All Topics Gaming older than one year ago

I played four long hours of Nier with the full intention of completing a review of the game. But after reaching the point you see in the video above, I, in my capacity as reviews editor, decided that it was inadvisable to continue with that plan. I have a beloved wife and cat that depend on my continued sanity and a TV that I can't currently afford to replace, should I be prompted to put it through my living room window.

What I played of Nier up to this point had some nice touches, like solid music and voice acting, but the game felt a generation or two behind what I'd hope for in an open-world action-RPG, specifically in terms of graphics and mission design. Also, the design team was seemingly in dire need of staff members in possession of human souls.

You know, so, just something to remember for Nier 2: Souls.

Protip: There's another beach that's not the beach right next to the old dude that gives you the fishing pole. I ended up trying that spot and catching the fish. But by then, the damage was done, and my spirit had been broken, sadly.

#review Today, a sports title without real players and teams has a hard pitch to make. If any franchise can close the deal, it's the one that started it all: Tecmo Bowl, trading on 20 years of nostalgia with Tecmo Bowl Throwback. More »

Robot Master after Robot Master. Mega Man chops them down like they’re nothing, and then ends up using their own weapons on one another. A legion of robots that have been unable to take down the blue bomber. What’s a Robot Master to do after he’s failed at his prime directive?

Bit.Trip Beat hit Europe a month after it arrived in North America, as did Core. Void was almost three months behind. However, European Wii owners won't have to wait in agony while the western hemisphere enjoys Bit.Trip Runner. In a brief announcement, Gaijin Games revealed that the chiptune-filled rhythm platformer will be released in Europe in Australia on May 14, three days before it arrives in North America.

To help you decide whether or not this is welcome news, we've embedded the trailer. You'll find this out when you watch, but spoiler alert: yes, this is probably great news if you're a PAL gamer.

I’ll bet that no one alive has ever tasted a pig as sweet as this, or in cake form for that matter!

#movies Check out clips and stills from Street Fighter Legacy, an officially sanctioned Street Fighter short film featuring Hollywood talent that could be the most accurate screen adaptation of the World Warriors ever created. More »

#wii Former Sonic the Hedgehog producer Yuji Naka has moved on from Sega to Prope, with his latest creation, Ivy the Kiwi?, coming to the Wii and Nintendo DS this summer, courtesy of XSEED. More »

- fifth annual show - brand new arrangements this year.

The RPG smiths at BioWare have La Forge'd a new set of DLC items for Mass Effect 2, including the fashionably next-gen Archon Visor seen above. As it's being delivered outside of the in-game Cerberus Network tomorrow, the "Equalizer Pack" will cost 160 MS Points (or 160 BioWare points if you're on PC).

Aside from the Visor add (it reduces the recharge time of Shepard's powers), the pack also offers the Capacitor Helmet for faster shield recharge, along with the Inferno Armor, a once pre-order bonus that increases tech and biotic damage and gives you an "edge in negotiations."

If we might play the role of advisor: If you're going to spend $2 on all this advanced armor, negotiations should only take place once the other person is at a severe and permanent disadvantage.

Now you can have a custom box to go along with the translation of Earthbound Zero! The price is a little steep, but you can grab your own here.

Launch of anticipated beta runs into server issues.

You know all those summer plans you have? Well StarCraft 2's first piece -- the human-based Wings of Liberty -- was just given a July 27 release date for "stores throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Mexico, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau." What, no Kyrgyzstan?

Allergic to stores? Unfortunately, Blizzard won't be offering the game directly to consumers through its website until "shortly after retail launch." Thinking you might wanna rethink those summer plans, eh? Remember, this is Blizzard, so ... maybe not.

Ezio's nemesis Dr. Vidic is apparently an avid Facebook user.

All the info, all in one spot.

#haloreach Can't complain when things go bad in a beta, can we? Word from Bungie is that intense server activity is gumming up the works: More »

#releasedate Blizzard isn't in the habit of handing out game release dates until they're good and ready, so when they say StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty will be hitting store shelves worldwide in late July, they damn well mean it. More »

Game ships worldwide this summer.

Happy ModNation Monday!

To kick off ModNation May, we are bringing you a new Artist Spotlight!

After seeing some of the gaming industry’s top talent and development icons take ModNation for a spin, our next Spotlight takes us to a completely different scene. ModNation definitely has a unique art style, and if you’ve seen any of ModNation’s behind-the-scenes videos, you might know the look of the game was inspired by the Urban Vinyl art movement.

No one knows this scene better than artist Jesse Hernandez, the man behind Immortal Studios and host of Vinyl Addiction, a show that covers the designer toy scene.

We spent sometime with Jesse, not only get a bit of insight on the scene and to explore his art, but to see how a true Vinyl artist could express himself with the game while having some fun along the way. What we saw was how easy someone can bring their vision to life, even if they are used to a totally different medium.

More Spotlights to come in the weeks ahead! As you noticed, Jeff has hooked us up with a sweet new COUNTDOWN clock! (You can see it by looking over to the right!)

Just 22 days left!

To quote Jesse, “That’s What’s Up!”

Beginning today, May 3, the Xbox 360 received a price reduction in Spain. The Arcade model was cut by €30 to €169 ($223), while the Elite experienced a €20 drop to €199 ($262). No other European countries seem to be experiencing a similar price drop.

Following up with Microsoft in the States, the company's official comment to Joystiq was that "the limited promotional price of Xbox 360 Arcade in Spain does not reflect an official price drop." The company's statement continues, "We work closely with retailers to determine the best approach for our products on a region-by-region basis."

[Thanks, Antonio R.; Via VG247, ElOtroLado]

#valve The first offering in Valve's new line of collectibles, Team Fortress 2's the Heavy, is now up for pre-order. These lovely limited edition statues can soon be yours, provided you've got the scratch to afford it. More »

New downloadable content available tomorrow.

Since last week's release of the first two episodes of "Bright Falls," the six-part prequel to Alan Wake, we've been feverishly wondering how a live action video game tie-in could be so ... non-abysmal. To find the cause of this phenomenon, we went straight to the source: the series' co-writer and director, Phillip Van.

Check out our interview with Van just past the jump to learn about the thematic inspirations and environmental tribulations that went into the creation of "Bright Falls."

Since last week's release of the first two episodes of "Bright Falls," the six-part prequel to Alan Wake, we've been feverishly wondering how a live action video game tie-in could be so ... non-abysmal. To find the cause of this phenomenon, we went straight to the source: the series' co-writer and director, Phillip Van.

Check out our interview with Van just past the jump to learn about the thematic inspirations and environmental tribulations that went into the creation of "Bright Falls."

#feature You love a video game and you want a sequel. So you decide, with friends, to make one. A decade passes; your game never gets done. The companies that own the original games have shut you down twice. This is when it might be time for David to agree that Goliath has won. More »

#ubisoft Fans go nuts as Knights Templar member and Assassin's Creed I and II villain Doctor Warren Vidic makes a his presence known at the game's official Facebook page. Templar destiny is at hand! More »

The world's first anti-hero in fine form.

Storing controllers can be a huge pain, especially when you have multiple consoles and accessories. I’ve thought of storing my game guitars like this, but never controllers. This might be the best way to go, especially when you want to save some space. It’s not bad for art, either!