Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Episode 13: Kompletely Awesome

Looking at the title you probably assumed there was either some Mortal Kombat coming (either that or I can't spell). Well, looks like grammer wins this one because Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition hits Xbox360 and PS3 this week. It's the same game as the latest Mortal Kombat but comes with all 4 downloadable characters (Skarlet, Kenshi, Rain, and Freddy Kruger) tons of new skins and new fatalities for Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Reptile.



Another remake hitting Xbox360 & PS3 this week is SSX. Extreme snowboarding at it's best on REAL mountains. You'll also be racing away from avalanches and even playing with wing suits!



Also making it's way to PS3 and Xbox360, Binary Domain. This is a squad based shooter based in 2080 where robots have revolted and invaded Tokyo. Think Gears of War meets Terminator.



Clan Operations for Call of Duty Elite went live over the weekend. This one is for the premium subscribers and works just like Lone Wolf operations with rewards of clan XP to the top clans.

Speaking of Call of Duty, Sony has announce it WILL be heading to the new handheld VITA this fall.

Mass Effect 3 isn't letting the grass grow under them with DLC, the first will be available THE SAME DAY IT HITS STORES and will include a new party member.

EA Sports has announced they will be reviving the NBA Live franchise in 2013.

If you're thinking about snatching up the upcoming Game of Thrones game, you might want to think about pre-ordering. Pre-orders come with a bunch of extras and a sweet art book.



And on a final note before I leave, IGN.com did a survey asking what gamers wanted in the next generation of consoles and the results were exactly what I would have said: ability to play used games, BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE (one of the reasons I never got a PS3), and upgradable systems. I actually disagree with the last one because I see them abusing it like the DLC (see Mass Effect blurb above) and intentionally dumbing the system down so you have to buy upgrades for it to play certain games.

So there you have it, a few new games, some DLC, and plenty to look forward to. Until next time, get out there and get your game on!

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Episode 12: Another Video Game Movie?

You read that correctly, yet another video game is getting the movie treatment. Although, I'm thinking this could be one that turns out like Resident Evil and stands on its own as a movie. Twisted Metal! The story will be similar to that of the games, a bunch of strangers are invited to a life or death demolition derby and will battle it out. Fan favorites like Sweet Tooth and Doll Face will be among the combatants and Calypso will be the one pulling the strings. The team behind the new Ghost Rider movie will be taking the helm on this one. No release date or anything like that yet.

Also in game related news, you can now access Hulu Plus through the Wii. $7.99 a month.

In one of the coolest pre-release promotions I've ever heard of, EA is launching actual copies of Mass Effect 3 INTO SPACE! Next week they will be giving more info and will make it where you can actually track the games as they fall to Earth A WEEK BEFORE THE RELEASE DATE (meaning if you're lucky, you could have the game a week early)! Mass Effect 3 hits stores on March 6th.

Now, on to the important stuff, NEW GAMES!!

Syndicate hits Xbox360, PS3, and PC this week. Set in a future run by megacorporations you play as Miles Kilo, EuroCorp's prototype agent. Skrillex contributed an original track for the game's soundtrack.



Also out this week is Asura's Wrath on PS3. You play as Asura, a protector of heaven and earth, who was framed for the murder of the Emperor by his former allies. Asura then learns his wife has also been murdered and his daughter kidnapped. You lead him on a journey to avenge his wife, save his daughter, and clear his name. If I'm not mistaken, this will be the first game to feature the Unreal Game Engine 3.



Also launching this week is Xbox360 downloadable game, Alan Wake's American Nightmare. This is a stand alone story from the original Alan Wake game that finds Alan trapped in one of his Night Springs episodes.



Modern Warfare 3 has a new map called Overwatch coming next week for premium subscribers. The rest of us will have to wait till March when they release the next content collection. Here's Rob Riggle to tell you all about it:



And that about does it, lots of ass kicking in this week's releases and I'm sure more to come in the future so until next time, get out there and get your game on!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Episode 11: Cages, Courses, and Courts

The big releases are starting to roll on in this week with some ass kicking MMA action, vehicular destruction, and... tennis? Yep, tennis! But first...

THE VITA IS HERE! The new Playstation handheld, Vita, hits stores tomorrow. Well, the "limited edition bundle" hits stores tomorrow. It comes with a memory card and bonus game. The normal and 3G versions hit stores next week. Here's the important stuff:

It will cost around $250 for the normal and $300 for the 3G (which will also require a monthly internet fee). It has front and rear cameras (similar to iPhone and some Android phones) as well as dual analog sticks. You can pause a PS3 game and pick up on the Vita where you paused as well as playing PS3 opponents on the Vita.

Sounds like a pretty badass system but I'm a little turned off by the monthly internet fee and the price. If I had $300 I'd buy a PS3 personally, but I'm sure it'll come down around the holidays if not sooner.

Speaking of consoles, there's rumor out there now that the new Xbox console's controller may have a touch screen similar to the Wii U's planned controller. Sounds to me like next gen controllers are going to be more like tablets (or eventually replaced by them altogether).

Now, on to the new games this week!

First up, UFC Undisputed 3 hits Xbox360 and PS3 today. Building on the previous UFC games, part 3 will include a new submission system, something called PRIDE mode, and custom ring entrances for your fighter. The roster of over 120 fighters will surely cover all your UFC favorites.



A new look at a Playstation classic, Twisted Metal hits PS3 today. Pretty straight forward as always, destroy the other cars before yours gets trashed. Dozens of new and classic vehicles to choose from.



The last big release this week is Grand Slam Tennis 2 for Xbox360 and PS3. Again, pretty straightforward. Very realistic tennis. All the big names from McEnroe to Nadal are on the roster.



I'm not counting it as a MAJOR release but Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games hits 3DS today. It's not a release because it was on Wii in November, just adapted to the handheld.

Also in gaming news, the Kinect "Star Wars" game will be coming our way April 3rd. "Star Trek", however, just got pushed back to a 2013 release.

So there it is, new handheld hits stores tomorrow, a few new games to keep you busy, and the rumor mill keeps cranking out info on the next gen consoles. 2012 is going to be a good year for us gamers. Until next time, get out there and get your game on!

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Episode 10: Darkness, Demons, and Baseball?

Well, 2012 is steaming ahead and it seems the releases are finally starting to pick up. Only 2 major games coming this week but that's the most in a week so far this year.

First up, The Darkness 2 coming to Xbox360, PS3, and PC. In case you missed the original, the game centers around Jackie Estacado, a mafia hitman, who becomes possessed by a demon that keeps him from dying and gives him abilities when he steps into the shadow (including summoning minions). In this installment, someone is trying to kill Jackie and steal his Darkness powers. Click here to swing by last week's blog post and check out the launch trailer.

The only other major release this week is from 38 Studios (founded by baseball legend, Curt Schilling) called Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. This one is also Xbox360, PS3, and PC and it looks freaking SICK! Here's the trailer:



If you're thinking this game feels kind of familiar, it's because it was written by R.A. Salvatore (a popular fantasy writer) and the artwork came from Todd McFarlane (Spawn's creator). If you're wondering if the gameplay is as good as the trailer... IT IS! Check this out:



There are also 2 big downloadable games launching today. Gotham City Imposters and Shank 2 (both available for Xbox360 and PS3).

Gotham City Imposters is basically a 6 on 6 deathmatch between 2 teams of characters dressed as either Batman or The Joker armed with knives, guns, grappling hooks, and more.



Shank 2 is a simple side scroller where you, Shank, kick ass with various weaponry. The cut scenes are pretty intense though so be prepared.



Now for some other gaming news:

EA Sports was able to correctly predict the Super Bowl winner for the 7th time in 9 years via a simulation on Madden NFL 12! Crazy how real that game has gotten.

Xbox's Kinect and it's motion-technology is making the move to Windows PCs.

Sony will be offering discounted game prices for the Vita if you download the games instead of purchasing a cartridge.

And one last video: Ever wonder what would happen if your favorite show was turned into a RPG? Well somebody did and here's what Breaking Bad might look like:



So that's it for this week. Lots of big games coming in the next few months so check back weekly for more updates and gaming nonsense. Until next week, get out there and get your game on!