Gametrailers has managed to snag some footage directly from the ComicCon floor that exhibits not only complete flatulence assault, but a variety of other features that have been improved in the time between Fable 2 and Fable 3. We see how you can lead other characters along, some customization features, and even a brawl with the local populace. This footage only makes me want October 26th to come even faster so I can have this game in my hands.
That was quick! Capcom has already released some of the first screenshots as well as a press release on the new Street Fighter X Tekken that has been announced. These two titles coming together is sure to be a moment that arcade fighting fans have been waiting for since the loss of the coin-op arcades over the years.
Utilising the same technology that powered Street Fighter IV & Super Street Fighter IV, Tekken characters such as Kazuya Mishima and Nina Williams will make the transition into the Street Fighter universe having been re-imagined using the much loved art style of these seminal titles; while retaining their unique characteristics and signature moves as they go head to head with classic brawlers from the Street Fighter franchise in what promises to be the ultimate match up.
As in Street Fighter IV, gameplay will feature fully realised 3D character models battling for domination in both new and familiar highly detailed 2D environments that are brought to life with engaging animations. In addition to modes such as Versus and Training that will feature new enhancements to make the fighting experience more in-depth and enjoyable, Street Fighter X Tekken will include Tag Team combat where players select two fighters to deliver knockout assist attacks and special combos.
News that should make everyone run out and get the best arcade stick they can find. We already have Blazblue Continuum Shift, Marvel vs Capcom 3, and now Street Fighter X Tekken coming soon. Once the first-person shooter ruled this generation of gaming, now it seems arcade fighting is making the biggest comeback in history.
Check out the new screens and trailers below, and be sure to get into the conversation. What do you think about the new Street Fighter X Tekken titles coming out?
Parking Mania
Developer:Mobirate
Publisher:Chillingo Games
Platform: iPhone (Reviewed), iPad
Last Updated: April 9th, 2010
Price: $0.99 – Buy Now!!!!
Overview:
Parking is a task that we all do every single day of our lives if we are a driver. There’s parking in your own driveway, parking in the parking lot, and even dreaded parallel parking. Everyone does it so much it is practically common place in our lives. However that is real life, what if you could take your parking skills and place them in a simple iPhone game? Plus even take a chance at parking big rigs through hair pin turns? Sounds like a good time to me.
Graphics:
There is a nice appeal when it comes to simple graphics now and then. Especially in a time when fancy three dimensional iPhone games are all the rage, a well designed 2D game can truly take the breath away. This goes double for Parkina Mania, especially considering any other take on the game’s 2D graphics would be crippling. There is even a nice touch when the game levels change to night time driving, where you will be forced to play by only a few lights in the road and the rest of the screen will appear dark.
You have a top down view from the sky as you drive whichever vehicle you must park for the level is. The fact that these graphics are extremely solid and colorful makes this all the more appealing. From the fast sports car to the slow moving and awkward semi truck & trailer each car contains its own charm and performs very smoothly without issue. Collisions are sensed perfectly when your vehicle connects with an obstacle or another car, with only an occasional error that sometimes arises when towing a trailer.
Gameplay:
Your job is never quite explained, but the entirety of the game revolves around parking cars and other modes of transportation. As you get further along the levels you will find more difficult challenges, and even those that require you to park more than one car after the first one has been safely parked in it’s space.
There are three different options for controlling your vehicle, a basic steering wheel which is perhaps the most realistic feeling option, but also falls under a very troublesome way of controlling the cars instead of the other two options. You will also have the option to have a dragging wheel which will turn the car left or right depending which way you simply slide the bar which makes it much simpler and perhaps the best option to begin with.
My favorite and perhaps the most immersive controlling option is the use of the Accelerometer which uses left and right tilts of the iPhone to sense which way to turn. Plus the speed in which you can drive your vehicle, or reverse if you must is handled with a gas pedal on the right side of the screen, or left if you so happen to flip the controls which is a handy feature for those of us that are left handed.
Levels are controlled via objectives that can be seen by pressing the M at the top left corner, and following arrows which help guide your car to it’s destination. Once you arrive in a certain area you must park on the flashing green parking spot to accomplish a successful park job. There are also coins spread throughout the levels which provide extra money and points at the end of any level. Your score is also handled via a formula that factors the time you spent, any additional money obtained, and the amount of crashes you still had left.
As with any good game, you can fail as well. Failure occurs when you have smashed your vehicle into any obstacle or other vehicle on the road. Most often you will be able to crash five times into obstacles, but any accident with another vehicle will immediately start the level over. Other cars do so happen to be an issue occasionally, however they are just adept at driving as you wish to be. This is seen when they stop and honk their horn in an effort to not crash into your car. Accidents still do happen but if they do, it is primarily your own driving skill to blame.
Occasionally there will be a time when you may start the application perfectly fine, and begin a level thinking to jump immediately in. However in some instances the game is known to crash to the iPhone menu and does so often enough to be a problem. Though I never experienced this problem when going from level to level, only when selecting the first level I wished to play.
Overall:
With a fun appearance and interesting controls Parking Mania is an expert game when it comes to being a time waster. There is no storyline to speak of, and there is absolutely no gameplay involved beyond parking vehicles, so don’t delve much deeper into the game expecting more than that. You will be hard pressed to find any other driving game which handles parking in such an efficient manner however. There are a few issues with actual game crashes, but these are far and few between.
I give Parking Mania
Capcom knows how to pack a punch in the industry with crossovers in all shapes in sizes over the years. SNK VS Capcom, Marvel vs Capcom, and Now Tekken VS Street Fighter! Announced at Comic-Con today gamers everywhere are rejoicing upon news that “Street Fighter vs Tekken” AND “Tekken vs Street Fighter”, one developed by Capcom, the other by Namco are now officially coming our way! Namco and Capcom came together and created these two brand new entries into the gaming world which is sure to have fighting fans up in celebration.
The possibilities are now endless when it comes to fighting game crossovers. We knew something big was coming from the San Diego Comic-Con involving Namco and Capcom was in the works but this is exciting to hear without a doubt. Besides the ability to have 2 vs 2 combat, not much else is known right now. We will keep you updated on this awesome news as it is released!
Capcom today revealed two more characters for Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds.
On the Marvel side, get ready to wield Thor’s hammer along with already announced Marvel characters Deadpool, Hulk, Wolverine, Iron Man, Captain America, Doctor Doom and Super Skrull. On the Capcom side, Okami’s wolf god Amaterasu joins already announced Dante, Ryu, Morrigan, Chris Redfield, Felicia, Trish and Chun-Li.
Get set for the ultimate 3-on-3 faceoff when Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds hits Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 in Spring 2010.
At the International Comic-Con 2010, Visceral Games announced two all-new products in the Dead Space franchise; Dead Space Aftermath and Dead Space Salvage.
Dead Space Aftermath is an animated feature that explains what happened during the first-responder mission to Aegis VII. Dead Space Salvage is a graphic novel that tells the story of a rogue group of miners who come across the dilapidated USG Ishimura. Aftermath and Salvage will be available in summer 2010, as part of the pre-launch campaign for Dead Space 2, which won 17 awards at the Electronic Entertainment Expo including ‘Best Action/Adventure Game’ from top media outlets including Game Informer, GameSpot, GameSpy and Machinima.com.
“It is tremendously inspiring to see Dead Space continually expand to more media. It has always been our goal to experience the universe through multiple lenses and our vision is being realized. The Dead Space world is living, breathing, and terrifying. We couldn’t be more excited about these new offerings,” said Steve Papoutsis, Executive Producer of the Dead Space franchise.
The animated feature, Dead Space Aftermath centers on the Aegis VII disaster and explores how the Government sends an unwitting crew of people to get exposed to Marker shards. The Government is secretly trying to produce a viable “Marker blueprint” carrier, no matter the costs. Dead Space Aftermath is being developed by Starz/Film Roman and will be available in January 2011.
The graphic novel Dead Space Salvage tells the story of the Magpies, who discover an abandoned mining ship, the USG Ishimura. Their once-fortunate luck turns into a catastrophe as they realize they’re in the middle of a living nightmare. Not only is the Government racing to claim the Ishimura, but the necromorphs are also reanimating across the ship. Dead Space Salvage will feature the unique visual style of fantasy and sci-fi artist, Christopher Shy. Dead Space Salvage is being published by IDW and will be available in December 2010.
In Dead Space 2, engineer Isaac Clarke battles his own dementia while fighting to save himself and dominate the relentless necromorph onslaughts. Players will see Isaac fight bigger, scarier and more epic battles that will keep them on the edge of their seats. Dead Space 2 will be available January 2011 on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and the PC.
We already brought a story of the new adventure “Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom” today (CLICK HERE to view the preview) but Namco also has eight other games coming out this year. I will now run all of our readers through what can be expected in this awesome line-up!
Active Life Explorer
Release Date: Fall 2010
Console(s):Nintendo Wii
Using the Wii Mat which will be available in a bundle upon release,(game also will be sold separately for those who have the mat) players will explore twilight jungles, ancient ruins, lava-flooded caves, frozen ice packs and more while looking for treasure. Each themed level will have many obstacles and traps to overcome as well.
Up to 8 players can play in cooperative or competitive modes with difficulties being changeable depending on the skill of each gamer involved. Free Play will offer access to individual challenges and the game will also feature Treasure Trials Mode which will let players try their hand at challenging objectives to complete putting their skills to the test.
“ACTIVE LIFE EXPLORER takes the ACTIVE LIFE series’ signature full-body motion gameplay to new frontiers,” said Todd Thorson, director of marketing and public relations at NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. “With a fresh set of challenges based on exhilarating treasure hunting quests, great escapes and thrill-seeking crusades, the game keeps pulses pounding and offers a fun way to get everyone active.”
The Active Life series is nothing new for the Wii, and if you are looking for a good family title or something to play while entertaining friends this could be for you.
Clash of the Titans
Release Date: (US) July 27th, 2010 (Now Available for AU & EU)
Console(s): Xbox 360, Playstation 3
Based on the upcoming blockbuster, Clash of the Titans will put gamers in control Perseus who is on a quest for vengeance against the god of the underworld, Hades, after Hades killed his family.
Players will have over 80 customizable sub-weapons to help with their journey has they run into over 80 different mythical beasts such as Medusa and the Kraken. The game can also be completed with a friend. Traveling through the beautiful scenery of mountains to the dark abandoned lost temple, you can now complete Perseus’ quest straight from the film which is scheduled to hit DVD along side the much anticipated release for the 360 and PS3.
Clash of the Titans has already went gold in video game sales worldwide, and with the US release hitting just in a few days, even more success is almost a sure thing.
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
Release Date: October 8th, 2010
Console(s): Xbox 360, Playstation 3
In this new action/adventure, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West will take players on a journey as two unique characters,Monkey and Trip. The two will form a surprising alliance to make their way through a post-apocalyptic America. The game will feature an engrossing storyline with the complex stories of the main characters, as well as the gameplay featuring a mix of combat, strategy and environmental exploration.
For those wanting something different and exciting to play later this year, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West will be a top choice. A cinematic gaming masterpiece inspired by the classic Chinese novel “Journey to the West,” Enslaved features Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings, King Kong) as dramatic co-director and lead character Monkey, a story co-written from the pen of Alex Garland (The Beach, 28 Days Later), and music by acclaimed composer Nitin Sawhney.
Knights Contract
Release Date: TBA 2011
Console(s): Xbox 360, Playstation 3
Horror AND Fantasy. This mix of genre has always appealed to me. Knights Contract is a new Fantasy-Horror which will be set in the time of magic and swordsmen. The game promises to bring stylized over-the-top action into full play into the fantasy filled world.
Knights Contract follows the twisted tale of Heinrich, an immortal executioner, and Gretchen, a resurrected witch. Once the victim of Heinrich’s blade by the order of the game’s antagonist, Dr. Faust, Gretchen now has him under her control as the two must work together to rid the land of the supernatural foes who are cursing its people with the black spell of death.
With witchcraft and brutal power, players will use these techniques to restore order to the land. You can also unleash devastating finishing moves and damage your foes in many ways. However, players must also keep a close eye on Gretchen as her mortality is the key to the duo’s survival as Heinrich can never be vanquished. It’s time to let the combos fly and lay waste to the hordes of darkness with a liberal dose of medieval panache.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2
Release Date: Fall 2010
Console(s): Xbox 360, Playstation 3
Naruto fans can rejoice as Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 is releasing this fall. Over 40 characters from the much loved series will be playable in this newest installment. One of them has been announced as Lars from the Tekken series who was added as an unlockable with his Tekken 6 costume designed by Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto.
Ultimate Ninja STORM 2 faithfully recreates the anime series and envelops players into the mythical world of ninja with new expansive environments, missions, battle systems and gameplay modes. While there are two sides to every story, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 has three. Encompassing the Naruto Shippuden story arc, the game has a deep three-part story mode that have players living different as well as daring ninja lives through the eyes of Naruto, Sasuke and Jiraya.
Whether you are a huge Naruto fan or just have a love of explosive fast paced battles with the classic anime flare, this game is a strong fighter in this year’s huge list of releases.
Dragonball: Raging Blast 2
Release Date: Fall 2010
Console(s): Xbox 360, Playstation 3
Another huge anime video game release this year will be Dragonball: Raging Blast 2. This sequel will be even more packed than the original Raging Blast, featuring over 90 characters! 20 are new to the Raging Blast Series so this will be an excellent addition to the already huge franchise.
The story will be told with traditional cut-scenes which will please the fans of the series as all will stay true to the popular anime. Destructibility of environments is nothing new no any Dragonball game, but now as you destroy the familiar worlds, it will have more of an effect on your gameplay.
Running at 60fps, the game produces faster and smoother animations than ever before, further enhanced by countless new visually stunning special effects. With seven game modes, original Japanese voices, loads of incredible unlockable treats, fully optimised 5.1 sound, ultra-realistic HD visuals, dazzling never-before-seen visual and camera effects, and a new combo system, the latest chapter in the irrepressible saga will be an unmissable treat for fans.
Pac-Man Party
Release Date: Fall 2010
Console(s): Nintendo Wii
Gamers have always argued about the most popular series of all time, and one of the top contenders has always been Pac-Man. 30 Years ago, Pac-Man graced arcades everywhere, gobbling up quarters and ghosts everywhere, causing players to battle for their three initials on the top ten leaderboard. Pac-Man Party is set to come out on the Wii and bring traditional Pac-Man play to a whole new generation with many new features.
With over 45 new mini-games players can go in alone or with friends on all sorts of new challenges with the yellow hero and all of his friends. Depending on a player’s mood, they can select three modes of play. Story mode gives players the opportunity to explore all the game board worlds and meet new characters. Mini-Game mode offers a quick fix for those who want the sudden rush of competition without the commitment. Party mode provides a more in-depth party experience that has up to four friends traveling across different themed boards in a race to collect the most points. To raise the stakes a bit more, players can strategically build and develop property on any given space which will increase their wealth and provide the quickest route to victory. To help level the playing field and to encourage big comebacks, Power Cookies can be unleashed to increase a characters size or put extra force and speed behind each movement.
Adding a bit of retro flavor, PAC-MAN Party will also feature a Classic mode where players can kick it like it was the 1980’s and experience the original arcade versions of PAC-MAN, Galaga and Dig-Dug.
Time Crisis: Razing Storm
Release Date: Fall 2010
Console(s): Playstation 3
Grab your gun and get ready for the newest addition to the Time Crisis series. Time Crisis: Razing Storm will use both the Playstation Move motion controller or Guncon Controller for precise gameplay.
As apart of an elite special operations unit, you must set out to capture the mastermind of a terrorist group planning to start war with the United States.
Time Crisis: Razing Storm will feature extensive gameplay modes that combine the series’ traditional shooting action with fully destructible environments. Arcade Mode will provide the perfect coin-op adaptation as players experience the adrenaline rush of defeating a chaotic onslaught of enemies. Much like the arcade experience, a friend can drop in and out at any time during the action. In Story Mode, players are able to freely move about the stages as a member of the elite Delta Team. With an arsenal of weapons at their disposal, players can navigate through different areas and silence anyone or anything that stands in their path. They can also strategically take cover behind objects, as well as lock onto enemies with the new Auto Look function.
New to the series, a multiplayer Online Battle Mode will allow up to eight players from around the world to participate in cooperative and competitive fun. For a change in pace offline, Sentry Mode offers up to four players the opportunity to stop prisoners from escaping during a penitentiary riot that unfolds in the beginning of the main story.
What a year this will be from Namco. It seems every type of gamer will have something for them from classic arcade titles to fantasy and adventure epics. With rumors floating around of even more titles as well, keep checking back to see reviews and even more news as these titles release throughout the year!
DeathSpank
Developer: Hothead Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts Inc.
Platform: XBLA (Reviewed), PSN, PC
Genre: Action, Adventure, Role Playing
Price: 1200 MSP – Buy Now!!!!
Overview:
Justice! Justice is what you seek in Deathspank. But how you go about obtaining Deathspank’s own brand of justice is a very unique journey. HotHead Games has developed the latest action RPG to hit the XBLM and it is one of the most unique games you will end up finding on the Marketplace. Think of the mass enemy slaying of Diablo, and the amount of various odd items and their uses from the Monkey Island series, and you combine them together to create Diablo Island, I mean Deathspank!
Story:
Deathspank has only one goal in mind when he starts his adventure, and that is obtaining “The Artifact.” What is this artifact you say? What of the dark forces that are approaching the same Artifact that you seek? You will have to wait and see but as your standard story twist goes, there isn’t much to go off of with the storyline basis. The part where the game truly shines, is the way it expresses the story.
Everything in Deathspank is treated with a tongue in cheek manner. Literally everything you do will have some sort of comedic element adapted to the circumstances around you. This isn’t even your standard run of the mill jokes about small characters or about the hero Deathspank, those are there too but there are quite literally thousands of laughs to be had when you play through the story.
To further the humor, every time you meet a character to converse with, it opens up a treasure trove of comedic responses made by both the NPCs and Deathspank’s past accomplishments. You may occasionally wonder exactly what they are talking about due to the way it is treated, but you will never be lost as you navigate through the various dialogue choices due to the amount of detail and writing that was put into making everything flow, despite the looniness of it all.
All in all, with all the laughs to be had in a full playthrough you can complete the game nearly 100% with about seven hours worth of play time. Which is a huge benefit for a game that is on the Marketplace like this, and for the price that they are asking. There are a plethora of different side quests to do, which expand the game time even further.
Graphics:
Deathspank presents a lovely little world wrapped up in something that you would see out of Super Paper Mario almost. The character models and some parts of the environment contain 3D objects but for the most part, various things will be seen in 2D. Rather than seeming out of place however, with the cartoonish graphics being as they are you will find this mixture of the two very intriguing and perfectly matching in the games world.
The world itself is extremely varied, and colorful to boot. Every area you traverse as DeathSpank will have a unique feel to it. Though there is a bit of a problem when a large amount of action is occurring on the screen at once, the frame rate does begin to suffer. This is especially noticeable during Justice Meter attacks.
Gameplay:
As you enter the world of DeathSpank you will be thrown right into a small battle after the opening narrative. The way combat works is very simple to control, if not a bit repetitive. There are four different weapon slots that you can equip at one time, and each one is mapped to the face buttons; A, B, X, and Y. D-pad is able to take care of the health care items and various spell orbs.
In a large way the combat takes up the entirety of the game, whether you are shooting at one simple enemy, or beating away waves of enemies with a boot attatched to a hammer. The combat does eventually begin to fall into a very dull category simply because many enemies are beatable simply through button mashing. Orb spells and help from heaven do add in some variety but they are better seen as small alternatives compared to simply beating those vicious chickens to death.
The “Justice Meter” is an interesting special move which will change depending which weapon you have to use it with, but not all weapons will contain this special ability. This meter is filled through the beating of enemies which means that you will often be performing a special attack when you are slaughtering your foes in the name of Justice.
And slaughtering your enemies will drop loot, so much loot you could probably fill a landfill with all of the things you will be obtaining. There is a plethora of gears and weapon that you will obtian in your search for Justice and The Artifact. So much so that they included a feature that will automatically equip any armor that is stronger than your own that you so happen to pick up. Believe me when I say that this option is a godsend due to the fact that you will be picking up so many items that sorting through the inventory screen to find out what was best, would take a long period of time and often turn out useless and meant for the grinder.
Small feature there that was a nice touch, is that any and all items that aren’t quest related can be turned into immediate gold by depositing them in the Item Grinder, patent pending. Another nice feature is that DeathSpank’s armor will change depending on what piece of armor your wearing, down to the shoulder pads and boots which is a nice touch, especially for an arcade game.
Now amidst all this destruction, DeathSpank will end up dying, quite a lot in some cases, especially if you stumble into an area where monsters are much higher leveled than you are, which is a bit of an annoying feature but one easily avoided as level grinding is usually not a necessity. But when you do die, you will respawn in an outhouse. Yes an outhouse. These act as checkpoints or even teleporters which cut down the time necessary for traveling greatly, and a very unique take on respawning.
So, you live and die and kill many many foes in the name of Justice, but what is Justice to DeathSpank? Well for the most part it boils down to various quests. Though in the end these quests primarily involve either A. Kill so many things, or B. Kill so many things to get a certain item, or C. Get this item from the environment. Which means they are nearly always a large amount of fetch quests that don’t create much variety. The true variety of these quests turns out to be why you are doing them in the first place, and the NPCs that give them to you, some even have small twists involved.
Plus as a small side note, if you ever become stuck in a quest for whatever reason, you can use something called a Fortune Cookie to find a certain hint for the quest. These are found throughout the areas and should be using sparingly due to the nice touch that they add to some of the more complicated quests.
You also have the option to play with a friend in local co-op. Unfortunately you do not have the option to take your Deathspanking online due to the fact that there is no Live supported multiplayer. Your friend will play as a wizard with strong magic spells and healing spells, but unfortunately will not level up and have practically zero customization due to the fact that your co-op partner even shares the same health bar as you do.
Overall:
If you really like to laugh and have a good time, then DeathSpank is right up your alley. Especially if you like hack and slash RPGs with a decent storyline and enemies to destroy. Though the combat does eventually fall down to becoming repetitive, and the amount of items you obtain becomes overwhelming at times this would be a very hard game to pass up on the marketplace for only 1200 MSP.
I give DeathSpank
I have been psyched for Halo: Reach to come out. I’m more looking forward to playing the campaign, but the Multiplayer will be fun too. Bungie has released a new ViDoc showing off Forge World, and I am unable to explain in words just how awesome this is!! Imagine all the new user created maps! It is going to be hard for 343 Studios to top Bungie’s final Halo Game.
Ill leave you with some words from bungie, and then the video below that. Check it out, it really is awesome!!
Set on one of the franchise’s iconic Halo rings and featuring a multitude of faithful remakes already built in, only Forge World’s vaulting blue skies are the limit, allowing aspiring cartographers to take up where our map designers left off. Utilizing the upgraded Forge 2.0 toolset, a familiar, sprawling landscape, and your own imagination to sculpt, build, and share custom crafted maps, Forge World is more than just a map…it’s a blank, Forerunner-themed canvas with unlimited creative potential.
A brand new adventure is being released from Namco-Bandai and slated for fall release. Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom teams you with a monster. You must forge an alliance with the beast to take on many enemies and solve puzzles.
Long ago, a once peaceful land has been covered in darkness. The civilization crumbled over night, leading the few survivors to flee to the bordering wastelands. Some of the brave stayed behind, but they could not stop the enemies who rose out of the darkness. Only very few lived despite their bravery to tell the tale. Fast forward 100 years. and a young man is guided to the deserted land by migrating birds. The land slowly beings to awaken and your adventure soon begins.
Features Include
One genre I feel that could always use more titles is the adventure genre and Namco-Bandai and Game Republic seem to be delivering a game that will be sure to capture the attention of many gamers with this enchanting adventure. Majin reminds me a bit of the ICO series and with a pinch of Zelda thrown in from what I’ve seen so far, which is a good thing. Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom Releases for the Xbox 360 and PS3 on November 11 in North America. If a date is dropped for the UK and AU, we will be sure to let you know. Take a look at the traler and screenshots below or check out the official Namo-Bandai website here.
