable games hitting the North American PlayStation Store this week, but there’s plenty to see, do and download beyond that. The Store is packed with expansions, including the first Call of Duty: World at War map pack, Sackboys shaped like Helghan soldiers, free and paid…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 19, 2009 -
Wii Fit Holds Off The Helghast To Stay Software Champ
Nintendo’s Wii Fit continues its reign at the top of the NPD sales charts, giving another 644,000 Wii owners in the United States the cardiovascular bliss they’ve been seeking. February’s other bestseller? If we’re talking total, cross-platform sales, it’s Capcom’s console port of Street Fighter IV that’s February’s biggest hit. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 19, 2009 -
Nintendo Wins Hearts Again In February, Wii & DS Dominate
February was very kind to Nintendo, as U.S. consumers brought home over three quarters of a million Wiis home with them, making the motion controlled console the bestselling hardware last month. The Wii’s take of 753,000 units in February was a huge boost over its take from the same month last year. In February of…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 19, 2009
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