Since it’s introduction to the Xbox 360 Market from it’s availability to download over Xbox Live, the Last.fm music service has seen some huge changes.
Before Last.fm’s integration on Xbox 360, it was a place for rock, and some obscure bands. Gone are these times, replaced by mainstream music and chart-toppers. It didn’t take long for the takeover to take place. For example, the week before the Xbox launch, Last.fm’s most played artists were bands like MGMT and Muse, but after only a few days, they had been dethroned by the likes of T.I. and Kanye West. This came as a suprise for staff at Last.fm, as it was the first time pop and hip-hop made the ‘Love Tracks Chart’- a trend that is continuing to this day.
The service also recieved a huge boost when it was launched last November on the Xbox 360, with over two million sign-ups via Xbox Live in the beginning 4 months. Although the firm’s exclusivity to Xbox 360 is only for one year, players could yet see more features coming to their console, due to strong links between the music community, and the community aspects of Xbox Live.
Everyone has been asking for it, and it is finally here.Valve has updated the official Team Fortress 2 Blog with some info on the long-awaited Engineer Update.
Below is the update on the TF2 Blog.
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Those of you who spent the weekend Tokyo drift-racing your way to a rap battle—or whatever it is people do when they go outside on the weekend—probably feel pretty good about yourselves right now. At the end of the day, though, what do you have to show for it? Vague memories of changing lanes. Twenty-five of the people who wisely chose to stay home and craft items, on the other hand, now have shiny new ultra-rare golden wrenches that they can keep. For a weekend? No. For a lifetime. Eat it, drift-racers. Eat all of it.
Luckily for you wrenchless unfortunates, there’s still time to get one. Afurther75 golden wrenchescan be found through crafting all this week*. We’ll also be teasing Engie’s new weapons (the first of which, the revenge-critting Frontier Justice, is currently on display)—with all of this culminating in the long-awaited Engineer Update this Thursday!**
*Note that we’ve disabled the Smelt Reclaimed Metal & Smelt Refined Metal recipes. They’ll work again once the Engineer Update goes live.
**Also note, wrenches can be found up until the 100th wrench has gone out. There is no per-day limit on the number of wrenches found, and distribution has been designed to be fair to all timezones. Every 25th wrench found will result in the release of more information on the Engineer Update.
Sony is introducing new PS3 slim models this month in Japan. The PS3 is going white and getting 2 larger hard-drives.
The new 320GB model, as well as a new 160GB version will replace the normal 120GB model. According to a series of sources the 160GB version will cost 29,980 yen (around $342), while the 320GB model will cost 34,980 yen (around $400).
Sony seems to be a little backwards in the coloring scheme though. While Microsoft and Nintendo started out white and added the black color, Sony is starting out black and adding this white color. It looks really good though!
Great news everyone. Crackdown 2 is now available for purchase. Originally the street date for this was 8th July (tomorrow) but looks like someone broke it AGAIN and therefore it’s now fair game and be sold anywhere in Australia pick up your copy now.
The sequel is set some ten years after the first instalment, placing the player as another genetically-modified agent sent out onto the streets of Pacific City. The once-bustling metropolis has been ravaged by infection and the ongoing struggle for power over the city’s inhabitants. The player returns to fight off hordes of Freaks following their accidental release into the populace and regain control of the City from the hands of The Cell – a powerful terrorist organisation fighting to overthrow the Agency. Crackdown 2 features over-the-top action that exemplifies truly freeform gameplay and lets gamers explore and play however they choose.
Players return to Pacific City with new abilities, combat capabilities, weaponry and vehicles that all have the unique Crackdown touch that fans have come to love. With four-player cooperative play and multiplayer modes for up to 16 players over Xbox LIVE, you can take the fight to the streets and rooftops with your friends in explosive style.
Features:
* Over-the-top Action: Leap across rooftops, throw vehicles like toys, blow up entire streets! Take on all the city, and have a blast doing it!
* Ultimate Multiplayer experience: Play alone, or cooperatively with 3 more friends in true jump-in/jump-out co-op, or with 15 PVP adversaries (*Xbox LIVE Gold membership required for online multiplayer).
* Open-ended: Take any objective in any order, at any time. You decide how to play!
The last few days have been quite hectic in the US with the holiday winding down and no one working anywhere in the country. But now there are at least four games for sale this week on the XBLA for Gold Members.
We have three titles discounted by half and one that is reduced by 33%, and we are quite lucky as some of these games are of stellar quality.
The top pick has to be AfterBurner Climax, which you can find our review for Here. Has been reduced to 400 MSP, with Mega Man 10; of which you can find the review for Here, and Death by Cube also receiving the 400 point treatment.
The odd duck out is Scrap Metal, of which you can find our review for Here, which has been reduced only to 800 MSP. It’d be hard to pass up any of these games but my money would be straight for AfterBurner. How about yours?
Japan : May 27, 2010
USA : May 23, 2010
Europe : June 11, 2010
Australia July 1, 2010
Genre(s)
Platformer
Mode(s)
Single-player, two player co-op
BUY
It’ssssa meeeeee MasterAbbott….. ( I’ve always wanted to say that) and today I’m here to share with you my review of Nintendo’s Super Mario Galaxy 2 for the Nintendo Wii. Super Mario 2 is not a reboot to the series, as a matter of fact there is not much in terms of mechanics or gameplay that has changed. Super Mario Galaxy has followed the rule that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Nintendo have added to what was already a winning formula with the original Super Mario Galaxy to create a masterpiece that stands on the top of the mountain with star in hand and yelling out to the world Yipeeeeee !!!!!
Anyone that’s played the original, Super Mario Galaxy will feel very much at home with the controls as the gameplay mechanics have not changed. One thing that is different “but in a cool way” is the level / world selection map that feels like you’re back in Super Mario World as you control Mario’s special FACE-ship (har,har) to pick your next destination across the galaxy.
Speaking about destinations, there’s an incredible amount of new planets and characters to explore and meet along the way. (No Spoilers) but there a number of old challenges and even a few old bosses that make a comeback from the original game. The great thing is that old challenges and bosses all appear in fresh new environments which make you feel like you’re battling someone totally new. On his grand adventure Mario will have his best buddy Yoshi aid him along the way. Find a Yoshi Egg, smash it open and hop onto Yoshi’s back, Yoshi has new abilities as well. He can use his tongue to swing across chasms, or grab items and shoot them back at enemies. Yoshi also has a new fresh diet of peppers and blimp fruit, eating a hot pepper sends Yoshi into a frenzy where he can run up steep inclines and vertical walls. Eating the Blimp fruit will inflate Yoshi into a balloon where he can float to new heights. Oh Happy days are here again !!
Mario also has a few new abilities and power ups up his sleeve as well. There’s the new drill power up that will allow you to drill through surfaces all the way to the other side of the planet. Also (and this must be seen to be believed – it’s totally amazing), Mario can also transform himself into a boulder by eating a boulder mushroom – yes, a boulder mushroom !! Now don’t ask me how Mario manages to chow down on a boulder mushroom, but once he does he’s magically transformed into a huge boulder and can ram into objects and enemies. Mario can even become a bowling ball and bowl down pins … STRRIIKKEE !!!!!! Mario’s other ability is so totally original and out there that when I first laid eyes on it I shed a tear of pure happiness and joy. Have you ever wanted to make your own clouds ? Now you can not only make them, but you can jump on them to get to places or to objects that are just out of reach, which is handy when there are no platforms to get you there. With the Mario Cloud suit Mario can create cloud platforms and jump from one to another to reach his destination. This has to be one of the most brilliant and original ideas I’ve ever come across in a Mario game.
The story of Super Mario Galaxy 2 is not much different from the other Super Mario’s. Bowser has kidnapped Princess Peach once AGAIN and Mario has to travel through planets, goomba’s, Koopa’s and bosses to reach Bowser and defeat him and save her. The story is basic, but that’s totally fine because main focus in the game is the amazing worlds and challenges that you get to experience along the way. Breaking it down for you, there is a total of seven constellations consisting of eight brilliant and original levels that are both fun and highly enjoyable.
Along the way you get to collect stars… A LOT OF STARS !! This time around there’s a WHOPPING 241 stars in the game. This is the most stars ever in a Super Mario game. Collecting them all will take a lot of time, patience and commitment, along with broken controllers. Now for all you casual gamers out there following the main story path without straying will nab you about 70 or so stars with approx. 20-22 hours of gameplay. This in itself is an amazing and remarkable feat as most other games only take 4-6 hours to complete before being placed on the pile to gather dust with the rest of them.
A breakdown of the 241 stars goes something like this: There’s 120 regular stars which are obtained by completing comet challenges and there’s also hidden stars. The other 120 stars are Green Stars, and these little buggers are scattered around the original levels. The last star is a SECRET STAR (and no I’m not going to tell you how to get it – Play the game and figure it out for yourselves!;) ).
For the first time ever in a Super Mario game, grown-ups, casual gamers and even younger gamers who are still learning the ropes now have a helping hand that can guide them through even the most difficult of situations. If at any point during the game you just can’t pass a specific section of a level, a helper Mario controlled by the computer will complete that section and aid you in moving forward so you can continue on your grand adventure. This of course will result in a lower bonus once you complete the level, but casual gamers who are not concerned with perfection or high bonuses can at least can feel a sense of achievement by completing the level. This a SUPER move on behalf of Nintendo and the first of its kind. Along with the little helper within the game, Super Mario Galaxy 2 also comes packaged with a DVD which provides helpful hints and tips that can be viewed to teach newcomers and even skilled players how to play and use certain skills within the game. This is an absolutely brilliant idea that introduces new comers to the wonderful world of Super Mario. YES, I know there are people out there that don’t know who Mario is! MAMMA MIA!
Graphics and Music in Super Mario Galaxy 2 are absolutely gorgeous, featuring colourful and vibrant worlds. Enemies and animation are superb and I must say is possibly one of the best looking games on the Nintendo Wii. The soundtrack is fantastic, even after turning off the Wii console I still have those loveable tunes in my head. Some sections of the game where you’re playing in 2D have the original old school Mario songs blazing through the speakers, bringing back all the good times you had on the Nintendo, Super Nintendo and also Nintendo 64. It’s a perfect blend of old and new.
Another section of the game that makes a comeback is the ability to get a second person in to help with the second Wii-mote controller. Things work a little differently in this mode. Instead of being able to collect the items for you, your friend can now guide items such as coins and shooting star pieces towards you so they can be easily gathered. They can also hold back enemies while you make your way through difficult situations. True multiplayer hasn’t been perfected yet so it looks like Mario will be on his own once again. However, his brother Luigi does make an appearance as a playable character halfway through the game, so you can take control of him and show Mario how its done ‘LUIGI STYLE’!
Super Mario Galaxy 2 is full of enjoyable platform action and fun for the whole family, with spectacular visuals and vibrant colours, it’s jam-packed with originality, amazing levels, puzzles and unforgettable enemies and characters. With hours and hours of gameplay, there is never a dull moment. It will challenge you to your limits, whether you are a casual gamer or seasoned hardcore professional. If you own a Nintendo Wii this game NEEDS to be in your collection, as no other platform game comes close to its absolute perfection!
Moto GP fans rejoice Capcom have announced that the first 2010 MotoGP season update will be available to download ABSOLUTELY FREE of charge for Xbox Live and PSN users across Europe and Australia this week! The new season content will arrive on Xbox Live tomorrow, Tuesday 6th July and PSN on Wednesday 7th July.
The first pack will include the brand new Silverstone (UK) track along with all the bike, rider and team livery updates for the MotoGP class from the current season.
Nintendo has announced that Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus have sold more than one million units (discluding Wii Fit Plus stand alone disc, only Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus including the balance board) in Australia. This means over one million Australians are embracing home personal fitness with Wii Fit and the upgrade, Wii Fit Plus, which is also introducing many new players to the world of video games. The Original Wii Fit launched in May 2008 and the next instalment, Wii Fit Plus, launched in October 2009.
Wii Fit Plus is a unique and innovative way to help you and your family stay fit in the comfort of your own home, through simple daily exercises. More than a gaming experience, Wii Fit Plus is a health and lifesyle product that uses a motion sensitive Wii Balance Board.
Wii Fit Plus allows you to get a detailed analysis of your physical condition by analysing your BMI (Body Mass Index), and centre of gravity, as well as choosing from a variety of work outs and balance games, all which use the Wii Balance Board. The Wii Balance Board gauges exactly where your balance and body mass are placed, so your on-screen instructor ensures you perform every exercise correctly. You can even pick and choose your exercises to ensure training remains fun.
Wii Fit Plus contains more content than the original Wii Fit. New features include the option to customise and design your own work out, additional exercises, estimates of calories burned, 15 new balance games, and an option to weigh your baby and even your cat and dog!
For those that already own Wii Fit and want to upgrade, the Wii Fit Plus software is available to purchase as a standalone disc. This also means that for those that have been tracking their progress with Wii Fit, this progress will be saved and automatically updated onto your Wii Fit. Plus, once you insert the Wii Fit Plus software into your Wii, and all for only AU SRP $29.95 for the standalone disc.
In addition, it is not just fitness games that are high sellers. Others include Wii Play with more than 900,000 units sold, Mario Kart Wii, which has sold through more than 600,000 units and Wii Sports Resort which has sold through more than 500,000 units.
Our friends over at Undercoders brought to our attention one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen in quite some time. If you’re a fan of video games check out below image and make your way over to Arcade Aid and take the challenge to see how many video games you can find and name !! I’ve given you one hint in the image below : CALL OF DUTY 😉 .. VERY SMART !!
Are you smart enough to name all 56 Video Games hidden throughout the CITY. If you can let us know we might send you over a random game 🙂
Hey everyone, Microsoft is finally discounting the DLC that comes in mass. Music DLC is constantly released, and Microsoft is discounting a lot of the major songs for one week only. During Live-a-palooza you can buy the songs below for the music games they are for at real cheap prices. Check out the insane list below and see if there is anything you want. You know a lot of those are quite tempting. Click on the song name to go buy it from the marketplace. Links open in the same window. Remember! This sale goes from July 6 – 12, so get ’em while they are cheap!
