All Topics Gaming older than one year ago

These numbers are in no way confirmed, but after doing some research of my own, I can say that if the Wii and DS haven’t surpassed NES and Game Boy shipments, they are very close to doing so.

See how the new card-based Ultimate Team DLC can change your game in this Madden NFL 10 gameplay.

An overview of the various team-based MP gameplay modes in Lead & Gold from lead game designer Marten Stormdal of Fatshark.

Click with conviction to see larger images Paying more for a fancier version of Splinter Cell: Conviction is no longer an exclusively North American privilege. Ubisoft just announced a Collector's Edition of the stealth sequel for "all" European, Middle Eastern, Asian, and Pacific territories -- and it comes with different stuff than the North American version! The rest of the world's Collector's Edition will include the usual steel-book case and soundtrack, and also the distinguished-looking Sam Fisher statue seen above, frozen forever in the act of almost stepping on his night vision goggles. The pack also includes in-game bonuses like an Infiltration Mode, a special "Shadow Armor" skin, and "early access" to the SC300, SR2 and MP5 weapons. Head into our gallery to see images of both the Xbox 360 and PC sets. Update: See the new weapons and the other bonuses in a video after the break.

The most important categories you never thought you cared about.

The most important categories you never thought you cared about.

The most important categories you never thought you cared about.

The most important categories you never thought you cared about.

Update: We've closed the comments and will contact a winner this week. Check the email tied to your commenter name, folks! For this week's not-quite-the-holidays-yet giveaway, we've got a Band Hero prize pack for the Nintendo Wii and DS lined up for one lucky winner. That's right! Not just Band Hero for your silly old home console, but also for your handheld (that is, unless you have a Nintendo DSi or XXL -- sorry!). Prepare to be embraced by friends and relatives as a genuine American (or Canadian, excluding Quebec) hero while playing along to your favorite Taylor Swift song. In honor of last night's Video Game Awards (and the subsequent flood of news and trailers), we're asking you to tell us what your favorite trailer or news was from the World Premiere-stravaganza. We'll pick one winner at random this week, so as always, be sure to keep an eye on the inbox! Leave a comment telling us what your favorite trailer or news was from last night's World Premiere-stravaganza (the VGAs). You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec -- likely because of The Kids in the Hall). Limit 1 entry per person per day This entry period ends at 7:31PM ET on Monday, December 13 At that time, we'll randomly select one winner to receive one copy of Band Hero for Nintendo DS ($50 ARV) and one copy of Band Hero for Nintendo Wii ($50 ARV). For a list of complete rules, click here What is Joyswag? Since we don't keep the games and merchandise we receive for review or promotional purposes, it becomes "Joyswag," which is passed along to our readers. For more info on our policy, click here.

Who says so? Science says so. Just look at the numbers in this Metacritic round-up of the year's top games and it's pretty obvious that Uncharted 2 is the best. Also, according to math, the PS3 is better than the 360. This isn't us or even Metacritic saying it, people, these are innocent, irrefutable numbers. In all seriousness, while Metacritic has collected some interesting, worthwhile data in its report, we're not sure what the point is in trying to pick the best system or game of 2009 just going by statistics. We've relied on numbers just to help us organize our annual Game of the Year selection, and even so, just look how much damage they were still capable of.

We've got a duo of high-profile titles to check out here on VC in Brief this week. Come for the shooting stuff, stay for the Pig Chutes. Blaster Master (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points) Earthworm Jim 2 (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) Every week, we like to check out what's new on the Virtual Console. We offer these videos as a sort of taste to help you decide whether or not you would want the game in question. We also toss in our own two cents because we're pushy jerks like that.

Move over, Modern Warfare Reflex! Soon, Wii players will have a choice of "modern" FPS. In assigning an M-rating, the ESRB has revealed a game called SABRE Team, an FPS that takes place "'behind enemy lines' in a number of Middle Eastern-style locations." The game lets players "navigate tight alleyways and corridors, secure buildings, and kill enemy forces." The publisher is listed as Collision Studios, developer of Jumper: Griffin's Story on Wii and PS2, as well as both Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 and Daisy Fuentes Pilates. Maybe, to save money, Collision will reuse some celebrity character models, and we'll see a couple of Daisy Fuenteses providing cover fire. At the very least, all the soldiers should be limber. The dev is also responsible for 300: March to Glory on PSP. The name SABRE Team was also used by a 1992 Amiga game. This could be a refresh of that series, but since the original was a strategy game and this is an FPS, even if it is based on the same source material, it'll bear little resemblance.

This stylish online shooter has some serious promise.

It looks like we get more than the previously announced Alien Breed Evolution on XBLA this week, as Major Nelson has revealed that it will be joined by Puzzlegeddon from Tecmo. Despite its apocalyptic name, Puzzlegeddon sports an entirely cheery disposition, complete with lots of bright colors and bubbly music. The PC version previously received some decent reviews, and we've certainly been roped in by cute puzzle games in the past. Alien Breed Evolution and Puzzlegeddon will run you 800 ($10) apiece.

After being out of the game for nearly 10 years, Sunsoft returns to active publishing in America with an undeniable NES classic.

The Genesis edition of Shiny's 16-bit sequel returns, lending further support to the slow resurgence of the Earthworm Jim franchise.

You'll need the best tactics and strategy to survive in this tower defense title coming to PSP.

A portion of a Nintendo Life review… If you loved Toki Tori, you’ll love this. If you loved Chu Chu Rocket!, you’ll love this. At a mere 600 Nintendo Points with 60 puzzles, you’re getting quite the bargain. It may look simple on the surface, but some of the later puzzles are deceptively difficult, and will [...]

New franchise planned for next year, at least for now.

Would it be possible to use Dante Alighieri's spinning corpse in oil derricks, as as a sort of fleshy drill, or perhaps to power a large centrifuge? That might be a real opportunity if Dante's Inferno executive producer Jonathan Knight gets to make a follow-up to his forthcoming adaptation, a hope he elaborated on for G4. There's a hitch though: While Knight knows that EA will want a sequel to the game if it performs well, he's not sure that the follow up in The Divine Comedy, Purgatorio, will lend itself as well to a game. ... So Visceral can turn one of the great literary works into a game about a scythe-wielding maniac fighting nipple-born monsters, but making a game about the seven-layer Mount of Purgatory that ends in Earthly Paradise is beyond it? Really?

I finally had a chance to catch the trailer for Tron: Evolution that aired on the Spike TV VGAs, and I was sad to see this at the end. Looks like there’s no Wii or DS versions in the works. I don’t think many gamers will care, but Tron is one of my favorite movies. [...]

A cheap way to see if the new Bejeweled is your bag.

Prepare to mold the Sims community in your own image.

Sega and Rebellion won't release a "sanitized" Aliens vs. Predator for the Australian market, but it appears the companies are at least going to try and appeal the government's decision to "ban" the game. Refused Classification noted over the weekend that the classification board will hold a review of AvP's status this Friday, December 18. The most recent high-profile game to attempt an appeal with the Aussie ratings board was Valve's Left 4 Dead 2 -- it failed. An edited version of the zombie apocalypse title was released in the region. We've contacted Sega for comment on the matter. [Via GamePolitics]

Etrian Odyssey III takes the franchise for a dip in the ocean.

Filed under: Podcasts It's unclear just how it happened, but this week's Fancast clocks in at almost two hours. It took a long time. Time that we could have spent writing about games. But, you demand podcast goodness and we must oblige, so prepare for a mountain of emails about underage gaming, the Japanese game industry, delicious dessert islands and more. We also take some time to discuss the NPD numbers and, of course, Starship Troopers. [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3). [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in Zune Marketplace (MP3). [RSS MP3] Add the Xbox 360 Fanboy Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [MP3] Download the MP3 directly. Hosts: Richard Mitchell (SenseiRAM), Alexander Sliwinski (Sli Xander) and Dave Hinkle (KnifefightYoDad) Produced by Richard Mitchell Music: Intro/Outro: "Electromooq" by Uma Floresta. Break: "Pillar of Salt" by The Thermals. For fans: Xbox 360 Fancast Facebook group