Gamertell

The pre-holiday surge of big games has just about come to an end. All those games have successfully grabbed our attention while the older games are left to sit in the corner and collect dust. Gamefly is coming to the rescue by slashing prices on certain games until November 24, 2008.

These games may not have been the apple of every gamers eye but, for these prices, there’s a place for these games on our shelves. The discounted games cover all platforms except for the PC and PSP and no game is more than $29.99.

Click through for a list of the best of the discounted games…

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Confirming something most of us already know, a new study coming out of Villanova University indicates that motion controls do not increase aggression in people who play violent video games.

Certainly inspired by the controversy controversy surrounding the Wii release of Manhunt 2, a study titled “An examination of psychoticism and motion capture controls as moderators of the effects of violent video games” (Patrick M. Markey and Kelly Scherera, 2008, Department of Psychology, Villanova University) examined the “hostility and aggressive thoughts” in individuals while they played Manhunt 2 as well as Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08

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Title: AWAY Shuffle Dungeon
Price: $29.99
System: DS
Release Date: November 6, 2008
Publisher (Developer): Majesco (Mistwalker/AQ Interactive)
ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+
Pros: New twist on dungeon crawling, gorgeous design, high production values
Cons: “Shuffle” concept gets annoying, repetitive gameplay, shallow story, unimaginative dungeons and bosses
Overall Score: Two thumbs sideways; 73/100; C; 2 out 5.

AWAY Shuffle Dungeon is a game based on a gimmick. There’s no getting around that, especially considering the gimmick is built right into the title. (The dungeons shuffle, okay?)

The problem with such games is that the gimmick often isn’t enough to sustain game play. AWAY Shuffle Dungeon tries to avoid this trap through high production values and a decent mix between 2D dungeon crawling and 3D world exploration but the game ultimately doesn’t rise far enough above its gimmick…

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At the 2008 Tokyo Game Show, many Japanese developers admitted that western game development was beginning to surpass that of eastern development.

So what do you do if you can’t beat ‘em? Hire ‘em.

It seems that’s exactly what Square Enix plans to do according to Gamasutra. The developer posted a listing for programmers, product managers and pretty much every position you can think of for a planned studio in El Segundo, CA. The studio will be working on…

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If you pass by the PC section while visiting your local game store this weekend, you may see a new addition to the Spore family sitting on the shelf. The $19.99 Spore Creepy & Cute Parts Pack is now available in stores and ready to make your Spore or Spore Creature Creator creations even cuter or creepier.

The Spore Creepy & Cute Parts Pack does contain some nice extras. For example, there are exactly 108 new creation options - 60 new creepy and cute parts that can be added onto a creature to make them more endearing or terrifying and 48 new paint options so you have more control over the shades and color schemes for your characters. The expansion also comes with 24 extra animations, so your characters will be able to move in new ways. None of these extras are “essential,“ but if you’re starting to get tired of the game, it might help rejuvenate your interest…

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Build-a-Lot 3: Passport to Europe, a new entry in HipSoft’s house flipping/gentrification Build-a-Lot series, has just been released online. Like all of the Build-a-Lot games, the third entry has you buying, fixing up and perfecting homes in a set area so rich people will come in and buy them from you.

Build-a-Lot 3 sounds really similar to Build-a-Lot 2. Both have the house flipping aspect, and require you to think about the area to create curb appeal that makes homes look good from the outside. Also, both games want you to enchance the area. Build-a-Lot 2 does this with shops and parks, and Build-a-Lot 3 does this with landmarks and service buildings…

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Igg’s MMORPG Wonderland Online, which is certainly one of the most pastel free-to-play massive multiplayer games, has updated to include its third expansion Fairy’s Whisper. This news comes shortly after the launch of the new Scorpio server on November 11, 2008. The new update means there are more characters, things to do and places to see. Plus, you can have your character pick a fighter or mage class.

The Fighter and Mage classes, and the new rebirth system, are probably the highlight of Wonderland Online: Fairy’s Whisper. Level 100 players can be reborn by taking the Accession Official’s quest, and can then choose to be…

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Online import game retailer RenChi has just announced a pretty substantial price drop on the new DSi units. Instead of charging $299, like many internet retailers, RenChi has decided to drop the price to $249. I just checked their page a few moments ago (11:30am CST November 18, 2008), and both the white and black DSi units are in stock and ship within 24 hours.

After seeing RenChi’s DSi announcement, I decided to look through my favorite import internet stores. I discovered that NCSX is also offering the same $249 price…

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FROM APPLETELL - With Wii Transfer, you can share your movies, music, and pictures from your Macintosh directly to your Nintendo Wii using the Internet Channel. MORE »

Are you a tween? Do you like Disney, music, and rhythm games? Are you afraid your parents/allowance won’t cover the cool $200 or so to nab Guitar Hero: World Tour or Rock Band 2? Well, look no further, kid, Disney’s got your game. The company announced the full setlist and official release date - November 25, 2008 - today, in order to whet the appetites of younger players and their Christmas shopping parents.

1Up has the full setlist up, and it’s chock full of variety. Since the game requires no extra peripherals (no more goofy plastic instruments! hurrah!) it may have serious potential this holiday - even in an over saturated market.

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