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Professor Layton And The Diabolical F Train
Pimple-removal, romance novels and liquor get advertised inside New York City subway cars. This morning, I walked into a car of the F train and, for the first time, saw a video game getting big-time promotion. Despite video games being played constantly on the train — there’s always someone playing on an iPhone, DS or…
By Stephen Totilo Published August 24, 2009 - Uncategorized
Final Fantasy XIII’s Paradigm Shift, Gestalt Mode & More
We’re just a few months away from Final Fantasy XIII’s release—in Japan anyway—giving Square Enix good reason to reveal more about the role-playing game’s battle system. We got a look at FF XIII’s goods this week at Gamescom. Final Fantasy XIII producer Yoshinori Kitase and director Motomu Toriyama walked us through a brief demo of…
By Michael McWhertor Published August 24, 2009 - Uncategorized
StarCraft II Can Be Played Offline
Troubled by the Battle.net login screen that appears upon first launching StarCraft II? Does it mean that StarCraft II requires an internet connection? Not so, says Blizzard’s Rob Pardo. Some of our readers were a bit put off by the suggestion that the single player portion of StarCraft II would require logging into Battle.net, as…
By Mike Fahey Published August 24, 2009 - Uncategorized
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Preview: Better Than A Blue Shell
How is this game different from Mario Kart? Besides starring Sonic and featuring a Billy Hatcher level. That was the key question during a recent hands-on with 2010’s Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing. What Is It? Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing is a kart-racing game shaped by the mold of the Mario Kart series, with…
By Stephen Totilo Published August 24, 2009 - Reviews
Resident Evil 4 Mobile Edition Micro-Review: Learning to Read With Zombies
Resident Evil 4 may have come out more than four years ago, but all it takes is a new platform to make the game feel fresh. The third-person survival horror game from Capcom hit the iPhone earlier this year as Resident Evil 4 Mobile Edition, promising to deliver key moments of the original game in…
By Brian Crecente Published August 24, 2009 - Uncategorized
Hands On With Diablo III’s Monk
Though the Diablo III kiosks in the BlizzCon pressroom were swamped all weekend, I did manage to squeeze in a little time with the game’s newest class – the Monk. To give you folks a little background information, the BlizzCon press room is a place of joy and wonder. They line two walls with kiosks…
By Mike Fahey Published August 24, 2009 - Uncategorized
Minis Impressions: Fieldrunners on the PSPGo
I am a Fieldrunners devotee on the iPhone, getting sucked into the tower defense game way more than I like to admit. I was excited to hear that the title was going to make its way to the PSPgo as part of the Minis program for the portable announced at Gamescom last week. Sony didn’t…
By Brian Crecente Published August 24, 2009 - Uncategorized
In Defence Of Sports Games
It’s alarming how many of you people hate sports games. To the point where a harmless post on a sports game on this site usually elicits unnecessary levels of fury and trollishness. We get it. A lot of you hate sports games. Hate Madden, hate FIFA, hate NBA2K, hate Pro Evo (Wii Sports doesn’t count;…
By Luke Plunkett Published August 24, 2009 - Uncategorized
Ozzy Tells Kotaku of His Secret Video Game Addiction
During our post-BlizzCon interview with Ozzy Osbourne, the rock legend revealed that he had once been addicted to a video game. Help us figure out which game that was. Ozzy is not exactly known for his clarity, so you’ll have to forgive us if we cannot tell you exactly which game he was talking about…
By Mike Fahey Published August 24, 2009 - Uncategorized
John Carmack And The Hideo Kojima Sunset
Famed Metal Gear designer Hideo Kojima once told me that there was something beautiful he’d been striving his whole career to create in video games: The perfect sunset. I recently asked John Carmack what his sunset is. Carmack, ever the programmer, didn’t immediately tell me what his sunset would be. Instead, after I described Kojima’s…
By Stephen Totilo Published August 24, 2009 - Uncategorized
Tricia Helfer Is StarCraft II’s Kerrigan
Original voice actress Glynnis Talken Campbell is still out as the voice of StarCraft II’s Kerrigan, but Blizzard found a worthy replacement in the form of Cylon Number Six, Tricia Helfer. At a panel that took place while I was knee-deep in interviews, Blizzard introduced the new Sarah Kerrigan to the world, smashing previous rumors…
By Mike Fahey Published August 24, 2009 - Uncategorized
Modern Warfare Mobility DS: Guns, Tanks and Planes
New Modern Warfares aren’t just coming to the consoles this fall, the DS will also be getting a brand new first-person shooter from Activision. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Mobilized will include a new story line with unique missions spread out over 16 levels with players taking on the roles of both U.S. Marines and…
By Brian Crecente Published August 24, 2009 - Uncategorized
World Of Warcraft: Cataclysm: Why Level 85?
The Burning Crusade raised World of Warcraft’s level cap to 70. Then Wrath of the Lich King took it to 80. Why is it only going to 85 in the Cataclysm expansion? Tom Chilton explains. Among all of the changes coming in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, raising the level cap to 85 instead of following…
By Mike Fahey Published August 24, 2009 - Uncategorized
Warriors Come Out And Street Brawl
The Warriors come out to play on Xbox Live Arcade in The Warriors: Street Brawl from Paramount Digital Entertainment. It’s definitely a far cry from Rockstar’s effort at bringing The Warriors to the video game medium. I suppose it captures the essense of the movie, rather that mucking about with all of the side stuff…
By Mike Fahey Published August 24, 2009 - Uncategorized
Singularity Finds Inspiration in 80s Childhoods
Singularity was inspired by the childhood memories of Raven Software co-founders Brian and Steve Raffel. Not the protagonists ability to age people until they turn to dust or revert them into pre-human creatures, but the idea of exploration. “This game comes from the life experiences of the Raffel brothers,” said Brian Pass, senior producer at…
By Brian Crecente Published August 24, 2009 - Uncategorized
Droplitz Price Drops
Blitz Arcade is pricing their downloadable puzzle game Droplitz to move, with both the Steam and iPhone versions of the engaging title now available ridiculously cheap. I reviewed the Xbox Live Arcade version of Droplitz, finding it a rather addictively little puzzle game that quickly invades your subconscious to the point where you’ll dream about…
By Mike Fahey Published August 24, 2009 - Uncategorized
The Nintendo Download: Mr. Driller Strikes Back
This week in the Nintendo Download, a Super Nintendo space epic continues, Mr. Driller drills anew, and tiny bubbles must be destroyed at all costs. LucasArts continues to roll out the Super Star Wars goodness this week with Super Empire Strikes back, the 16-bit retelling of the classic tale of Luke Skywalker, the sister he…
By Mike Fahey Published August 24, 2009 - Uncategorized
BlizzCon: Where Are Diablo III’s Runes?
At last year’s BlizzCon, the Diablo II team made a big deal about the power-customizing rune system, but this year it was strangely absent. We asked game director Jay Wilson where the runes went. Diablo III’s rune system, as we explained last year, is an ambitious feature in which every skill for every character can…
By Mike Fahey Published August 24, 2009 - Uncategorized
Video Gamers Get Their Woodstock
Cologne, Germany – There were plenty of reason to go to Cologne’s convention center last week: Jet pack flights, beach volleyball, ATV races, motorcycle stunts, performances by skateboarder Tony Hawk and German band Die Toten Hosen. But what really brought in the crowds were the video games. Nearly a quarter of a million people, almost…
By Brian Crecente Published August 24, 2009 - Uncategorized
Tony Hawk: Ride Trips Real Skaters Out
Pro skater Ryan Scheckler is totally tripped out by how precise the movements are in Tony Hawk: Ride. If a pro is tripped out, do amateur skaters stand a chance of escaping the trippage? I seriously doubt it. I also seriously doubt that skateboard controller is going to support my weight. My skateboarding days were…
By Mike Fahey Published August 24, 2009