Have you ever found yourself sitting in front of the TV, playing your favourite PS3 game and wondering “…this sound system doesn’t go at all with my console! Will Sony ever release matching audio speakers with the PS3 logo on them?…”. I for one must admit that it never happened to me, but should you find yourself among those people it seems that Sony has read your mind!
Earlier today, the manufacturer has given the release date to the formerly announced PS3 Surround Sound System. As all new shiny things from Sony (see White PS3), it will be launched in Japan on September 30th and the price is estimated at $199.
The system is made of a sound-bar with integrated sub-woofer and speakers which will reflect the sound off your living-room walls using S-Force PRO Front Surround and will support Dolby digital, DTS, MPEG-2 AAC and Linear PCM audio formats. ..I wonder if it will also come in white 🙂
Publisher: 2K Play Developer: Cat Daddy Games Genre: Simulation, Party Game Platform(s): Wii(Reviewed), DS Mode(s): Single Player, Multiplayer (supports 2 players) Misc: Compatible with the Balance Board Price: Buy now!
I know what you’re thinking…the Wii has too many party games, right? There’s no doubt about that, but when its creators are Cat Daddy Games (Carnival Games – one of the best party games compilation) and 2K Play (Axel & Pixel – XBLA) join in on the fun, there might actually be something worth checking out in “It’s My Circus”!
First of all, some of you may not know that The Ringling Bros, Barnum and Bailey Circus really exists and is MASSIVE in America, so that’s why the long title of the game features them. Now all that remains is to see if they’ve also made a good entrance in video games.
Let me begin by saying that this is a game designed especially for kids…as soon as you start the game, a helpful (though annoying) voice starts explaining what each button of the menu does, even telling you that, when typing your name, the letters change to lower case automatically (really? o_O). So from now on I’ll review this game from a kid’s point of view and for what it’s designed to – having fun.
So on to the games! This compilation features over 40 mini games for you to choose from,varying from using the balance board to…keep your balance on a high wire, being a live cannon-ball, timing your moves as a trapezeist, taming the tigers, teaching your doggies to sing along on a tune and, of course…clowning: be that pie dodging, clown bowling or juggling. All of the games are grouped according to their type: Stunts, Animals, Trapeze, Acrobats, High-Wire and Clowns (ugh! 🙂 ). While playing the games, you earn Barnum Bucks, which are used to buy clothing and other fun unlockables for your character. Also by performing well in your everyday mini-game circus life, you earn stars, which unlock the higher tiers of the park: The Zing Zang Zoom Tent and in the end, Barnum’s FUNundrum (why would they name them that way?).
There isn’t an actual story to the game (what did you expect from a party game?), but the unlockables are enough to keep the players interested and entertained in front of the TV for quite a while.
The controls can get a little frustrating at times, not that they’re difficult to learn, they just don’t work the way they should, and I could only imagine how a kid would react if their doggies weren’t barking in tune with the melody. But having the option to use the balance board instead is a definite plus and something different to other titles of the genre.
In terms of graphics and audio there just isn’t that much to say. The cartoonish graphics fit really well with the theme of the circus, everything being colourful and happy. They could have put a little more effort in character design, though, but I guess it won’t hurt the eyes of a little kid if he sees a misshaped head from now and then. It’s way better than Wii Sports, in any terms. The audio is very jovial, with circus melodies and funny clown accents…though the soundtrack can get repetitive after a while.
Taking all of these things into consideration, I’d say that this compilation is awesome for the little ones and even as a great party activity, that’s why I award “It’s My Circus” 8/10 Capsules!
A SHORT FILM MADE FROM RED DEAD REDEMPTION AVAILABLE ONLINE
Available now, watch A SHORT FILM MADE FROM RED DEAD REDEMPTION. The 30 minute short film, created and directed by John Hillcoat (the director of The Proposition and The Road), chronicles a slice-in-time of protagonist John Marston as he tracks down his former fellow outlaw and friend, Bill Williamson. Along the way, Marston encounters many of Red Dead Redemption’s eclectic cast of dreamers, misfits and liars.
Using the world of Red Dead Redemption as a virtual film studio and created entirely with in-game assets and technology, John Hillcoat re-imagines Marston’s pursuit of justice and salvation.
Red Dead Redemption is a 1900s-era epic battle for survival as former outlaw John Marston struggles to bury his blood-stained past by uncovering clues to the whereabouts of his former gang mate Bill Williamson. Featuring intense gun battles, dramatic train robberies, bounty hunting and duels during a time of violent change, Red Dead Redemption is available now worldwide on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. Red Dead Redemption is rated “PEGI 18”, and viewers must be 18 to view the film.
Official Movie Description:
1910. The West is dying. The American frontier is undergoing a violent transition from the ways of old to modern times, and Mexico has entered a prolonged period of bloody civil war. Reformed outlaw John Marston is on his way to capture former running buddy Bill Williamson when he comes upon a half dead snake oil merchant named West Dickens. Marston travels under a bleak and unforgiving sun, teaming up with a violent sheriff and a colorful mentally deranged grave robber and together they discover a bloody massacre of homesteaders left in the wake of Williamson. They hatch a plan to break into an abandoned fort where the Williamson Gang is holed up – and a dark, surprising twist ensues. Director John Hillcoat, craftsman of the savage western The Proposition and the recent film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road uses the world of Red Dead Redemption to make a short film that is a compelling cinematic triumph.
That story above describes how a little boy saved his mother from a wreck, after the mom avoided a kangaroo. Did I mention this took place in Australia? So the Kangaroo isn’t as out of place as you might think.
What got me is the emphasis on the DS. The boy used the light from the DS to save his mother. In reality, the boy didn’t do anything. This is what happened. (The entire story below is completely fictional, and should only be considered as humorous or stupid. Do not take it seriously.)
The both parents were drunk and the Kangaroo was High. The Kangaroo’s friend told the Kangaroo to play chicken with the car. The Dad clearly lost and ended up flipping the car. The boy was in the backseat with out his seat belt on while playing the DS. For some reason he was the only one who managed to not be trapped by the car, so this is why he didn’t have his seat belt on. Why is the mom drunk? Because the boy had to use his DS to find the mom’s phone and then give it to her so that she could call 911. When is a phone not in your pocket or purse? NEVER!
The next problem is why so much emphasis put on the DS? It was just used as a light and nothing more. I could use my watch or even my Cell phone to find my mom’s Cell phone so that she can Dial 911. This boy is getting a medal for doing what people do for their parents all the time. Wouldn’t you die for your mom? I know I would, but where is my medal? Must be an Australian thing.
Parts of the story simply don’t line up correctly, and this boy shouldn’t be receiving a medal. MasterAbbott is probably going to climb over to this post and say how I’m just jealous of Australia and their heroic people. Well, if the story makes so much sense why don’t I point out one major flaw.
How does a little boy pull his pinned mom out of the car after she calls for 911 if she was unable to get herself out.
Bet no one noticed that little tidbit. I say the entire thing was a hoax in order to make this kid famous and in turn the entire family. Kind of like the balloon kid we had here in America. People will do anything to get famous. I bet no one even thought about asking the Kangaroo what happened, he could tell you everything!
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!
