All Topics Gaming older than one year ago

#nintendods Want to use your Nintendo DS as a virtual canvas on which to paint, a virtual art studio in which to learn? Good, because Nintendo of America will release Art Academy for the DS this October. More »

A portion of the WiiLoveIt review: Maestro! Green Groove is a standout title for this genre of gaming. Perhaps it may not be heavy on content, but it’s still moderately replayable. Even if it only lasts for a short while, this is a quality DSiWare release that must be experienced. And for $5, there’s really no [...]

If you haven't heard about this, we hate to be the ones to have to tell you: there's a live-action/CG Yogi Bear movie on the way, starring Dan Aykroyd as Yogi and Justin Timberlake as Boo Boo. Why are we burdening you with this information? Because D3 Publisher announced a video game based on it, also starring Dan Aykroyd.

Yogi Bear: The Video Game for Wii and DS, coinciding with the movie's holiday release, puts players in the collar and tie of Yogi Bear as he attempts to save Jellystone Park from being shut down. As you navigate through the park you'll be expected, of course, to steal pic-a-nic baskets without drawing the ranger's attention.

D3, a company owned by Namco Bandai, secured an agreement with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for the license to this game, which Monkey Bar Games is developing. A lot of companies are working together to make sure you have this Yogi Bear game.

#podcast Crecente and Totilo discussed the robust year PC gaming is having so far in 2010, and also what they love and hate about a gaming platform with plenty of polarizing topics. Kotaku Talk Radio, available for download now! More »

A true classic is coming to Wii this fall.

#art What lies beneath the plastic skin of your PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 controllers? If concept artist Mads Peitersen was designing the gamepads we play with, they'd be bony, fleshy living things with teeth. More »

At long last, the ever-catchy background bleeps and bloops of Bit.Trip Runner can now be listened to from the safety and comfort of your music-listening device of preference. The mostly original soundtrack for the game (two songs were contributed by the chiptune virtuosos of Anamanaguchi) is now available to purchase from CDBaby.com for $6.

We definitely think it could make for some soothing ambient music to accompany your daily aromatherapy sessions -- that is, as long as each square wave doesn't fill you with haunting flashbacks of that one fireball that ruined your perfect run.

Unravel the darkness.

DJ Hero 2's multiplayer modes are detailed in this new video. There are six modes in all, with Party Play -- featuring drop-in/drop-out play for turntables and vocals -- looking like the best choice for your next musical soiree. Assuming your guests dig phat beats, of course.

#clips Madden NFL 11's remade cooperative online play this year, but rather than bog down in a technical discussion, let's see what happens when Ray Lewis and Mario Williams show up to pit two rival Texas high schools against each other. More »

What would the appropriate spell be called? Financialus Maximus? Cashius Give-it-all-to-us? Look, we're not hip to this Harry Potter thing the kids are into, but with the latest Warner Bros. financial earnings showing Lego Harry Potter: Years 1 - 4 has "shipped over 2.7 million units," we want in. The game launched on June 29 and received favorable marks across the board, even from yours truly.

Of course, it should be noted that "shipped" does not equal sold -- copies of the game could very well be sitting on store shelves right now. Regardless, don't expect you'll be seeing the last of these Lego games anytime soon.

#maddennfl11 If you're finally ready to jump into PlayStation 3 ownership and plan on doing so with a copy of Madden NFL 11, wait for the bundle. That previously leaked package (perhaps a Canada-only thing) is here in the flesh. More »

#clips Multiplayer in the original DJ Hero was a plain vanilla affair that stripped some of the coolest elements from the single-player game for simplicity's sake. DJ Hero 2 throws simplicity out the window. More »

Dear Mr. Murray Shalowitz,

As you are the sole Xbox 360 owner who has yet to play Modern Warfare 2, we would like to inform you that a demo is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace.

Cheers,


P.S. A reminder for little Rosie Erickson: A PS3 demo is available as well.


Xbox.com: Add Modern Warfare 2 Cliffhanger Demo to your Xbox 360 download queue

A modern update of isometric cyborg sim Syndicate is presumed to be the surviving half of a planned two-game collaboration between EA and Starbreeze Studios. As noted by Superannuation, EA filed three new "Syndicate" trademark registrations in August concerning "video game software," "electronic computer games" and, in one case, "collectable toy figures."

Rumors of a new Syndicate sprang up over a year ago, and a document from the U.S. Copyright Office recently linked the Syndicate name to both EA and Chronicles of Riddick developer Starbreeze Studios. While the publisher has never made an official announcement, original Syndicate designer Sean Cooper stated in June 2009 that several "misguided" attempts to revisit the sci-fi franchise had been made since it debuted in the early 90s.

Fans are likely to share Cooper's skepticism, especially if the marketing department signs off on Syndicate as a free download exclusive to every new copy of Dante's Inferno 2: Farewell to Frying Pan.

As noted in our review, ModNation Racers' load times were unbearably long upon release. When Sony promised that today's 1.02 patch would improve this issue, we busted out the stopwatches to find out for ourselves. Does the patch significantly improve the load times for races?

The answer appears to be a definitive "yes." We used the first five tracks in the Quick Race mode and calculated the average load time to begin a race before and after the patch was installed. Based on our calculations, it took an average of 45.6 seconds to load a single race before implementing the 1.02 patch. Additionally, returning to the Mod Spot after the race took an average of 24.3 seconds of loading.

With 1.02 installed, however, the load time to begin a race decreased drastically. Starting a race took an average of 32.7 seconds, which is about 28 percent faster than the pre-patch time! The loading time it took to return to the Mod Spot after a race also improved with the patch, but not significantly: It still took an average of 22.4 seconds.

Even after the patch, we're still looking at nearly a full minute of combined load times for each race. Still, the improved speediness of launching a race must come as good news for fans of the game.

Greetings from well beyond the “dangerous sea area” west of Canaan! I’m XSEED’s resident Falcom nut and one of their localization specialists. I’ve been bugging Ken at XSEED via email for years now to localize games from Falcom’s extensive catalogue of awesomeness, and was always really pleased with the detailed responses he’d send back. Our emails bloomed into entire conversation threads, and eventually, once XSEED and Falcom established their partnership, Ken offered me a job — which I gladly accepted! Now all your Falcom scripts are belong to me. Mwa ha ha!

Ys Seven will be the first game released as part of the XSEED/Falcom partnership (aka the GREATEST TEAM-UP EVER), and is currently scheduled to ship on August 17th, 2010. In North America, three versions of the game will be available: the UMD version ($29.99), the PSN download version (also $29.99), and of course, the faaaaabulous limited edition box-set version ($49.99), which will include the game on UMD, a ludicrously gorgeous cloth map of Europe (the Ys series Europe, which is pronounced “eh-ROH-pay”), a one-disc “Ys Seven Musical Selections” CD, and a 60+ page art book containing various works from Ys Seven, Ys: The Oath in Felghana, and Ys I & II (as well as a brief cameo by some Ys VI characters).

Ys Seven will also be available in Europe, but only as a PSN download, and I’m afraid the price is yet to be determined. Sorry, European fans! (Europan fans?)

Now, the all-important question: Why should you buy the game?

Well, how about because it’s AWESOME?!?! Seriously, if you’ve never played a Falcom game before, you’re about to be blown away by this one. Falcom games, and especially Ys games, are generally characterized by three things:

• Insanely fast-paced, action-packed gameplay. Turn-based? HA! Ys eats turn-based RPGs for breakfast, then regurgitates them and launches them at beings of ancient evil just because it can.
• 80s power rock- and metal-inspired soundtracks. These are often performed in the studio by Falcom’s in-house band. I dare anyone to hear the riff at the beginning of Ys Seven’s main boss theme “Vacant Interference” and NOT get totally pumped for the battle ahead!
• “Less is more” storylines. This means a greater focus on fun gameplay and interesting, well-developed settings than on plot twists and epic ironies (Going along with the music, think of Ys as the rock opera to every other RPG series’ novella!)

With nine playable characters (in parties of three at a time), 98 unique skills (84 of which have unique variations apiece — and these skills aren’t just for show), a robust crafting system (that will keep you searching every nook and cranny of every dungeon), and a story that will last you anywhere from 30 to 90 hours (my final playtime was 72 hours, but I’ve been playing a lot since then to level up my skills and craft the best armor for everyone, putting me well over the 80-hour mark, with tons more yet to do), Ys Seven is easily the best portable game on the market… or will be, once it ships in North America on August 17th.

Get yourself ready to finally play an Ys game straight from Falcom’s own studio rather than a third-party interpretation of an Ys game, which is all we’ve ever gotten in English until now). And put in your orders for the LE box ASAP, since they may sell out once everyone in the world realizes this game is awesomeness incarnate and rushes out to buy it.

If you were looking to get your hands on these Mario posters, now’s your second chance! The posters were out of stock for quite some time, but it seems that Nintendo has another shipment just waiting to be depleted. Head over to your Club Nintendo account and take advantage!

A trusted source informs Joystiq that at least 20 staffers have been let go from High Voltage Software, the development studio behind The Conduit and its upcoming sequel. While the initial account cited between 20 and 30 layoffs, the final tally could be "a lot more," according to our source. We're currently working to get an official comment and further clarification from High Voltage.

Though The Conduit apparently performed well enough to merit a follow-up, High Voltage's most recent release, mythological fighter Tournament of Legends, failed to impress critics, netting an average score of 47 on Metacritic.

This picture, by Nintendo of America Inc. employee Krysta Yang, was created using Nintendo’s Art Academy software, a portable art course made exclusively for the Nintendo DS family of systems. Art Academy, which launches Oct. 25 at a suggested retail price of $19.99, provides everyone from beginners to experts with tools to create their own [...]

#science Science justifies the reclusive nature of hardcore gamers during these hot summer months, as a new study finds that people actively participating in beach-based activities are more likely to develop gastrointestinal problems, fever, and skin illness. Who's for beach volleyball? More »

A new DS game hopes to turn you into an artist.

#gameface Successfully competing in online Street Fighter tournaments takes nerves of steel, lightning-quick reflexes, and the ability to spew a constant stream of profanity for over two minutes. Warning: This clip features some very strong language. More »

United Front Games has updated its title, but it's not all good news.

Major Nelson's weekly dispatch of Xbox Live Arcade sales and activity rankings had an unlikely frontrunner: Playdead's $15 art house platformer, Limbo. The title took first place in the Arcade sales category, and tenth place in overall Live activity, beating out fellow recent XBLA releases Hydro Thunder: Hurricane, Deadliest Warrior and DeathSpank. It could not, however, do anything to stop Baby Maker Extreme from exerting its dominance on the Top Indie Games category. Perhaps nothing ever will.

Click past the jump to see all the XBLA rankings for the week of July 26.

#hotflashes The original Flash game Achievement Unlocked was a groundbreaking milestone in crossing virtual accomplishments off a list. Never has staying alive for 30 seconds or moving to the right felt so rewarding. Until now. Until Achievement Unlocked 2. More »

Since we've already reviewed Castlevania: Harmony of Despair -- check it out! -- there won't be an XBLA in Brief preview this week. In its place is this giveaway, in which five entrants will receive a code.

To enter:

• Leave a comment telling us your favorite Castlevania game ever.
• You must be 13 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec).
• Limit 1 entry per person.
• This entry period ends at 6:00PM ET, Thursday, August 5th.
• At that time, we'll randomly select five grand prize winners to each receive a download code for Castlevania: Harmony of Despair (ARV $15). [Code requires an Xbox Live account to redeem.]
• 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. Please note that Joyswag may be in "used" condition.

For more info on our policy, click here.

#screengrab Who should we have "review" this heart stopper from Pizza Hut? Thanks Justin More »