According to Major Nelson it appears that Microsoft is currently in the process of deleting old Gamertags out of their memory banks. This means that these old dead Gamertags will be able to be used again by those who are interested in using them of course. Now what exactly makes a Gamertag “dead” has not been detailed yet but it is suggested that any account that was linked to an original Xbox will be removed.
Of course this also means that you can now spend the 800 MSP to change your gamertag to whatever you want it to be if the feeling grabs you to try and get a name that you have always wanted, but for some reason was always gone despite all of your efforts to track it down.
So the cat is out of the bag according to Atlus and Catherine is now officially set for a release date some point this summer. Now what can you do after not only teasing fans by saying you wouldn’t release the game overseas, to a few teasing images and then a full blown announcement? Well you release an announcement trailer of course.
Though the trailer itself is in English now there isn’t any voice work, or dialogue in general besides English text so it is currently unknown as to whether or not Catherine will be subbed or dubbed after the localization is completed. The trailer itself shows off some previously seen bits of gameplay and the anime cutscenes that Catherine has been known to feature.
Who, when they heard that Duke Nukem Forever was actually coming out, even thought that it would be receiving anything less than a Mature rating? If so then you certainly don’t know Duke very well considering the fact that many were worried the game would be hit with an Adults Only rating. Thankfully it avoided this stigma but boy does the ESRB have an extremely long summary of all the naughty things that occur during Duke Nukem Forever.
Listed today the description is the longest that I have seen in recent memory from the ESRB and some of the highlights include over the top violence, lap dances, suggestive sexual content and nudity. Oh strippers and sex toys as well. It certainly sounds from the description that Duke Nukem Forever will retain everything that it was known for back in the day and personally I couldn’t be happier. Check out the full description below.
This is a first-person shooter in which players assume the role of Duke Nukem, an action hero who must save Earth from invading aliens. Players use pistols, rail guns, shotguns, explosives, and Duke’s bare hands to attack and kill the alien enemies. The majority of gameplay involves destroying these enemies in frenetic gun and laser battles in order to move on to the next section. Aliens are often decapitated or dismembered when hit, sending large splashes of blood across the ground, surrounding walls, and players’ screen. Some sequences depict more ‘over-the-top’ instances of violence: aliens getting stabbed in the head or impaled; a human soldier bursting into bloody gibs after being tossed through propeller blades. In one sequence, players have the ability to shoot human characters that are trapped in pod-like alien webbing; bodies explode into pieces upon impact. During the course of the game, players enter a strip-club level and view several topless dancers and receive lap dances. A couple of missions within this level require players to recover sex toys and pictures of topless women.
A few sequences strongly imply sexual acts: two women appear to perform fellatio on the central character (e.g., raising their heads from his lap)—though there is no actual depiction of the sex act; Duke moans and leans up against the wall of a bathroom stall (furnished with a hole)—it is implied that a sex act (not depicted) occurs. The game also contains several sexual references and innuendo in the dialogue (e.g., ‘I have hungry—you have big egg ro’ for me, Duke,’ ‘If you supply the dancing, I’ll supply the pole,’ and ‘I’ll need something naughty to play with.’). Duke’s comments range from jokes about colon cleansing to several one-liners about sex and female body parts. Bathroom humor includes the ability to urinate in toilets or urinals and/or pick up feces from toilets and throw it against walls. Players can use both steroid pills and beer as power-ups; when beer is consumed, the screen temporarily blurs. The words ‘f**k,’ ‘sh*t,’ ‘c*ck,’ and ‘a*shole’ appear in dialogue and on-screen text.
Alien Breed 3 Descent concludes the Alien Breed Trilogy that has already been released on the Xbox Live Arcade Marketplace. Recently released on the Playstation 3, this game is the definitive version of the series and the pinnacle of Team 17’s gritty franchise.
The spaceship Leopold has jumped out of hyperspace and collided with a strange vessel. Engineer Theodore J. Conrad and his Artificial Intelligence, Mia, find themselves in a sticky situation. The two spaceships are hurtling to nearby planet’s surface. They have 6 hours to rescue their lives. Complicating this task is the alien invaders who decimate anything that moves. But that is just the story told in the first two games.
Alien Breed 3 starts out with a bang. You have found your nemesis: a human that is now a self created AI and who has offered you immortality. Plus, he has corrupted Mia. You can no longer rely on her expertise to help you. Unfortunately for him though, Theodore Conrad is not interested in this kind of science fiction crap dream of immortality.
Of the series, this game probably has the best story of them all. Although the first two games had interesting plots, this is the game where everything starts to pick up. Although it is just a basic alien shoot’em up with limited character depth, it is still an enjoyable run through a fantasy universe. All in all, this game provides a fantastic conclusion to the trilogy. If you have not played through the first two games, the game will include a cutscene that condenses the two games. When your first start it up, you will be able to view this video and learn all about it, so no worries there. Nevertheless, one of my main complaints about the first two games is still a problem. The monochromatic coloring of the comic book cutscenes are a huge annoyance. They are still in this game, but it seems as though they have been replaced with a bit more actual animated scenes.
Alien Breed 3 Descent is presented in an overhead isometric camera view. One stick controls the body of Conrad; the other one controls your laser sight on a gun. Of course, there are the usual grenades, stun grenades and the like. Some unique weapons are also introduced. While patrolling the halls of a cavernous ship, you must kill all the aliens that surprise attack you. Finding credits to upgrade your weapons or health will benefit you. You can even loot dead bodies to find health packs or credits. Although some camera issues do present themselves, they seem to have been improved slightly from the previous two iterations. On the other hand though, awfully long loading times for respawns have not been addressed at all. A tepid co-op storyline rounds out some of the game’s disappointing aspects.
The game design is lazy, but addictive. For the majority of the game, you will be running around to various computer consoles specified on your map. When you reach them, you have to press X and wait for a few seconds. Other than that, most of your time is merely spent doing the things mentioned above: collecting stuff and shooting aliens. Yet, somehow, I managed to eke out some real fun playing this. It was like a drug – go to a waypoint, tap X, shoot aliens, find stuff, repeat.
A more balanced difficulty curve and some gunplay damage tweaks make this feel more like a game that belongs to this generation. Other advancements to the game include some minor interface changes that create a much less annoying experience. For example, instead of holding down “X” for 5-8 seconds to loot a a body or access a console, the time has been shortened to about 3-5 seconds. That may not seem like a huge deal. However, when you are being besieged by a large creatures, it helps a ton. It also makes the gameplay flow together smoothly. The darkened atmosphere and superb graphics make the atmosphere of the game stand out. It did feel like I was playing in a spooky ship filled with nasty inhabitants and smelly cabins.
Compared to the others, Alien Breed 3 Descent looks like it had a slight graphical overhaul. Nonetheless, Alien Breed has never really had a problem with graphics. Each game uses the Unreal Engine to the full, producing crisp environments and detailed artwork & character models.
In summation, Alien Breed 3 Descent is more or less the same game as its predecessors. There are not any stunning changes to the gameplay, nor are there are radical departures from this generation’s normal style of game. However, Descent is the best of the three. It fixes some of the problems that held the others back. A more thrilling story is also told. For a miserly $10.00, this game will keep you entertained for quite a few hours, but it probably won’t stick with you for much longer after you finish.
Hudson’s sports series is making its first foray onto the 3DS, through Deca Sports Extreme (or as it’s otherwise known elsewhere, Sports Island 3D). As such, the game has been giving a trailer showcasing each of the ten sports on offer. That’s right ten sports: Soccer, Tennis, Basketball, Ice Hockey, Snowball Fighting, Sumo Wrestling, Bowling, Snowmobile Racing, Sport Blowgun and Trampoline.
It will allow players to customise their teams, and as the game progresses new venues will be unlocked. The game promotes a competitive spirit with a four-player mode facilitated either via wireless play or download, with a number of competitive modes offering the chance to compete against each other or work together in teams.
Depending on your area, you can expect the game to come to 3DS in May or June 2011.
Hudson Entertainment may have been absorbed by Konami, but that apparently doesn’t mean we have seen the end of the legacy they built or the end of Hudson Soft as a whole. The company recently announced the Sudoku: The Puzzle Game Collection which will be headed to the 3DS and developed by Hudson Soft. This of course means cameos from favorites such as Bomberman will be very present within the title.
Of course for those of you who simply love the addicting Sudoku game, there is plenty of content that will be packed into this collection. There will be puzzles devised by world-famous puzzle maker Nikoli in four different styles including the standard numerical Sudoku, those being Hashi (Bridges) , Shikaku (Boxes) and Akari (Museum). Also utilizing Nintendo’s “Play Coins”, players who take their 3DS with them will be able earn points which can be exchanged for more challenging puzzles. This is certainly an interesting way to unlock more content and will be a great way to motivate owners of the game to make sure they don’t forget to bring their 3DS with them wherever they may go.
With over 600 different tests in tow and a varied difficulty level, I think I may have to give this one a try as yes, there are a ton of Sudoku themed titles out there, but Sudoku: The Puzzle Game Collection just stands out above what we have seen, not only for it’s 3D effects, but for throwing in some Hudson love. This should also quiet the rumors that Konami isn’t planning to use any of the famed company’s franchises once and for all as well. You can check out the first nine screenshots below.
This week, the Capsule Computers crew consisting of MasterAbbott, Matt, Dustin and Ben start out the news section with a bang. Mortal Kombat has been banned in Australia. Never fear though. We are here to rally the troops and help you get in the action to change gaming history by fighting censorship – Can we break this DEADLY ALLIANCE ?? Or will there be ARMAGEDDON !!
Other than that, we also have exclusive coverage of the recently concluded Armageddon Expo. Reviews of Bulletstorm, Alien Breed and Killzone 3 are also talked about. Are you ready to dive in and learn all about the latest news & reviews?
Also, don’t be doomed to a boring week; watch out for a sur-PRIZE code during the ‘cast!
As usual, please send your emails to [email protected]. We will read them next week! Thanks.
Did you know that there is going to be a Burgertime HD? I sure didn’t up until now. But that is exactly what has popped up under a recent rating on the ESRB‘s website. Monkeypaw Games are now giving this age old classic a complete overhaul by the sounds of it, with all the bun-crushing action a player could ask for.
Here is a look at the officially rating which gives a small tidbit of information:
BurgerTime HD
Platform: Windows PC, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360
Rating: Everyone
Content descriptors: Comic Mischief
Rating summary:
This is an action-platformer in which players assume the role of a small chef who must assemble giant hamburgers. Players must avoid ‘cartoony’ hazards (e.g., grill flames, spikes traps) and oversized enemies (e.g., carrots, apple cores, hot peppers) in each level. The chef blinks and falls off-screen when hit; enemies react to damage with a ‘dizzying’ effect.
Of course nothing is known other than the platforms and that this title is sure to be strictly a digital release at the moment, but I look for that to change soon. From the description, it sounds about the same gameplay-wise and hopefully Peter Pepper will be reprising his role. I have some very fond memories of BurgerTime (I actually just bought an old Midway Collection just for that title alone recently), so I cannot wait to see how exactly this reboot will go. For now though I would say just stay tuned for more information.
Looks like that sure didn’t take long. After less than 24 hours from when Gamestop put up a listing for the game on their website Atlus has released a image confirmation that Catherine would be released in the U.S. for both the Xbox 360 and the PS3, making every console holder very happy. This comes after a previous image released that asked fans if they still liked Atlus.
Catherine will be released some point this summer and will hopefully suffer zero censorship in its trip overseas. It begs the question as to whether or not the difficulty patch will be automatically applied to the U.S. release since the patch is currently in the works for the Japanese version of the game. Either way it looks like everyone will be able to play one of the strangest and most intriguing puzzle games I have ever seen. Also better hope that the boxart isn’t censored either.
2K Sports has today announced that Major League Baseball 2K11 is finally coming to Australia and New Zealand. MLB 2K11 is set to be released in Australia and New Zealand on March 18th exclusively for the Xbox 360 at a retail price of $99.95. Unfortunately Australian and New Zealand gamers will miss out on the $1 million Perfect Game Challenge that the US will be repeating again this year. MLB 2K11 will feature the new Dynamic Player Rating System which automatically update in-game baseball player’s statistics with their real world counterpart, along with a revamped fielding system and tweaks to the My Player mode.
