Walmart has some great online-only specials that have just appeared on the website. The only catch is, there’s no knowing how long these deals will last. The site specifically states that it is while supplies last, but it doesn’t mention how many of each item are available. So if you see a deal you like, better pounce on it quickly.

There are six video game deals that go along with this online special. Five out of six relate to Nintendo systems or products for Nintendo systems, and the other sale pertains to an Xbox 360 item.

Let’s look at what online specials Walmart is selling:

• Make your own DS Lite value bundle with a DS Lite (you choose the color), Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures and one of four Nintendo Expression Accessory Kits for $149.00. The page also gives you the option to add on an additional game, but the additional game will full price.
• Wii Fit Plus with balance board and DreamGear 5-in-1 fitness bundle for $119.00.
• 2 Wii games for $30. You can choose from 33 titles, which include Cooking Mama: Cook Off, Lego Batman, Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures and Lego Star Wars: Complete Saga.
• Wii with Wii Fit Plus with balance board and $25 gift card for $299.00.
• Wii Rock Band 2 or Rock Band Track Packs for $20 each. You can choose from Rock Band 2, AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack, Rock Band Metal Track Pack, Rock Band Track Pack: Classic Rock, Rock Band Track Pack: Volume 1 or Rock Band Track Pack: Volume 2.
• Guitar Hero World Tour Band Kit for Xbox 360 for $79.00.

Site [Walmart]

Full Story » | Written by Jenni Lada for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

When Midway filed bankruptcy, one of the potentially lucrative licenses it had was the right to make games based on TNA Wrestling. When Warner Bros. bought the company it picked up the rights to several Midway games but PWInsider said the TNA game wasn’t one of them.

PWInsider’s TNA sources said the rights may bounce back to TNA since Warner Bros. wasn’t interested in purchasing them. TNA officials won’t comment on what, if anything, is happening with the game. TNA Impact sold one million units with reviews being just so-so.

Still, wrestling games have a built-in fan base and TNA is still basking in the publicity glow of a partnership with wrestling legend Hulk Hogan. Wrestling needs more competition in terms of programming and video games, so here’s hoping something works out.

Read [PWInsider] Also Read [Baltimore Sun]

Full Story » | Written by Brian Allen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

EA’s Madden franchise often comes under fire for a perceived lack of innovation but here’s a feature that certainly promises some unique wrinkles.

Madden NFL 10 will soon contain a game mode that will combine elements of fantasy football and trading card gaming.

Madden Ultimate Team is a free downloadable addition on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network coming January 2010. In this game players will collect virtual packs of cards ranging from “platinum” to “bronze.”

You’ll be able to select everything from your team’s playbook to its uniforms and player cards include legendary statistical years such as Randy Moss’ 1999 Minnesota Vikings campaign. The download will come with a starter pack and you can purchase other cards through the in-game store or win them through in-game accomplishments.

This is definitely a different step for the franchise. It has had card collection modes before but this is the first time they’ve been folded into a separate game experience. I wonder if hardcore Madden fans will consider this a worthwhile distraction and, if this is successful, could we see the cards branch into other games?

Read [Gamertell] Read [Electronic Arts] Also Read [Joystiq]

Full Story » | Written by Brian Allen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Epic Games is making a breakthrough in the games community by offering one of the most acclaimed game engines, the Unreal Engine 3, free to the public.

Now anyone can get their hands on this technology by downloading the UDK, or Unreal Development Kit.

The Unreal Engine 3 has been used in blockbuster first-person shooters including the Gears of War franchise, Unreal Tournament 3 and Rainbow Six: Vegas 2. It has also been adapted for other genres including RPGs (Bioshock and Mass Effect) and action games (Mirror’s Edge).

The UDK offers advanced tools including a physics engine, video encoding, particle effects, destructible environments, audio encoding and an AI system.

Although the UDK is targeted mainly at the development of games, other areas including design, architecture and construction can also benefit from the engine, so there’s much to like here for everybody.

This really got me excited and if my PC wasn’t a piece of junk I would be toying with the UDK right now. Epic Games has taken a huge step in the right direction by putting this engine on the hands of what could potentially be a huge crowd. I’m sure this will drive forward the development of games and I can’t wait to see what the modding community can do with this.

The minimum requirements for the UDK are:

• Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista
• 2.0+ GHz processor
• 2 GB system RAM
• SM3-compatible video card
• 3 GB Free hard drive space

Read [

DS

• 100 Classic Book Collection: Basically an e-reader program with 100 classic books built in and an additional 10 that can be downloaded. It’s available in Europe, but not North America.
• Arabian’s Lost: An otome/RPG where the main character is an Arabian princess of a land filled with thieves, gamblers, assassins and crooks who must earn 10 million in 30 days to keep from being trapped in an arranged marriage. Its also available for the PS2.
• A.S.H.: Archaic Sealed Heat: A strategic RPG from Nintendo that was supposed to come to North America, but never did.
• Daigasso Band Brothers / Daigasso Band Bros. DX: A music game where you play songs using the DS face buttons. You can also create your own songs in both games and download songs in the sequel.
• Dokidoki Majo Shinpan!: A somewhat-perverted game which has gained fame and notoriety for the fact that players touch girls on the touch screen to determine if they’re witches.
• Freshly-Picked Tingle’s Rosy Rupeeland: An RPG starring Tingle from the Legend of Zelda series and revolves around his quest to get money and get to Rupeeland. It received a Japanese and European release, but never appeared in North America.
• Game & Watch Collection 2: A Japanese Club Nintendo promotion that includes the Game & Watch titles Parachute and Octopus.
• Game Center CX: Arino no Chousenjou 2: The sequel to Retro Game Challenge. Since the first game wasn’t a huge seller in North America, we probably will never see an English version of the sequel.
• Hirameki Action: Chibikko Wagyan no Daiki na Bouken: This is a side-scrolling action game where players guide a little dinosaur with a mighty roar through levels.
• Idolm@ster: Dearly Stars: The first Idolm@ster game where players act as the idols instead of a faceless producer. It’s also the first game in the series with a male idol (though he’s in disguise as a girl).
• Itadaki Street DS: A monopoly-esque board game from Square Enix starring characters from Super Mario and Dragon Quest. It also has Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection support so you can play online.
• Jump Ultimate Stars: A Smash Bros style fighting game with 300 characters from 41 Shonen Jump mangas. Unfortunately, it’ll never get a worldwide release due to licensing issues.
• Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten: A Japanese-English dictionary that’s perfect for people studying Japanese. A few Game&Watch games are also hidden in it.
• Katekyoo Hitman Reborn DS Flame Rumble X: Mirai Chou-Bakuhatsu!!: A 2D fighting game starring the characters from the manga/anime Katekyoo Hitman Reborn.
• Ketsui Death Label: An impressive shoot-em-up from Cave.
• Love Plus: A Japanese dating sim that’s gained a massive following in a short period of time. It takes place in real time and players are actually able to date, then marry, one of three girls they choose.
• Meccha! Taiko no Tatsujin DS: 7-tsu no Shima no Daibouken: A Taiko no Tatsujin drum game that even has an adventure/story mode.
• NANA: Live Staff Daiboshuu! Shoshinsha Kangei: A life sim based on the Nana manga/anime/movie where the player can make a life in Tokyo and try to get a job with one of the two bands from the series.
• Ochaken no Daibouken: An adorable and enjoyable platformer starring the Ochaken dog and Ochaneko cat characters.
• Otometeki Koi Kakumei Love Revo DS!!: A hilarious and occasionally touching otome simulation where the main character is a fat girl trying to lose weight so she can get a boyfriend.
• Any Ouendan game: They’re like the Elite Beat Agents game, only better.
• Sigma Harmonics: A Square Enix adventure RPG where players must time travel to prevent murders and preserve the present.
• Slide Adventure: Mag Kid: An action/puzzle game where players attach a peripheral and slide the DS around to make the main character, Mag Kid, move.
• Soma Bringer: A gorgeous action RPG from Nintendo that may never get a worldwide release.
• Tales of Innocence: A good DS entry in the Tales of series that Namco Bandai never released outside of Japan.
• Tales of Hearts: Again, another good DS Tales of entry. It’s available in two versions - one with CG cutscenes and one with animated ones.
• Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side 1st Love and 2nd Season: These two DS games are otome life sims where players guide a girl through high school and hopefully help her find a boyfriend.
• Vampire Knight DS: A DS otome simulation with visual novel elements that is based on the Vampire Knight manga/anime.
• Xenosaga I + II: A DS adaptation of the first two Xenosaga games.

GameCube

• Doshin the Giant: a god/life simulation where players determine how Doshin interacts with island natives. It was available in Japan and Europe.
• Kururin Squash: An action/puzzle game where players must navigate through mazes.

GBA

• Any bit Generations game: They’re a nice variety of stylish, simple puzzle and action games.
• Densetsu no Starfy: The first game in the Legendary Starfy series.
• Densetsu no Starfy 3: The last Starfy GBA game and the first where Starpy is a major character.
• Fire Emblem: Fuuin no Tsurugi: The only GBA Fire Emblem game not released in English. It’s the first GBA Fire Emblem, but the sequel to the Fire Emblem GBA game released in North America.
• Genso Suikoden: Card Stories: Suikoden II with card battles.
• Mother + Mother 2: The original Mother and Mother 2/Earthbound in one cartridge.
• Mother 3: The RPG Earthbound sequel. It’s main character, Lucas, appeared in Smash Bros Brawl.
• Rhythm Tengoku: A music game and the prequel to Rhythm Heaven.
• Super Mario Ball: A Super Mario pinball game.
• Tales of the World: Narikiri Dungeon 2: A Tales of mash-up action-RPG. It’s mainly about fetch quests and quick missions.
• Tomato Adventure: An adorable Nintendo RPG designed for beginners. It has some elements found in the Mario & Luigi RPGs.

PC

• Any and every Touhou game ever released: They’re fantastic shoot-em-up (cute-em-up) games.

PS2

• beatmania IIDX 16 Empress: A fantastic music and rhythm game.
• Bleach: Blade Battles 2nd: A fighting game with the Bleach characters.
• Espgaluda: A Cave shooter that’s a prequel to ESP Ra.De..
• Fate/stay Night: Realta Nua: An all ages version of the popular visual novel Fate/stay night.
• GuitarFreaks & DrumMania Masterpiece Gold: The original guitar and drum music video game. This is one of the best entries in the series.
• Melty Blood: Actress Again: A fighting game starring characters from the visual novel Tsukihime.
• Namco x Capcom: An RPG with action and strategic elements that has characters Namco and Capcom games making cameos as either allies or opponents.
• Nana: A life simulation game based on the Nana anime/manga where the player moves to Tokyo and gets to interact with characters from the series.
• Tales of Destiny Director’s Cut: A PS2 remake of the PS1 classic Tales of Destiny, with additional content.
• Tales of Symphonia: A PS2 port of the GameCube game with additional content.
• Tian Xing: Sword of Destiny: A hack-and-slash game Devil May Cry fans would love.

PSP

• Audition Portable: A portable version of the PC MMO. The gameplay is similar to the Bust-a-Groove games.
• Any Bleach Heat the Soul game: Great PSP fighters starring Bleach characters.
• Breath of Fire III: A PSP port. It was released in Europe, so you can import it and play it in English.
• Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Portable: A PSP port of a PS2 game with extra characters. It’s a monopoly-esque board game with characters from Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy.
• Hatsune Miku Project Diva: A Sega music game starring the Vocaloid Miku Hatsune that lets you import your own .mp3s and create your own songs and music videos.
• Idolmaster SP: Available in three versions, Perfect Sun, Missing Moon and Wandering Star, it was the first portable version of Idolm@ster.
• La Corda d’Oro: A PSP port of the PS2 and PC otome/simulation where players attempt to become a great violin player and win competitions while also making friends or possibly finding a boyfriend.
• Macross Ultimate Frontier: An action game that lets players fight pretty much every battle in the Macross anime series.
• Maplus: Portable Navi and GPS Receiver: turns your PSP into a GPS.
• Parodius Portable: A port of the side-scrolling shooter.
• Persona 3 Portable: A port of the PS2 game Persona 3 with a second storyline where the main character is a girl. It’ll probably get a US release, but for now it’s Japan-only.
• Princess Crown: A port of the VanillaWare Saturn game that’s the spiritual successor and prequel to Odin Sphere.
• Princess Maker 4 Portable: A port of a Princess Maker game that’s very similar to the cult classic Princess Maker 2.
• Suikoden I + II: The PS1 games on one UMD.
• Tales of Eternia: A port of Tales of Eternia/Tales of Destiny II. It’s available in English in Europe.
• Tales of Rebirth: A port of the PS2 Tales of game that never made it outside of Japan. It isn’t available in English.
• Tales of VS.: A fighting game featuring characters from the Tales of games.
• Twinbee Portable: A port of the classic shoot-em-up.
• Ys VII: The latest entry in the Ys action-RPG series. It may see a US release, but for now it’s Japan-only.

SNES

• Der Langrisser: A strategic RPG with multiple endings based on decisions the player makes.
• Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu: The fourth Fire Emblem game and regarded as one of the best. It introduced the romance/relationship element into the series and is multigenerational - if two characters get together in the first part, their child will appear in the second.
• Live a Live: A Square Enix RPG with seven storylines that unexpectedly all end up being connected.
• Sailor Moon: Another Story: An RPG inspired by Sailor Moon with an original storyline that has become a cult classic and is unexpectedly spectacular.
• Seiken Densetsu 3: An entry in the Square Enix Mana series that was never released outside of Japan.

Wii

• 428: Fuusa Sareta Shibuya de / 428: In a Blockaded Shibuya: A highly acclaimed visual novel. It’s been ported to the PS3 and PSP.
• Captain Rainbow: It’s an action/adventure game from Nintendo where a character named Nick, aka Captain Rainbow, goes around helping people on Mimin Island trying to either grant his wish or the wishes of islanders. It features many little known or forgotten Nintendo characters.
• Disaster: Day of Crisis: An action/adventure game released only in Australia, Europe and Japan. Players help Raymond Bryce, who works for the government, survive and save people during natural disasters and stop a terrorist group called SURGE. It will likely never receive a US release.
• Sukeban Shachou Rena: A mini-game collection featuring cats working at Cat Queen, Inc. Your goal is to start out as an entry level cat. You work your way up to the head of the company and earn respect of the CEO, Nekopunch mascot Rena.
• Taiko no Tatsujin Wii: The Taiko drum game series comes to the Wii.
• Zero:Tsukihami no Kamen / Fatal Frame IV: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse: The fourth entry in the Fatal Frame series.

Xbox 360

• Idolm@ster: The original Idolm@ster game, where players help an idol, or group of idols, become a success.
• Death Smiles: A new Cave shoot-em-up with a gothic theme.

COMING NEXT WEEK: Important Importables takes a one-week break, but will return November 13, 2009 to talk about Atlus’ Shin Megami Tensei series.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Last weekImportant Importables looked at six Japanese gadgets that exist only to be adorable.

Site [Play-Asia] Site [YesAsia] Site [NCSX] Site [Himeya Shop] Site [Strapya World]

Full Story » | Written by Jenni Lada for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Somewhere, Jack Thompson is tittering with peals of glee as the debate about video game violence just jumped to the forefront of the holiday shopping season.

Footage from arguably the biggest game release of 2009, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, was leaked earlier this week (October 27, 2009). That would normally only be a big deal to folks concerned about spoilers. Spoilers, as in this is a SPOILER WARNING!

Seriously, there be spoilers here.

The leaked footage shows the player in control of a Russian terrorist who is mowing down innocent civilians at what appears to be Los Angeles’  LAX Airport.

Activision has confirmed that the footage is authentic and released a statement in the way of damage control.

“The scene establishes the depth of evil and the cold bloodedness of a rogue Russian villain and his unit. By establishing that evil, it adds to the urgency of the player’s mission to stop them,” the statement reads. “Players have the option of skipping over the scene. At the beginning of the game, there are two ‘checkpoints’ where the player is advised that some people may find an forthcoming segment disturbing. These checkpoints can’t be disabled.”

The Modern Warfare games are famous for combining gritty storytelling with “what if” scenarios that could happen in the real world. The first game’s depiction of a nuclear explosion was one of the most awe inspiring and yet unsettling moments in recent gaming history. You had to wonder how they would one up a nuclear strike and now it appears we have our answer.  The game hits store shelves November 10, 2009, for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC (Windows).

The controversy has hit already and won’t be letting up soon.

Read [The Telegraph] Also Read [Gamepro]

Full Story » | Written by Brian Allen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

As part of the promotion for the upcoming sequel to Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft is presenting a short film based on the characters from the game.

The film is divided in three chapters and will serve as an introduction for the story in Assassin’s Creed II.

The film is called Assassin’s Creed - Lineage and takes place a few years before the setting of the game. Each of the three episodes will follow the father of Ezio - the protagonist of the new game- who is introduced as Giovanni Auditore da Firenze in the first chapter.

The fist episode is about 14 minutes long and it blends CGI and live action to narrate the assassination of an Italian noble. The film also presents some of the key characters of the game as well as game mechanics like the combat using the famous wristblade.

After watching the first episode I am really impressed. I thought it was just going to be a one or two minute trailer for the game but actually it has high production values and nice special effects. The short film was created by Ubisoft-owned Hybride Technologies and it’s no wonder why the film looks so good as this company is responsible for the special effects in movies including 300 and Sin City.

I’m really looking forward to the next episodes and I think these movies are a great way to spread the word about the game and to draw attention towards the franchise. We’ve already seen Microsoft doing something similar with their clips for the Halo franchise and they always help in creating buzz for the game. This blending of different media is a step forward in the right direction for games and I hope more studios realize this and get on board.

Read [USA Today Also read [Destructoid]

Full Story » | Written by Christian Morlotte for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

The industry seems sharply divided on how much of an impact digital downloading will have on the future of game sales.

There has been speculation about whether the next Xbox or PlayStation will even feature any kind of disc drive. EA Sports President Peter Moore doesn’t think it’s time to put away the plastic cases and shrink wrapping just yet.

At the recent Berkeley Digital Media Conference, Moore gave his take:

“[The industry is] at least a decade away from saying goodbye to a physical disc. The more important question is what does the next generation of console look like?”

The talk of all digital gaming also gives rise to a question: What becomes of games such as Guitar Hero which have plastic peripherals as an important part of their gameplay?

Moore used this opportunity to take a few potshots at fellow gaming superpowers Activision Blizzard and Nintendo. Moore said if gaming did go digital, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick would be sitting on half the world’s plastic. Moore called Wii Fit‘s peripherals “bathroom scales” while talking about how much better he believes EA Sports Active is.

Moore, formerly of Microsoft, said that company will get to whatever the future of consoles is first.

Oh no, he didn’t! Are you listening, Nintendo and Sony?

Read [Kotaku] Also Read [Industry Gamers]

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Somewhere soon, a group of video game company executives will meet in a conference room and discuss how to market games to women. Tecmo’s latest ad campaign for Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 will likely only get mentioned as a “How Not To.”

It seems the newest Ninja Gaiden sequel gives players the opportunity to control the way female characters’ breasts move with the Sony Sixaxis controller.  No, seriously (see the video below).

Ninja Gaiden 2 appeared on the Xbox 360 in 2008 and, for whatever reason, Tecmo decided to take a lot of the blood and gore out of the PlayStation 3 version of the game and focus more on sex appeal. Ryu, who has been the game’s hero since its earliest days on the Nintendo Entertainment System, is still the main character. But his three female co-stars have suddenly jumped from supporting roles to being much of the game’s buzz.

The Los Angeles Times’ Brand X blog quotes Tecmo spokeswoman (yes, spokeswoman, and I would love to know what she really thinks about this) Kyoko Yamashita explaining the thinking here:

“Looking at the audience behind the 360 versus the PS3, 360 has kind of a raw, very pro-American audience. We were very interested once we saw the concept. The marketing campaign itself is quite different.”

That’s the understatement of the gaming year, folks. Of course, since this is the same company that brought us breast motion simulator Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball, maybe we shouldn’t be as surprised as we are.

But the Dead or Alive series has always kept a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor about the ridiculous, gravity-defying assets of its protagonists. In contrast, the Ninja Gaiden games are more well known for top notch action and controller-throwing difficulty. Of course, since we’re all talking about a PS3 port of a year-old Xbox 360 action game, the method to Tecmo’s madness may have already been revealed.

There is a saying about there being no such thing as bad publicity. If that holds true, then Tecmo is getting the kind of media coverage thousands of PR dollars couldn’t buy.

Read [ThisIsBrandX] Also Read [Destructoid]  Also Read [Brand X]

Full Story » | Written by Brian Allen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Two of Discovery Channel’s most popular series, Man vs. Wild and Deadliest Catch, are being turned into video games. Discovery Communications is working closely with publisher Crave to adapt both series.

Man vs. Wild is a survival series featuring British adventurer Bear Grylls. In this series, Bear pits himself in inhospitable locations using only basic tools to survive, create a shelter and find his way back to civilization. The upcoming Man vs. Wild game will not feature Bear but will present the player with similar situations as the ones portrayed in the show and will require them to use the skills taught by Bear and his guidance to survive.

Deadliest Catch documents the lives of crab fishermen working in Alaska. The series follows several fishing boats as they endure dangers and rough weather working in the Bering Sea during the King Crab season. Although there is already a game based on the series, Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm, the publishers wanted a more accessible version where players manage a fishing boat and face the dangers of the sea in the fight for profits.

I really like both series and find them interesting and, in the case of Man vs. Wild, somewhat educational. These games could provide an alternative to the classic genres like role-playing games and first-person shooters and bring some innovation to the consoles. I just hope they don’t follow the example of previous efforts like Lost: Via Domus which just butchered the series in an effort to make a buck.

The Deadliest Catch video game will be released Spring 2010 for the PS3, Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS. Man vs. Wild will be released by the end of 2011 for PS3, the Wii and the Xbox 360.

Read [Reuters] Also read [AOL Television]

Full Story » | Written by Christian Morlotte for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Just because Rocktober is entering its last days doesn’t mean the metal has to die along with it.

Double Fine isn’t done melting faces online and is about the release a new map pack for Brütal Legend  called “The Tears of the Hextadon” via PSN on November 5, 2009. PS3 owners will also be able to download the maps free until November 19, 2009. The Xbox Live DLC will probably come a couple of days earlier but Microsoft has it priced at 400 MS points (or US$5).

The “Tears of the Hextadon” pack will contain two maps called The Circle of Tears and Death’s Fjord and the Blade of Ormagöden axe that are available to anyone who downloads the pack. Each map has an elemental theme accompanying it. The Circle of Tears has a lot of water and Death’s Fjord takes place on an ice covered mountain path.

Brütal Legend’s multiplayer mode consists of picking one of three teams with different abilities. The goal is to destroy the other teams stage. You can call upon different character classes to fight with you by using fans who act as in game currency. It basically plays like a mix of standard hack-and-slash and real-time strategy genres.

Brütal Legend, featuring the voice of Jack Black, was released October 13, 2009, for PS3 and Xbox 360 and is rated “Mature” by the ESRB for blood and gore, intense violence, partial nudity, strong language and suggestive themes.

Read [CVG] Also Read [Worth Playing]

Full Story » | Written by Jeremy Hill for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »

Are you enjoying Brutal Legend, the most awesome heavy-metal fantasy action/RTS to ever grace the gaming landscape? Yes? Well, you’ll be happy to know that you’ll soon be able to “test your mettle” (groan) against the guys who actually built the game. This wednesday, October 28th, 2009, from 5-9 PM Pacific time, you can play the multiplayer battles with Double Fine’s er, finest.

From the Brutal Legend blog

“This Wednesday, October 28th from 5-9PM PST, play Brütal Legend with the Double Fine Team! Test your mettle against hardened developers or connect to pick up the elusive “Six Degrees of Schafer” Achievement. Whatever your motivation may be, don’t miss out on this awesome opportunity to go toe to toe with the men and women behind Brütal Legend.

Double Fine Gamertags:
•  Patrick Hackett – XBL: DFpatrick
•  Joe Virskus – XBL: DFjoe
•  Geoff Soulis – XBL: DFgeoff
•  Kee Chi – XBL: DFkee
•  Tara Teich – XBL: DFtara
•  Steve Peck – XBL: DFsteve
•  Dan McGarry – XBL: DFdan
•  Chad Dawson – XBL: DFchad
•  Erik Robson – XBL: DFerik
•  Anna Kipnis—XBL: DFanna
•  Brad Muir – XBL: DFbrad”

I, along with a whole lot of other game journos, am just about in love with this game. It’s fun, it’s ridiculously “out-there” and it mixes gameplay elements from the action and RTS genres just beautifully. If you haven’t picked this puppy up, you should! And then, you should play the DF team tomorrow night.

Read [Brutal Legend blog]

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Title:Zombie Apocalypse
Price:  800 Microsoft Points ($10 US)
System: Xbox Live Arcade,
Release Date: September 26, 2009
Publisher: Konami
ESRB Rating: Mature for Blood, Gore, Violence
Pros: Throwback to arcade style shoot ‘em ups, fun selection of weapons and special types of zombies, multiplayer is a blast
Cons: Only a few maps to play on, action becomes repetitive, single player becomes tough to slog through
Overall Score: One thumb up, one thumb sideways, 75/100; C, *** 1/2 out of five.

If Smash TV and Left 4 Dead had a baby, Zombie Apocalypse would surely be the blister-inducing result.

The control scheme and general lay of the land will be instantly familiar to anyone raised on arcade classics like Robotron. Nihilistic Software’s effort is an unabashed love letter to those older games with some of the new twists on the zombie genre cribbed from Valve’s smash hit. 

The nod to Left 4 Dead comes from the integration of special zombie types such as the “Puker,” whose constant stream of vomit slips and slows down your character, and the “Big Boy.” While you can wriggle your way from the grasp of most zombies by wagging the left analog stick, the construction garb clad Big Boy’s grip is instant death.

MMMM, Brains

The zombie types get crazier from there. Later, you’ll face psycho prom queen with Aliens-style critters bursting from their chest and zombies that tote shotguns. Your weapons will include shotguns, flamethrowers and Molotov cocktails (also a staple weapon in Left 4 Dead.)  And I don’t really need to tell you that one of your staple weapons is a chainsaw, do I? The chainsaw will kill a zombie with one attack and increases your score multiplier, but the drawback is you can easily be chomped on from behind while you’re swinging it about. Environmental hazards you can toss zombies into including airplane engines and car crushers.

There are also survivors to save for huge point bonuses and the right to earn “Zombie Bait,”  which is a talking a teddy bear stuffed with “love and C4.”  Perhaps as more homage to the arcade shooters of yore, he has only a few phrases and you’ll quickly tire of them. But those games did have their flaws and it’s OK to correct a few of them along the way, even while paying tribute.

The game really is at its spew-inducing best when you and three friends fire it up and try to make it all the way to Level 55. There are only a handful of maps, though, and you’ll see them loop over and over through your adventure. There are other ways the game ramps up the difficulty, including a blackout mode that only allows you to see the heroes’ immediate field of vision and irradiated zombies that are more lethal to fight. By the time you reach day 55, you’ll have seen everything multiple times.

Even so, only the heartiest of the hearty may make it that far. You can continue levels after your death, with the only real penalty being unable to appear on the game’s leader boards.

Smoke ‘Em If Ya Got ‘Em

The four heroes you’ll use to to slay the mass of infected freaks get repetitive also. The collection of zombies is fun and unique and I wish the same amount of care had been taken to make the four heroes you can select more different as well. Each character has a cute little bio snippet that could have been used to expand on their characters although I realize that for this type of game it’s a little much to expect any kind of full-fledged story.

Still, there were interesting bits of stuff thrown in and it would have been nice to see them - dare I say - fleshed out in some way. More important is that the four characters, even the obligatory female, all play exactly alike. You can’t use the style of game as an excuse here as even ancient arcade side-scrollers such as Final Fight mastered the simple concept of “bigger guy hits harder, skinny guy moves faster.”

All-in-all, this little-arcade-shooter-that-could delivers enough fun, particularly as a multiplayer game, to warrant its 800 Microsoft Point purchase price.

If you’re the kind of zombie fan who can already quote all the rules for killing the undead laid out in the new flick Zombieland, this one likely warrants some space on your Xbox 360’s hard drive.

Site [Zombie Apocalypse]

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Splosion Man was one of the shining jewels in the Xbox 360’s summer of arcade festivities earlier this year (2009). It involved the simple concept of exploding your character through platform-heavy levels to end the stage. Splosion Man is also one of the first games to give awards that can be used by your Xbox 360 avatar.

Twisted Pixel sent a press release about a patch for Splosion Man that adds avatar awards in the form of clothing and fixes some multiplayer issues.

You have to complete the game in order to unlock clothing for your avatar but you’ll be awarded with two accessories for male and female avatars in the form of a Splosion Man jacket, skirt and t-shirts. If you haven’t beaten the game you can still preview the clothing on your avatar to give you incentive to jump back into the game.

The other part of the patch fixes lag that some players have been experiencing while playing online.

You can check out the other pictures of the unlockable avatar clothing below.

Site [Splosion Man]

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While watching horror movies on Halloween is a perfectly acceptable way to celebrate the holiday, it’s also a hands off approach. You’re a spectator, not an active participant in the action. You could always go out to a good haunted house, but those can be far away and quite expensive. Perhaps the best approach would be to gather a handful of your closest friends and have a horrific video game marathon. The beauty with the horror game marathon is that it has the thrills and occasional scares of a horror movie marathon, but also the excitement and personal involvement of a haunted house.

Here’s how to set it up right. Invite only a handful of people over. A number between three and five is perfect, but anymore than seven and it may not be as frightening. Where ever you’ll all be playing the games will have to be dark, save for the light of the television screen. A few candles wouldn’t hurt as well, but make sure they’re set up so they don’t drip, cause a mess or perhaps burn your place down. If anyone has to leave the room, set it up where there are no other lights on, and they have to take a flickering, ready to burn out flashlight, to light their way.

If you have enough time, you can also set up some optional decorations. I’m not talking about the stuff you can find at Walmart or your local dollar store. Try to purposely arrange things in your home or room that look otherworldly or out of the ordinary. Make sure a coat rank has a sufficient number of coats so it looks like a menacing individual in the moonlight. If there’s a scary tree outside your window, leave the shades open. If you ever had a furby or incredibly creepy American Girl doll, now’s the time to leave it in a shadowy corner, watching. Another tip - if there are creepy household noises that you can amplify, do so. Or, claim that you’ve never heard that sound before.

Now, for the games. I’d recommend going with a five hour, five game marathon. From 9pm to 2am works well. You can adjust the schedule as you like though. Also, if you don’t have five games, perhaps just one or two really good, scary ones, then focus on the games you do have and use the marathon to try and complete them in a single night. In case you’re wondering how to proceed, here’s four schedules PS2, PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii owners could use.

PS2 owners

9pm - 10pm: Clock Tower 3
10pm - 11pm: Silent Hill 3
11pm - 12am: Rule of Rose
12am - 1am: Fatal Frame
1am - 2am: Fatal Frame 2

Note: The PS2 had a wide selection of horror games. If you don’t think the schedule above would work for you, some good games you can substitute in are Haunting Ground, one of the other Silent Hill games, Siren, Fatal Frame 3 or a Resident Evil game.

PS3 owners

9pm - 10pm: F.E.A.R.
10pm - 11pm: Resident Evil 5
11pm - 12am: Siren: Blood Curse
12am - 1am: Silent Hill: Homecoming
1am - 2am: Dead Space

Xbox 360 owners

9pm - 10pm: Left 4 Dead
10pm - 11pm: Clive Barker’s Jericho
11pm - 12am: Silent Hill: Homecoming
12am - 1am: Condemned: Criminal Origins
1am - 2am: Dead Space

Wii owners

9pm - 10pm: LIT
10pm - 11pm: House of the Dead: Overkill
11pm - 12am: Resident Evil 4
12am - 1am: Dead Space: Extraction
1am - 2am: Ju-on: The Grudge

One final note, should you make your own schedule, try to arrange the games in order of scariness. Leave the most unnerving and frightening game for last. And also, bear in mind, that the schedules above are just suggestions, and don’t cover all horror games available for those systems.

Also Read [Gamertell]

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Kalypso Media USA, a small company based in Baltimore, is entering the tough video game publishing business in a time when most companies are downsizing or even closing doors.

Even though the company opened in June 2009, its already published Tropico 3, a strategy game based on a fictional island called Tropico where players take the role of the island’s president, managing its resources, businesses and politics to create a successful and balanced country with happy citizens. Tropico 3, rated “Teen” by the ESRB, is currently available for PC (Windows) and coming to Xbox early 2010.

Although this is the third game in the series, Kalypso wasn’t involved in any of its previous installments. Kalypso bought the rights to the game from Take-Two Interactive of Grand Theft Auto fame. As Tropico wasn’t a blockbuster franchise like GTA, it couldn’t give Take-Two the necessary profits for a company of that size. Even so,  it was right up Kalypso’s alley.

Previous installments of the game have already sold hundreds of thousands of copies and, although that may be low for a blockbuster, that’s a good following for a start-up company’s first title. This allows Kalypso to exploit a niche neglected by big companies and it is already netting good results as Tropico 3 is selling well enough to be listed as one of the top strategy games in Amazon.

It is interesting to see how, even in difficult economic times, there are always some gaps with specific needs waiting to be filled. I never thought that a small company could enter a business as competitive as video games but I guess it’s just a matter of finding the right market segment.

Read [Washington Post] Site [Kalypso]

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Sid Meier’s Civilization , the acclaimed strategy series that began on PC, keeps expanding its horizons.  In 2008, it unleashed a horde of console generals in Civilization Revolution. Now the series seeks to conquer social media with Civilization Network, a title game creator Sid Meier revealed (appropriately enough)  on a Facebook page for the new product.

“Civilization Network will allow you to join together with your friends to create the world’s most powerful, richest, smartest, or just plain coolest civilization,” Meier said. “You can coordinate your strategy to win great battles, share your technology to jump ahead of your rivals, lobby your family and friends to form your own government and win vital elections, manage and grow your cities to maximize production and happiness, spy on your enemies, and work with your friends to create the great Wonders of the World.”

The game will be free to play and Meier said it will be available in 2010. He will be seeking beta testers for this new social step in the famous franchise, so keep that mouse on Gamertell to learn more.

Read [Civilization Network Facebook Page] Also Read [CNET]

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In response to to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s comments concerning the possible future use of Blu-ray drives as accessories on the Xbox 360, Xbox Live’s Director of Programming, Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb posted this on his web site:

During an interview yesterday, Steve Ballmer was asked about Blu-Ray and the Xbox 360. I wanted to clear something up. Steve was referring to Blu-Ray accessories for the PC. As we have said in the past, we have no plans to introduce a Blu-Ray drive for the Xbox 360. In fact, the future of home entertainment starts very soon when Xbox 360 becomes the first and only console to offer instant-on 1080p streaming HD movies. With a library of thousands of TV shows and movies to choose from, Xbox 360 owners can instantly watch the movies they want, when they want, in the highest form of high definition.

This sticks pretty well to Microsoft’s PR repeated message of promoting HD digital downloads. Note that his statement still does not deny that Blu-ray drives by other companies may be usable with the Xbox 360, only that Microsoft - or Xbox - will not be releasing a branded Blu-ray drive for the console. Blu-ray drives are already avaialbel for personal computers so Hryb’s statement may be inferred to mean that Microsoft might be releasing a Blu-ray PC drive.

Promoting digital downloads as long as possible seems to make sense since the company can make money from each download whereas it’d only profit from a Blu-ray drive if a) Microsoft released it or b) the company found a way to charge console owners to attach one. And that second option would not make many friends and piss off current fans. And, of course, the guy in charge of Xbox Live would certainly love for his format to thrive instead of some external device.

Ain’t these public corporate debates fun?

Read [Major Nelson]

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Platinum Games’ debut title, Bayonetta, is coming out next week in Japan and, according to Japanese game magazine Famitsu, the game is good.

The first looks at the game are getting perfect scores from different reviewers in Famitsu magazine. This honor had been reserved only for games like Metal Gear 4 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time so if this is any indication, this game shows a lot of promise.

Bayonetta is a third-person brawler with a style reminiscent of the Devil May Cry franchise. This comes as no surprise since the game is being directed by Hideki Kamiya, director of the original Devil May Cry.

In the game you play as Bayonetta, a witch that battles hordes of foes using guns, melee attacks, magic spells and, uh, her hair. Apparently Bayonetta uses her hair in different types of attacks ranging from punches and kicks to giant dragons. If you’re thinking, “WTF?!” then you’re not alone but, although the premise may sound odd, the game looks really stylish with intense action sequences and huge bosses.

American players will have to wait until early 2010 to get their hands on Bayonetta. The game is rated “Mature” by the ESRB and it’s coming out on Xbox 360 and PS3.

I’ve always been a fan of the Devil May Cry series and after seeing a few videos of this game I’m really looking forward to it.

Read [GameSpy] Also Read [IGN]

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Members of Xbox Live’s preview program will receive the much discussed update that will add Facebook, Twitter and Zune Marketplace this week. That way you won’t even have to leave your console to follow Gamertell on Twitter.

But those aren’t the only things included in that update. Microsoft’s “Major Nelson”

that unauthorized memory units will no longer work with the 360 after the latest update.

If you’ve got any saves on a non-Microsoft memory device, you’ll want to get those moved ASAP because this Xbox Live update, as with the others, is mandatory.

Losing 15-20 hours worth of gameplay for three or four of your favorite games is not fun. In fact, that is the total opposite of fun. In addition to the aforementioned social networking sites and Zune, streaming radio through Last.fm will be available on the Xbox 360. All Xbox Live members can sample the service for free but only Gold members will receive full access.

Read [Major Nelson]  Also Read [Joystiq]

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Title:Ion-Assult Football Genius: The Ultimate Quiz
Price: $10.00 (800 Microsoft points)
System(s): Xbox Live
Release Date: September 20, 2009
Publisher (Developer): I-Imagine Interactive
ESRB Rating: "Everyone"
Pros: A fun trivia game, 6 different games, leaderboards, achievements, and online play.
Cons: You can't choose what games you want to play and it may get repetitive after a while.
Overall Score: Two Thumbs up, 96/100; A; * * * * 1/2 out of five.

Jump On the Field and Kick It Hard

Throw in the Hat Trick

GOAL!

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Even though Nintendo dropped the suggested retail price of the Wii system to $199.99, that doesn’t mean you can’t get it for less.

Sam’s Club today (October 19, 2009) just sent out an email circular that is promoting the system for $194.88 (US), a smidge less than the asking price. The sale page is, in usual retail fashion, promoting it as a much bigger price drop, stating “Now only $198.88. Was $244.86.”

The “Delivery” link on the site’s product page indicates that this is an online only deal, so you will need to add in shipping.

Since I let my Sam’s Club membership lapse ages ago (the site does often offer a free one-day pass to email subscribers), I cannot confirm that this deal is available in stores, too. If you see it at that price in your local Sam’s Club, please let us know.

The other notable online-only sale item listed in the Club Insider email is a 42 in. Vizio 120Hz 1080P LCD HDTV for $748.14 with (for a limited time) free shipping. Also, on the “New and Last Chance” sales page there is a Xbox 360 Modern Warfare 2 Limited Edition Console listed for $398.88 (will be available November 10, 2009).

Read [Gamertell]

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NBA Live 10 is experiencing a renaissance thanks to the best reviews the franchise has received in years. As an example, Game Rankings rates NBA Live 10 with an average review score of 81.6 percent (as of 1:00 p.m., October 16, 2009), compiled from various sources.

But there’s always room to tweak a thing or three and, in his Twitter feed, NBA Live lead designer Mike Wang said the first patch for the basketball sim should hit the first week in November 2009.

Confirmed in the update are some changes to the manual backdown mechanic to make post play feel more authentic. Wang said player feedback is being taken into account so if you’re tweeting, let him know what you think of the game.

Patches won’t be the only way NBA Live 10 receives changes as the “Dynamic DNA” feature that debuted last year returns. It will designate “hot” and “cold” players according to the real-world statistical exploits of pro b-ballers. I can’t wait to see how that plays out in dynasty or in online matches after the NBA season kicks off.

For my money, I hope one of the first fixes is making sure players do not step out of bounds in random situations. It happens way, way too often and it’s heart wrenching to have a close game turn on one of those glitches.

Read [Mike Wang’s Twitter Page]

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When EA Games said Mass Effect 2 would be out in early 2010, it really meant early 2010. EA has just announced that the PC and Xbox 360 versions of Mass Effect 2 will be released throughout North America on January 26, 2010. A pretty nice way to welcome in the new year.

As is the trend with game preorders as of late, those who preorder Mass Effect 2 at certain retail outlets will have access to certain in-game bonus items. People who preorder at GameStop/EB Games will receive Terminus Armor, designed for extreme conditions that boost shield strength, speed and allow for extra weapons ammo, and a M-490 Blackstorm Heavy Weapon, which adds to the number of heavy weapons available and sounds like it’ll deal a lot of damage. The picture of Commander Sheppard on the right has the character wearing the Terminus Armor and carrying the Blackstorm gun.

If you preorder your copy of Mass Effect 2 from a store other than GameStop, you’ll only get the in-game Inferno Armor. Like the Terminus Armor, the Inferno Armor increases speed. It also reduces damage taken from combat attacks and gives Commander a negotiation bonus.

Maybe it’s just me, but somehow these extra pre-order in-game items seem like authorized cheating. The items all seem like they’d make the game a bit easier for players. Anyway, if someone has to choose which preorder to go with, I’d recommend GameStop. Getting two exclusive items is always better than one.

Read [Reuters] Also Read [BioWare Blog] Site [Mass Effect 2]

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Are you interested in playing Madden but have no desire to learn the Wildcat, shift coverages and defend against “nanos?” EA Sports is channeling the days of High Impact Football and NFL Blitz with Madden NFL Arcade, a downloadable title for PlayStation Network and Xbox Live that touts fast-paced 5-on-5 football with a 60-yard field.

There are no penalties, field goals or first-downs and Madden Arcade games play to a predetermined number of points with no set time limit.

Also, the frenetic play includes “Game Changers,” powerups that do things such as summon an army of defensive linemen and freeze your opponent’s player in place. It will include four-player local co-op and online head-to-head play. Oh, and of course there will be Xbox Achievements and PS3 Trophies

EA has been doing “extreme” versions of typical sports for years with the FIFA, NBA and NFL Street series. Most recently they took on the NHL with 3 On 3 NHL Arcade.

While that one had NHL players but not specific teams, Madden Arcade will roll out all 32 NFL franchises. This looks as if it could be a fun addition to the Madden family.

Madden NFL Arcade will be available December 15, 2009, for $14.99 on PSN or 1200 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live.

Read [Gaming Target] Also Read [Neoseeker]

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All is happy and good in the land of Left 4 Dead 2 fans.

Well, OK, not exactly but the co-founders of a group boycotting the upcoming game are now satisfied with Valve’s efforts to support the original L4D.

Today (October 14, 2009) the boycott leaders announced the closing of the group and, at least in their eyes, an end to the boycott. Valve flew group co-founder known as Agent of Chaos to its studio for a free tour and to assure him that the first game in the successful zombie shooter series would keep getting support.

In September 2000 Valve released “Crash Course,” a new campaign that fills in the gap between “No Mercy” and “Death Toll.” Valve also said it will add 4 vs. 4 matchmaking to L4D before its sequel hits stores November 17, 2009.

As you might imagine, not everyone in the vast L4D community is quite so happy. Since the end of the boycott came after a free tour of the studio, more than a few of the 41,000 players who joined the boycott have branded Agent of Chaos a sellout.

Even the most die hard members of the boycott group (which will officially be shut down October 21, 2009) have to know this was probably a losing battle. Backed by a $25 million ad campaign and generally favorable reviews for the first game, there doesn’t seem to be much that can stop this sequel from being a huge hit.

Here are theannouncement posts from the co-founders that the boycott has ended as posted on the group’s web site:

Agent of Chaos:

We have accomplished everything we can on our manifesto. We’ve been dealing with Valve ever since our group started, then we met them in-person and now we’re at the point of concluding our discussions. Our goal wasn’t to steer people away from L4D2, it was to get Valve’s attention and have them support original L4D. We succeeded and that’s where our mission ends; nothing more or less.

The recently released Crash Course was just the start. Future updates will continue to roll in, and 4v4 matchmaking is first in line. Valve has confirmed to us that it’ll be available before the release of L4D2. Also don’t forget, we have another DLC pack confirmed for sometime in the near future and of course, there will be bug fixes. This is as good as it can get people.

As for Left 4 Dead 2 we are all aware it expands on L4D’s gameplay and takes it to the next level. Its successful sales only confirm that we’ll get to slaughter more zombies in future, not that we have failed. We understand some of you have a problem with its price tag. Personally, I’m quite surprised with the discount on pre-orders; A 4 Pack bundle brings it down to only $33.75 for each person. I see many people took advantage of this including “boycotters”, but to be honest that’s a fair price. In other words, that’s what expansions cost. You can’t blame them for making this decision. Not everyone shared the same thoughts here.

Walking_Target and I have made a decision. I’ll let him to continue…

Walking_Target :

As Agent has said, we have reached a decision about this boycott.

Effective Wednesday October 21st 2009 at 12:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, this group will be closed.

People have lost sight of why we’re here. The comments are always full of trolls, people bashing Valve and phishers. What is more, people are unwilling or unable to wait for Valve to follow through in any cohesive way. Valve is at least trying to make things right, there will be speed bumps on the way, however we will get there. Even if it is not as quickly as we would like. The boycott has served its purpose and it is now up to you all as individuals to decide what is right for you.

As a collective we have done more than achieve a few goals, we have paved the way for Developer-Community relations in the future. No matter what the press or other gamers say, we have made an indelible mark upon the future of this industry. You should all be proud, we certainly are.

Agent and I would like to invite you to follow us in our future endeavours.

You can find me at http://www.thecriticalgamer.net providing the gaming community with another outlet and

Agent at http://steamcommunity.com/groups/junglecrisis hard at work with what promises to be an epic L4D campaign.

Semper ad Meliora

- Agent of Chaos and Walking_Target

Read [Steam Community] Also Read [Gamertell]

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