Next week there will be a playable demo of Rayman Origins on the Xbox Live Marketplace and Playstation Network. In Europe, the demo hits on Novemeber 9th with the North American demo release date somewhere around there as well. It includes “3 maps from the Jungle, Food and Ocean worlds. By collecting 9 Electoons, demo players will unlock a new costume. The demo also features a custom map to navigate through the worlds.”
Rayman Origins will be released in the UK on November 25th on the Xbox 360, PS3, 3DS, Vita and Wii. Rayman Origins comes the US on November 15 and the 24 in Australia.
If you pick up Super Mario Land for your 3DS, then you will also be getting a firmware update. This update adds some security to the system, as well as a “Join Game” option. Both the Japanese and USA copies of the game have been confirmed to have the update, although other copies of the game probably do too. Later this month, there will be another update to the firmware of the 3DS that will include video recording features, updated StreetPass games, DLC functionality, and other eShop improvements. It will be interesting to see if the online update will include the updates found in the Mario game.
Fatshark has anounnced that they will be releasing a top-down RPG game that focuses on crafting, exploration and consequence. “Consequence brings not only the ability for the characters to level up and improve themselves, but also permanent injuries and death.
Krater will be set in a post apocalyptic world. A weapon has left a crater (or rather, a KRATER) in the Earth and the KRATER is an oasis of fresh water in an otherwise terrible world. Single player and multiplayer will be included when Krater launches on Steam in 2012. Check out the video below for more details.
The Back to Karkand DLC is coming in Decemebr. EA has prepared the trailer below to wet your appetite for the destruction, mayhem and awesomeness that will follow when it is released. The expansion will include the Strike at Karkand, Sharqi Peninsula, Gulf of Oman, and Wake Island maps. In addition, it also includes “new weapons, vehicles, persistence, and the return of the classic Conquest Assault.” If you pre-ordered the game, it will be free as long as you enter your code. Otherwise, it will cost $14.99 or 1200 Microsoft Points. Check out the trailer below for the latest footage of the maps that will be coming soon.
So you have pre-ordered Skyrim, taken a “sick day” on November 11 and you even arranged for pizza delivery at 1am in the morn on November 12. However, those preparations may be worthless if you are into racing games. At least, if you are one of the students who developed Nitronic Rush, you are hoping that people will feel that way.
Nitronic Rush is coming to the PC on November 11 and was developed by students at the Digipen Institute of Technology. Check out the trailer below and let us know what your thoughts are on the game! Will you be canceling your Skyrim order?
Who says print media is dead?! The people behind Electronic Gaming Monthly have published one of the longest running gaming magazines ever and now EGM Media has decided to start a new magazine in addition to their other offering,. This Walmart exclusive magazine will feature “news, previews, interviews and other exclusive stories about gaming culture and the most important game releases.” The magazine won’t only be available in print though. You will also be able to read it on “personal computers, iPad and Facebook with EGM’s proprietary ScreenPaper publishing platform.” Will you be checking it out, or are you sticking with whatever you are reading now?
The eagerly anticipated Volume 3 of UDON’s Mega Man Gigamix, will be hitting all major comic stores everywhere on November 9, 2011. Mega Man Gigamix Vol.3 – will be the final volume of Hitoshi Ariga’s Megamix/Gigamix saga!
The original blue bomber is back for more action-packed adventures! In Volume 3, the remaining robots of Earth make their last stand against the destructive Stardroids! But an even greater threat looms literally on the horizon… what is the secret of Dark Moon? The most epic Mega Man story ever told comes to it’s thrilling conclusion!
Gearbox has a history of really appreciating their fans. And they have just shown that again. Michael John Mamaril was a Borderlands fan but then he died of cancer last month when he was only 22. One of his friends, named Carlo, asked Gearbox Software to eulogize Mamaril. In addition to having Claptrap perform the eulogy, Gearbox has also added Mamaril as an NPC in Borderlands 2. The heart touching eulogy is available for listening here on Soundcloud. Gearbox is truly one of the most understanding and amazing developers ever. Our sincerest condolences go out to Carlo and Michael John Mamaril’s family.
Want some more Orc killing action? Robot Entertainment has the DLC for you then. Their new extra content will only cost $2.99 and will release on the PC through Steam on November 8.
The DLC, entitled “Lost Adventures,” comes with:
-Five New Fortresses – Repel the orc onslaught in four completely new fortresses plus a reverse version of The Tower where your enemies have the high ground! Each fortress can be played on Apprentice, War Mage, or Nightmare difficulty.
· Two New Enemies – Fear the icy breath of the Frost Bat, and beware the draining magical attack of the Cyclops Mage!
· New Leaderboards – Challenge your friends for the highest score on leaderboards for each of the five new levels.
· New skull rewards – Earn up to fifty additional skulls to further upgrade your arsenal of traps!
· A New Bonus Defense! – Place the Mana Well in strategic locations around a fortress for a burst of magical energy at just the right moment.
This DLC has not yet been announced for the Xbox 360. A patch to add in coop has also not yet been released.
Overview
Have you ever watched a zombie movie and thought…”I wish I could have one of those!”? Thanks to Majesco and 1st Playable Productions, you now can in the newly released Pet Zombies for the Nintendo 3DS. The concept of this title is exactly as it sounds. Players get to customize, care for, and play games with their undead buddy, which is of course done so in full 3D. Yes, it’s obviously a parody of the over-saturated genre, but the question is, are we laughing with or at these re-animated pets? Here is my review for Pet Zombies.
Gameplay
The first thing you should know before going into Pet Zombies is that the entire experience is down-right bizarre…but in a good way. Starting the game up, players must choose a member of the undead to care for, which includes the likes of a jock, waitress, nerd, and several other human stereotypes. Afterwards, it’s now up to you to customize your new undead friend by picking out a skin type, with textures ranging from the classic cold and clammy look to having veins pop out of the zombie’s face. Now as cool as it is to choose how your zombie looks, changes are very subtle. Other than choosing a different colored outfit and adding in those decaying features, there isn’t a lot left in terms of appearance. I would have personally liked to see a bit more in this area, but I highly doubt many are going to have a hard time crafting one of these living corpses to suit their own personality.
Once your zombie is appropriately named and dressed, it’s then time to care for their needs. Instead of love, players must literally torture their zombie to gain their affection. You see, the more you interact with your undead friend, the more they level up. Leveling up is more than just a number in Pet Zombies, as each time your zombie gains a level, a new item or game will become available that furthers the torturing process. This system is actually well made as gives a nice sense of progression throughout the game. Feeding also gives XP points, so players must make sure there are plenty of brains and bones to go around in order to keep their pet pleased.
Pet Zombies features it’s own currency system known as “Zombucks”. Taking care of your zombie is never cheap, so the player will need these Zombucks to purchase nearly every item in the game. Thankfully, this is all done by playing mini-games. For example, the game available from the start is known as “Zombie Slingshot”. In an Angry Birds fashion, players must launch their friend high in the air and have them collect coins in the process. To go higher, a “Glide” meter can be hit on the touchscreen and you can have your zombie whip out a magnet to pull in harder to reach coins during their flight. The longer they stay up in the air, the more Zombucks you receive at the end. It’s a very simple formula, but I rather enjoyed this little romp in particular as it has a rather addictive nature to it. There are four other mini-games that can be unlocked later on, including the very entertaining “Dumpster Dive” and an item-flinging fare where you launch junk at your zombie’s target using the stylus controls. These are not the most innovative mini-games by any means, but each are solid and make collecting Zombucks rather enjoyable.
Back when I first heard of Pet Zombies, my first worry was how the AI would perform as we have seen a ton of pet simulation titles released where the animal (or dead human in this case) just sits there and does nothing unless provoked. Luckily, 1st Playable put a lot of work into making this an engaging experience and these pets are quite the charmers because of it. Most of the time, your zombie will wander around and interact with whatever object you have laid out in the environment. You can also add in an item to spice up the affair, which is where the torturing and interactive elements come in. My favorite tool was the laser pointer, as just like a cat, your zombie will go nuts chasing the light wherever you drag it. Watching a brain-hungry beast slap at a punching bag is also something you must see for yourself, as I watched my dear Bertha (a waitress) get in serious altercations with the inflatable before she eventually gave up and declared the bag the winner. Pet Zombies shines the brightest for it’s moments of humorous interaction, and there is such a large number of items to be unlocked that anyone could easily spend hours just trying to see it all.
Visuals/Audio
I have played the likes of Ocarina of Time, Star Fox 64 3D, and just about everything that the 3DS had to offer, and oddly enough, I feel that Pet Zombies has the best 3D effect I have seen on the platform thus far. This may sound like a strong statement, but the presentation value offered is just that good as it feels that the game was built for the 3D gimmick and not just tacked on later. As I mentioned, this title is a parody. Instead of running up and licking the screen like a Nintendog, your zombie will run to the screen and beat their head on it repeatedly to gain your attention. Every animation offered is just what you would expect to see from a zombie, and that attention to detail shines through with the stunning visuals in the game. There are quite a few well detailed settings to have your undead pal play in as well, and that variation assists in keeping the scenery from getting stale.
Each zombie make the groans and howls that you would expect, and all of which blend well with their pre-set personalities. Hearing your poor, living impaired friend scream when they are on fire doesn’t ever get old and the voice actors who provided these effects did a great job in making everything sound as realistic as possible. The music within however is a bit bland and usually just loops the same eerie tune, so those who are wanting an ear-pleasing soundtrack are best to find the nearest radio. I honestly don’t think that many who pick up Pet Zombies are going to hunger for a orchestrated experience, so this flaw of sorts could be easily overlooked.
Overall
At first glance, Pet Zombies looks like a quick cash-in on two over-saturated markets. Whenever you take a closer look however, all of this parody’s quirky charms and offerings soon shine through. Yes, this isn’t game of the year contender by any means, but that isn’t it’s intention. Everything is simply a jab at the genre as a whole and Pet Zombies thrives at offering a ton of laughs and “brainless” entertainment. The 3D effect works and looks both polished and eye-pleasing as no undead have ever looked this good on a portable. If you are looking to adopt a pet on the 3DS, put down the leash and grab a shovel as these Pet Zombies are worth digging up.
