Retro lovers, your new toy has arrived. After much hype and promotion, the Neo Geo X Gold Limited Edition has hit store shelves, allowing fans to legitimately own a piece of one of the most loved brands in history. This set comes with a NEOGEO X Arcade Stick and the NEOGEO X Station – a replica of the NEOGEO AES console that allows memorable NEOGEO titles to be played on a big screen or monitor via HDMI or composite cable, and has 20 games already on the platform, ready to enjoy.
Those titles are as follows:
3 COUNT BOUT
ART OF FIGHTING
ALPHA MISSION II
BASEBALL STARS II
CYBER LIP
FATAL FURY
FATAL FURY SPECIAL
THE KING OF FIGHTERS ’95
KING OF THE MONSTERS
LAST RESORT
LEAGUE BOWLING
MAGICIAN LORD
METAL SLUG
MUTATION NATION
NAM 1975
PUZZLED
REAL BOUT – FATAL FURY SPECIAL
SAMURAI SHODOWN II
SUPER SIDEKICKS
WORLD HEROES PERFECT
I am personally still on the fence for this device myself. Yes, it’s a beautiful piece of hardware, but that $199.99 price-tag is still a bit much considering the age of these ports. Collectors however will find this is the BEST way to obtain a NEO GEO device, and well worth the investment for nostalgia purposes alone. You can find the NEO GEO X Gold in stores today (as well as throughout many online retailers), and check out the drool-worthy launch trailer down below.
Groupees is back with another Build a Bundle. This time, buyers can purchase from two to nine games currently in Steam’s Greenlight approval system. Each game added to the bundle raises the minimum price by $0.75. Buyers are encouraged to pay more than the average and can opt for 20% of their purchase price to go to War Child International, Make a Wish Foundation, and the Sandy Hook School Support Fund through the United Way of Western Connecticut.
The games are available as Desura keys and once the games are Greenlit, Steam keys will be distributed. Buyers can choose from “Beware Planet Earth!”, Millennium: A New Hope, Recruits, Private Infiltrator, Wooden Sen’Sey, Eryi’s Action, Salvation Prophecy, I Shall Remain, and Oozi: Earth Adventure. As more bundles are sold, free bonuses will be unlocked for all buyers. This bundle will end on December 31st, check it out here.
Getting a new iOS device for the holidays? Short on cash? Chillingo has put 15 of their top hits of 2012 on sale at everyone’s favourite price: free. Some of the biggest titles on sale includes ORC: Vengeance, Storm the Train, and Madcoaster. Check out the list of games and iTunes App Store links below. No word on when these sales end, so get them before its too late.
Did you wait til the last moment to buy your favourite mobile gamer a Christmas gift on the cheap? G5 has you covered. They have knocked down the prices of 26 of their biggest hits down with discounts up to 60% off. The games are for iOS, Mac, Google Play, Kindle Fire, and Nook devices. Check out the list of games below. More information on the sale can be found here.
Spirit Walkers: Curse of the Cypress Witch (iOS)
Tales from the Dragon Mountain: the Strix (iOS, Google Play, Kindle Fire)
CrossWorlds: the Flying City (iOS, Mac, Google Play, Kindle Fire)
Letters from Nowhere (iOS, Google Play, Kindle Fire)
Treasure Seekers 4: The Time Has Come (iOS)
Sinister City: Vampire Adventure (iOS)
Epic Adventures: La Jangada (iOS, Google Play, Nook)
Kaptain Brawe: A Brawe New World (iOS)
Masters of Mystery: Crime of Fashion (iOS)
Bigfoot: Hidden Giant (iOS)
Jack of All Tribes (iOS)
Fix-it-up: Kate’s Adventure (iOS)
Fix-it-up: World Tour (iOS)
Fix-it-Up 80’s: Meet Kate’s Parents (iOS)
Mushroom Age (iOS)
Jane’s Hotel 2: Family (iOS)
Virtual City 2: Paradise Resort (Google Play, Kindle Fire, Nook)
Bundle in a Box: Eclectic Delights announced that they are extending the sale of their bundle til this Friday, December 21st to celebrate the end of the Mayan calendar. Pay what you want to get five games, adventure thriller Shadows on the Vatican, Act:1, adventure/strategy game Delve Deeper & DLC, strategy game War of the Human Tanks, lovecraftian platformer Eversion, and first person horror game Fibrillation. Those who beat the average will receive platformer The Adventures of Shuggy, FMV fighting game Stay Dead, first person horror game The 4th Wall, top down adventure game Flibble, 3d platformer Skylight, and a pre order for adventure game Shadows on the Vatican, Act:II.
All games are available as DRM free downloads and an assortment of Desura and Steam keys. The bundle is in support of the Indie Dev Grant and The Hellenic Centre for Mental Health and Treatment of Child and Family. Purchase the bundle here and remember, if the world really does end on Friday, you won’t have to pay the bill.
Developer: Pendulo Studios Publisher: Bulkypix Platforms: iPad (Reviewed), iPhone, iPod Touch Release Date: December 13, 2012 Price: $4.99 Get it Here
Overview
Hollywood Monsters, also known as The Next Big Thing on the PC, is made by Pendulo Studios, the developers behind adventure game hits Runaway and Yesterday. The game is a reboot of the original Hollywood Monsters released in 1997 for the PC. Hollywood Monsters features witty writing, solid visuals, and an outstanding audio experience packaged at an unbeatable price.
Story
The game stars Liz Allaire, a young and slightly crazy reporter for The Quill looking to move up in the world and the legendary sports writer Dan Murray who has been banned from covering his usual beat for some mysterious reason. The pair cannot stand each other and on the surface has the same personality chemistry as water and oil. The duo have been sent to cover the a movie awards ceremony and party hosted by William A. FitzRandolph, a monster who has made millions by giving other monsters a job in the horror movie business. Liz spots one of FitzRandolph’s actors, Big Albert, breaking into the boss’ office and is sure she is about to hit the scoop of a life time. What starts as a small mystery over a break in evolves into a wacky story of monstrous proportions.
The writing is the real star of Hollywood Monsters. It is side splitting hilarious, with highly intellectual references sprinkled throughout. The characters are absolutely charming and instantly likeable. The story is long enough to make the game feel worthwhile for the price. Without spoiling too much of the plot, Hollywood Monster’s story is a home run, expertly mixing an interesting plot with a light hearted feel that is perfect for anyone looking for a fun game for a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Gameplay
Point and click adventure is a genre that translates well to the touch screen. Hollywood Monsters just happens to do it very well. The UI is simple yet well thought out. There is a button that lights up all the hot spots that can be interacted with and all hot spots are responsible. Item management is simple and intuitive. There are plenty of side items that can be interacted with that have no bearing on the plot, but reward players with a few witty lines.
I adore the hint system implemented in Hollywood Monsters. The narrator will speak a line to give a hint for the player. Clicking on the hint button a few more times will give the same line, but a picture of the item or person that needs to be interacted with will pop up in the corner. This hint system fits in seamlessly with the pace of the story and provides just enough of a hint to help players through tough spots without being too easy right off the bat. I found it was next to impossible to get completely stuck in Hollywood Monsters.
Visuals
Hollywood Monsters continues with the visual style Pendulo seems to favour in their recent games. It is a mix of 3d characters and 2d backgrounds with very distinct looking characters. The game itself is extremely colourful and reflects the tone of the game very well. There was a visual glitch where the main character would walk through the environment and would visibly clip through the prop. I noticed this in two places early in the game, so it will not take away too much from the game.
The frame rate was smooth throughout with no noticeable drops or laggy moments. The runs well on Retina screens and is optimized for the iPhone 5. However, anyone with an old iPad, iPod Touch Generation 3 or iPhone 3GS and below need not apply. Hollywood Monsters makes full use of the modern devices powerful graphic chips and CPUs.
Audio
The audio experience of Hollywood Monsters shows its roots as a big budget PC release. Every bit of dialogue has a voice actor performing the lines. The acting is extremely professional; the performance is believable and engrossing. The sound effects and music is both top notch. It is a disservice to play this game with the sound off. The game is definitely best enjoyed with headphones, though devices with slightly stronger speakers like the iPad will suffice. Hollywood Monsters is an excellent example of how audio should be done on iOS.
Overall
Hollywood Monsters is a must buy for all iOS gamers. Whether this is your first adventure game or you are a veteran looking for a great adventure game to take with you on the go, Hollywood Monsters fits your bill. Just be aware if you have played The Next Big Thing on PC, you are getting the same game for iOS. Considering the game is available for $29.99 on Steam, $4.99 is a fantastic deal for Hollywood Monsters. The game combines a wonderfully written, hilarious story with strong visuals, high quality voice acting, and a great audio presentation that is an absolute steal. Hollywood Monsters is a must buy.
The much-loved Sega Saturn classic, NiGHTS into Dreams, is now available via Steam for PC.
Previously released on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Store for PS3 (check out our review for it here), this remake adds HD visuals, achievements and leaderboards to the Saturn original. As an added bonus, the game is playable in its original form, and the Christmas NiGHTS content is also included, quite fitting for the Holiday season.
NiGHTS into Dreams is currently available for $10 (BUY HERE), but with the Steam holiday sales quickly approaching, it might be wise to hold off on purchasing this, for another week or so at least. If you haven’t played any version of the game by this point, you can wait a little bit longer for the price to drop even further.
While Nintendo’s eShop in Europe and Japan already offer classic Mega Man action, Capcom has announced that it’s bringing all six classic NES Mega Man titles to the 3DS eShop next week beginning with the original Mega Man on December 27.
However if you were looking to play each Mega Man game on your 3DS in one go then unfortunately you’ll have to wait a bit. Capcom will be releasing each game in regular intervals throughout 2013, with Mega Man 2 planned for a February 7 release.
No price has been given for the games at this moment.
However if you’re looking for awesome game that mashes up Capcom’s most beloved franchise, Street Fighter X Mega Man is out for free today, and can be downloaded from Capcom’s official website.
Developed by fan Seow Zong Hui with support from Capcom publishers, Street Fighter X Mega Man features eight Street Fighter-themed levels and features Street Fighter characters as bosses.
While console gamers have been enjoying Resident Evil 6 for some time now, Capcom have officially announced a release date for the PC version of Resident Evil 6, of March 22, 2013 in North America, Europe and Australia.
The game will only be available via download, though a retail release has been planned for Europe. The Steam version of the game supports cloud saving, Steam Achievements, leaderboards, and game overlay. The PC version also comes with all previously released DLC and includes the “No Hope” difficulty.
The PC Specs have been release and go as followed,
Minimum specs:
OS: Windows Vista/XP, Windows 7, Windows 8.
Processor: Intel CoreTM2 Duo 2.4 Ghz or better, AMD AthlonTM X2 2.8 Ghz or better.
Memory: 2 GB RAM.
Hard Disk Space: 16 GB free hard drive space.
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce 8800GTS or better.
DirectX: 9.0c or greater.
Sound: Standard audio device.
Recommended specs:
OS: Windows Vista/XP, Windows 7, Windows 8.
Processor: Intel CoreTM 2 Quad 2.7 Ghz or better, AMD PhenomTM II X4 3 Ghz or better.
Memory: 4 GB RAM.
Hard Disk Space: 16 GB free hard drive space.
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 or better.
DirectX: 9.0c or greater.
Sound: Standard audio device.
Capcom have also announced that Resident Evil 6 will also be available through Xbox 360 Games on Demand, however they haven’t released a date or a price at this moment.
The Wii U’s survival horror launch title ZombiU was met with lukewarm reception upon its release, despite its impressive and surprising E3 debut.
In an interview with Nintendo Life, ZombiU Producer Guillaume Brunier said that the development team did not expect such a harsh initial feedback,
“We were really disappointed with the early US reviews. We are aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the experience we created, but we did not expect so harsh a feedback. However, as more and more journalists and gamers played the game, these opinions proved to be a minority. So, right now, we’re rather pleased with the overall reception of the game.”
ZombiU is a first person survival horror game set in a zombie-apocalyptic London. The game makes full uses of the Wii U’s touch pad and features the unique gameplay mechanic of permanent character death.
