The forthcoming Pirates of the Caribbean game, Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned has now been cancelled and development on the game has been halted. 100 employees who worked for developers Propaganda Games were layed off, and consequently, the game had to be pulled. The announcement is a unsurprising considering the game had already been delayed from August this year, all the way to sometime in 2011, as well as the obvious question of whether there would be the demand for a Pirates of the Caribbean game without the aid of a linked film release.
On the other hand, it isn’t all bad news. With their project now well and truly ended, the focus of developers working on Pirates of the Caribbean can now be shifted to TRON: Evolution which should result in a better game.
The announcment from Disney Interactive is detailed below:
Disney Interactive Studios confirms the cancellation of the Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned video game which was scheduled to be released in 2011.
As a result of this decision, Disney Interactive Studios completed a restructuring of Propaganda Games, its Vancouver, BC internal studio, affecting one of the studio’s two development teams. The studio is still in active production of TRON: Evolution, the video game, which will be released on December 7, 2010 with additional DLC (downloadable content) support following the game’s release.
Developer : Japan Studios Publisher : Sony Computer Entertainment Release date : September 16, 2010
Genre: Action game
Mode : Single-player
Rating: ESRB: E10+ Buy Now
Developed by Japan Studios, for the Sony Playstation Move, Kung Fu Rider will send you on a wild and whacky ride through the busy Hong Kong Streets as you take on the role of Private detective Toby or his assistant Karin who have been confronted by Triads in Hong Kong. With no other choice Toby and Karin will need to grab their trusty office chairs and make a dash for it using a variety of Move motion commands to steer, jump, dash, kick, duck, and power dash their way through the city while making sure they avoid the triads and obstacles obstructing their way as they make their daring escape.
Kung Fu Rider utilizes the Playstation Move motion controller by performing specific commands. The first mission introduces the player to the control system and provides you with the basics so you can get a feel of how to perform all the moves required to get you through the game. (The Video review below will explain this in further detail ) The moves are not very complicated to learn and the gestures needed to perform these moves are very straight forward. Initially like any game it will take you some time to get your head around the Move controls but once you’ve played a few levels you’ll be racing down the busy Hong Streets waving your hands like crazy to dodge boxes, kick triads and ducking under rails like true Kung Fu Master on a chair 😉
The gameplay in Kung Fu Rider feels like a weird mix of Tony Hawk combined with Crazy Taxi with a pinch of Jacky Chan action movies thrown in for good measure. The Japan Studios have tried hard to create something totally out there and full credit has to be given to them in that department. Graphically Kung Fu Rider reminds me of Shenmue (I was constantly looking for Ryo riding on his motorbike or walking around the streets) a great amount of detail has gone into creating the levels. There are a total of 27 in the game scattered around 6 locations, there’s not much variety as most of the streets are very similar and pretty much always consist of the same old obstacles and people. Crowded streets, and back alley courses filled with objects to manoeuvre around, people, triads and special point bonus pickups that give you a boost to your score and end of level ranking.
One great thing about Kung Fu Rider is that you have the option to casually race through the level dodging and pick up bonuses when ever possible along the way till you to reach the end or you can HARDCORE and go through many of the special gates as possible and at the same time try and pick up all the bonuses that tally up towards obtaining a super high score. There’s also special medals that are hidden on specific levels that are not that easy to find, this will certainly keep you busy and coming back for more if you want to find them.
Check out the video review of the game below which will explain in further detail how the motion controls work. Video review covers the first level of the game that teaches you all the moves needed to get you through the game and a normal stage.
A few features that we would of liked to see but disappointingly are not available is that there’s no online multiplayer. You will have to content yourself with offline multiplayer which is cool but how fun would it be if you could race your mate on the other site of the world. Another feature missing is the inability to record your races and upload them for others to see or even better download the top ranking Riders score and see how they did it and possibly race against his ghost.
Kung Fu Rider is certainly not something you see every day, gameplay is fast and furious, replay value is there for people that want to prove themselves as the best on the online leaderboards but ultimately once you’ve completed the game there is no reason for you to come back for more unless your mates come around and feel like a bit of crazy Hong Kong action for an hour or two.
This weeks downloads coming at you, speedy as a blue hedgehog:
Sonic The Hedgehog 4, Episode I (WiiWare: Sega, 1,500 Wii Points)
Miffy’s World(WiiWare: Pan Vision AB, 1,000 Wii Points)
GO Series, Pinball Attack! (DSiWare: Gamebridge, 500 Nintendo DSi Points)
QuickPick Farmer(DSiWare: Dancing Dots, 200 Nintendo DSi Points)
Academy: Tic-Tac-Toe, Noughts and Crosses(DSiWare: Gamelion Studios, 200 Nintendo DSi Points)
Music on: Playing Piano(DSiWare: Abylight, 200 Nintendo DSi Points)
This week’s headliner is, of course, Sonic The Hedgehog 4, which was released on XBLA and PSN ealier this week on Wednesday, but due to Nintendo’s download system in place, has only seen the light of day on Wii today.
Other games out this week on the service include Miffy’s World, a children’s game which derives from a colourful story book which some may be familiar with from their childhood or if they have small children. Essentially it’s a game for kids, further indicated by time-of-day constraints for when it can be played by developers, designed to help parents to prevent their kids playing at the wrong time of day. For anyone who was wondering, the default limits are that it can only be played from 6.00 am to 9.00pm. There’s also a wide spread of game’s coming to the DSi this week, ranging from puzzlers to music simulators. Check them out if any of them catch your eye.
It’s really no secret about the huge trend of exercising and dance games. The genre has literally exploded within the past year getting those who never even leave their house up and working out with addictive dance-style moves and mini games. The newest entry into the genre is Zumba Fitness which will be hitting all three major consoles this holiday season.
If you are curious to find out what “Zumba Fitness” really is other than the title for the game, here is a bit of history to catch you up.
Created in the 90’s by Miami-based celebrity fitness trainer and Colombian native “Beto” Perez, Zumba® has become the fastest growing fitness program on the planet. Inspired by the traditional Cumbia, Salsa, Samba and Merengue music he grew up with, Beto paired his favorite, pulsating Latin rhythms with the red-hot international dance steps his clients loved and the Zumba Fitness Program was born.
The Zumba® program is a Fitness PartyT with a contagious blend of Latin rhythms and easy-to-follow dance moves that provides an exciting and effective workout to a global community. Through exhilarating, high calorie-burning fitness classes, Zumba has helped melt the pounds and inches off approximately seven-and-a-half million Zumba enthusiasts in 105 countries. Using simple Latin and urban dance moves, Zumba routines successfully tone and sculpt the body while burning fat. Offered in 60,000 class locations worldwide, the Zumba brand also encompasses specialty programs including Zumba Gold (classes for active seniors and de-conditioned participants), Zumba Toning (body-sculpting classes using light weights), Zumbatomic (for kids) and Aqua Zumba® (water-based workouts).
Now that I have caught you up on what to expect in the game as far as the exercising goes, I should also mention the features that Zumba Fitness offers.
Features
Bring the ultimate Zumba Fitness experience home with you in the first interactive game based on the successful brand!
Learn and perfect nine different dance styles: Reggaeton, Merengue, Salsa, Cumbia, Hip-Hop, Mambo, Rumba, Flamenco and Calypso
Includes 30 Zumba routines—some exclusive to the game—designed by Zumba creator Beto and his core group of celebrity instructors
Build strength, tone and endurance as you dance to 30 official Zumba music tracks, some created exclusively for the videogame
Follow your on-screen Zumba instructor’s routine in a high voltage party atmosphere. As you fine tune the steps, the stage transforms and the party and crowd become more dynamic.
Affix the beltto your waist so the the Wii Remote or PlayStation 3 Move wand ride on your hips where the movement originates from. Kinect play is controller free.
Supports up to four players on Wii and Move and up to two players on Kinect (or four turn-based). Team up and try to earn the highest workout score as a group or play against each other in Zumba Attack! Mode for the ultimate fitness dance off.
Dance in a range of venues: learn the basics in the Zumba gym and then take the party to a fantasy night club, an industrial factory, a skyscraper rooftop and a futuristic “Master Jam” stadium
Includes “Learn the Steps” training, Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced routines for all skill levels
Cool post-processed video-based aesthetic brings the party to life
DLC for new routines, dance styles and music packs
Getting gamers in shape can be a tough chore, but this game is looking to offer a real respected routine and the music and motion controls should add to the fun and get the whole family involved which is definitely a huge plus. Zumba Fitness will be available for the Playstation Move, Kinect, and the Nintendo Wii on November 18th. Gamestop also is offering a pre-order bonus of a Zumba wristband while supplies last. Check out the 13 screenshots for the Nintendo Wii below.
Fans of Dragon Ball Z rejoice, because the demo for the sequel to the hit Raging Blast just arrived on Xbox Live. You won’t even have to be a Gold member to download this one. The fights will take place on two different stages; Glacier and Rocky Land.
The fighters are what is extremely important however, as you can play as Ultimate Gohan, Kid Buu, Dabura, and Super Saiyan Goku. These fighters can be fought together in Vs. mode where you can experience the 3D environments attributed to the Raging Blast series.
You can download the demo for Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 here.
There is more to Splatterhouse than just a whole bunch of blood and everything else contained within a living, or unliving body. But what lies underneath all of that splatter? Well a normal house that is, and most likely tons of other places. Ironically this is the first time that there hasn’t been a screenshot that is full of blood or a gore covered protagonist.
Catch the screenshots below, and marvel at the fact that Rick can appear with a whole body, and wonder who that picture could be of. Though we will find out November 23rd when it hits the PS3 and 360.
A while back, we told you about the upcoming Babysitting Mama for the Nintendo Wii. Unlike other “Mama” games, Babysitting Mama comes with a baby plush which you insert the WiiMote into and interact with the game’s many activities. Featuring in-game boy and girl babies to choose from and more than 40 activities to enjoy such as rocking, bouncing, feeding, bathing, changing, playing with the baby and many more, Babysitting Mama looks to be the perfect game for families this upcoming holiday season.
In honor of the new title, Majesco has launched a full website to promote the game which you can check out at www.babysittingmama.com. On the new site, you can play a baby racing mini-game, watch a gameplay trailer, and get cool downloads featuring gaming’s favorite mama. Babysitting Mama is set to release November 5th exclusively for Wii.
Itching for more explosions and super fast cars? Then you are in luck. Split/Second has already released one FREE DLC pack. Now, you can download one more pack, Survival at the Rock, which includes the Minepit Park track and a new game mode: Survival Race. Survival Race is a re-imagining of Survival mode, except instead of passing semis, players must complete a set number of laps. Survival at the Rock is available now to download for 560 MS points.
STILL not enough action and craziness? Well, you are still in luck because Disney is also releasing two more DLC packs. One of these packs is the Deadline pack, with 4 vehicles. These cars are the Ryback Coyote Special, Cobretti Centaur, Ryback Javelin and Hanzo Kanobo. Deadline also will have Deadline mode (imagine that!) Deadline is clock-based and players can freeze the timer. On November 2, 2010, the Quarry Onslaught pack will be released, which adds a Quarry track and another new game mode, Onslaught. Onslaught will be compatible with single player and multi-player. Players must evade missiles shot from a circling helicopter. This game mode can be played with 9 different tracks in the game.
The third installment of the Professor Layton series, Professor Layton and the Lost Future (also known as Professor Layton and The Unwound Future in the states) is slated for release in Australia October 21st. With over 165 puzzles and brain-teasers and a “smashing” story, Lost Future is sure to be a hit for any fan of the Professor and his youthful sidekick and even welcomes those new to the series with some mind bending puzzles that any fan of Sudoku or Brain Training titles will be sure to love.
Professor Layton and the Lost Future places the professor and his trusted apprentice at the center of a spellbinding adventure after they receive a strange letter sent from 10 years in the future. Players must decipher clues and strive to unlock a time-twisting mystery that threatens to plunge London into chaos.
You can also check out our previous preview here for some more information and pick up the game next week on the 21st exclusively for the Nintendo DS.
Big surprise! Halo Reach has some DLC coming out for it on November 30th and it has been called the Noble Map Pack. The contents of the pack will be three different maps called Tempest, Breakpoint, and Anchor 9. Tempest contains two symmetrical bases, Breakpoint is a frozen lab base, and Anchor 9 is an orbiting space hanger held by the UNSC. Tempest and Breakpoint are for 8-16 players and Anchor 9 is for 2-8.
The cost for these packs will be 800 MSP ($10). Also coming with the maps are 250 more Gamerscore points, though no words on how many achievements will make up that number.
More details on the maps below:
Tempest – “Though we may never fully understand these devices, it is not our nature to leave ancient stones unturned.” This abandoned shoreline facility bends both sea and sky to an unnatural purpose, but the ground itself has quickly become another all too familiar battlefield. Though the two opposing symmetrical bases may never reveal their ancient purpose, both now offer makeshift shelter and access to strategic routes perfectly suited for small and large scale skirmishes alike. Tempest supports 8 – 16 players and offers a variety of modes including Free for All, Team Slayer, Team Objective and Big Team Battle. Tempest also provides players with a huge Forge palette, allowing them to create new custom map variants that can be shared with the community-at-large.
Breakpoint – “ONI officials believe the data buried within this artefact is key to our survival.” Atop this icy precipice, the Invasion continues. These modular archaeological labs were never intended to withstand such a large scale onslaught of Covenant military power, but the information being extracted here may prove vital to humanity’s survival. In response to the imminent Covenant threat, UNSC ground and air assets have been deployed to bolster entrenched Spartan countermeasures. This dig site must yield salvation, or it will become a grave. Breakpoint offers multiplayer mayhem for 8-16 players, and supports the Invasion and Big Team Battle game variants
Anchor 9 – “Orbital dockyards provide rapid refuelling and repairs for a variety of UNSC vessels.” Within the confines of this low orbit dry-dock, UNSC craft undergo rapid repair and rearmament in support of the enduring war effort. But for the small squads of infantry who now fight over the mirrored interior hallways and open central hangar bay, this platform no longer provides any safe harbour – whether the close quarters combat is occurring inside or out of its artificial gravitational field. Anchor 9 allows 2-8 players to face off in game variants including Free for All, Team Slayer and Team Objective
