September 2009 Archives
Bass Pro Shops: The Strike has shipped to stores for the Xbox 360, Wii and PC. This fishing game also comes packaged with a fishing controller.
Dreamcatcher's game for the DS, Dreamer: Top Model, is now in stores in North America. The game has players becoming a supermodel and creating a look and style that will result in a Caribbean photo shoot.
With the arrival of yet another Wednesday, Microsoft has released more downloadable games for the Xbox 360 through Xbox Live Arcade:
Continue reading More Games Reach Xbox Live Arcade.
Cabela's Big Game Hunter 2010 from Activision Publishing, part of Activision Blizzard, is now in stores for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii. In the game, players take on the role of Jack Wilder, and outdoorsman eager to hunt the world's largest trophy game using Cabela equipment. The Wii version of the game comes with the "Top Shot" hunting peripheral (into which the Wii Remote and Nunchuk can be inserted to simulate a hunting rifle).
Hudson Entertainment's game Deca Sports 2 is now available for the Wii in North America. This is another compilation including ten sports (such as synchronized swimming and dodge ball) that can be played on the Wii against other Wii owners.
Tecmo's game Undead Knights for the PSP is now in stores in North America and is being released as a download through the PlayStation Store. In the game, players take on the role of an undead anti-hero, reanimating enemies into a subservient zombie army.
Ubisoft has shipped its game Battle of Giants: Dragons for the DS to stores in North America. The game is filled with dragons with elemental powers seeking to regain their lost power.
Konami's game Tornado Outbreak is now in stores for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii. The game has players taking control of a tornado, destroying the landscape to grow in size and ultimately defeat alien invaders.
Tecmo's game Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 for the PlayStation 3 is now in stores in North America. The game follows ninja Ryu Hayabusa as he searches for a statue stolen by the Black Spider Ninja Clan.
Tommo has shipped three Smart Boys Game Room 2, Smart Boys Game Room 2 and Smart Kids: Mega Game Mix (all for the DS) have shipped to stores. All three include a variety of mini-games with learning elements aimed at kids.
Ubisoft's game Imagine: Salon Stylist is now in stores for the DS. The game has players running their own salon, styling and coloring clients' hair as well as doing their makeup.
Tecmo has shipped its game Family Fun Football for the Wii to stores in North America. The game allows players to use their own Miis in a casual, arcade-style football game.
Ubisoft has shipped its game Family Feud: 2010 Edition for the Wii to stores in North America. Following the format of the television game show, the Wii game has players competing to reveal popular answers to questions.
Xseed Games has shipped The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road for the DS to stores in North America. The game was released in Japan as Riz-Zoawd and follows Dorothy and her dog Toto in the style of a typical Japanese role-playing game.
Xseed Games' title Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga for the Wii has shipped to stores in North America. This is the third game in the Valhalla Knights series of action-oriented role-playing games and was previously available on the PSP. The game has been revamped for release on the Wii with a revised graphics engine and online capabilities.
Playlogic Entertainment has shipped Obscure: The Aftermath for the PSP to stores in North America. The game was previously released for the PlayStation 2 and follows a group of college students trying to escape a campus overrun by monsters.
PopCap Games has released a version of Zuma's Revenge that only includes the game's adventure mode and is available for the reduced price of $10. Zuma's Revenge - Adventure is available through many online game portals.
True Games, a publisher of free-to-play online games that is currently working with developer Petroglyph to launch Mytheon, has opened a development studio in Austin. The studio is headed by Frank Lucero (formerly of Wolfpack games - the folks behind Shadowbane).
Rapala: We Fish from Activision Publishing, part of Activision Blizzard, is now in stores for the Wii. In the game, players travel to eight locations to compete in 24 fishing tournaments. The game is a comic take on fishing, so after landing a fish, players must get the fish safely to dock while playing a racing and bumper-boat-style mini-game. The software comes with a Rapala fishing rod and reel peripheral housing.
Square Enix's game Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days for the DS is now in stores in North America. This first Kingdom Hearts game for the DS follows the story of Roxas (Sora's Nobody - the "other hero" in the franchise) and allows players to play with friends as any member of Organization XIII.
Sony has released MotorStorm: Arctic Edge for the PSP in North America. Previously available only on the PlayStation 3, this game marks the debut of Sony's MotorStorm racing franchise on the PSP, taking the racing action to Alaska and adding two new classes of vehicles: Snowcats and Snow Machines.
Rockstar Games, the premier label of Take-Two Interactive, has shipped Beaterator for the PSP to stores in North America. (The game is also available as a download through the PlayStation Network). Beaterator will be available internationally on October 2. The game is a portable music studio that allows players to construct songs using loops and beats that come with the software.
Electronic Arts' game Dead Space Extraction for the Wii arrived in North American stores today. The game reached European stores last Friday. The game is a prequel to Dead Space and follows the efforts of four colonists trying to escape an infection that turns out to be the necromorph invasion that sets the stage for Dead Space.
Publisher: LucasArts / Telltale GamesDeveloper: Telltale Games
Platforms: PC and Wii
Reviewed on PC
Windows System Requirements: 2 GHz Processor, 512 MB RAM, DirectX 9.0c compatible video card with 64 MB VRAM, internet connection, Windows XP or more recent operating system
At the conclusion of Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 2 - The Siege of Spinner Cay, Guybrush Threepwood ("Mighty Pirate") was swallowed by an enormous manatee while fending off his would-be assassin, the pirate hunter Morgan LeFlay. As his incarceration in the belly of the beast stands to prevent Threepwood from acquiring a special sponge that will enable him to cure the Caribbean of a Voodoo Pox, Threepwood must escape from the Leviathan (otherwise known as a very big manatee) with his ship and crew intact.
Continue reading Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 3 - Lair of the Leviathan Review .
2K Sports, the sports label of Take-Two Interactive, has shipped Baseball Blast! for the Wii to stores in North America. Featuring the Major League Baseball license, this game features real professional baseball players in a series of baseball-themed mini-games.
Nintendo has released a new slate of downloadable games for the Wii and DSi to mark the arrival of yet another Monday:
Continue reading The Wii and DSi Get More Downloadable Games.
Publisher: AtlusDeveloper: From Software
Platform: PlayStation 3
Reviewed on PlayStation 3
The kingdom of Boletaria has been consumed by a mysterious fog, masking a plague of demons who hunt men to claim their souls. Once the newly-created soulless began to attack the survivors, the entire kingdom descended into chaos. Now, warriors, adventurers and holy men are heading to Boletaria to free the land from its demon infestation – even if they must do so from beyond the grave.
Continue reading Demon's Souls Review.
Publisher: PopCap GamesDeveloper: PopCap Games
Platforms: PC and Mac
Reviewed on PC
Windows System Requirements: 700 MHz Processor, 256 MB RAM, DirectX 8.1, internet connection, Windows XP or more recent operating system
The lovable ball-barfing frog from the original Zuma has been washed far away from his Mesoamerican homeland by a catastrophic storm, only to land on a tropical, Polynesian island replete with tiki-toting spirits. Only by keeping his cool can the frog avoid an onslaught of colored spheres and take out the tikis that would do him in.
Continue reading Zuma's Revenge Review.
Sony has released a variety of additional downloadable games for the PlayStation 3 and PSP through the PlayStation Store:
Continue reading More Downloadable Games Reach the PlayStation Network.
Women's Murder Club: Games of Passion for the DS is now in stores. This game, based on James Patterson's novels, is published by THQ and developed by I-play (part of Oberon Media). In Games of Passion, players once again investigate a series of dead women as the members of the Women's Murder Club, Lindsay, Claire and Cindy.
Nintendo officially confirmed recent rumors of a price drop for the Wii. Beginning on Sunday, September 27, the Wii console will go on sale for $200, rather than the previous $250. That price will include the console, a Wii Remote, Wii Nunchuk and a copy of Wii Sports.
Atlus' game Shin Megami Tensei: Persona is in stores for the PSP. The game will also be available shortly as a download through the PlayStation Network. The physical version of this Shin Megami Tensei role-playing game includes a two disc music set with the game soundtrack.
Paradox Interactive's game Supreme Ruler 2020 Gold is now in retail stores in North America (and available through some portals as a download). The strategy game from BattleGoat Studios casts players as the ruler of a nation (based on real geo-political modeling) coping with difficult diplomatic and military situations. The "Gold" compilation includes both the original Supreme Ruler 2020 and the Supreme Ruler 2020: Global Crisis expansion.
Microsoft has released another slate of downloadable games for Xbox Live Arcade now that another Wednesday morning has arrived.
Continue reading More Downloadable Games Reach Xbox Live Arcade.
Sony Online Entertainment's massively multiplayer online game EverQuest II has launched its latest major content update, "Shards of Destiny." The update adds an achievement system, new rooms for all houses, a new Shard and the ability to "down-tier your level to experience content you may have previously missed while leveling up."
Sega's game Wacky World of Sports for the Wii is now in stores in North America. This casual game includes ten odd events, such as Tuna Tossing and Furniture Racing, in which players can compete using the Wii Remote.
Katamari Forever from Namco Bandai Games is now in stores for the PlayStation 3. This latest Katamari game once again has the Prince restoring order to the Cosmos by constructing stars and planets from balls of junk, all to revive his father, the King of All Cosmos, from a coma.
Fallen Earth, a persistent-world online shooter has launched as a PC download, and should ship to stores on September 30. The game is set in a world in which an highly contagious virus started a worldwide plague that, in turn, set off a wave of nuclear attacks. The remnants of humanity now battle over the remaining resources.
PlayFirst has released its game Gemini Lost as a download for the PC and Mac through most download portals. Based on astrology (how many games would claim that?), the goal of the game is to select astrologically compatible couples to help grow a stranded community.
Last week, Majesco confirmed plans to sell 6.42 million shares of stock. The company confirmed that it placed all the shares with institutional investors at $1.50 per share. The company confirmed that it raised $9.6 million in gross proceeds, but it's a good bet that after expenses and placement fees the company actually received somewhere in the neighborhood of $7 to $8 million.
Halo 3: ODST from Microsoft is now in stores for the Xbox 360. Originally planned as an expansion for Halo 3, the game has become a full-fledged stand-alone title in which players take on the role of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers in the Halo universe, dropping into New Mombasa to battle the Covenant.
Capcom has shipped Spyborgs for the Wii to stores in North America. The game has players taking on the role of cybernetic superheroes battling a traitor in their midst.
Majesco has shipped Our House: Party! for the Wii and Our House for the DS to stores in North America. Our House: Party! has players participating in party games to construct a dream house. Our House for the DS has players taking on the role of contractors, remodeling other people's houses to earn enough money to build a dream home.
Harmonix, part of MTV Games, together with Electronic Arts, has shipped Rock Band: Metal Track Pack for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and PlayStation 2 to stores in North America. The title is a stand-alone collection of 20 Rock Band tracks featuring bands such as Rage Against the Machine and Blue Oyster Cult.
Natsume has shipped Animal Kingdom: Wildlife Expedition for the Wii to stores in North America. The game has players taking on the role of a photographer taking pictures of the wildlife on Animal Island.
Square Enix's game Order of War for the PC is now in stores in North America. Developed by Wargaming.net, the game is a real-time strategy game set during World War II with two campaigns. One campaign follows the American landing in France on D-Day, with the other following German forces battling the Soviet Army in Poland.
Electronic Arts' game MySims Agents has shipped for the Wii and DS to stores in North America. It should be on sale by September 29. The Wii version of the game has players recruiting characters to create a team of secret agents able to stop crimes and ultimately catch Morcubus a corrupt corporate mogul. The DS version of the game has players solving puzzles and playing mini-games to stop a thief from stealing an ancient treasure.
D3Publisher has shipped Family Party: 30 Great Games Outdoor Fun for the Wii to stores in North America. This game follows in the footsteps of Family Party: 30 Great Games (released late last year), containing family-friendly party games.
NCsoft's massively multiplayer online game Aion is now officially live. While pre-order customers were able to get into the game as early as Tuesday, now everyone can get into this MMOG in which players are split among the demon-like Asmodians and angelic Elyseans, battling for control over a shattered planet with flying characters.
Publisher: SegaDeveloper: Her Interactive
Platform: DS
Reviewed on DS
The Hardy Boys, teenage sleuths, have been invited to join the Royal Express on its trek to St. Petersburg in search of the lost Romanov treasure. Starting in Paris, Frank and Joe stop in the cultural centers of Europe as they unravel their first mystery to grace the DS.
Continue reading The Hardy Boys: Treasure on the Tracks Review.
Peripheral manufacturer Mad Catz has signed a license agreement that will allow it to make accessories based on Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog properties.
Monday morning is here, and once again Nintendo has released a collection of downloadable games for the Wii and DSi:
Continue reading More Downloadable Games Released for the Wii and DSi.
Publisher: FrozenbyteDeveloper: Frozenbyte
Platforms: PlayStation 3 and PC
Reviewed on PC
Windows System Requirements: 2.0 GHz CPU, 512 MB RAM, Radeon X800 or GeForce 6800 or better video card, 600 MB HD space, Windows XP or more recent operating system
The story may be generic, but Trine certainly isn't. Despite sending players into a series of dungeons with a wizard, knight and thief, bound by an ancient artifact to end a soulless evil, Trine is a unique downloadable adventure.
Continue reading Trine Review.
Playbrains has released Madballs in... Babo: Invasion as a downloadable game for the PC. Released in July for the Xbox 360, this game based on the toy line from the 1980s is an arena shooter.
Big Fish Games, together with Portuguese publisher Gameinvest, has released Zellians: Kingdom Builder as a download for the PC and Mac. The game has players building seven different kingdoms into prosperous lands.
A slew of new downloadable games have been released for the PlayStation 3 and PSP as downloads through the PlayStation store:
Continue reading More Downloadable Games Available for the PlayStation 3 and PSP.
Korean publisher GameHi has launched the North American, commercial release of its persistent online first-person shooter, Sudden Attack. As with most "free-to-play" games, the commercial launch marks the implementation of the game's cash shop, allowing players to purchase better weapons, extra magazines and bonus experience. The game can be downloaded from GameHi's official site.
Paradox Interactive's game Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim is now available as a download for the PC. The game has players taking on the role of the ruler of a Kingdom disintegrating under pressure. Only through conventional real-time strategy-style simulation can players restore order in the kingdom and make it a prosperous holding.
Majesco confirmed that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell 6.42 million shares of Majesco stock at $1.50 per share. That will raise $9.63 million for Majesco, although a significant chunk of that will surely be lost to offering expenses (legal and otherwise) and placement agent fees.
NCsoft confirmed that its persistent action/role-playing game Dungeon Runners will be shut down at the end of this year. According to a post by Stephen Nichols, Producer and Lead Programmer for the game, Dungeon Runners simply isn't profitable, and the company doesn't have the resources to risk on making the game profitable.
Activision Blizzard has moved George Rose, formerly the company's Chief Legal Officer, as an Executive Vice President and Chief Public Policy Officer. In his new post, Rose "will be responsible for all federal, state and foreign public policy programs, as well as for regulatory policy initiatives worldwide." Christopher Walther, formerly Proctor & Gamble's Western European general counsel, will take Rose's place as Activision Blizzard's Chief Legal Officer.
NCsoft has launched the latest major content update for its massively multiplayer online game City of Heroes. Called "Power Spectrum," the update allows players to customize the appearance of their powers, changing the colors of effects, and broadening the powers available to each character archetype.
Legacy Interactive has released new downloadable versions of two of its games:
Continue reading Legacy Interactive Updates Two Games.
Microsoft has released two new downloadable games through Xbox Live Arcade:
Continue reading Two More Games Reach Xbox Live Arcade.
Zoo Games has shipped Pacific Liberator for the Wii to stores in North America. The game has players controlling a combat helicopter using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk.
Publisher: Phantom EFXDeveloper: 8monkey Labs
Platforms: Xbox 360 and PC
Reviewed on PC
Windows System Requirements: 2 GHz Processor, 768 MB RAM, GeForce 6600 or Radeon 9800 Video Card with at least 128 MB of VRAM, 5 GB HD space, Windows XP or more recent operating system
Moments before the Battle of Little Bighorn, Alexander Morris was transferred to General Custer's regiment. Fortunately, due to a dearth of paperwork documenting the transfer, when Morris was about to pass away thanks to fatal wounds, he was snatched to safety by a time-travelling agent from the future. Now Morris is working for a corporation called KronoteK, defending time from unknown assailants attempting to rewrite history by tweaking critical battles throughout history.
Continue reading Darkest of Days Review.
Ubisoft has shipped Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PC, PSP and DS. Based on the film of the same name, players must save their town from raining food.
Sega has shipped Bleach: The 3rd Phantom for the DS to stores in North America. Following the plot of the Bleach animated series, the title is a tactical role-playing game in which players command a team of Soul Reapers.
The PC version of Resident Evil 5 from Capcom reaches stores today. The console version of Resident Evil 5 shipped to stores in March. In this latest installment of the Resident Evil series, players travel to Africa to cope with a bioterrorism threat that is creating zombie like people and animals.
Bethesda Softworks, part of ZeniMax Media, has shipped Wet for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 to stores. This third-person action game features a mercenary named Rubi Malone who uses guns and acrobatic swordplay to complete her missions.
Scribblenauts from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is now in stores for the DS. The game has players solving puzzles by creating objects and characters using the DS touch-screen.
Ubisoft has shipped its game Heroes Over Europe for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC to stores in North America. This arcade-style combat flight game has players flying WWII aircraft in active combat.
Zoo Games has released its title Chicken Blaster for the Wii. This light-gun-style shooter has players saving themselves and their farm from an onslaught of crazed chickens.
THQ's game My Boyfriend is now in stores for the DS. The game has players trying to land a boyfriend by purchasing clothes, learning musical skills and acquiring event tickets to win the boy's affection.
Disney has shipped Toy Story Mania! for the Wii to stores in North America. The title is a collection of mini-games based on the Toy Story films.
Tripwire Interactive's previously released as a download co-operative survival/horror game, Killing Floor, is now available as a retail box in stores. The game allows up to six players to work together to eliminate zombie like products of super-soldier experiments.
Eidos (now part of Square Enix) and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment have shipped Batman: Arkham Asylum to stores for the PC. The game, featuring Batman trapped in Gotham's psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane, previously shipped for consoles.
THQ's game Princess in Love for the DS is now in stores. The game has players dressing their princess and playing mini-games to try and woo a prince.
Atari, part of Infogrames, has named Philip Veneziano as its Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining Atari, Veneziano served as a Vice President of Finance for TheLadders.com, a career services company.
Tomy's game Naruto Shippuden: Ninja Destiny 2 is now in stores for the DS. This latest Naruto game based on the Naruto Shippuden animated series provides gamers with 34 playable fighters with which to battle.
NHL 10 from Electronic Arts is now in stores for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. This latest game in EA's hockey franchise adds first-person fighting and new modes to the game.
I-play, part of Oberon Media, has released Women's Murder Club: Twice in a Blue Moon as a download for the PC. This is the third adventure game Based on James Patterson's Women's Murder Club, in which players take on the roles of three women working to stop a serial killer.
PopCap has released its game Zuma's Revenge both as a download and as a boxed edition in retail stores for the PC and Mac. This sequel to Zuma, in which players match colored balls moving down a track, adds more ancient temples and boss battles to the original formula.
Electronic Arts' game Need for Speed: Shift for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC and PSP is now in stores in North America. The game should reach stores in Europe by September 17. This latest game in EA's flagship racing franchise focuses on the feeling of being behind the wheel of a high-end race car... and crashing one.
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 from Activision Publishing, part of Activision Blizzard, has reaches stores for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PlayStation 2, PSP and DS. The game differs depending on the platform, but all versions have players controlling an army of Marvel heroes and villains through Marvel's "Civil War" storyline in which superhumans cope with the fallout of the Superhuman Registration Act.
NHL 2K10 from 2K Sports, the sports label of Take-Two Interactive, has arrived in stores for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and PlayStation 2. This latest iteration of 2K Sports' hockey franchise features the most recent rosters of NHL players.
Sony has updated the PlayStation 3's firmware to v3.01. Officially, "This is an optional update that improves system stability during use of some PlayStation 3 format software." Given how rapidly it follows the release of the v3.00 update, it sounds an awful lot like a quick fix to deal with issues created by that recent update.
THQ's game Red Faction: Guerilla has reached stores for the PC. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game have been in stores for a few months, but PC gamers can now join the revolution on Mars and smash the infrastructure of the Earth Defense Force in this third-person action game.
Outspark, a publisher of free-to-play massively multiplayer online games, has hired Niranjan Nagar as the company's Chief of Game Operations, in charge of developing Outspark's games and building the company's infrastructure. Prior to joining Outspark, Nagar worked with The Sims Internet Group at Electronic Arts.
Majesco reported the financial results for its fiscal third quarter ended July 31, 2009:
Continue reading Majesco Reports Larger Quarterly Loss.
Nintendo has released another burst of downloadable games to celebrate the arrival of another Monday:
Continue reading More Downloadable Games Released for the Wii and DSi.
Sony Online Entertainment has launched the first expansion for the trading card game within its persistent world game Free Realms. The expansion, called "Shattered Past," adds 100 cards for play and 30 cards that grant Free Realms players in-game rewards.
Nintendo's game Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story is now in stores for the DS. It follows Mario and his brother Luigi as they try to find their way out of Bowser's innards, while Bowser simultaneously tries to save his own castle from invasion.
Alawar Entertainment has released it's hidden object game Vampire Saga: Pandora's Box as a download for the PC. The game has characters awakening on a cargo ship seeking to escape the battles of the Spanish-American War alongside coffins on a crewless ship. By searching for objects various scenes, players unlock the mysteries of Vampire Saga.
Rich Carlson, part of the team making up Digital Eel (the developer responsible for games such as Dr. Blob's Organism and Strange Adventures in Infinite Space) is working on a project to create and publish a board game per week. Support the man's effort and check out the games posted weekly!
Sony has released the v6.00 update for the PSP firmware. This latest update brings the PSP Xross Media Bar more in line with the recently updated PlayStation 3 XMB. The update also improves the security of the PSP's internet browser, among other tweaks and patches.
Sony has updated the PlayStation Store with a variety of newly downloadable games:
Continue reading More Games Arrive in the PlayStation Store.
SouthPeak Games has shipped Trine for the PC to stores in North America. Developed by Frozenbyte, the game features a trio of heroes working together to solve physics-based puzzles.
Following a series of local tests, retailer Toys "R" Us has jumped into the used-game business, offering gift cards to customers in exchange for old video games at stores nationwide. Toys "R" Us is not offering cash for used games.
Matrix Games has released Binary Evolution Studios' Operation Barbarossa - The Struggle for Russia as a download or shipment from Matrix Games' online store. This turn-based strategy wargame set in World War II includes a variety of campaigns set in the Eastern Front of Europe.
Company: SplitFishPlatform: PlayStation 3
Occasionally, a piece of hardware comes along that fills a gaping void – a need that you didn't even know existed. The FragFX controller is that kind of hardware. It brings the precision of PC-style controls to the PlayStation 3, and while it is perfect for first-person shooters, it works well with most PlayStation 3 games.
Continue reading FragFX v. 2 Controller for the PlayStation 3 Review.
Last week, Turbine launched the early access to the free-to-play version of its massively multiplayer online game Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited (formerly the subscription-based Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach. The game is now open for all players to play. Initial play is free, although access to certain content requires a purchase in the DDO Store.
Activision Publishing, part of Activision Blizzard, has shipped Cabela's Outdoor Adventures for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and PlayStation 2 to stores in North America. The PC version should ship on October 13. This outdoor experience includes big-game hunting, bird hunting and freshwater fishing in one package feature Cabela-themed equipment.
This week's downloadable game for the Xbox 360 is Sonic & Knuckles, downloadable through Xbox Live Arcade for 400 points ($5). The game has Sonic the Hedgehog joined by Knuckles the Echidna to battle Dr. Eggman.
The Beatles: Rock Band is now in stores for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii. Developed by Harmonix, part of MTV Games, the game allows fans to play along to 45 of the band's songs (with three additional albums available as premium downloads).
NIS America's game Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days has shipped to stores for the PSP. This is a port of the PlayStation 2 game Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories, a strategic role-playing game in which players travel the world of Veldime to defeat the overlord Zenon.
Publisher: MicrosoftDeveloper: Hidden Path Entertainment
Platforms: PC and Xbox 360
Reviewed on Xbox 360
A millennium of peace has lulled a distant planet into a false sense of security. Fortunately, when the alien invasion began, it was just barely possible to reawaken an ancient defense grid, capable of constructing defensive weaponry emplacements guided by the digitized personality of a long-dead operator. The defense grid needs only one thing to save the planet from a deadly onslaught – an operator capable of balancing the available resources against the planet's defensive needs.
Continue reading Defense Grid: The Awakening (Xbox 360) Review.
Konami has shipped its game Ant Nation for the DS to stores in North America. This strategic ant simulation has players manipulating ants to prepare them to defend the planet against robotic alien insects.
Codemasters has shipped DiRT 2 to stores in North America. The game is available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PC, PSP and DS. The game should ship later this week to Europe and the UK. This racing game extends the play of the original DiRT.
Arcade Zone from Activision Publishing (part of Activision Blizzard) is now in stores for the Wii. The compilation allows players to wander through a 3D arcade and play classic games such as Atlantis and Kaboom!.
Capcom's compilation, the Capcom Platinum Hits Triple Pack for the Xbox 360, has reached stores today. The collection includes Dead Rising, Lost Planet: Colonies Edition and Devil May Cry 4, all available for $40.
THQ has hired Edward L. Kaufman as Executive Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs. Prior to joining THQ, Kaufman was the general counsel for World Wrestling Entertainment.
505 Games, together with 1C Company, has shipped IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 to stores in North America. The game will be released shortly for the DS and PSP. The IL-2 Sturmovik franchise is a classic combat flight-simulation that has finally made it to consoles.
Electronic Arts' Mythic Entertainment studio has launched Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss, the eighth major expansion for the massively multiplayer online game Ultima Online. Stygian Abyss is only available as a download. It introduces the playable gargoyle race and the huge dungeon called the Stygian Abyss.
Eidos, part of Square Enix, has shipped its game Mini Ninjas for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PC and DS in cooperation with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Developed by IO Interactive, the game has tiny ninjas battling to save the world from chaos.
Ignition Entertainment's game Muramasa: The Demon Blade for the Wii has reached stores. The game is a side-scrolling 2D action game in which players seek vengeance, feudal-style.
Sony's LittleBigPlanet: Game of the Year Edition is now in stores for the PlayStation 3. This compilation includes the original game as well as a variety of premium content packs previously downloadable from the PlayStation Store.
Disney Interactive Studios has agreed to acquire Wideload Games, the studio behind games such as Hail to the Chimp and Texas Cheat'Em. Alexander Seropian, the founder and CEO of Wideload Games (and founder of Bungie) will become the Creative Vice President for Disney Interactive Studios. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Majesco's Go Play: City Sports for the Wii is now in stores. The software includes six urban sports games, such as stickball and jump rope.
Phantom EFX has shipped Darkest of Days for the Xbox 360 and PC to stores in North America. Developed by 8monkey Labs, this shooter takes players through time to participate in some of the great battles of recent history.
The fact that it is the Labor Day holiday here in the United States hasn't stopped Nintendo from releasing its usual slate of Monday downloadable games:
Continue reading More Downloadable Games Available for the DSi and Wii.
Turbine plans to launch a downloadable expansion for its massively multiplayer online game The Lord of the Rings Online. The expansion, which marks the end of the Mines of Moria plot arc, is called the "Siege of Mirkwood" and will take players to Dol Guldur, the fortress of the Ringwraiths. The expansion will also raise the level cap to 65 and allow players to create, train and lead customizable soldiers into battle.
Sony has released more downloadable games for the PlayStation 3 and PSP by way of the PlayStation store:
Continue reading More Downloadable Games Reach the PlayStation Store.
Dejobaan Games has released AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! - A Reckless Disregard for Gravity as a PC download through the developer's official site. The game has players base jumping off urban buildings, tagging structures as you pass at high speed. Dejobaan Games says the "game will also teach you how to debristle a pig."
Her Interactive, together with Sega, has shipped The Hardy Boys: Treasure on the Tracks to stores in North America. The game has Frank and Joe Hardy traveling by train across Europe to track down the Romanov family treasure.
Mad Catz has shipped the Rock Band Wireless Wooden Fender Stratocaster for the Xbox 360 to stores in North America. The controller, made from Stratocaster wooden blanks, is compatible with most music and rhythm game and retails for $300.
Developer Pacific Beach Digital has hired Mark Caldwell as the company's Chief Executive Officer. Caldwell was a co-founder of New World Computing and most recently worked at Midway.
Mirosoft has released two more downloadable games through Xbox Live Arcade, Defense Grid: The Awakening and Yo-Ho-Kablammo:
Continue reading More Downloadable Games Reach Xbox Live Arcade.
Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny from Namco Bandai Games is available for the PSP. The game includes the classic weapon-oriented fighting of the Soul Calibur series along with a guest appearance from God of War's Kratos.
Take-Two Interactive announced the financial results for its fiscal third quarter ended July 31, 2009. The company also announced that it has settled a securities-related class action lawsuit:
A number of game sites around the web are reporting on "a scientific study that used brain imaging and Tetris to investigate whether practice makes the brain efficient because it increases gray matter." The study concluded that girls who practiced playing Tetris had a thicker cortex, indicating that play can change the brain's structure, possibly improving the ability of the subjects' ability to perform "complex, coordinated movements." Keep in mind that the study was funded by Blue Planet Software (the sole agent for the Tetris Company), and the study was performed by Dr. Richard Haier, who is retained as a consultant by the Tetris Company. So take the whole thing with a grain of salt. Heck... keep the whole shaker.
Funcom plans to open a new development studio in Montreal, Canada. The studio is opening to take advantage of Quebec's investment programs. The studio will combine new hires with personnel transplanted from other studios.
Electronic Arts' Phenomic studio has launched the "Renegade" expansion for its collectible real-time strategy game BattleForge. BattleForge: Renegade Edition adds 60 cards to the game that can be purchased as random collections grouped into booster packs. Then, as with the game's past cards, the cards can be grouped into armies that are used to battle online.
While Nintendo briefly offered the Wii Internet Channel (the download that lets Wii owners with an internet connection surf the internet) as a free download, since July of 2007, the channel cost 500 points ($5) to download. Now, Nintendo has decided to make the channel a free download, offering all Wii owners the ability to surf the net. Those who paid to download the channel will be able to download one NES Virtual Console game of their choice for 500 points at no additional cost. The updated Internet Channel also now supports an updated version of the Adobe Flash player.
SouthPeak Games has shipped Section 8 for the Xbox 360 to stores in North America. The PC version should reach stores on Friday. Section 8 is a tactical team-based shooter that takes players through a series of battles on alien worlds.
Atari, together with Cryptic Studios, has launched Champions Online, the latest superhero-themed massively multiplayer online game. Champions Online is based on the classic pencil & paper role-playing game in which players customize their own hero (or villain) and then venture out to participate in fast-time super-powered combat.
Turbine has launched Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited for select players today. All current (and former) DDO players, as well as those who participated in the closed beta test, can play the updated game. The (now) free-to-play game will launch for everyone shortly.
Guitar Hero 5, the latest Guitar Hero game from Activision Publishing (part of Activision Blizzard), is now available in stores. This iteration of the music game includes 85 songs on the retail disc and characters within the game including Kurt Cobain, Johnny Cash and Carlos Santana.
