All Topics Gaming older than one year ago

A portion of a 1up review… Clocking in at about 10 hours, Aragorn?s Quest is easy to pick up and put back down, especially with the chapters-in-a-book framework. The swordplay is far from perfect and the adventuring itself overly simplistic sure, but its accessibility is, ultimately, its most prevailing quality.

If you haven't been following La-Mulana, Nicalis and Nigoro's WiiWare update of the indie PC classic, the lengthy video after the break should do an excellent job of catching you up. And, in our opinion, it's worth the time to get caught up. We could always use a new platforming adventure.

#woops A demo isn't the finished product. But Andrew Bynum hilariously stuck in the Jordan Wings pose at midcourt is not what NBA Elite 11 wants to see less than a day into its demo. NSFW language in the players' reactions. More »

Codename: Kingdoms an epic adventure before it ever got started.

#celebrity Telltale Games are hard at work on their new Back to the Future games with the help of Christopher "Doc Brown" Lloyd and Back to the Future screenwriter Bob Gale. More »

#xbla Developer Vector Unit is injecting a dose of downloadable content to its high speed motorboat racing game, Hydro Thunder Hurricane, with the forthcoming Tempest Pack. What's new for the sequel to Midway's classic racing game? Stuff! More »

It's usually hard for me to get upset about imitation. Most beloved games are built on the achievements of others: Guitar Hero is Guitar Freaks from a different angle, and Guitar Freaks was just Beatmania anyway. Galaxian is Space Invaders with more colors. Usually, even the most obviously "inspired" games have their own personality and feel. But not Konami's Zac and Ombra: Amusement Park of Illusion for DS, which I can only describe as the product of some depressingly corporate thinking. Basically, Konami decided to make Professor Layton, but for people who aren't smart enough to solve puzzles.

Do you have some hankering for some over-the-top bowling action? Well it’s time to dust off the old bowling shoes and meet the High Velocity Bowlers! Over the last few years, lots of High Velocity Bowling add-on DLC has been released and we’ve collected all the content in one convenient Blu-ray Disc package, including over 20 unique characters and themed alleys, trick shot packs, and other fun content.

In addition, the game also supports stereoscopic 3D and PlayStation Move functionality included on the disc to really simulate a genuine bowling swing. The game’s a blast to play and lets up to four friends play offline, or go head-to-head online to see who the better bowler is.

If you already own the original High Velocity Bowling game on PSN, you can get the PlayStation Move add-on functionality for free if you are a PlayStation Plus member. If you aren’t a member of PlayStation Plus, don’t worry: the PlayStation Move add-on is planned to be released in the near future.

Remember that Tomb Raider reboot that was rumored last year? The one with a younger, less experienced Lara Croft? According to Eurogamer, the latest issue of PC Gamer says that the new Tomb Raider is indeed a reality. The game will reportedly be set on a Japanese island and will offer Lara an open world to explore, described as one "cohesive level with multiple ways around the puzzles."

The magazine also reiterates that Lara will be "younger and inexperienced in the ways of raiding tombs." Eurogamer believes that this next Tomb Raider is slated for a holiday 2011 release on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

Given the larger, open world and Lara's inexperience, allow us to suggest a title: Tomb Raider: Extended and Unraided.

#blizzard Oddly coinciding with ArenaNet's article about allowing players to communicate with guild members using mobile devices, Blizzard reveals that offline mobile guild chat will be coming to World of Warcraft as well. Fancy that! More »

A role-playing game for sellers and slayers.

Nolan says it's happening, is "hopeful" for Batman 3.

With Bungie out of the picture, expect Halo production to continue at high speeds.

Nolan says it's happening, is "hopeful" for Batman 3.

What if Nintendo made a game for Kinect? Namco Bandai does its best to answer that question with Dr. Kawashima's Body and Brain Connection, a "Brain Age" game for Microsoft's motion-control peripheral. This family-oriented minigame collection, featuring Xbox Avatars alongside the ever-digitized Dr. Kawashima, makes for an experience that seems more than inspired by Nintendo's recent efforts -- it's a total knockoff. The UI, the music and the gameplay all feel ripped from the Brain Age series and Nintendo's Wii Fit games.

In some respects that's a compliment, but gamers who have already written off edutainment and exergames won't find much reason to give Body and Brain Connection a try. You know exactly what to expect from this game.

Rock Band 3's launch is just about a month away, and Harmonix has made it its mission to make sure you've got a hard drive full of songs ready to be played once the threequel comes out. Check out a list of songs that have been temporarily discounted on the PlayStation Store below.

#pc As we did with the Halo Reach Briefcase Edition and the StarCraft II More Expensive Edition, Kotaku is exposing the Civilization V Comes With Statues Edition (aka the $100 Civ V Special Edition) to the glare of sunlight. Here, unboxed. More »

#northamerica Your regularly scheduled PlayStation Store update hit North America on Monday, a bit earlier than normal, thanks to some scheduled PlayStation Network maintenance. So let's catch up on what's new. More »

According to GfK Chart-Track, Halo: Reach delivered a Spartan-sized punch in the arm to Xbox 360 console sales. GfK director Dorian Bloch told Eurogamer that Halo: Reach drove a 99 percent increase in console sales during its launch week, which ended September 18. Eurogamer reports that sales of the limited edition Halo: Reach console, sold through retailer Game in the UK, played a significant role in the overall boost.

Oh, and in case you hadn't heard, the game is selling pretty well too.

Signs pointing to premium subscription.

In Gun Loco, you can kick a man so hard that his torso flies off. Don't worry, everyone's seemingly made of manga meat -- and they're no-good criminals to boot, marooned on a decrepit prison planet once intended for "the baddest of the bad." The bizarre ruffians, who started life as toys created by artist Kenny Wong, seem almost disposable as they charge into shootouts with nary a concern for safety.

A cover system? What's that?

#laracroft The news today that the PlayStation 3 and Steam/PC versions of Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light will be out next week confirmed that online co-op won't be available at launch, just as it wasn't on the Xbox 360. More »

- published by Rocket Co., Ltd. - starring Billy Blanks - work out with a virtual Blanks, alongside Miis - Balance Board support - one or two Wiimotes, or a combination of both - three different exercise modes - daily “leave it to Billy” regimen, programs that emphasize particular muscle groups, or intensive daily workout schedules for periods of three, five [...]

It's not Tokyo Game Show without cosplay! There's something uniquely TGS-like about being stuck in a game demo line between two Hatsune Mikus. We took our lives into our hands (leaving room for a camera, of course) and ventured into a raging sea of people to bring you pictures of those few folks dedicated enough to make and wear elaborate outfits in unseasonable heat.

As for our favorite cosplayer of the show: we're definitely fond of the guy in Dragon Quest IX "Gooey Gear" Slime armor, but Airman can't be beaten.

The official Euro site for Chick Chick Boom has now opened, and you can check out some more screenshots and artwork at the link below. I really can’t wait to get my hands on this game!