Rather than release a small teaser for each character, Capcom has decided to go completely over the top for the latest cinematic trailer for Street Fighter X Tekken. The video is similar to the one released a few months ago which introduced Poison and Hugo. In the video from Famitsu we see two of the more portly fighters getting into confrontation with one another after Street Fighter’s Rufus mistakes Tekken’s Bob Richards for Ken Masters.
After they fight into the restaurant we also see the big Russian Zangief get a little bit of screen time himself. The fight all takes place inside Tekken’s Marshall Law’s Diner, though he wasn’t actually shown. If Capcom can make interesting story cinematics to advertise the game, perhaps they could actually make legitimate story for this title as well.
Time to roll that monkey on the go as Sega has annpunced a new Super Monkey Ball for the Playstation Vita. It has been designed esclusively with the Vita in mind, taking advantage of the motion controls, front touch screen and the rear touch pad, as well as for allowing traditional controls. Expect AiAi, MeeMee, Baby and GonGon to be present in the game.
The game will also feature all-new worlds, original mini-games and updated graphics, adding a fresh new vibrancy to Super Monkey Ball. Players can manage each monkey’s momentum to navigate narrow ledges, moving platforms and loads of challenging obstacles. Roll your chosen ape to the goal by taking full advantage of the capabilities offered by the Vita handheld console, and challenge up to four friends in Wi-Fi enabled multiplayer modes. Fans can also enjoy revamped classic games such as the much-loved Monkey Target, along with other exciting brand new additions.
“Since evolving onto the current generation of consoles, the Super Monkey Ball franchise has always offered innovative game design, challenging the hardware capabilities for all the consoles it has released on” said Gary Knight, Senior Vice President of Marketing at SEGA Europe and SEGA of America. “Super Monkey Ball on PlayStation Vita is a great opportunity to experience the exciting features that the PlayStation Vita offers, and the SEGA development team are bringing a exciting new experience whilst staying true to the franchise.”
The game will see a release in 2012. Are you excited by a Super Monkey Ball on the Vita? Leave your comments below.
Since the DLC was released as a time exclusive on the Xbox 360 last month, some news came in today that should surprise absolutely nobody, the release date for the PlayStation 3 and PC versions of Call of Duty: Black Ops’ Rezurrection DLC has been announced. Releasing on September 22nd, the package will contain five zombie maps, four being fancy looking old maps and one quite fun Moon level as well as a number of new Trophies.
This DLC will cost Activision’s lovely price of $14.99 and they will be offering double experience points on the same weekend so that CoD fans can prestige even higher than they are right now. That is if you aren’t already all maxed out of course.
If you took part in the Gears of War 3 beta back in April then you may have unlocked a gold plated retro lancer. But if you only sampled the beta and didn’t unlock the skins, or just never took part in it then don’t worry, you will still be able to get yourself a gold weapon in the form of a gold plated chainsaw death machine and hammerburst if you play online during the game’s launch week.
The US Air Force is sponsoring “Gears of War 3 Golden Wings Week” which will be between Spetember 20th until the 26th and anyone who goes online will unlock the Golden Lancer and Golden Hammerburst weapon skins. Which means if you unlocked the Golden Retro Lancer in the beta then you will be decked out with three golden weapon skins. Of course there are also thousands of launch events taking place all over the world at different retailers for midnight releases if you feel like bonding with fellow Gears enthusiasts.
With all of the releases on portables as of late, Camping Mama: Outdoor Adventures kind of snuck up on us. If you are unfamiliar with this latest entry into the famous Mama series, this game has players take control of either Mama’s son or daughter and perform outdoor tasks for both Mama and Papa. Mini-games are the most prominent element of Camping Mama, and players will have to build fires, cook food, and interact with the elements as this happy family enjoy the outdoor life.
Other features include:
• Based on the best-selling Cooking Mama franchise that has sold more than 8 and a half million units in North America alone, Camping Mama: Outdoor Adventures allows players to explore the camp site and island as they play a mix of stylus-based cooking, crafting, treasure hunting, and action mini-games in the signature Mama format.
• Play through 38 levels with 100 brand new mini games as Mama’s son or daughter with either Mama or Papa on hand to provide guidance.
• Participate in activities including rock climbing, swinging on jungle vines, spelunking, rowing a boat, tree climbing, and more.
• Use items in mini-games to survive in the woods – craft a fishing pole to fish, sharpen knives and axes with stones you’ve collected, make a fire to cook shellfish you’ve caught, cook the eggs collected from captured chickens to eat, set up your camping tent to sleep in, construct a net to catch butterflies, and much more!
• Experience nature in a variety of settings, such as the Forest, Mountains, and Seas in day, night, snow, and more!
• Find treasure that you can use in further adventures, or even to decorate your camp.
• Collect insects, fish, treasure, and more, and then survey your collection in your scrap book. Aim to find everything!
• Perfect mini games you’ve unlocked in Challenge Mode.
Personally, seeing another Mama game come out is fine by me as these titles appeal to all audiences due to the addictive gameplay elements within and are great for introducing the little ones to gaming in general. You can check out the very jolly trailer for the game below, and Camping Mama: Outdoor Adventures launches on the DS September 13th, which is tomorrow for those keeping track.
Those hoping to play some more games with everyone’s favorite electric yellow rodent should be glad to hear that Nintendo is working on yet another PokePark title for the Wii. Andriasang reports that the latest issue of Coro Coro Comics has some details about the title, named PokePark 2 Beyond the World. It will be released on the Wii this Winter in Japan.
The first PokePark title was released in December of 2009 and had players playing as Pikachu on a mini-game filled island with other various Pokemon. The game will feature four player multiplayer as well as other main characters to play as instead of Pikachu. I’m sure there is no doubt that this game will end up being released in the West as well, as everyone here loves Pokemon.
We’ve seen a few screenshots and learned a little bit about what the game will be like when it is released sometime in the future. But now we finally have a gameplay trailer for Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy and I can probably speak for most Final Fantasy fans when I say that Theatrhythm looks like it will be a great experience.
The game will be focused around rhythm gameplay, where players will have to use the touchscreen to input taps and swipes at the right times. The highlight of this footage is the fact that there will be footage used from the original games during some of the songs which is a perfect way to get fans interested and definitely strike the nostalgia chord.
SkyDrift
Developer: Digital Reality
Publisher: NAMCO BANDAI Games
Platforms: XBLA (reviewed), PSN, PC
Release Date: September 7, 2011
Price: 1200 MSP – (Available Here)
Overview
Upon first glance SkyDrift reminded me of an avian Hydro Thunder. Normally played in arcades, Hydro Thunder incorporates racing of high tech speed boats. Well, these aren’t speed boats. SkyDrift takes racing to the next level by utilizing dual stick controls for maneuverability. Not many racing games promote the use of a barrel roll.
Gameplay
Upon entering the race selection screen, you are able to undergo a tutorial session that discusses the base game mechanics. The left control stick provides left, right, up, and down movement while the right trigger propels the plane forward. Honestly, I hardly take my finger off the gas and rarely choose to use the left trigger to break. “If you ain’t first, you’re last!” (Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby)
Being able to use the basic controls is important, but maneuvering becomes a little more tricky. The right control stick provides rotation for the plane. Adjusting the wings offers a quicker change in direction and the ability to fit through rock formations. A key aspect to consider when making immediate turns is to slow down – something I fail to do. Utilizing the break can save you from an unnecessary explosion.
A unique feature in the game is adding boost to your plane’s speed. A boost meter is provided for players in order to gain a possible edge over opponents. Once depleted, the meter can only be refilled by flying close to the ground or by recycling item pick-ups.
SkyDrift becomes a more complex game by adding power items. A player may hold two items at any time and can upgrade them by flying through the same item twice. For example, the missile power-up fires a missile at a locked-on opponent. After upgrading this item, it has the ability to fire out multiple missiles to create an even greater devastation. I was playing a last man standing match and held on to my upgraded missile. Nearing the finish line I unleashed total fury and won within the last five seconds. I was pumped and even was awarded a medal winning in that fashion.
Power-ups can aid you in other ways than destroying your opponents. If a missile has been fired in your direction, you can pop up a shield and negate the damage done to your plane. Or you could be taking direct machine gun fire and in need of repairs. By using the wrench power-up, your fiery plane will be restored to its former glory. Crashing after using this item would only add insult to injury. Alternatively, all power-ups can be recycled into useable boost. Recycle enough items to receive a medal for your boosting efforts.
Each plane is given its own personal attributes. The player can choose their preference on using a combination of speed, acceleration, durability, boost power, and maneuverability. My personal favorite planes have more speed and acceleration than any other attribute. While this may make me faster than most planes, I have a greater chance of flying into walls and not have as precise turning. New planes unlock with completing stages, so you don’t have to stay committed to the same plane. Even new skins can be unlocked but have no altering effects. At least you can customize how you want your plane to look.
With different game modes like power race, speed race, and survivor, plane choice could be a critical decision. In a speed race, the determining factor is navigating through rings that increase your speed. Having increased turning power and speed helps immensely in this mode. Power race is a combination of speed and power items usage. You can rely solely on your speed to carry you through the race, but your plane will be targeted several times by unyielding opponents. Any plane is capable of winning at any mode, but you must keep in mind how to use them accordingly. Survivor mode is perhaps the most difficult of the three. Players are continually eliminated by being last in the line-up after consecutive countdowns. Basically, the last man standing takes home the trophy. Utilizing power-ups is a necessity in order to be successful in survivor mode otherwise prepare for elimination. Attain a rank of 3rd or better in campaign to unlock new stages and planes.
While the campaign is able to hold its own, the multiplayer has potential. Finding players online may be sporadic and time consuming. I tend to be impatient when it comes to any waiting periods, and the multiplayer did not help. Since you can play with 2-8 players online, you can be matched up with a single opponent. I felt that a head-to-head match on survivor mode is a ridiculous notion, and CPU opponents should be added to increase playability. Otherwise after the first round of elimination the match is over – very frustrating.
Graphics/Audio
The environments are highly detailed. Digital Reality did well to making every art asset visually appealing and offer enjoyable sceneries to play through. Whether you are flying through an industrial park or a shipwreck, your eyes are continually monitoring the screen for any obstacle.
Using your boost will cause your plane to go faster and additionally cause blurriness to your outer peripherals. This helps create a believable feeling of achieving higher speeds while showing a bit of realism. If you are attaining such speeds, won’t you be more focused on what is in front of you anyway?
The music score is nothing special to discuss nor is it degrading. The background music is simply masked over the action packed sound effects of each plane. And you shouldn’t expect to go on a joyride in this game. Plan on being challenged at every crevice and avoiding near death collisions. Even though the explosions are cool.
Overall
While mimicking an arcade classic, SkyDrift offers players more by incorporating an arsenal of weapons to literally decimate each other. Mastering dual stick controls may prove to be difficult but creates a challenge that most gamers won’t pass up.
The campaign is probably the game’s strongest asset. Requiring ranked wins to unlock new stages, SkyDrift provides a challenging experience for any gamer. While the multiplayer relies on active online members, I would bet to see more traffic in the near future. SkyDrift is a neat racing game that everyone should get their hands on.
Developer of Heavy Rain, Quantic Dream’s co-founder Guillaume de Fondaumiere has a more than a little problem with used games. That picture there may as well be him pointing the gun at used games. Guillaume de Fondaumiere told GI.biz that the company has lost quite a large amount of money supposedly from used game sales since the relase of their title Heavy Rain.
Fondaumiere said that the company has “basically sold to date approximately two million units” but thanks to “the trophy system that probably more than three million people bought this game and played it.” Because of these numbers he says that “On my small level it’s a million people playing my game without giving me one cent. And my calculation is, as Quantic Dream, I lost between €5 and €10 million worth of royalties because of second hand gaming.”
While this can be seen as a relatively decent argument, it also is a rather poor one. The numbers do not factor in multiple account households, people renting the title (which is justifiable considering its length) and lending the game to friends. After hearing this, it seems that some developers are losing touch with consumers.
Shadow the Hedgehog made his debut on the Dreamcast in 2001’s Sonic Adventure 2, and quickly became a very popular character amongst Sonic fans. The anti-hero has been one of the few new editions to the recent Sonic roster to be so happily embraced, and as a result even scored his own self-titled game in 2005. Occasionally known as “The ultimate life form” he is often seen with a Chaos Emerald, of which he has the ability to distort time and space using his signature technique “Chaos Control.” With speed that also rivals Sonic, this guy is one tough rival!
After recently announcing Metal Sonic for Sonic Generations, today SEGA has released this render of Shadow and has announced he will be a rival appearing in the upcoming game where he is sure to be a challenge! Little is known of his role within the game, but I think it’s safe to assume he’ll be a boss in at least one stage, but weather if he’ll be playable or not is unknown. Stay tuned as more rivals are yet to be announced-hopefully some more classic ones to help celebrate 20 years of everybody’s favourite blue hedgehog!
