Gamertell

Ready to enter the world of Rapture again? 2k Games’ underwater FPS/adventure hybrid BioShock will kindly make it’s PS3 debut in North America on October 21, 2008, with a worldwide release on October 24th. The new version will sport the ultra-tough “Survivor” difficulty mode and new “Challenge Rooms” that will offer additional gameplay beyond the current Xbox 360/PC experience. The game will also feature trophy support.

If you’re taking the plunge for the first time, the game is set in an underwater Utopia gone horribly wrong - the residents (well, the remaining residents) are all genetically mutated freaks, and players experience the (groundbreaking) story almost entirely through the gameplay. Oh, and it’s won about 200 awards, including many “game of the year” accolades. It’s pretty much fantastic, and I know I’ll be diving in again.

Site [BioShock] Read [Action Trip]

Ah, nothing makes me reminisce like stand-up arcade machines.  A new company is bringing back the glory days of gaming with the Retro Space Arcade Cabinet complete with old game casings, old-school joysticks, buttons and even a trackball. 

The Retro Space is packed with a computer that comes preloaded with 100 licensed arcade classics and several emulators. When not gaming (*gasp*) the cabinet can be used as a jukebox for a music collection and includes 1080p playback. As for the screen, it is a 24-incher with…

MORE »

Censoring video games has been an issue since Mortal Kombat and Resident Evil. If parents don’t want their children to play violent games, that should be up to them and no one else. However this isn’t the case in Australia where censoring laws are so strict, not even a forty-year-old man can play Grand Theft Auto.

Australia uses the rating R18+ for their mature games. With censoring laws as they are, however, it is very unlikely to ever see a game on a shelf with that rating. Australia bans any game that is deemed too violent, includes sexual content or has too many drug references. Apparently the government is full of old fogies who think video games are only for kids. Not only is this not true but it is ridiculous…

MORE »

So, does anyone think the Lego Batman game will pick up sales from where EA dropped the ball on the canned Dark Knight game? I’m sure we’ll find out this fall. The game ships for just about every imaginable platform on September 23, 2008.

Read [GoNintendo] Also Read [Play tm]

We all knew that music games (like Guitar Hero and Rock Band) were huge and possibly driving sales, but a recent GameDaily post illustrates just how important the “it” genre has become. The post states that “music games have been a “key driver” this year, with “sales of music-themed games responsible for 19% of overall industry software dollars in July (15% YTD) and 44% of y/y industry dollar growth during the month (32% of growth YTD)” and Guitar Hero franchise dollars year-to-date are up an astounding 87%. Rock Band has been no slouch, either, with combined sales (across platforms) of $47 million. Those numbers are nothing to shake a goofy plastic guitar at.

32% of industry growth? That’s huge. Something has to be said for the universal appeal of these games, with their gameplay that appeals to casual gamers who just want something to rock out with at parties, and hardcore gamers going for insanely high scores. With Rock Band 2, Guitar Hero World Tour, Wii Music and Rock Revolution still forthcoming, it doesn’t look like the genre will be out of juice anytime soon.

Read [GameDaily]

Set your watches, countdown clocks or any other timepieces you may have - beloved RPG Chrono Trigger is coming to the Nintendo DS on November 25, 2008. The time-traveling favorite game will come loaded with new dungeons and an “Arena Mode” to complement the classic gameplay. The title will make use of the DS’ two screens, and Square Enix is promising an entirely faithful port.

The press release is full of hyperbole and name-dropping, but this game is one of those rare cases where all of the praise is actually deserved. It’s many a gamer’s favorite RPG, if not their favorite game period. It took the SNES RPG template and made it more colorful; made the combat quicker, more interactive and more fun; and actually had an awesome, millennium-spanning storyline. Not to mention, the graphics and music are still regarded among the finest examples of the era.

I remember playing this game in 2000, way after it’s original release, and it was actually my very first RPG. You can bet I’ll be in line this November.

Read [RPG fan] Also Read [Ripten]

Another week, another rather lackluster update on the Wii’s downloadable services. This week’s saving grace is the original NES Mega Man; otherwise, we have another old sports game (which, outside of Tecmo Bowl, Ice Hockey and NBA Jam - you’d do well to avoid) and yet another pool game. Seriously - enough with the pool! In any event, all titles are available on the Wii Shop channel, with a fresh batch arriving every Monday at 9 AM Pacific time. Wii points can be purchased at a rate of $1 for 100 points.

Nintendo’s official descriptions:

MORE »

I don’t know how exactly many Tony Hawk games there are right now but I’m guessing he’s just barely trailing Mario.  I’m kidding, of course, but there is a rumor going around that the latest Tony Hawk game will have something that no other game has before.

Like all rumors, we have very little verifiable information.  We do know that this latest game, Tony Hawk’s Motion, is going to be for the Nintendo DS and have some new sort of motion controlling technology…

MORE »

A recent ad for the Toys R Us retail chain shows several discounted games as well as a free Star Wars: Clone Wars backpack offer. The sales started August 17, 2008, and continue through August 23, 2008.

The backpack, likely meant for kids (but that doesn’t mean you can’t have one too), retails for $10.99 but is free if you spend more than $30 on Star Wars stuff by August 23, 2008.

As for the game offers the list from page 4 includes:

• Xbox 360 Arcade System (5 Games Included Boom Boom Rocket, Uno, Pac-Man CE, Feeding Frenzy & Luxor 2) for $279.99
• Wii Game System Console for $249.99
• Save $25 on Nintendo DS Value Pack for...

Click through for the full list of sales items!

MORE »

As if the hand of Dan DeCarlo was guiding me from the grave, I recently came across another potentially prophetic message coming from Archie Comics.

This instance is in an issue of Betty and Veronica Digest Magazine (no. 125, Jan. 2002) with a story titled ”Game Gambit” featuring fictional game maker Zapco Games. The company has asked Betty, the blonde-next-door and sometimes gender-bending teenager, to help test a series of arcade games targeted towards girls.

As one of the Gamertell writers recently pointed out in an email, “Is it just me, or does September seem like the month of feminine games?” Indeed, it appears that way with a slew of demographically-targeted games being released throughout September 2008…

MORE »

Check out the gallery: Betty and Veronica no. 125 - Game Gambit