All Topics Gaming older than one year ago

Just over a month from today, Super Mario Galaxy 2 will somersault onto store shelves. We thought we'd seen just about everything the final game would have to offer but, as Nintendo showed me earlier this week at its Northern California offices, there are still plenty of surprises to be found in this sequel.

While my last hands-on had me controlling the portly platforming plumber exclusively, this one started me out with a Luma in the game's revamped, expanded co-op mode. When I did play as Mario, I got a chance to try out the latest addition to his growing wardrobe of specialized suits, transforming into the extra-floaty (and fluffy) Cloud Mario. Then came the unexpected: A galaxy based on Super Mario Sunshine (sorry, folks -- no FLUDD).

Yes, I played more yesterday. Get a peek at what was in my hands… A new trailer that features the Cloud Mario power-up in action, some footage of co-op 2P play, a glimpse of TWO different guide systems (one features “Rosalina”), and a peek at new levels. Click over to the direct link to see it [...]

A new hero emerges.

We spend time with Mario's fancy new suit -- and we play with a friend.

#rumor Has British retailer HMV beaten Activision to the punch, revealing the name for Bizarre Creations new James Bond racing game to be James Bond: Bloodstone? More »

The London launch event for Monster Hunter Tri will no longer feature director Kaname Fujioka or producer Ryozo Tsujimoto. The pair's travel plans were thwarted by the unslayable monster Eyjafjallajökull. However, even though volcanic ash has kept the Capcom staffers from flying in, that doesn't mean there won't be any festivities on April 23.

The event, which runs from 9AM to 9PM, will still feature a GAME store "transformed" in celebration of the game. And more importantly, it'll still feature free swag bags for the first 50 in line. In addition, in lieu of having Tsujimoto and Fujioka sign games live, the first 100 people to purchase the game will be sent autographed covers for their games.

Create the ultimate map and have virtual riches bestowed upon you.

A series of tips and a report from a reputable Cheap Ass Gamer indicate that there might be three retail editions of Halo: Reach offered later this year: a standard edition, a limited edition and ... the "Legendary Edition." We'll give you a moment to catch your breath after dropping that bombshell on you. Ready? Good.

An alleged Best Buy ad, to be circulated next week, reveals that the retail packages will range in price from $60 for the standard game to $150 for the Legendary Edition, with the "limited" iteration of Reach falling in at the in-between price of $80. As you might imagine, the standard version supposedly comes with just the game itself, while the limited version is said to also include a "special limited edition case, collectibles and in-game armor," according to the ad. The $150 option allegedly contains all of the contents of the limited edition, in addition to even more "unique packaging" and in-game armor, plus a "Legendary Noble 6 Sculpture." When asked for comment, Microsoft issued its standard line: "We don't comment on rumor or speculation."

We'd suggest to those of you pining for that Legendary Edition to wait a bit -- we hear these things tend to eventually drop in price to something much, much more reasonable. If you just can't wait, though, Best Buy, and no doubt other major retailers, will reportedly begin accepting your pre-orders next week.

[Thanks Lgndryhr and everyone else who sent this in!]

#clips 3D Dot Game Heroes might look like a 3D pixel take on The Legend of Zelda, but this trailer is all Old Spice's "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like." More »

Blitz 1UP releases three new indie titles on Steam with a whopping 20% discount.

Party hard.

Dreams do come true.

#captivate2010 We know six characters in Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 and suspect we know another ten or so, but who would be on your dream list for the game? You know, besides Iron Fist. More »

Halo 3 was recently added to Xbox 360's Games on Demand service, but Microsoft has not confirmed that the longer-than-normal load times present on a hard drive installation were fixed for the digital release. Developer Bungie had previously been quite clear that Halo 3's design functioned best when not installed on the Xbox 360's HDD. Bungie Community Director Brian Jarrard told Kotaku yesterday that to the developer's knowledge there was no additional work "done on the code to optimize the game for HDD installation."

We've patiently been awaiting a response from Microsoft on this issue and will update as soon as we receive one. In the meantime, we'd steer those Halo 3 latecomers toward a brick-and-mortar retailer.

Check out this download-only, multiplayer-only shooter.

Scandalous celebrity gossip for gamers!

New scenarios, Terrain, and more modding possibilities.

#betawatch Several readers have pointed us towards the listing for StarCraft II on GameStop's website, where preorders now snag you an invite to the eagerly anticipated strategy game's beta test, as long as you agree not to cancel your order afterwards. More »

See if you can get into France with this.

A macho metal bonanza.

Seriously, can you believe that's how long the title is? It's really, really that long.

As the name would imply, Sam and Max: The Devil's Playhouse: Episode 1: The Penal Zone isn't the first game in the series. In fact, it's either the third, fifth or 14th, depending on how you're counting. Whether you've been keeping up with the ongoing series or if you're (like myself) a lapsed player, you'll be glad to hear that the freelance police are still at the top of their game.

Play games win prizes.

WB gets an online developer.

#captivate2010 With thousands of super heroes to choose from and more than 30 slots to fill, the biggest challenge facing upcoming fighter Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 is likely the roster. More »

Battlefield: Bad Company 2, EA's addictive team-based shooter, requires approximately 282 hours -- or 11 days and 18 hours -- of play to reach the highest rank of 50. The statistic was provided to Joystiq by Darius Kazemi, president of Orbus Gameworks, a consulting company that helps game developers keep track of what players are doing in-game. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA). Kazemi collected the data of 3,373 player profiles from BFBCS.com using their API.

For a jarring sense of scale: the average Rank 50 player has put 295 hours into the game, the equivalent of over seven weeks of working a full-time, 40-hour-a-week job. The time requirement to rank up increases dramatically around Rank 25. Kazemi explained, "From rank 1-25 it takes about 2 hours to climb to a new rank. From rank 25-50 it takes about 10 hours to level up." Read on to see how it all breaks down -- if you have time, that is.

Calling all dragon trainers.

#bungie The loadouts have names like Operator, Airborne, Grenadier, indicating their main weapon and a unique battlefield talent. I suggest that Bungie's bringing a touch of class-based combat to Halo, and the designer winces, then chooses his words. More »

We hope you enjoyed the April episode of Qore, featuring in-depth coverage of God of War III, Split/Second and 3D Dot Game Heroes. If you are a Qore annual subscriber or purchaser of the April episode, we want to let you know about a late addition to Episode 23’s Download Center: ModNation Racers PSP Demo.

Qore subscribers were invited to the PS3 game Beta last year, and starting on April 22, you’ll also get a chance to play the upcoming PSP demo version. Visit the Download Center in the April episode of Qore after this week’s PlayStation Store Update for early access to the ModNation Racers PSP demo, which lets you test drive two full tracks from the game and give the track creator a spin.

And, look for more exclusive downloads in next month’s May episode of Qore, featuring Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands, UFC Undisputed 2010 with Jens Pulver, and an insider’s look at upcoming additions to PlayStation Home.

Look for Episode 24 to hit the PlayStation Store on May 11.

#preview In 10 days, Halo: Reach gets its multiplayer beta - and consider that last word. With four different game types, new abilities and weapons, this isn't some preview of the rest of a new game. It is a new game. More »