All Topics Gaming older than one year ago

Natsume's attractive shooter going portable.

#kevinriepl On October 6, Gears of War composer Kevin Riepl tweeted that he thought someone "roofied" him while out drinking. He'd blacked out. "Somethings effed up," he added. "Like literally. Something knocked me out." Within days, Riepl was on live support. More »

Man up in update due next week.

#pc Minecraft's Halloween update will bring not just Jack-O-Lanterns and fish, but also these hellish depths. More »

Single player update Minerva's Den now 360 and PS3 only.

#nintendo When Nintendo launched the Nintendo Entertainment System in the West, the console was gray and black. It's Japanese originator, the Famicom, was not. More »

Streaming service bringing thousands of films to the UK next month say reports.

#rumor It's not just the Super Mario Bros. 25th anniversary game Europe is getting; the Old World may be in line to receive the new Red Wii as well, albeit with some changes made to the bundle. More »

#japan In the past eight years, so much has changed. So much hasn't. The sun still rises, for example. That's the same. But erotic game brand-wise, much has changed. More »

#books Controversial author (and former pop star) Salman Rushdie has just released a new children's book, and interestingly considering the author, it's got a strong foundation in video games. More »

Your chance to ask Junction Point about its new Mickey Mouse opus!

#screengrab A Neon Genesis Evangelion plugsuit wetsuit as modeled by nerd princess Shoko Nakagawa and seen on Speed Nator (NSFW). More »

Another week has flown by in the PC gaming world (as well as the rest of the world, we guess), and, as usual, we had a lot to report on. Let's take a look at the big stories from the last seven days:

Exclusive features

• Interviews: It was interview week at Big Download as we chatted with some of the creators behind games and services like Bloody Good Time, The Ball, Primal Carnage, Path of Exile, OnLive, DC Universe Online, Dead Space 2, Apox, Darkspore, Medal of Honor, Section 8: Prejudice, and Firefall.

Downloads

• Lead Meets Dead teaser trailer: Check out the first footage from this upcoming third person action game.
• Star Wars The Force Unleashed II trailer: It's some more footage from LucasArts's upcoming action game.

Come with us on a journey to Eggman's Incredible Interstellar Amusement Park to find out what makes this game tick.

As most of our numerologically inclined readers have likely noticed, today is 10/10/10 -- a once-in-a-century phenomenon which some have deemed "binary day." We're not sure how one celebrates "binary day," though we imagine speaking in binary is part of the proceedings. If that's you're cup of tea, here's a special message from us to you: 01100111 01100101 01110100 00100000 01100001 00100000 01101100 01101001 01100110 01100101 00101100 00100000 01100100 01110101 01100100 01100101 00101110.

Us? We'll be spending the day -- and the next 13 months, for that matter -- waiting for 11:11 on 11/11/11, at which point even our most outlandish wishes will almost certainly be granted.

[Image credit: VisualParadox]

We get legitimately excited when we see how beta testers are using LittleBigPlanet 2's creation tools in an ingenious way -- but sometimes, the logistics of their creations give us a wicked headache. Like, for instance, PSN user RAPHEAI's in-game recreation of Flower. It simply boggles the mind.

Last night's IndieCade 2010 awards ceremony recognized some of the best independently-developed games released over the past year, as well as Tim Schafer, who was not released over the past year. The full list of winners can be found after the jump.

You're probably familiar with some of them, provided your gaming tastes wander off the beaten path -- there's Playdead's haunting platformer Limbo, Ian Bogost's Atari 2600 gem A Slow Year, and Steph Thirion iPhone title Faraway, which won something called the "Sublime Experience Award." We're sure the other honors are just as prestigious, but that's the best name for an award we've ever heard.

Jeremiah Slaczka, second right, chief executive officer and co-founder of 5TH Cell, developer of Super Scribblenauts, and Edison Yan, right, art director of Super Scribblenauts, sign posters during a pre-launch event at the GameStop store in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, Sunday, Oct. 10, 2010. Super Scribblenauts, acclaimed for its innovation and creativity will [...]

#wii A patent application filed by Nintendo mentions a Wii Vitality Sensor game in which players control the flight of a cartoon character with a combination of Wii remote gestures and - wait for it - breathing. More »

It's been a while since we've seen any media from the Fabula Nova Crystallis series' other two-thirds -- actually, scratch that. We saw a trailer for Final Fantasy Versus XIII and Agito XIII during TGS last month. Now, thanks to Square Enix's unswerving kindness, you can watch it too.

Rentals are just $2 a night, and there’s a pretty good selection of titles available. Hopefully we’ll see more added in the near future! These titles should be made available at Redbox locations by the end of the month.

#mods Mega Man 8-Bit Deathmatch, the fan-made Doom mod, at least released on Friday. The FPS, stuffed full of Mega Man characters, weapons and other assorted sprites, is free. More »

#twig Medal of Honor weathered criticism in its pre-launch period thanks to the (formerly) playable Taliban in the game's multiplayer mode. Does its release on Tuesday mean the end of the controversy, or its beginning? More »

Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom is the kind of game you want to love. It has a winning premise, made all the more charming by the immediately likable Majin -- a towering beast that forges a strange friendship with a thief, Tepeu. The two characters balance each other surprisingly well, with Tepeu's cunning and speed matched by the Majin's adorable dimwittedness and hulking force. Namco Bandai calls it "partnership gaming," and it's seemingly the latest trend in games -- if Enslaved and The Last Guardian are any indication. Coupled with some beautiful art, and some interesting gameplay mechanics, Majin should be a winner.

But perhaps developer Game Republic isn't up to the task. While Majin is unlikely to be the train wreck that was their last project, Clash of the Titans, it's likely to find a similar fate as its (arguably) greatest hit so far -- Folklore. Like Majin, Folklore also had a rather original and intriguing concept. Yet, in spite of great art and some fun gameplay, it didn't have the polish expected of a genuine blockbuster title. Like its predecessor, Majin stumbles around greatness, but doesn't always hit the mark.

I loved the various implementations of "partnership gaming" in my preview demo. You control Tepeu, but never the beast. Tepeu is a rather capable bloke, able to reach places the beast (obviously) can't. He's quite skilled with his staff, but the enemies they face have a power that renders Tepeu powerless: seeming immortality. Outside of a few stealth attacks, only the beast has the force to finish off the inky creatures, meaning Tepeu will have to use his wit to lure enemies into traps, and gain the upper hand on his foes.

Though Rock Band 3 certainly seems to be doing its fair share of innovation, what with the keyboard peripheral and fancy real guitars, Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos recently told Edge Online that the studio isn't in danger of drying up the idea well. "There's a lot of creative terrain to explore with Rock Band," Rigopulos explained, "new forms of interaction between the player and the music. We still have some very exciting things planned."

One of those "very exciting things" was possibly referenced earlier in the interview, when Rigopulos explained the studio would love to return to its earlier rhythm titles -- namely, Frequency and Amplitude. "In terms of rhythm-action-type games focused on electronica," Rigopulos said, "that's something we'd love to come back to at the right moment in time. Or something completely new focused on that style of music." Ooh, ooh, we know! How about a game just called Rave, which uses two PlayStation Move controllers. We'd be so down for that.

Happy 10.10.10 everyone. I hope the weather is as beautiful where ever you are as it is here in San Francisco. Jeff and I racked up several hundred frequent flyer miles this week when we traveled to Toronto, Canada and New York’s Comic Con for three impressive PlayStation events for the gaming press and our PlayStation community. It was a pleasure to meet each and every one of you. Expect to see an ultimate highlight reel featuring all three events. Stay tuned!

I’m just about finished with Enslaved: Odyssey to the West (I hear the ending is amazing) and eagerly await to get my hands on Medal of Honor and Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1, which are headlining this week’s new releases. But let’s not forget Dead Space: Ignition, which reveals the secrets behind the Necromorph outbreak hours before the world met Isaac Clark in the original Dead Space. Grab your poutine, a jar of maple syrup and meet me at Honest Ed’s for this week’s The Drop.

PlayStation 3

Medal of Honor – Operating directly under the National Command Authority, a relatively unknown entity of handpicked warriors are called on when the mission must not fail. They are the Tier 1 Operators. They are living, breathing, precision instruments of war. Players will step into the boots of these warriors and apply their unique skill sets to a new enemy in the most unforgiving and hostile battlefield conditions of present day Afghanistan. There is a new enemy. There is a new war. There is a new warrior. He is Tier 1.

(PS Blog Coverage: Beta Feedback: How You Helped Shape Medal of Honor’s Multiplayer)

Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes – Set during a tumultuous period of Japanese history, Sengoku Basara Samurai Heroes allows players to take up the swords of more than a dozen fierce samurai warriors in huge battles against hundreds of opponents. Players will be able to unlock playable characters, as well as supporting generals who will make it easier to command and lead armies with the ultimate goal of re-writing history to rule all of 16th century Japan. The action is fast-paced and stylish, taking combat cues from producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi’s other big series, Devil May Cry.

(PS Blog Coverage: Sengoku BASARA: Samurai Heroes Demo Hits PSN Tomorrow)

Disney Sing It: The Party Hits – A party-packed entry in Disney’s video-based karaoke videogame franchise, Disney Sing It Party Hits features songs and music videos from fan favorites including Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, Black Eyed Peas, Jordin Sparks, Nick Jonas & The Administration, Paramore, Kelly Clarkson and more.

Lucha Libre AAA: Heroes Del Ring — A sports-wrestling game where up to four players can experience the world of Mexican Lucha Libre style wrestling from the perspective of luchadores from Mexico’s AAA wrestling league. Whether playing as part of the online Lucha Libre community or against friends at home, each action-packed match features all of the colorful characters, acrobatic moves and dynamic popularity-based combat style which differentiates Lucha Libre from its American counterparts.

PlayStation Network

Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 – Available exclusively via download, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I brings back the addictive side scrolling action that Sonic fans love in an all-new 2D adventure. Played from the traditional side-scrolling perspective, the game offers classic Sonic moves that fans love including Spin Dash and Rolling Attack and will also feature Homing Attack, all in stunning CG rendered environments.

Dead Space: Ignition — Dead Space Ignition combines an interactive comic-style story with three unique hacking mini games; Hardware Crack, Trace Route and System Override. Dead Space Ignition features a unique “Choose Your Own Adventure” type narrative, allowing players to survive the horrific Necromorph outbreak in multiple ways. The game offers four unique endings and upon completion of each one, players will be rewarded with unlocks including an exclusive suit, all of which can be used by Isaac Clarke in Dead Space 2.

(PS Blog Coverage: Dead Space 2, Ignition, Extraction, Aftermath, and Salvage)

PSone Classics

Arc The Lad — In ancient times, people understood the delicate balance that existed between the physical world and the five Guardians, The Romalians, bent on global conquest, began to shatter the balance that existed between the two worlds. Only by using the power of the Ancient Ark to stem the dark tide will humanity have any hope of life. The only one that possesses the power to use the Ark is a young lad named, oddly enough, Arc. Now, Arc shall embark on a quest to discover what really happened that fateful night ten years ago. Along the way, he’ll meet many new friends who shall become powerful allies.

Alundra – Grab a weapon and become the dreamwalker Alundra as he struggles to purge the evil of an ancient world before it falls to ash. Explore dungeons, find weapons, solve challenging puzzles, and kick some serious monster butt as you weave between tense reality and nightmarish dreams to save the hapless masses.

PlayStation minis

Who’s That Flying? – You are the mysterious and powerful creature known only as the “Guardian of Earth.” Your steely eye and hyper-powered laser arm have kept the citizens of Earth safe for generations. You must not only defend your cities from the ravenous hordes of Doom Beasts, you must defend yourself against accusations of gross incompetence from the Galactic Council of Justice! It’s a side-scrolling shooter meets tower defense (with courtroom drama and intrigue) doused in sheer awesomeness.

(PS Blog Coverage: Coming Soon to PSN: Who’s That Flying?! for PSP and PS3)

Zenonia – Choose from three different classes; Paladin, Warrior, or Assassin. Customize your character with hundreds of weapons and items. Explore tons of quests with good and evil path to choose from. Anime style graphics and innovative real life system make Zenonia a unique gaming experience for everyone!

[Editor’s Note: The following dates are subject to change. Game details are gathered from Press Releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]

#101010 Today is Binary Day, being that it's 10/10/10 - and that goes for both here and Europe. And to continue its 10-month celebration of the 10th anniversary of Bejeweled, PopCap has an offer that is free to you today. More »