Any excuse for a sale! With Valentine’s Day on the way, EA have had a generous turn of heart. Bad puns aside, the ‘Games to Love’ sale has some serious discounts across the board.

So if you’re interested in snapping up a few cheap iPad or iPhone titles at up to 85% off their usual price then check out the list below. The sale begins February 10.

WARNING: It’s a long list!

iPad titles

• BFBC 2    
  $9.99 down to $4.99
• Battleship   
  $4.99 down to $1.99
• FIFA 12
  $9.99 down to $4.99
• Game of Life
  $6.99 down to $2.99
• Madden 12
  $6.99 down to $0.99
• Monopoly
  $9.99 down to $4.99
• Monopoly HN
  $9.99 down to $4.99
• Real Racing 2
  $6.99 down to $2.99
• Risk
  $6.99 down to $2.99
• Spy Mouse
  $2.99 down to $0.99
• Tetris
  $7.99 down to $2.99
• Trivial Pursuit Master Edition
  $4.99 down to $2.99
• Yahtzee 
  $4.99 down to $2.99
• Scrabble
  $9.99 down to $4.99

iPhone Titles

• BFBC 2
  $2.99 down to $0.99
• FIFA 12
  $4.99 down to $2.99
• Madden 12
  $4.99 down to $0.99
• Real Racing 2
  $4.99 down to $2.99
• Risk
  $2.99 down to $0.99
• Scrabble
  $1.99 down to $0.99
• Sims 3
  $6.99 down to $2.99
• Sims Medieval
  $4.99 down to $2.99
• Sims WA
  $2.99 down to $0.99
• Sims Ambitions
  $4.99 down to $1.99

EA’s epic fantasy role-playing game Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is now available to players across Australia and the United States.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is an epic role-playing game in the same style as other Western RPG greats as Fable and Skyrim. We recently reviewed the title to which we gave it glowing praise. You can view our review of Reckoning here.

You can purchase Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning now from your local gaming store for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC. Will you be picking up Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning? Let us know in the shoutbox and comments section.

That’s right boys and girls, Grand Slam Tennis 2 has officially hit Aussie shelves as of today so go out and grab your copy ahead of both North America and Europe.

Grand Slam Tennis 2 is available for Xbox 360 and PS3 and also utilises the PlayStation Move controller. The game features a star-studded lineup including current legends in the making: Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, and Serena Williams as well as past greats such as John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg and Martina Navratilova.

The game also boasts the official licensing to all four Grand Slams, and implements an all new Total Racquet Control system for a truly realistic experience.

Don’t forget to keep your eyes open for our review which will be on the site very soon.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Publisher: EA Games
Developer: Big Huge Games
Platforms: Xbox 360 (Reviewed), Playstation 3, PC
Release Date: February 9, 2012
Price: $59.95 - Available Here

Overview:
What is it that we look for in an RPG? Do we look for an immersive world with a deep mythology? Do we look for characters that engage us? Do we look for an adventure through a wild world completely different to our own? Or do we look for freedom?

All of these are things players have looked for in RPGs and also things they have discovered in RPGs over the years. So how does that all tie in with Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning? Well, it doesn’t. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is an RPG the likes of which has not been seen before.

Reckoning takes all of these tenets into account, but it never truly grasps them. Instead it allows them each to be decided by the player, giving gamers an unprecedented level of choice in what they get out of this game.

What do you look for in an RPG? Reckoning wants to know and it’s willing to provide. Your fate is entirely in your hands, welcome to the Kingdoms of Amalur.

Story:
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning doesn’t so much feature a plot line as it does a concept and universe. The story begins with the player awakening after having been thought dead, you are the only person in the entire world who is not bound by fate. From that point the player holds the fate of the world and themselves in their hands.

The universe of Amalur is a vibrant, expansive and well conceived one at that. It’s a world filled with intrigue and adventure, all waiting for the player to choose which path they will take.

The Kingdoms of Amalur world is massive and as such features an almost unfathomable mythology, arguably more so than other Western RPGs on the market such as Skyrim and Fable (Both of which have clearly positively inspired the world of Amalur in one way or another).

Fantasy lovers will find themselves in utter glee as they explore and uncover more about the history and mythos of the Kingdoms of Amalur and even the most complacent of fantasy fans can appreciate the scope.

Gameplay:
Reckoning plays like most RPGs. You fight monsters, tackle dungeons, level your character, grow stronger and explore. It may seem like another generic RPG fare there but believe me when I say that it is far from that.

The game begins with the player having resurrected and looking to escape the dungeon you are trapped in. Throughout this first dungeon, players are given a taste of every possible play choice available in the game. You are given a chance to try out every fighting style available throughout the game, leaving you ultimately to decide which way you want it.

That choice right there from the very get go of the game is crucial to what makes Reckoning so very unique. More than anything the emphasis is on deciding your own fate in Reckoning. That is the main focus of the gameplay, particularly in the combat side of things.

Combat in Reckoning is put simply; amazing. There is so much customization and a plethora of different fighting style available, from the fast paced or stealth based fighting of Rogue classes to the more spell based fighting of the Magic using classes. This gives players a real MMO feel in the sense that there is multiple different ways to play with an incredibly deep level of customization to weaponry, spells, moves, etc.

This customization is capped off with what is without a doubt a revolutionary idea for an RPG – the ability to change class and fighting style by just pausing the game and flipping it over. It’s so simple a concept yet so effective in it’s execution. If there is a boss who is weak toward magic for example, but you play as a Rogue mostly and are having difficulty taking him on, you can simply swap to a magic user (pertaining you have magic gear) and adapt to the action.

If you love ploughing through dungeons or fighting monsters, you are sure to be pleased with Reckoning’s customization and emphasis on combat. This emphasis is pure indulgent fun, as it rightfully should be.

In terms of storyline and quests however, things don’t hold up as well as the combat system and customization. That’s not to say there are major problems, it’s all simply minor. For example a lot of the side quests are rather repetitive (a problem that plagues a lot of Western RPGs), but there is enough variety that it shouldn’t bother players too greatly.

That brings me to the other facets of the game. There are a few minor glitches and bugs, as you’d expect from a massive game such as this. The worst problem I suffered was a troublesome camera that would rapidly fly about with a life of it’s own when battling in narrow parts of dungeons which made it rather difficult to fight, but it wasn’t anything that lasted. It was only a brief and small problem. Other glitches are mostly graphical and nothing on the level of Skyrim thankfully.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is an RPG fanatics fantasy game, there is a multitude of choices available as to how you want to play this game as well as a combat system that is by far one of the best ever implemented in a Western RPG. There is just so much unbridled fun available to players in Reckoning and that’s what people will take away from this.

Visuals and Audio:
On an aesthetic level, Reckoning is a visual feast for the eyes. The world is filled with vibrant colours and well conceived character designs alongside unique environments that just beg players to explore.

The graphics are certainly up to par and the universe of Amalur is so well designed that you will definitely find yourself immersed in the wonders and small eccentricities hidden within this giant world. It’s a place players want to spend their time in and that is certainly in part due to the spectacular visual aspect of the game.

From an audio stand point, Reckoning features work from the great Grant Kirkhope of Rare fame. He has composed an amazing soundtrack that provides the right atmosphere to Amalur no matter the situation and should be praised for that feat.

All in all, Reckoning is a lesson in how visuals and audio should be in a modern day video-game.

Overall: 
Whatever choice you make, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a brilliant game and a great start for what promises to be an impressive new franchise in the making.

Getting back to my original question, what is it we look for in an RPG? Well, whatever it is you are looking for in a role-playing game, Reckoning can give you that, and then some.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning has proven itself to be the hottest new RPG on the market and one that reminds players that it’s not always about the nitty gritty, but about the fun of gaming. Reckoning is pure enjoyment and is an experience that must be had. Journey into the Kingdoms of Amalur, it’s the right choice in a world with so many possibilities.

Today a few of us here at Capsule Computers were lucky enough to be invited along to try out EA’s latest sport’s title. I am of course, referring to Grand Slam Tennis 2, the follow up to the highly rated Grand Slam Tennis. This game marks the first time that all four major tennis championships will feature in a next gen game, and has exclusive rights to the Wimbledon championship.

The venue was kitted out like a miniature tennis court, with plenty of Wimbledon themed refreshments being served – thanks for the strawberries and champagne guys! Some of the staff were lucky enough to be wearing their best tennis whites, including one gentleman sporting a dress. He seemed quite comfortable with his giant tennis racket…

Also on offer (as if cross dressing wasn’t enough) was a Grand Slam tournament and an appearance by Australian tennis legend Pat Cash.

There were several stations dotted around showing off the impressive looking game in glorious HD. The PlayStation 3 version of the title has Move support, so there were plenty of wands getting waggled in attempts to hit that perfect serve.As well as the standard TV stations, one setup was hooked up to a huge screen on one wall, clearing the way for some large scale versus matches.

Things quickly got competitive when a tournament began, with the winner lined up to take on tennis champ Pat Cash (in the flesh that is) and take home some great prizes. As the strawberries and champagne began to dwindle things drew to a head, and finally the man himself made an appearance.

In case you’re not familiar with your tennis legends, Cash is an Australian player who was at the top of his game in the eighties. Out of the numerous titles he won he is perhaps most famous for his win at Wimbledon in 1987, where he kicked off the tradition of climbing up into the player’s box to celebrate with family and friends. He’s known for always wearing a checkered headband and earring when he plays, and of course for having something of a brash on court personality.

Grand Slam Tennis 2 was fortunately nowhere near as stressful as a major tournament game, so despite some protests that the camera flashes were putting him off (of course), Cash behaved himself. Snatching victory from Cash in the final game, the lucky winner went home with some signed goodies courtesy of EA and Wilson.

Grand Slam Tennis 2 hits stores tomorrow, and you can check out more pictures from the event below.

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Klei Entertainment and EA released the newest game in the Shank series, Shank 2 earlier today. Shank 2 is described as a cinematic two-dimensional brawler and is now released for the PC, Xbox Live Arcade and the Playstation Network.

For a game in this region, it appears to be reasonably priced at AU$15.95 (or NZ$15.90) and 800MS points for the Xbox Live. However, Xbox Live users will have to wait until tomorrow to purchase the game (only a few hours to go at the time of writing).

So be sure to pick up this title at the nearest opportunity and make sure to check out the official site to determine if this is the right game for you.

EA have announced that Mass Effect Infiltrator will be arriving on iOS devices and will tie in with the highly anticipated Mass Effect 3.

Playing through the app’s story will aid players in increasing their “Galactic Readiness” in Mass Effect 3; the higher a player’s readiness, the more likely they will achieve the best possible ending for the final chapter of the Mass Effect trilogy.

An EA PR pamphlet went into further detail:

Take the all-out galactic war in Mass Effect 3 on-the-go with Infiltrator, a fully-featured iOS third-person shooter showcasing stunning graphics and authentic weapons and powers from the Mass Effect series.

Inspired by the deep and immersive Mass Effect 3 universe, in Infiltrator players will help to free prisoners from a hostile Cerberus base and will receive rewards for collecting evidence of Cerberus’ crimes along the way. Every completed rescue and intelligence discovery in Infiltrator will increase a player’s Galactic Readiness rating directly through the Galaxy At War system in Mass Effect 3.

No release date was given, though it is safe to assume that Infiltrator will launch sometime within the vicinity of Mass Effect 3, which hits stores on March 6 (screenshot courtesy of IGN).

EA Sports’ Grand Slam Tennis sequel is set for release Febrary 9th on Xbox 360 and PS3 – that’s this Thursday, people! And to big up the hype surrounding the announcement, they’ve even released a new, dramatic trailer focusing on the US Open. The graphics look sweet, and the name drops in the trailer promises all the greats will be in the game!

As well as the US Open, the game will also include Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and Australian Open tournaments. Utilize the new and revolutionary Total Racquet Control and challenge the best of the best, including Federer, Nadal, Borg, and McEnroe.

Download the demo now, or read more on EA’s site.

If you picked up a copy of Mass Effect: Deception but were disheartened to find it had many canonical errors in it, you’ll be happy to know that Bioware has promised to fix said discrepancies.

“The teams at Del Rey and BioWare would like to extend our sincerest apologies to the Mass Effect fans for any errors and oversights made in the recent novel Mass Effect: Deception,” the apology post on Bioware’s forums reads. “We are currently working on a number of changes that will appear in future editions of the novel.

If you happen to have a copy of the book with mistakes in it, hold on to it, as it may very well turn out to be a collectors item.  No release date for the second printing of books has been announced.

Source: Bioware

This week EA teamed up with Red Bull to host a media-exclusive SSX preview event at the Red Bull Sydney Headquarters. To promote the game and to help convey the awesomeness of extreme sports such as snowboarding, two Australian extreme sport superstars attended the event: BMX racing legend Luke Madill and FMX Superstar Josh Sheehan.

We took a break from all the cool snowboarding action to have a quick chat with Josh about what it’s like being a professional extreme sports competitor and EA’s latest SSX title. Josh talks about not only his personal experiences with competing as an FMX rider, but how the game emulates the adrenaline rush and danger seen in extreme sports. Check out the interview yourself in the video below!

Check out pictures from the event as well as our hands-on preview here!