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Gadgets
To: Ash From: Crecente As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a bit of a gadget freak. (I love them almost as much as watches). But I was sort of disappointed with the iPad showing. Disappointed enough to search out the sorts of PADDs I’d actually want. But what about you? Japan was, once, the land of…
By Brian Crecente Published January 28, 2010 - Uncategorized
Microsoft Made $19 Billion Last Quarter, Sold 5.2 Million Xboxs
It was a good quarter for Xbox 360 maker Microsoft. No, it was the company’s best ever, pulling in record revenue of $19.02 billion. It highlighted “exceptional demand for Windows 7,” wisely downplaying the decrease in the Xbox 360 division. Microsoft’s Entertainment & Devices Division, corporate home to the Xbox business, was responsible for $2.9…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 28, 2010 - Reviews
Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond Micro-Review: A Bloody Fun Hazard-Time
Matt Hazard, the guns-blazing game-hero parody with a “legendary” status that’s never quite been explained, goes searching for his backstory again in Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond. Vicious Cycle may have overreached with the predecessor, Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard, a 3D action game panned for derivative level design and rote gameplay.…
By Owen Good Published January 28, 2010 - Uncategorized
There’s More To Record Of Agarest War Than Sex Appeal
We’ve seen the suggestive trailers and the “Really Naughty Limited Edition,” but what about Record of Agarest War’s gameplay? Aksys’ Cherie Baker fills us in on the game’s serious side, its T rating, and a little PlayStation 3 love. Aksys has been playing up the seedier side of Record of Agarest War for the Xbox…
By Mike Fahey Published January 28, 2010 - Uncategorized
After Burner Climax Coming To US, Europe This “Spring”
After Burner Climax is coming to Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Networks, something we’ve known for months now. But Sega is making it official, pegging the game for digital release sometime this spring. One of Sega’s official blogs puts the XBLA and PSN port of the arcade game—both handled by development team AM2—for a spring…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 28, 2010 - Uncategorized
Things We Don’t Need To See, Such As Our Speed
I just finished racing a couple of laps of Disney’s Split/Second racing game. Impressions to come. But first an observation about something I couldn’t observe: the racing game’s speedometer. It had none. And I didn’t miss it. Split/Second’s designers, as we’ve noted in earlier previews, have worked to streamline the look of their racing game,…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 28, 2010 - Uncategorized
Bayonetta Updated For PS3, Load Times Improved
Sega has released an update for the PlayStation 3 version of Bayonetta, addressing one of the complaints we had about the port of Platinum Games action game, frequent and lengthy load times. Those load times are much improved. The 138 MB download brings Bayonetta for the PS3 to version 1.01, offering an option to install…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 28, 2010 - Uncategorized
Wandering About With Shiren The Wanderer
Atlus’ Shiren the Wanderer for the Wii might not be a roguelike RPG, but if it were, it would sure be an attractive one, as this walkthrough video demonstrates. The video tells you everything you need to know about Shiren the Wanderer, from the fact that Shiren has a wisecracking ferret as a companion, to…
By Mike Fahey Published January 28, 2010 - Uncategorized
Nintendo Asks You To Get LOST on Wuhu Island
You know, pop-culture referencing television show Lost isn’t the only form of entertainment that includes island fun. With the final season of the show kicking off next week, Nintendo wants to remind you about that OTHER island. With more than 4.2 million copies sold, Nintendo seems to make a lot of references to LOST’s tropical……
By Brian Crecente Published January 28, 2010 - Uncategorized
New Super Mario Bros. Beats Out Valkyria Chronicles 2 In Japan
After giving up the first place spot to Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep for a couple weeks, Nintendo’s New Super Mario Bros. Wii returns to the top of the weekly Media Create sales charts. It was still a pretty good week for PSP software, however, with Sega’s Valkyria Chronicles debuting in second place with 94,000…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 28, 2010 - Uncategorized
Why A Man Plays Mario
I’m 33 and, with mixed emotions, I play games that star Super Mario. The people who sell Mario games would say it’s great to play Mario games. Mario is for everyone. My gut tells me that playing Mario, the adventures of a fat plumber in a Mushroom Kingdom of warbling enemies and happy conflict, is…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 28, 2010 - Uncategorized
Frankenreview: Mass Effect 2
Commander Shepard is back, and he’s pissed, but what is he pissed about? Surely it’s not our Mass Effect 2 Frankenreview. There’s no way I could possibly bluff my way through this one. You know exactly what you’re going to see when you scroll down to the chart – a ton of yellow, and very…
By Mike Fahey Published January 28, 2010 -
UncategorizedTrism 2 Coming to iPhone, Touch, iPad
Trism put gaming on the iPhone, or at least it proved that the games soon to flood the portable could be both fun and unique. Trism 2, Demiforce founder Steve Demeter tells us, is coming to the iPhone, the iPod Touch and, yes, the iPad. Maybe this is the sort of kick in the pants…
By Brian Crecente Published January 28, 2010 - Uncategorized
“Enemies Who Will Ride The True Momentum Of A Gunshot”
It’s one of those things that gamers get but non-gamers wouldn’t. In the latest video hyping the features of the company’s April-targeted western Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar Games demonstrates that every person you shoot in the game will fall uniquely. Watch the full trailer for information about which guns you can use in the game,…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 28, 2010 - Uncategorized
That Old Black Magic Has DC Universe Online In Its Spell
Sony Online Entertainment reveals the latest addition to the cast of DC Universe Online, Zatanna Zatara, stage magician turned super heroine and the second-to-last entry in the Justice League’s phone directory (curse you, Zauriel). Zatanna is one of those characters that I feel defines the DC Universe. DC is not afraid to have a member…
By Mike Fahey Published January 28, 2010 - Uncategorized
Sierra Classics Live On Through GOG.com
Sierra might have closed down, but the company’s legacy lives on, as an agreement with parent company Activision brings classic titles Gabriel Knight and Arcanum to DRM-free PC game store Good Old Games. Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers and Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura are the first two games available as part of…
By Mike Fahey Published January 28, 2010 - Uncategorized
Sega Trading Project Needlemouse Info For Fan Art
If Sega receives 100 pieces of fan-made concept art for Project Needlemouse Badniks, we can finally stop calling the next Sonic game Project Needlemouse. It started with a trivia challenge, and now part II of Sega’s Needlemouse Challenge tests fans artistic skills. We can blame Deviant artist Trakker for this, as his concept art piece,…
By Mike Fahey Published January 28, 2010 - Uncategorized
God Of War III Snaps Necks Starting March 16
It’s official, God of War III hits stores beginning March 16. (That’s a Tuesday for those of you planning illnesses.) That malevolent eye, and the chain-sword-swinging arms that go with it, will be showing off a new God of War III trailer come Feb. 11 on Spike’s GameTrailers TV. And to put in a bit…
By Brian Crecente Published January 28, 2010 - Uncategorized
The Guns, Skills and Buffs of MAG
Massively-first-person shooter MAG is a complex Playstation 3 game. Not complex in its basic mechanics. You move as groups, aim and shoot. Pretty straight forward. But all of that is built around a lot of different variables. The instruction manual is, as all are these days, lacking in any real explanation and the players are…
By Brian Crecente Published January 28, 2010