Let’s just cut to the chase Capcom dropped on us videos of new characters that will be joining the cast of Super Street Fighter 4….
Classic costumes were also unveiled. Here are some screens:
Blanka
Fei Long
Dhalsim
Gen
Guile
ModNation Racers (Playstation 3 exclusive)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Developer: United Front
I’m not sure how many people have their eye on this up coming game dropping exclusively on the Playstation 3 in 2010. I know I DO!!
I had been messing around with the beta and honestly if you love Mario Kart, you’d love this game. It has the same feel of Mario Kart and would strike your creative side like that of Little Big Planet. It’s kindda like if Mario Kart and Little Big Planet got married and had a baby *queue the mood music*…you get ModNation Racers!
You’d be able to create your own avatars (you start off with a blank canvas like a mighty mugg and go to town on it), your own karts…..and create your own race tracks. The track creator is really easy to use and very intuitive. You’d be able to create a racetrack in minutes and then populate it with obstacles, booby traps, sheep (yes…sheep!) and those speed treadmill thingies that help you go faster. You can also mess around with the topography of the racetrack created. That means your track will not just be flat land, you can actually widen, narrow, lift or lower the banks of the track. You can also add terrain in your track design as well. I created my avatar, kart and even track in minutes. Of course you can spend extra time fine tuning things to your liking and imagination.
More after the Jump:
Customization is the name of the game, or like the slogan for the game says, “Play, Create, Share”. On top of that, anybody can take the track you created and “Remix” it and vice versa. Concept is like a DJ remixing a track from your favorite music artists. Whenever your track gets remixed, you still get credited for the original track used. All this can be done through the Playstation Network. You can also take pictures of your creation and share them.
Here are some screens…(the first 4 pics are of my creation, the first two were taken from my phone):
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
PREVIEW
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: DICE
“Welcome to B Company…….”
I still remember those words like it was yesterday. Electronic Arts and DICE brought us the well-known PC franchise (Battlefield) on the console, with a little twist. It was clear what EA and DICE’s intentions were……to bring the PC experience of a well known franchise to the console and keep that flavor all at the same time.
It’s 2010 and EA and DICE brings us the highly anticipated follow up…..called Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Ok ok…….we all saw that coming, but what we didn’t know is the goodies that this new installment brings us. That’s why I went to the single player preview a couple weeks ago. Executive Producer of the Battlefield franchise, KM Troedsson, was on hand providing us with the single player introduction and a live demo.
Enjoy the game trailer…more after the Jump:
That polish and shine that was in the first game remains with everything else that made the first game fun, i.e. Destructible Environments (you will be able to blast building to rubble in the game…….or hide and use them as safe points, unless your opponent makes them go BOOM!) The whole squad from ‘B company’ are back, although Mr. Troedsson did say that the storyline would be taking on a more serious tone this time round. For me personally, the humor in the first game was what separated BF:BC from all the other FPS military styled games out at the time. I am a little disappointed to hear this…I have to admit. Another change they made was the usage of the now “Universal” cover- recovery system. I thought the use of the epipen in the first game was different and I liked it. However, I do understand why they decided to go this route and I can’t really blame them either. BF:BC2 also brings the wonders of vehicle warfare to the forefront. Land, sea and air…..take your pick!
On to the new goodies! Most of the new additions come to the multiplayer part of the game. All the different maps the game will provide range in terrain. From lush jungle to snow capped mountains. You’ll still have the signature Conquest mode and Rush mode, DICE now gives you two all new squad-focused game modes: Squad Deathmatch (players will compete in squads of 4 with one vehicle serving as a center point for the action) and Squad Rush (this mode pits two 4-person squads against one another as either an attacker or defender). All new Squad Gameplay is introduced where you can team up with up to three players and fight together to unlock special awards and achievements. Spawn on your squad to get straight into the action, and use squad specific gadgets like the tracer dart for a devastating vehicle attack.
Check out the Squad Rush video:
I hopped on the game and I have to admit, the gameplay felt really smooth, clean and very polished. This version of the Frostbite engine that DICE uses for the Battlefield franchise makes the game look scenic, even in war torn landscapes. I found myself going, “Wow….the high detail and warmth of the environments take this game to another level.” I found myself dying multiple times so that I can just check out the detail in the game over and over again…(that’s the story I’m going with and that’s that! Haha!!) I’m excited to peep the entire game and soak up all its goodness. Street date for North America is said to be 3/2/2010 & Europe is said to be 3/5/2010.
UPDATE:
Here’s a video of the Port Valdez Level in multiplayer…Thank you Ea for droppin this gem.
Here’s a couple of single player screenshots:
Capcom announces a spring line up full of goodies, which includes…..
Monster Hunter Tri, Lost Planet 2, Final Fight™: Double Impact and Super Street Fighter IV for North America and Europe.
Nintendo Wii owners in North America and Europe can experience the hit Japanese phenomenon called Monster Hunter Tri as it makes it’s way to the Wii in April 2010. Check out our monster Hunter Tri preview HERE
Lost Planet 2 drops on the Playstation3 and Xbox 360 for North America and Europe on May 18th 2010. The sequel to this popular action title will bring intense and action-packed campaign mode comes with the ability to form teams of up to four players on Xbox LIVE or PlayStation Network and utilize teamwork tactics, new weapons and a variety of vital suits to fight larger-than-life bosses.
It wouldn’t be Capcom if they didn’t bring the fight to people. In true fashion they unleash two fighting games in the spring with Final Fight: Double Impact and Super Street Fighter IV.
Double Impact is a dual release of two classic arcade side-scrolling beat-em-ups due to launch as a downloadable title on the PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE. First up is Final Fight. Players follow the adventures of Cody, Guy, and Haggar – three heroes fighting their way across crime-ridden Metro City in hopes of saving Haggar’s daughter from the evil clutches of Mad Gear. Cody and Guy will also be playable characters in Super Street Fighter IV giving fans the chance to take a trip down memory lane and experience these characters in their first appearance before playing them in the new Street Fighter game. In Magic Sword, players will take on the role of the “The Brave One,” a fierce warrior who bears the daunting responsibility of cleansing evil forces by defeating the dark lord Drokmar. Accompanied by eight allies who will lend their assistance by bringing specific skills and talents to contribute to the fight, Magic Sword is a side-scrolling action game illustrated in classic fantasy stylings.
Super Street Fighter IV will be coming to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation3 on April 27th, 2010 in North America and April 30th, 2010 in Europe. The follow-up to the critically acclaimed Street Fighter IV will a host of new features including new characters, new ultra combos, new online modes, the return of the famed bonus stages and retuned online and offline gameplay. Super Street Fighter IV’s new characters include Street Fighter’s first Tae Kwon Do-styled fighter – the deadly female fighter Juri – classic Street Fighters such as Cody, Guy, T. Hawk, Dee Jay, Adon and more to complement the full roster of returning fighters from Street Fighter IV. Featuring all new user-selectable Ultra Combos and advancements to the online gameplay and matchmaking, Super Street Fighter IV is the ultimate vision of Street Fighter. Check out some SSFIV videos HERE
PLAYSTATION 3 (also on Xbox 360)
I’m trying to figure out how to start this…..ok..now that’s out of the way.….Darksiders or in some circles Darksiders: Wrath of War.
THQ’s brand new studio Vigil Games bring their first offering unto the world. This game brings a lot of familiar aspects into this game. There’s a little Legend of Zelda, Portal, Prince of Persia…..but when it comes down to it, it’s pretty much a GOD of WAR clone. Not that it’s a bad thing……taking good aspects of other games and making a game that utilizes all of them sounds like a win for everyone.
Let’s start with the Box Art….IT’S FREAKIN MONEY!!! I was at Best Buy and the box art sold a copy to an employee that didn’t know anything about the game. Opening cinematics were Amazing! Graphics look sweet but no where as clean (as Uncharted 2 or Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack In Time)…..the opening cinematic’s brilliance is where it stops and drops off graphically. The kingdoms of Heaven and Hell call a truth to their never ending battle till the third kingdom, the Kingdom of Man, are able to handle their own. Unfortunately, due to a ungodly screw up (PUN), the apocalypse comes early and WAR, of the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse, is awoken and he’s one cranky panda! Whoever let the shit hit the fan, managed to place the blame on WAR as well. Mr Han Cholo now has to clear his name….while he’s at it, has to hunt down bits and pieces of shards, artifacts….etc, that help restore his powers and abilities to full ass kicking force!
Character design looks great…..although WAR did look like a character from “War Hammer 40K”. This action adventure game has a lil open world aspect to it as well (just a lil….). Voice work is cool and especially since Mark Hamil is voicing, The Watcher (an unhelpful ally/watchdog for WAR). There’s also an underworld merchant by the name of Vulgrim, who would sell you weapons, upgrades and skill sets, for souls that you would collect as you go along. As you move from stage to stage, location to location, you’ll find chests where you can acquire more souls (green=health, blue=currency, yellow=rage/rage meter). You’ll also find other types of chests that contain missing shards, attack ability add-ons, etc.
The mechanics of the game are for the most part simplistic. However it doesn’t all come together that well. At times it seemed awkward. Also for an action adventure game especially with a plot like this, you expect to be dealing with a lot of attacks and opponents at any given time, or even really strong, big bosses. You do…..and at times you expect to be able to block attacks that are coming at you. Unfortunately, the blocking mechanic in this game is completely CACA (SHITTY for the uninitiated). Yes you can block, but it hardly makes any difference at all. You might as well just take the hit, as most (and it’s a very good majority) of your enemy attacks are too powerful for your block to even make a noticeable difference. WHAT THE FUCK??!! You’re better off using your “Dash” move, which happens to be the same button, to avoid damage. As for the “Dash” move, it is functional, but when facing a powerful opponent, it doesn’t get WAR completely clear from the blast radius.. That can be frustrating at times. Especially if you got boss battles that could last as long as ten minutes (IF YOU DO EVERYTHING RIGHT!)
Gameplay is for the most part smooth and fluid. My saving grace was that I got the Playstation 3 edition instead of the Xbox 360 version. Yes, as you may know by now, the Xbox 360 version suffers from screen tearing and frame rate issues. There were also camera issues as well….which I also experienced in the PS3 version (although not bad) and I noticed small amounts of frame rate issues on the PS3 version as well. Other than that, the PS3 version runs better and smoother than the Xbox 360 version, just in case you were trying to decide which to go for. (A patch is in the works to rectify those issues for the 360 version as this review is being done) You’ll also encounter some puzzles during gameplay (just like God of War) that help unlock secret chests, doors and to help progress the story. The puzzles are fairly simple and wouldn’t require much time figuring out, although I did run into a few that posted more of a challenge but nothing that you stop you in your tracks and go “HUH?” The game brings a decent length as well….it wasn’t too short and it didn’t completely drag it out with boring dumb repetitive crap either. Gameplay was about 20ish hours…might extend a bit more if you really go hunting for everything. My BIGGEST gripe with the game was that it took about three odd hours in before it really picked up. I was actually getting a little bored at one point and I was two hours in! You know how they say “First Impressions are important?” The same can certainly be said about video games. It felt very repetitive and it didn’t have that “Je ne sais quois” that the God of War franchise brings to the table, especially in the early stages. Like the term illustrates, they are both hack & slash button mashers but the latter delivers something that keeps you in the game and boredom at bay. In other words, they didn’t “NAIL IT!”
All in all, Vigil Games delivers a really fun and decent game in the action adventure arena, which in the next couple of months will bring the likes of Dante’s Inferno and God of War 3. Best part is that the storyline doesn’t really fall short, especially since we’ve all been victims of that (e.g. Halo, Gears of War….Yeah I said it! Take your head out of your asses and you’d realize I’m right.) If you’re looking for some button mashing fun to tide you over till God of War drops, Darksiders might be the game to fill that void……maybe.
Clickaticlick on these pics:
So the cats at Capcom pulled this doozie of a trick out of their sleeves. Involving their community of fans and giving them a hands on experience with one of their games. Literally hands on…well might not be what you’re thinking…then again it might be. You’ll be given a chance to color the box art cover of the Final Fight: Double Impact game. The illustration provided by famed artist Alvin Lee. If you’ve EVER wished to add your own touch on a Capcom video game, this is your chance. *BAM!*
The winning illustration will be featured with the final release! One grand prize winner will receive an all-expenses paid trip for two to New Orleans, where they’ll have the opportunity to take part in Capcom’s exclusive “Captivate” event. The lucky winner and guest will experience first-hand our amazing new games and spend time with Capcom staff. They’ll also receive a poster of their beautiful work, a free copy of the game, and additional swag from the event. Click the link to get more details and download the black and white copy of the art work for your entry. http://www.finalfightgame.com/ Contest dates are January 6th – 25th…GET ON IT PEOPLE!!
Final Fight: Double Impact hits PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 digital stores this coming April.
So Electronic Arts (EA) finally announced today that EA Sports is developing and going to unleash onto the world and on the Nintendo Wii, the long anticipated NBA JAM!
This is one title that I’ve hope to see resurrected and given a new breath of life. There was no arcade styled NBA licensed game or basketball game for that matter ever really brought the HOTNESS like NBA JAM did. I loved playing it in the arcades back in the day. EA had the Streets series and that was fun but it was no NBA JAM.
EA Sports says that we’ll be getting it within this year, 2010. SWEET! Also rumors floating around say that Big Pimpin’, Prez Barack Obama might be a special character in the game as well (wonder if he’d be playing for the home team…….then again which home team,Wizards or Bulls?) Personally I’d love to see him in a Bulls jersey 
I hope they have a Legends section….would love to play with Magic, Bird, Pippen…oooooh… Michael Jordan and Obama on the Bulls vs everyone else!! HAHA….
Then again…maybe it’s a lil too late for that? DLC?…EA Sports…hint hint!!!!!
EA Sports says that this iconic franchise is gonna bring that classic old skool feel with a mix of new hotness. (Ok I paraphrased but you get the picture) Keep a look out for NBA JAM and all that arcade styled goodness dropping in twenty-ten baby! BOOMSHAKALAKA-SHAKALAKA!!
For more info check out www.nba-jam.easports.com
By Varian David
*Disclaimer – I wasn’t sure if pictures were allowed to taken at the event at the time, so I decided not to try my luck. All pictures used were taken with the use of my iPhone after the “green light” was given.
October 6th, 2009 – I got a chance to participate in a special Cinema Event for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, put together by Naughty Dog and SCEA (Sony Computer Entertainment America), giving the general public an exclusive “sneak peek” of the game on the big screen. YEP!! You heard me. The game Uncharted 2 projected on a cinema big screen. All made possible by Sony’s new 4K Digital Cinema Projector.
I was really excited to see how this would play out. I was also expecting the event to be a typical 2 hour affair. You know, “get in…here’s the game…brief rundown on game and preview levels….hands on experience…thank you and goodnight.” I was very pleasantly surprised.
Naughty Dog and SCEA had the entire theater especially for this event. Everyone in there had tickets to it and all were automatic participants of the Multiplayer tournament that was being held. People needed to arrive at 5pm. After all the paperwork was out of the way and everyone was assigned their teams, the event was on the way. Teams were randomly put together so if you were there with your friends, it did not guarantee that you’d be on the same team together with them.
There were 4 rounds in the tournament your team would have to advance through all the rounds to be declared the winners. The Winners of the tournament would win the “Fortune Hunter’s Edition” of the game. That’s right, the all-exclusive special edition of the game, that’s not for retail. You cannot get this in the stores AT ALL! You can only win it. In fact I had the chance to talk to SCEA’s Associate Product Marketing Manager, TJ Consunji, about the special edition and why they decided not to put it out for retail. To paraphrase what TJ said, “We did not want to charge something like $100 for the set. We felt like raffling it off at an event like this would be a better way to say thank you to the fans and thanks for all the support given. Plus it makes a truly rare special edition, unlike something anyone could just go out and buy.”
What’s inside the “Fortune Hunter’s Edition” you ask? Well comes with the game, strategy guide, soundtrack, exclusive downloads, a collector case signed by the Naughty Dog team, an art book and an “exact” replica of the Phurba Dagger Artifact, complete with display stand.
Alright! Enough about me drooling over the damn special edition. Time for multiplayer action baby!!
The host of the event greeted us and he introduced the game’s Creative Designer/Director Amy Hennig and a Programmer from the Naughty Dog team, giving us a preview of the single player gameplay.
After going through the rules and regulations, teams were asked to form up and get to their designated stations. The front of the theater was split into two with stations set up on each side. Those who were confident with their skills were encouraged to hop on the front two set ups, marked Hero1 and Villian1. These two stations were going to be projected onto the big screen.
Like I mentioned earlier, there were 4 rounds to this competition.
Round 1 – Deathmatch (first team to 30 kills or most kills in 5mins)
Round 2 – Elimination (Teams will kill enemies in a best out of 5 format. Killed players do not respawn till end of each round)
Round 3 – Plunder (similar concept to capture the flag in other games. Team with most captures of the “idol” in 5mins)
Round 4 – Deathmatch
When my team got called up, I was nervous as all hell. Simply because I wanted that top prize, but at the same time, I have not logged in any time on the multiplayer beta even though I had it downloaded on my PS3 (BIG mistake on my part). Even though I went into the tournament cold, the controls were easy to get use to and the gamplay was smooth and really fast paced. My team was keeping it close (no thanks to me I don’t think. I might have gotten 4 kills only) but a last we lost by three kills.
For those that have been knocked out, we were allowed to “buy in” for a second chance with a raffle ticket we were given. So I threw in my ticket for the buy in. Hey any chance I can get to win that special edition, I’m all for it!
True enough the host called out my number after two other teams had played. This time I was pumped and a little bit more relaxed than before. We got ready and the match began. This time the competition was crazier. Each team, matching kill for kill. My team either led by one or the other team did. By the end of the five minutes, I realized that my team had lost, by one kill! Knocked out…..AGAIN! Right then and there I knew my chances to win the Fortune Hunter’s Edition was over. So I kicked back and enjoyed watching the other teams go at it. The game looked so amazing and already looked like an action adventure movie. Watching it on a big movie screen made it even better. Even though it was a projection, the game looked crisp and clean. Plus I didn’t notice any slow down or lag at all, even though there was so much going on all at once in game.
After Round 1 was completed, Amy Hennig came back and announced that everyone in the theater was getting a copy of the game. We all lost it! I didn’t get a chance to go to the media event the night before and I knew everyone that was there got a copy. I did not expect the same to happen at the General Admission event. Even though I was bummed that I wasn’t in the running for the big prize, this made everything all better.
As each round of competition finished, the Naughty Dog team gave more glimpses of the single player experience. Before the championship round got on the way, the Naughty Dog team dropped a surprise. They said they were going to raffle off THREE MORE Fortune Hunter’s Editions giving three lucky people (I wasn’t one of them unfortunately) a chance to get join that exclusive club. I ended up winning a copy of the Uncharted 2 soundtrack. One person was also lucky enough to win a brand new 120gb Playstation 3.
When the event was over, I looked at the time and it was past 10:30pm. Where did the time go? It wasn’t over yet. Everyone got a goodie bag in the lobby.
What was part of the goodie bag:
1 Uncharted 2 tote bag, 1 Uncharted 2 tee shirt, 1 poster of Nathan Drake that says, “ I Play Dirty”.
Throw in the fact that I got a copy of the game and a copy of the soundtrack, I was a really happy camper. Even though I didn’t win the tournament, I walked home a winner nonetheless.
I REALLY love to thank Naughty Dog and SCEA for putting on such an amazing event and that they should do an event like this more often! It was an awesome success and it showed off the game in a really spectacular light.
Uncharted 2 Event
Multiplayer Tournament
Fortune Hunter's Edition
Phurba Dagger artifact
Theater set up
Uncharted 2 trailer
Playthrough demo
Deathmatch
Goodie bag Goodness
PREVIEW:
BONK: Brink of Extinction (XBLA, WiiWare, PSN)
Developer: Pi Studios
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
To be released: Spring 2010
The Caveman is back! Hudson’s taking Bonk off ice and defrosting him for action.
In all honesty, I’ve never played the original Bonk. my first encounter with the lil guy was Hudson Entertainment’s mobile version of the game. Granted the mobile version was certainly a more stripped down and simplified version of the platformer but who cares? I had fun with it, but I digress.
This version brings Bonk into a whole new light, but still keeping true to it’s roots as well. It’s still a platformer like the original, however instead of the typical and old skool 2D side scroller feel, Hudson’s waved it’s magic wand and gave it 3 dimensionallook and feel.
The game looks fun and cute as all hell. Gameplay seems rather simple. It has the signature headbutt and aerial headbutt moves that we all know and love. Something new in the fray is co-op play. Not only can you experience Bonk through the usual single player mode, now you can share the fun with your friends as well. The colors look vibrant and lively. Definitely very eye catching. I was told that the demo wasn’t a finished version of the game. This is good news. Since the game is slated for spring 2010, it gives the studio time to really fine tune everything and put that spit polish shine to the game as well.
I’m looking forward to this release. It’s going to be a simple downloadable game that everyone can play and very accessible to fresh and novice gamers.
Check out the jump.
MONSTER HUNTER TRI (Nintendo Wii)
PREVIEW
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
To be released: Spring 2010
Monster Hunter is huge in Japan. Players in the US have been introduced to this franchise through the PS 2 and and the PSP. Now for this 7th iteration, players out West are going to be treated to some new improvements and overall experiences. Check out the rest of the story after the jump:
First off are the introductions of a couple of new weapons, like the SlashAxe (which is like a Chinese pole sword called a Guan Dao, and it can switch into a giant battle axe the next) and a Torch ( not only does it illuminate the darkest caves but fend off certain creatures as well). Thrown into the mix underwater fights and levels. Gameplay for underwater fights work for the most part. It’s pretty fluid and the players are technically on the same plain as the giant monster or monsters they would be fighting. Oh to add to everything, the monsters can EAT you.
There’s single player mode, two player split screen or a four player multiplayer gameplay via the custom online WiFi mode.
In the single player mode, you’re technically not alone in the game. You have a hunting companion by the name of Cha-Cha. Yeah like the dance, but since my mind’s always in the gutter I was laughing for other reasons. Cha-Cha has customization capabilities and the characteristics and abilities of your friend changes according to the look you choose for him.
With the co-op and multiplayer modes players can enjoy no hassle in joining games. No codes no bullshit. If you want someone to join in on the game, regardless if it’s a random person, just send them a request and BOOM! Done! The game also has USB keyboard support. Capcom is also working on and looking into having Wiispeak support for the US release. This would definitely be a big added bonus. Plus free downloadable content as well, makes Monster Hunter Tri truly value for money.
Capcom is also billing Monster Hunter Tri to be the prettiest/best looking game on the Wii. That’s bold claim, then again the Wii is technically not known for pretty graphics so that claim could possibly reign true. The landscape and monsters looks beautiful and the characters themselves were detailed and smooth. However I thought the game overall looked a little muddled or like the screen was smeared with lotion or Vaseline. I was conferring with a couple of other journalists and they expressed the same concern, so I know my eyes are not that bad. I didn’t get a chance to really delve into it because there was just so much going on but a good assumption would be the display setting might not be set correctly. That aside, the game really does look amazing.
Last but not least, players will be faced with a couple of options when playing the game. You can either play it with the classic controller or classic controller pro (between the two, I like the pro). This option would give you the same feel as the PSP versions, if you’re familiar with that. The other option is using the Wiimote and nunchuck. Choosing this option gives the game a different and interesting dimension. I found it really interesting and definitely kept me wanting more. Whichever way you choose to go, just have a good time. I suggest trying out both ways and then see which method you feel you like more.
If you’re a big RPG player and you love slaying monsters and dragons, Monster Hunter Tri is the game you want to keep your eye out for. It has all the elements of wonder, fantasy and violence that would make a game good and fun, especially with the online aspect. We’ll see if Monster Hunter Tri would take off and be a top seller for Capcom in the US as it is in Japan.
I’m not even sure how to start off. Well I guess I’ll do it just like this then. Capcom had an event for one of their games last Tuesday at the Mezzanine for Monster Hunter Tri, the 7th installment of the series.
When I first got the invite, I was a little confused because the approach was like how a university would send out a letter to a prospecting student. Well surprise, that’s exactly how they intended it to be. The event was Capcom’s Monster Hunter University and I was one of the students, among others, that were given their acceptance letters.
When the doors opened, I noticed that they transformed the club into a pseudo educational center/institute, with 4 classrooms, blackboards, books, professors, etc. I even saw a “Monster Hunter for Dummies” book (which I stupidly forgot to take a picture of…DOH!!) We were also handed a class schedule to follow.
So I’m mingling with everyone else that’s there when over the PA system rang an announcement for Assembly. YES, Assembly! Everyone gathers to the assembly area and we were greeted by the hot disciplinarian, who introduced the Dean, Ryozo Tsujimoto (producer of Monster Hunter Tri). Dean Tsujimoto greets us and starts in with an introduction of the night’s event. He explains that, in Japan and in Europe they have had Monster Hunter classes before and it’s nothing new. We were the first batch of students for the class being brought over to the United States. (I’m not going into the description of the game and what we can expect from Monster Hunter Tri. Check out the preview of the game)
Everyone was enjoying the assembly, the fact that Dean Tsujimoto had a pointer on him, that he was completely in the role and loving it. After he was done he dismissed us and said, “Class was in session.” I check out all four classrooms and noticed each classroom offered something different. One class would would demo a land level, the other would demo the underwater level and one classroom even had a webcam on one of the stations and was streamnig live. Each classroom had one professor that help instruct you as you demo’ed the game. They also gave you the options to play the game with either the classic controller, classic controller pro or the wiimote & nunchuck.
On a side note: Capcom also announced that Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney was going to be released on the Wii via Wiiware. Check out the preview of the game
Overall the night was amazing. The ambiance was great. They even had drinks that were specially named that referenced characters and things from the game as well. Enjoy some pictures I took.
Class Schedule
Dean Tsujimoto
translator
assembly
classroom
professor Kramer
class in session
classroom c
Classroom D aka webcam room
Students
the Star Quarterback
Professor Hom
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Gamers United is back again and this year will host its party in honor of the Teen Lounge of Mattel Children’s Hospital of UCLA. The organizations choosing to be involved with Gamers United each truly believe in the value of giving back to young gamers, especially those who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity.
This year’s beneficiary, Mattel Children’s Hospital of UCLA, was chosen because hospitals are always in need of support from its community, particularly children’s hospitals. “When I called and found out they had a teen lounge whose gaming equipment was in disrepair and just need an upgrade, I was decided – this was the organization I wanted to fight for this year,” says Chastity Irizarry, founding member. Gamers United will be helping to rejuvenate the teen lounge and pay special attention to the often overlooked ‘tween and teen sector of pediatrics. Amy Bullock, Child Life – Child Development of the hospital stated, “The equipment in our lounge gets a high rate of use and our equipment is donated so we are happy to be able to work with Gamers United for the patients.”
Last year guests from Activision, Top Cow, Electronic Arts, Women in Gaming International, Dennis Rodman and more came to join in the high energy of this unique gathering.
Already on board, we are happy to welcome back the Custom Hotel, Nyko Technologies, Gaming Angels, Mimoco and Pwned. New to the mix this year is Coin-Op TV, World Cyber Games, Nfamous Gamers and the cast of Hellywood.
Event Details
Where:
Custom Hotel
8639 Lincoln Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90045
Reservations: 877-287-8601
When:
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
7:00pm
Attire:
“After 5” [Cocktail hour or Business Casual]
Entry:
Donation – Please bring a game, game accessory/peripheral or the like. To make prior arrangements, please email info@thegamersunited.org.
Games cannot be rated ‘M’ or ‘Mature’ – please bring ‘E’ ‘E10+’ or ‘T’. All items must be new and unwrapped due to strict infection control guidelines.
For more details and information about Gamers United, check out Gamers United
PS 3 Exclusive
For 7 years now Ratchet & Clank have been bringing the ruckus throughout the deep reaches of space. Side by side they’re like Batman & Robin of the cosmos. The story continues from where it was left off. Ratchet and Clank are separated. Ratchet is searching for his buddy, this time with the help (if you can really call it that) from good ol’ Captain Qwark! Clank on the other hand finds out he’s been captured by….wait for it………Dr. Nefarious! Yes He’s BACK and he’s stirring up all sorts of trouble as always!
A Crack in Time is supposed to be the last installment of the current story arc, which was supposed to be a trilogy. The story starts of with Captain Qwark giving everyone a quick round up of what had happened up to this point, in his own unique way. We’re introduced to Orvus, who turns out, is Clank’s father and is the keeper of the Great Clock. The Great Clock is located in the center of the universe and is there to keep time and balance. Orvus narrates the story of Clank’s origins…..and brings you to the start of the story and game.
Clank is in the hands of Dr. Nefarious, who has tricked the Zoni into thinking that he was going to help Clank. He’s attempting to use the great clock and reverse time and destroy all his enemies. The Great Clock is damaged and Clank wakes up and attempts an escape. This is when gameplay kicks in. Clank runs through different levels in the Great Clock in familiar platform fashion and meets up with Sigmund, the junior caretaker of the Great Clock. Sigmund takes Clank through some tutorials, teaches him some new skills and abilities like using time manipulation to solve puzzles and shows him who he is and his inherited purpose and ties to the Great Clock. The time manipulation puzzles are a new and very welcomed addition to the franchise and they certainly take some getting used to. The puzzles get harder as you progress and you come to a point where you find yourself using as many as 4 clones of Clank to solve these puzzles.
Ratchet is traveling across the galaxy looking for Clank. They’ve been separated since the end of Tools of Destruction when the Zoni swept Clank into a dimensional vortex never to be seen again. Ratchet comes into contact with a fellow Lombax, Alister Azimuth, who turns out was friends with Ratchet’s father. He teaches Ratchet some new skills, which involves the player to do some puzzle solving as well. One really awesome thing I’ve noticed is that Insomniac has brought back some old gems that were not in the previous two games. Destructible environments have made a comeback so have the gold bolts. I’m a self admitted bolt whore and really enjoy destroying everything in sight to collect bolts. ACIT reminds me of the best installment in the franchise in my opinion, up your Arsenal, in many ways. That’s a very good thing! Also making a comeback is the RYNO. The sweetest weapon in the Ratchet universe as far as I’m concerned, just because of it’s destructive powers. ACIT brings you the RYNO V (Ryno 5). There’s a twist however. Insomniac doesn’t just hand you the weapon as is. They make you work for it. While Ratchet is traveling through space, he’ll find little gems hidden in certain places (in traditional R&C style). The Gold Bolts are one of them and the other, are schematics for constructing the RYNO V. You’ll have to collect all the schematics then put the weapon together, after that…well WATCH OUT!
While we’re on the subject of weapons, the R&C franchise is known for it’s crazy out of this world styled weapons. Insomniac has definitely cornered the market on crazy ass weapons that, like the song, make you go hmmm. There are three particular weapons, known as Contructo weapons (shot gun, pistol and bomb glove) that can be customized to suit the player’s style of play to a certain extent. Whenever you find a contructo-mod chip (one of the gems you have to find) you have the ability to modify your (3 constructo) weapons, from type of ammo to it’s color and paint job. There are some familiar weapons that make a comeback from “Up Your Arsenal” as well. The Rift Inducer 5000 is a modified version of the Rift Inducer of old. Before it would open a portal and suck everything in sight, where this version opens a portal and introduces an alien that would eat your enemies, for a short period of time. The well loved Groovertron makes a comeback as well, in addition to the Buzz Blades and the Negotiator. New additions to Ratchet’s arsenal are the Plasma Striker, which zooms in on enemies and shows their weak point which if hit does a lot more damage. The CryoMine Glove, which deposits homing mines that freeze enemies. The Sonic Eruptor, which was described as being ‘a bloated creature held by a harness’ which emits a powerful sound wave when fired. All weapons in true R&C fashion upgrade to 5 levels. My personal favorite is Mr. Zurkon. Yep, that’s right! Mr. Zurkon is a robot that hovers close to Ratchet protecting him from any enemy attacks by killing them off. When Mr Zurkon upgrades to level 5, he becomes Zurkon the Destroyer! What I love about Mr. Zurkon, aside from the fact that he helps conserve ammo, is his amazingly hilarious dialog. He kept me laughing the whole time I was playing the game. Mr. Zurkon certainly made this already awesome game even better for me. In addition to all these great weapons, Insomniac held a contest for the fans to design a weapon for the game. The winner was announced at the Comic-Con 2009 event. The winning weapon was the Spiral of Death. The Spiral of Death is a weapon used by Ratchet that works by charging up energy and then releasing it in a spiral around the user. This energy then sends enemies flying, causing damage in the process. This weapon levels up and upgrades to the Spiral of Carnage, which releases 3 multiple blades at once.
The story is excellent. Insomniac always was able to tell a good…no, great story. It’s no different in ACIT. The well-known humor and witty repertoire, crazy characters, they’re all there. The gameplay is smooth and challenging on both the Clank and Ratchet stages. The colors of the surrounding environments are bright and eye catching. Like I mentioned before, destructible environments are back so I was busy hacking away at anything and everything. Oh one more thing, Hover Boots are back! (that’s an old tidbit too)
Space battles are a new addition as well. As Ratchet travels from planet to planet and moon to moon, he’ll encounter enemy ships that he’ll have to fight off. The space battles get a little repetitive after a while but it’s nothing that would cause you to put the game down. Also he’ll run into characters that would ask for help. If you choose to help and run these errands/side missions, you’ll get paid in bolts, which helps in buying new weapons and armor. You’ll also have the staple arena battlegrounds. I love these arena battles because they are a great way to get bolts and upgrade your weapons. That being said, I felt that the economy in the game wasn’t as good as in past games, especially when compared to “Up Your Arsenal”. I never once had any worries of running low on bolts or ever faced with the choice of purchasing a particular weapon/armor or not. In past games you were put into a position where you had to decide whether to make a purchase or save for a better deal later on. What I sort of miss also is the multiplayer that was in the third game (Up Your Arsenal).
Personally I love the franchise. Insomniac has definitely made the Ratchet & Clank franchise a household name and most definitely the benchmark of how all action platformers should be like. It offers the 3D platforming gameplay of the 80s and 90s and all the action of a triple A action game of today. The game has tons going on all at the same time and for me having such a beautiful game going at 60 fps definitely justifies the $60 price tag. This is definitely a stocking stuffer for the holiday season. Insomniac has always found a way to take the franchise to another level. All games should run and look like this. Those mad scientists at Insomniac have done it again. I hope they keep doing it forever! (hear that Insomniac…..never stop doing what you’re doing)
CHECK OUT THE PICS
R&CF: ACIT
Ratchet
Clank
Captain Qwark
Dr. Nefarious
Lawrence
Alister Azimuth
The Aphelion
Mr. Zurkon
Cryo Mine Glove
Rift Inducer 5000
Omni Soaker
Sonic Eruptor
crash
arena battle 1
Arena battle 2
Clank Clones
Great Clock
Ratchet & Qwark
battle
Nefarious & Zoni
battle 2
The Negotiator
Great Clock 2
space exploration
time portal
Lombax destroy
Battling a Hydra
Spiral of Death
Torren IV
Simultaneous with the releases of DESPERATE ESCAPE and LOST IN NIGHTMARES, new costumes for Chris (Heavy Metal) and Sheva (Business) will be made available, allowing the player to experience RESIDENT EVIL 5 with a fresh new look and feel through both game play and cut-scene playback.
Read on. More details after the jump:
Chris and Sheva in these new costumes as well as Josh Stone will also be playable in the refreshed THE MERCINARIES REUNION. Along with the two previously announced characters, Chris (Warrior) and Sheva (Fairy Tale), these are the first five of eight characters announced as playable in THE MERCENARIES REUNION. Each with their own unique weapon load-outs, these new characters provide additional challenges as the player aims to shoot down as many enemies as they can within a limited time. Chain together your kills, extend your time and rack up points. Featuring the most extreme weapon selections, THE MERCENARIES REUNION provides hours of new strategy induced kill sprees.
DESPERATE ESCAPE, LOST IN NIGHTMARES and all new playable characters for THE MERCINARIES REUNION will be available via a RESIDENT EVIL 5: GOLD EDITION that will include the original game plus all additional content. The ultimate RESIDENT EVIL5 experience, RESIDENT EVIL 5: GOLD EDITION will be available for $49.99 as a single Blu-ray disc for the PLAYSTATION 3 or as a DVD with a token for the downloadable content for XBOX 360.
Check out Josh & Jill and the rest of the evil goodness in pictures:
XBOX 360 (also on PS3 and PC)
Ok where to start, if you gave been hiding under a rock all this while, let me break this gently for you kind gamer, buy this game and skip the review. For those of you who like to make an informed decision here’s my review.
The game is Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. From every aspect this game goes above and beyond your typical first person shooter. Graphically the textures and realism of the environments are amazing from running through the streets of South America to climbing the side of an ice wall in the Antarctic. The storyline is well written and should receive accolades for the most plot twist and turns that any accomplished blockbuster screenwriter could hammer out. During the beginning of the game you start off as standard solider in basic training going through the motions of learning basic fundamentals of combat. What is so refreshing about going through the basics is that you see slight nuances on how the firing mechanics work. You have your standard pull right trigger to shoot, left trigger to zoom in or look down your guns sights. However here’s where the slight nuances kick in if your gun has a red dot or laser attachment for sighting and you tap the left trigger it will automatically cycle through enemies in front of you. After you play through learning the basics. Next on the menu is whether you want to play through the “controversial” part of the game or not. “Warning spoiler alert!” Your mission if you choose to accept it kills innocent people standing in the airport or skip the level. Being the sick gamer that I am and to progress the story line, “Let the bodies hit the floor!”
Gameplay is solid and well tuned from single story mode to special co-op missions to online multiplayer. While playing this game I learned that the stages are huge, the game play is fast and relentless. There is nowhere safe to hide. Even if you think hiding behind a solid wall would protect you, they have remote controlled rockets. The real meat and potatoes of this game are in the online multiplayer experience. What I personally liked about the online multiplayer is, that you have a vast amount of weapon and skill set variances that have to be earned with online multiplayer matches. Another nice thing about the game is all the unlockables you can achieve from special online game emblems, to cool gamer nicknames, to kill perks. Also what I found quite intriguing was that even if you were a beginner at online game play you could take the skill set of a seasoned veteran. That skill perk is called “copycat”. With all the different achievements and things that can be unlocked in this game gives you every single bang for your buck and absolutely great for the holiday season.
Check out the pics:
Release Date: Jan. 26, 2010
Genre: Fighting
Platform: Nintendo Wii
Rating: Teen
Price: $49.99
TATSUNOKO VS. CAPCOM: ULTIMATE ALL-STARS pairs well-known characters from Capcom’s roster of games with some of Japan’s most-beloved characters from anime powerhouse Tatsunoko Production.
This is a new version of the game that was released in arcades and the Wii in Japan, December 2008. Capcom added new features to the game, including the recently announced additions of playable characters Frank West, Tekkaman Blade, Zero and Joe the Condor.
Check out the videos after the jump:
The game will work with a number of different control devices, including the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, Classic Controller, GameCube Controller and various third-party joysticks designed for the Wii.
Here’s a character list available in the game:
Capcom: Ryu, Chun-Li (Street Fighter), Batsu (Rival Schools), Alex (Street Fighter III), Morrigan (Darkstalkers), Soki (Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams), Mega Man Volnutt (Mega Man Legends), Roll (Mega Man), Saki (Quiz Nanairo Dreams), Viewtiful Joe, PTX-40A (Lost Planet), Frank West (Dead Rising) and Zero (Mega Man X ).
Tatsunoko: Ken the Eagle, Jun the Swan, Joe The Condor (Science Ninja Team Gatchaman), Yatterman No. 1, Doronjo (Yatterman), Casshan, Tekkaman, Tekkaman Blade, Polimar, Karas, Ippatsuman and Gold Lightan.
Check out these sweet screens:
HADUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUKEN!!!!!
Capcom’s smash hit Street Fighter IV will be making a second splash into the waters of awesomeness with the highly anticipated follow up..wait for it….Super Street Fighter IV!!
The full roster from SFIV will bring the ruckus along with new challengers and contenders, like the deadly Korean fighter Juri (who’s the first Street Fighter character to utilize Tae Kwon Do as a fighting style), unlocked right out of the box at a reduced retail price.
Check out the new trailer showcasing the new features thrown in the game, including: new alternate costumes, ultra combos, rival battles, and even…………….. a MECHA ZANGIEF!
Gameplay video showing off Cody vs Ryu:
Gameplay video showing off new character Adon vs Ken:
I bring screenshots too…:
Street Fighter 4 (iPhone, iPod Touch)
Publisher: Capcom
Release Date: March
Capcom bring the beloved fighting franchise to the next generation and making it MOBILE!
Street Fighter 4 is coming to the iPhone and iPod Touch this March 2010. The game will pull a roster that consists of recent console releases, which includes several classic and newly introduced characters.
The game will have multiplayer feature, remaining true to the series arcade roots by allowing players to go head-to-head over Bluetooth.
Street Fighter IV for iPhone uses a virtual d-pad control interface to immerse the player into the familiar Street Fighter combat system. Players can fully customize the “Visual Pad” interface by repositioning the buttons and d-pad anywhere on the screen through the options menu. Additionally, players can further refine their configuration by setting the transparency level of the controls.
New comers to the series, can try out the new Dojo mode, which is basically a training mode for you to hone your skills. Once you’re confident enough, challenge your homies head to head via Bluetooth.
Dragon Punches on the go!!!
Check out these sweet screens:
White Knight Chronicles (Playstation 3)
Preview
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Level 5 and Japan Studio
I’ve never been a real big fan of J-RPGs but I decided to check out this long awaited title White Knight Chronicles.
First off, this fantasy J-Role Playing Game is dropping Feb 10th 2010. Akihiro Hino considers this a full blown online RPG with hundreds of hours worth of gameplay.
The game will have character customization and it’s has an active turn base system. All the game’s features will be up to date with Japan. It’ll have Trophy and HOME support. In addition to that, the game will come with Voice Chat and Live Talk.
The game consists of a few distinct parts
1. The Geonet: Which is the gateway to online in game. Looks like a fairly intuitive interface.
2. The Georama: This is the lobby to any online quest. Lobby space has customization. You can pretty much make it your own (look and feel). You’ll be able to create/purchase objects. Ability to set up shops and collectibles for guests. You’ll have the ability to populate your Georama and to check on conditions, professions and skill levels. The Georama also comes with 3 generic themes for your landscape layout: Plains, Desert and Wilderness.
Editing the Georama is simple and it’s really easy to create the towns of your liking. To encourage players to develop and create towns, there are benefits that come with creating your own town. For example, people living in your town can farm items for the player as he/she goes on his/her quests. Investments in farming items are beneficial to the player’s character and items gained. You’ll also be able to take a picture of your property/town to entice people to move in.
The Online aspects of the game allow you to create an avatar and your profile created in the storymode, will carry over to online play. This means your hard earned achievements like skills, character experience level will be carried over and players won’t have to start from scratch. Players will be able to unlock new online quests as the story mode unfolds. They can also accumulate quest completion points to improve guild ranking. The gameplay weaves from single player to multiplayer. This allows the player to unlock quests and expand his/her Georama.
With HOME support in the game, players can acquire White Knight HOME décor and costumes for your HOME avatar. Trophies earned in gameplay may also trigger HOME items and their availability.
Lastly, I was told by a producer from Level 5 that White Knight Chronicles ships as a FULL game on the retail disc! Some DLC (extra quests) maybe added later down the line, but it will not affect the storyline at all. The disc will contain 51 quests all included in the disc. Multiplayer will be 4 players per quests. The game is also keyboard enabled. The game will run off servers in the U.S. and Europe.
All in all, the game is fairly simple for any novice J-RPG/RPG to pick up. I found it easy to understand the interface and in game HUD is well placed and helpful. Honestly, if I can pick this game up in five minutes…..anyone can! This by no means reflects on the level of difficulty of the game, but how intuitive everything was to pick up and understand. All J-RPG fans be on the look out for this one.
Check out some screens:
So the Capcom peeps drop some more visual goodies to ramp up on Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition. They are calling it “MERCENARIES REUNION”.
New on the roster is the merciless CEO of Tricell, Excella Gionne.
Pictures speak a thousand word….and all I can say is..DAMN! *Giggity Giggity*
UPDATE:
Capcom just released these new videos….more goodies for you Resident Evil 5 Fans.
