- On Xbox Live Arcade today: Secret of Monkey Island and Madballs
- Full Rock Band Country Track Pack song list revealed
- Official G-Force characters list for the game
- Green Lantern videogame release date alongside the movie on June 17, 2011
- Delayed to 2010: BioShock 2, Heavy Rain, Max Payne 3, Red Dead Redemption, Mafia 2
- Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Special Collectors Edition detailed
- Mario and Sonic At The Olympic Winter Games release date is October 16, 2009
- Undead Knights hack-and-slash zombie Tecmo game announced for PSP
- Mass Effect 2 reveal developers diary
- Is World of Warcraft: Cataclysm the next expansion?
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On Xbox Live Arcade today: Secret of Monkey Island and Madballs Posted: 15 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT
Pirates! Adventure! Monkeys! Relive the hilarious swashbuckling misadventures of the wannabe pirate Guybrush Threepwood as he attempts to become the most infamous pirate in the Caribbean! Back by popular demand, The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition faithfully re-imagines the internationally-acclaimed classic pirate adventure game from LucasArts in gorgeous HD detail. — Featuring an all new re-imagined contemporary art style, hand-drawn and presented in 1080p, complete voice over by members of the original Monkey Island franchise cast, a re-mastered musical score using live instruments, plus scene-for scene-hot swap to seamlessly transition between Special Edition and Classic modes at anytime. Game features include: The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition is also available on PC through Steam.
Combat revolved! In Madballs in … Babo: Invasion, campaign across distant worlds either solo or with four-player online co-op, taking no prisoners in your wake. Challenge your friends (and your enemies) to see who’s the baddest ball on the planet in no-holds-barred 16-player multiplayer arenas with freaky characters or with your own Xbox 360 Avatar! Or really push your limits and try your hand at Invasion Mode where combatants create the very worlds where they wage war. Dozens of unique character classes, weapons, special abilities, worlds, unlocks, secrets, maps, and game modes give you limitless gameplay! Game features include: PS: Xbox Live Gold Members can now get Ikaruga for only 400 points ($5). Normally 800 points ($10), this Deal of the Week will be available until Monday, July 20th. |
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Full Rock Band Country Track Pack song list revealed Posted: 15 Jul 2009 01:12 AM PDT
The Country Track Pack is the fifth Track Pack release although for the first time it will contain some songs that have never been released for Rock Band before. They will be a timed exclusive though and will eventually see a release on the Rock Band Music Store. As always with these Track Packs, each pack comes with a code that you can use to download all the songs onto your other Rock Band games. The game can also be played as a stand-alone title. Here is the full list of songs in the Rock Band: Country Track Pack: (click a song to see a corresponding video) 1. “3 Dimes Down” by Drive-By Truckers |
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Official G-Force characters list for the game Posted: 14 Jul 2009 11:55 PM PDT
As Darwin and his housefly surveillance sidekick Mooch, players will use awesome high-tech gadgets and stealthy strategy as they team up with the other G-Force agents to complete their exciting mission to save the world from an evil billionaire and his army of robot appliances. Here is a list of characters that will appear in the game: (click their name to see an image of the character where available). 1. Blaster – The fearless adrenaline junkie who works on some collaborative missions with your playable character, Darwin, on site. 2. Darwin – The hero guinea pig of the story. Darwin has been trained under a classified FBI initiative to make use of animals for stealth missions. He is special ops trained. As standard, he is equipped with an electro whip for melee combat and a plasma gun for long range targeting. He also has a jetpack to aid navigation and IR goggles that allow him to see in the dark using heat signatures. In addition to his standard equipment, Darwin comes across a whole array of special hi-tech weapons and gadgets during his mission to stop Sabersense. Darwin can also communicate with humans through a special translation device which is assumed on as standard throughout the game to enable the player to understand him. 3. Dr. Elaine Stone – A character created just for the game, Dr. Elaine Stone is a research scientist (head of chip manufacturing) who is intelligent, dominant, in her 40s and the assumed partner of Dr. Elliot Stone. She is unaware of the presence of the G-Force and never directly or physically interacts with them. However she communicates to Darwin during certain missions to help provide useful information, never realizing that she is communicating with a Guinea Pig. In addition to appearing in cut-scenes, Dr. Elaine Stone is used to build plot during mission objectives and also appears in some in-game sequences. 4. Hurley – Hurley is an overweight long-haired Guinea Pig. Food is his passion (layer cake is his favorite) although all he wants is to be a pet. Hurley is smart, sharp-witted & actually more world knowledgeable than the other G-Force members. Though he often speaks before he thinks. 5. Juarez – Juarez is a highly professional and organized Guinea Pig who is highly intelligent. She is also a sharp-tongued Latina who doesn’t suffer fools lightly. In the game Juarez is responsible for remote assistance, mapping, objectives and communications. 6. Mooch – Mooch is a housefly member of the G-Force team who acts as Darwin’s sidekick. In a funny twist, Mooch doesn’t actually know that he is a housefly. He actually thinks he is an apache gun ship. Being a housefly, Mooch is easily distracted by blue lights and sweet substances. Thankfully Mooch has some skills that will come in handy including hi-tech surveillance technology that can be used to beam back images to Darwin from places that are inaccessible to the Guinea Pig. In addition, being a housefly allows for Mooch to see in slow motion, allowing him to navigate easily around fast moving objects. He can also interact with electrical appliances – scanning equipment for intel and also activating switches. He can also carry small objects if need be. Mooch is a playable character in G-Force: The Video Game. 8. Security Guard 1 – These human enemy guards (unique to the game) are unaware of the presence of the G-Force. Thus they will fire upon Darwin when they spot him, assuming he is a pest. 9. Speckles – Speckles is a bad sighted Mole who is also a member of the G-Force. He is the technical genius of the squad and provides technical and communication guidance to the player. 10. Swat Guys – Unique to the game, these human “Swat Guys” are also unaware of the presence of the G-Force, never having direct physical contact or interacting with them. They are called in to combat the enemy appliances, taking over the Saber Mansion (as unwitting allies of the G-Force). Here is an action-packed trailer for G-Force: The Video Game. (be sure the volume is low as the beginning part is super loud and annoying) |
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Green Lantern videogame release date alongside the movie on June 17, 2011 Posted: 14 Jul 2009 10:21 PM PDT
The game is being developed by Double Helix Games (makers of Silent Hill: Homecoming, G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra and the upcoming Front Mission Evolved) for Xbox 360 and PS3 for release around the time of the film. The movie meanwhile is to be directed by Martin Campbell (director of the Casino Royale and GoldenEye films) with a screenplay penned by screenwriters Greg Berlanti and Michael Green. It’s also interesting to note that there has never been a Green Lantern videogame that focused solely on the character. Via Venturebeat |
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Delayed to 2010: BioShock 2, Heavy Rain, Max Payne 3, Red Dead Redemption, Mafia 2 Posted: 14 Jul 2009 08:53 PM PDT
Bioshock 2 has been delayed in order to give the game more development time says publisher Take Two. Who said the same about Max Payne 3, Red Dead Redemption and Mafia 2. To quote CEO Ben Feder: “The decision to shift a release date is never an easy one, especially with a product as highly anticipated as BioShock 2. We felt that it was essential to invest the additional time to ensure that this title will deliver what its fans expect and deserve.“As a result, we will now be launching sequels to several of our strongest franchises – including BioShock 2, Mafia II, Max Payne 3 and Red Dead Redemption – during the next fiscal year. These titles will anchor our lineup for fiscal 2010, and along with other products planned for next year, provide a platform for enhanced financial performance in what we hope will be an improved retail environment.” Heavy Rain has been delayed due to an overcrowded holiday season which the co-CEO of developer Quantic Dream, Guillaume de Fondaumiere, says is not an ideal environment to release an original IP into. He says that development has been going smoothly on the title and that it is “on budget”. He also says that 2010 has always been their release window and that it is important for them to polish Heavy Rain up to “the last minute.” He continues, “Most publishers today realise that it’s not ideal to release a new IP or a new genre just before Christmas,” he says. “It’s a very crowded place to be, and certain games need more space to live their life.” |
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Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Special Collectors Edition detailed Posted: 14 Jul 2009 08:29 PM PDT
Included in the Collector’s Edition package for those who pre-order at GameStop will be an exclusive 80-page Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 book that includes three sections. One section of the book will include awesome and vibrant artwork from the game including art of the Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 characters. The second section will include a color comic that links to the storyline and cut-scenes in Ninja Gaiden 2. The last section of the book is a strategy guide that will assist players in advancing through the game’s campaign. While the above book sounds cool, it’s too bad that gamers won’t be getting the extras featured in the Japanese collector’s edition which included a soundtrack CD and the special casing you see above. Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 is the sequel to the blockbuster action game by Tecmo’s heralded Team Ninja, now with new playable characters, new enemies, new bosses, new weapons, online play and more built specifically for the PS3 version. Gamers must guide Ryu Hayabusa on a mission to avenge his clan and prevent the destruction of the human race. Armed with an assortment of ninja weaponry, players must help Ryu skillfully maneuver through a world fraught with peril and danger. Running on an entirely new gameplay engine, Ninja Gaiden 2 evolves the action in the sequel with an auto-generation health system, new enemies and locales, and thrilling combat built upon an extensive assortment of ninja weaponry. Here is a video where the developers talk about the game and show off extensive gameplay footage of the new characters. |
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Mario and Sonic At The Olympic Winter Games release date is October 16, 2009 Posted: 14 Jul 2009 07:44 PM PDT
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games will take players to Vancouver, Canada, host city of the official 2010 Olympic Winter Games. This gaming experience invites players of all ages and skill sets to face-off in intense winter competitions. The game will take players to lifelike Olympic venues where they can choose from a legendary cast of playable characters, including new faces to the series to be revealed later this year. Players of all skill levels will enjoy the intuitive controls in both single and multiplayer gaming modes. Additionally, one of the new features to be found in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is the inclusion of the Wii Balance Board which can be used in some events featured in the Wii version, allowing for a more interactive and realistic gaming experience. Here is a trailer for the game. Key features of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games include: * A multitude of events: Prepare to compete in the Olympic Games with your friends and family! Compete in real Olympic events along with over-the-top Dream Events offer surprising objects and new character-specific moves. * Choose from an assortment of Mario and Sonic characters. * Players are challenged to perform a variety of movements using intuitive controls on the Wii Remote/Nunchuk and Wii Balance Board as they simulate real-life movements, and skate, ski and snowboard their way to glory. Single, multi-player and co-op offer fun for players of all ages. * Compete in single events in the individual mode and team mode, or challenge your friends to an entire Olympic competition! A new “Festival Mode” also allows players to experience the full campaign (single and multi-player). This includes new boss competitions against unique Mario and Sonic characters. Via GamingUnion |
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Undead Knights hack-and-slash zombie Tecmo game announced for PSP Posted: 14 Jul 2009 07:10 PM PDT
Undead Knights looks to play similar to Dynasty Warriors with lots of hack-and-slash action . . . but this time with zombies! The game will be released in Japan on October 15th, and has yet to be announced for other territories, but given how popular Dynasty Warriors is, I’d say this is a given for American release. Now watch this video and you too will be saying, “ZOMBIE KA! ZOMBIE KA! ZOMBIIIIIE KA!” And no I don’t speak Japanese. Via Kotaku |
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Mass Effect 2 reveal developers diary Posted: 14 Jul 2009 06:01 PM PDT
In this behind-the-scenes developer video, the people at BioWare explain and reveal a ton of in depth details on the highly anticipated sequel. Major spoiler alert so don’t watch if you want to know as little as possible about the upcoming game. In other BioWare news, the company has been conducting a survey in which they ask the following questions: * Are you planning on buying Mass Effect 2? What do you think of the choices above, would a pre-order bonus or such like the above make you more inclined to pick up Dragon Age: Origins? Thanks to Stuart for the tip. |
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Is World of Warcraft: Cataclysm the next expansion? Posted: 14 Jul 2009 05:28 PM PDT
Speculation started to run rampant when Blizzard trademarked the name “Cataclysm” and then again when a WoW test server popped up recently and was named “Maelstrom” (or had that name in it’s title). This would make sense to World of Warcraft players as Cataclysm is another name for the Great Sundering, an event that created a swirling vortex of water and mystical energies (the ‘Maelstrom’) that has appeared on the world map in-game since release. Early design work also indicates that Catacylsm would fit in well with previous WoW expansions and would involve the former Night Elf noble Azshara, queen of the Naga and the Goblins whose main city lies in the south seas. Via Essays |
From today, at 9AM GMT (2AM PDT), you can play LucasArts’ 
The second game available today, Playbrain’s 
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