IGN’s given us the first good look at Batman: Arkham City, the follow-up to 2009’s critically acclaimed Arkham Asylum. Until now, we’ve only seen a live-action teaser introducing Dr.Hugo Strange, however this new trailer features quite a bit more. Not only do we get a glimpse at the actual gameplay, but we’ve been given our first look at Catwoman, and Two-Face. I’m also pleased to see The Joker — Mark Hamil — making his return after having been the focus of the last game. In recent weeks the developer has stated that they’ve opted to avoid an online mode — a feature that has been heavily requested for whatever reason — in favor of focusing on the single player aspect, and making sure it’s nicely polished when the game hits stores later this year. Personally, I can’t wait.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Mar 15, 2011 in Videogames
This probably isn’t welcome news to any of you who play Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV, but Square-Enix has decided to suspended their online services for the next week. The decision was made as an effort to conserve energy following the recent earthquakes. I’m actually not surprised that they’d be willing to shut down operations. Many Japanese publishers have also been making sacrafices by delaying their releases — one even going as far as to cancel a disaster-themed game. Others have been donating their proceeds to relief efforts. It should be noted that Square-Enix will be allowing Final Fantasy XI users free play for the month of April in appreciation for their understanding. Read more…
It’s still far from a confirmation, but during his 2011 Game Developers Conference panel, Sega producer Yu Suzuki shocked everyone by stating that he believes Sega will finally let him finish the Shenmue saga with the third and final installment of the trilogy. While the original titles were considered ground breaking both terms of gameplay and aesthetics, a number of factors ultimately led Sega to the cancel their plans for a third entry in the series. Read more…
It’s been nearly six years since TheElder Scrolls IV: Oblivion blew us away with its vast world filled with rich open-ended content and seemingly unparalleled visuals — at least, for its time. Those visuals were quickly dated, but kept fresh thanks to a large community bent on modding the game to meet their standards. Now, we’re finally getting our first look at the in-game engine for the upcoming sequel, Skyrim. Read more…
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jan 26, 2011 in Tech, Videogames
When it comes to real-time simulations, Starcraft has pretty much cornered the market. Sure, we’ll still make a little room for the occasional game of Command & Conquer, or Civilization, as far as sales go, Blizzard’s entry reigns. They developed a title that withstood the test of time, and even captured the heart of an entire nation. I wouldn’t be surprised if South Korea named it their national sport at this point, but is there a game that can ever surpass it? Well, it seems someone might just have what it takes after all.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jan 20, 2011 in Videogames
I imagine many of you probably watched the teaser for Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception the other month and thought to yourself “oh, neat.” There wasn’t too much to it. We saw a table, some items, Nathan Drake reading a passage to Sully and what looked like an endless desert. What I never imagined was just how in-depth this teaser truly is. The guys over at GameTrailers actually took the time to dissect the teaser, pointing out numerous hidden bits of info that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. While some might be coincidental or just easter-eggs, a few of them might provide some serious clues as to what we can expect from the upcoming title.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jan 19, 2011 in Videogames
I’ve always had a soft spot for pixel art. I suppose I can attribute that to the endless hours I spent glued to various game consoles as a youth. Last weekend I attended MAGfest in Alexandria, Virginia where I encountered Adam Shub. The man had a booth set up in vendor room, and I had just happened by it. On his table, there were multiple pieces of pixel art he had hand-painted.
Nintendo, like Apple, knows exactly how to market their products to their core audience , no matter how much a gimick the product may be. Case and point, check out these commercials that are currently airing overseas. The system will be out in a little over a month, but rather than show how the product actually looks — I imagine it doesn’t look too impressive on a 2D screen — they’ve decided to simply hire the most popular boy band in the nation and have them react on film to what they’re seeing. So, how will that sell the system? Simple. If it’s good enough for them, it has to be good enough for you. Of course, it could very well be, but we won’t know until the system ships to North America later this year.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 23, 2010 in Videogames
You don’t have to be a card carrying member of the NRA to appreciate a wide selection of projectile weaponry. In fact, anyone who has spent enough time playing first-person shooters would tell you that nothing beats having options and that’s exactly what you get when you play Borderlands. The title reportedly contains close to 17,000,000 weapons — though, arguably they’re mostly variants. The game hit consoles late last year and garnered plenty of positive reviews, so I have to wonder why they’ve waited so long to make the game avaialble for download via PSN or Xbox Live!
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 15, 2010 in Videogames
Literally. The first in-game footage from the highly-anticipated Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception debuted last night on NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Naughty Dog’s Evan Wells and Christophe Balestra were on-hand to show off the game, and while I imagine they’re still working out a few of the bugs, they put on a pretty good showing. The demo featured a few minutes of gameplay that takes place presumably early on. Nathan Drake, and his partner/mentor Sully are caught in what appears to be a burning mansion in France and are under assualt by numerous gun-wielding mercenaries intent preventing their escape. It’s pretty exciting footage, despite Jimmy Fallon’s inability to press the shoulder buttons when prompted. The game is currently slated for release on November 1st, 2011.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 14, 2010 in Videogames
While I admit I’m equally excited about the recent announcements of Elderscrolls V: Skyrim, and Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, nothing had my jaw drop quite as fast as the debut trailer for Bioware’s upcoming Mass Effect 3. I’m sure what we’ve witnessed is a pre-rendered CG film clip, but if the visuals even come close to that, we’ll all be in for quite a treat. Read more…
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 14, 2010 in Videogames
It’s been well over a year since this stripped down, arcade-friendly version of the popular Magic the Gathering videogame, Duels of the Planeswalkers, hit Xbox 360’s Live! online gaming service. Back in June, the game launched for the PC, giving those of us who were left out by the Xbox exclusive launch a chance to own the game. Well, now it would seem the game has finally launched on Playstation Network, complete with all three current expansions. Now, don’t get me wrong, I loved the original trading-card game but in addition to being incredibly addictive, it was also perhaps the most expensive hobby I’ve ever had — aside from music. I can’t fathom how much money I must have wasted in college trying to build decent decks. The nice thing about this scaled down version of the game is that it includes all the rules and gameplay of the original at a fraction of that cost. How so? Read more…
I love Katamari Damacy, so I couldn’t resist sharing this t-shirt with you guys. While I’m sure the designer didn’t intend to make a statement with his doodle — he admitted to doing it in class shortly after one of the games had been released — it’s actually quite profound. I can’t imagine the King of All Cosmos putting his prince at the short end of the evolutionary chain, I can see the young prince representing the concept of natural selection. Of course, I could be way off base, but who cares. It’s a neat design and it’s only available for the next 24 hours, so if you want one of these sweet t-shirts, head over to TeeFury and order yours while supplies last.
I, for one, never really cared for Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The art aesthetic never really spoke to me, and I suppose I can understand why — it was being marketed to kids after all. To me, trying to sit through an episode is like having to experience Jar Jar, or the Ewoks, for extended period of time. My personal tastes aside, the series certainly has its fair share of fans, both young and old. Given the current climate of social networking and the subsequent move toward casual gaming, it was only a matter of time before someone decided to cash in. Read more…
While Japanese roleplaying games seem to be declining in popularity, there are a number of series that seem timeless. Chrono Trigger is definitely one such series. With Akira Toriyama’s signature character designs and Masato Kato’s innovative script, the game has remained a fan favorite for over 15 years. With that in mind, Square Enix and Bird Studio have taken it upon themselves to recreate some of the most memorable scenes from the game with their Chrono Trigger Formation Arts, available now at Hobby Search. Each of these six figures are sure to bring about a sense of nostalgia for anyone who loved the original game — now if only Square Enix would make a proper sequel.
Japan has always had a very structured and linear approach to game development, especially in regards to the role playing genre. Stereotypical Japanese roleplaying titles, or JRPGs as they’ve become known, often follow set storylines, limiting replayability and the freedom that’s usually associated with western titles. While I’ve personally found those titles to be enjoyable, it’s easy for some to liken them to reading a book, or watching a movie — a simple interactive, yet aesthetically pleasing script.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jul 29, 2010 in Videogames
I’ve always been a huge fan of Robotech, so much so that I’ve owned several iterations of the show since it went off the air so many years ago — one of which happened to be Super Dimension Fortress Macross. For those of you who may not know, it was one of the original three series used to create Robotech for syndication here in America. However — unlike Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross and Genesis Climber MOSPEADA —Macross became a hit, spawning numerous movies, OVAs, and sequels. With only a few exceptions, the legal situation surrounding the Macross license has pretty much prevented the series from being licensed for distribution in North America, and as such, any related works have also met a similar fate — such is the case with the upcoming PS3 title Macross Trial Frontier.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jul 21, 2010 in Videogames
When I first heard that the upcoming Bond film would be delayed indefinitely while MGM executives attempt to sell the studio, I was terribly disappointed. Not only was MGM shelving their upcoming reboot of Robocop, and a remake of the 80’s classic Red Dawn, Eon was forced to halt production to a series of what I’ve considered some of the best Bond films in recent years. Thankfully, not all was lost. Rather than sit around and do nothing, they’ve decided to work with Activision on the next Bond video game — 007: Blood Stone. Read more…
Back in the mid-80’s, Hokuto no Ken — or as we’ve come to know it, Fist of the North Star — was a huge hit in Japan. It eventually produced a number of games, a few of which were localized after being heavily modified for US audiences, an OVA and a sequel. It actually blew my mind when I found out that my copy of Black Belt for the Sega Master System was actually a butchered version of the second Hakuto no Ken title. Thankfully, the games have come a long way since then.
I know it’s been a few weeks since E3, but if you haven’t seen the latest trailer for the latest installment of Silent Hill, then here’s your chance. Konami seems intent on staying true to the formula we’ve seen in previous entries into the series by focusing on twisted puzzels, and their usual brand of dark, thought-provoking, mystery. While that much sounds promising, this will mark the first entry into the series that lacks series composer Akira Yamaoka, who many fans hold largely responsible for creating the terrifying atmosphere that the series has been known for. Not all hope is lost however, as Dan Litch, composer for television’s Dexter, has stepped in. He has some big shoes to fill, but I have high hopes. Expect to see the game hit shelves sometime in 2011. Read more…
I really can’t get behind massive multiplayer gaming, at least when it requires large portions of my free time and an exorbitant monthly fee. Occasionally, however, a title catches my eye long enough for me reconsider that stance, and it would seem Electronic Arts and BioWare may have accomplished that very feat here. Their upcoming installment of the Star Wars:Knights of the Old Republic saga, Star Wars: The Old Republic, will be the first MMORPG in the series. I thoroughly enjoyed the first game — I wish I could say the same for Obsidian Entertainment’s second installment of the franchise — and this recently released E3 trailer definitely looks promising, but now I’m left wanting more. Until then, I can only the game ends up being as good as its cinematics might lead us to believe.
In certain video games, there’s a phenomenon I’m going to call “Boss to Minion Progression” (or you may know it on TVTropes as Degraded Boss) in which an early level’s boss reappears– weaker, and perhaps a different color –as a regular-occurring baddie in a later level. Nearly every Final Fantasy has had this, along with games like Castlevania, beat-’em-ups like Double Dragon and Streets of Rage, a bunch of the Legend of Zelda games…it’s pretty common. Read more…
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jun 11, 2010 in Videogames
I’m sure most of you were expecting to see the Mortal Kombat: Rebirth teaser that’s been floating around the internet the past few days. Well, instead we have a trailer for the upcoming Mortal Kombat game that, I could only imagine, would have been announced at E3 next week. This year however, everyone seems to have wanted to let their cats out of their proverbial bags, so we’re getting to see this stuff ahead of time — lucky us.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on May 25, 2010 in Videogames
Konami’s Love Plus, the ever-so-popular dating sim, has spawned even more merchandise for those of us lonely enough to want — this time, in the form of a cushion. I know what you’re probably thinking, “it’s a body pillow, isn’t it?” Well, at first glance, it sure looked that way, but after reading the description, stick cushion actually seems more apt. The cushion is about 5 ½ inches in width by 1.3 feet in length. That’s big enough for maybe your neck, or wrist at best, and while it may seem small, I’m sure that won’t stop certain people from getting creative. Perverse thoughts aside, the cushions are kind of cute. If you’re looking to pick one up, they retail for around $20. HLJ should have them in stock, though they’ll probably sell out fast. Read more…
