Joystiq older than one year ago

Click for more highlights! Dear Download-only Record Holder, You had a good run -- time to move over. Madden NFL Arcade is coming to town. EA has detailed, priced and dated its bite-sized Madden for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network. Targeted for the holiday season, Madden Arcade is described as fast-paced, 5-on-5 football. It's a classic backyard scenario -- first to 30; 4 plays per possession; no penalties; no field goals -- draped in NFL glamour. Following in the tradition of EA's 3-on-3 NHL Arcade and its arcade-football predecessors (NFL Blitz, NFL Street, etc.), Madden Arcade will feature a 'toonish art style, downsized playing field (60 yards) and 13 "Game Changers" (power-ups), including the ability to freeze your opponents, turn off their passing icons, or enlist of an army of lineman to pretty much guarantee a sack. Each match is customizable, too, by altering skill level, points to win and other options, and supports up to 4-player co-op on a single console or 1-vs-1 online. Madden NFL Arcade will be released this December on XBLA (1200) and PSN ($14.99). And shortly thereafter, the game is the odds on favorite to become the best-selling download-only title ever. How's the saying go: Don't hate the player? Hate the ...

Activision has sent out the intro cinematic for DJ Hero, and we can't help but think of Brütal Legend set in a hip-hop / club universe. A world filled with monstrous record needles and gigantic subwoofers. A place where DJs -- and truck drivers, apparently -- are kings, battling it out for rhythmic supremacy. We're not sure if the actual gameplay experience of twirling plastic records and tapping buttons will evoke the same feelings -- the signs are good so far -- but the intro video certainly has us pumped. You'd best check it yourself, lest you wreck yourself.

The PSP is home to some unexpected shooter revivals. Thexder was just released on PSN, R-Type returned -- as a strategy game! -- and there's even a new Cho Aniki. Compared to those random releases, the announcement of a new Darius isn't too shocking. But it is very welcome.The trailer for Darius Burst seems to hit the highlights of the Darius experience -- namely, spaceships and giant robot versions of aquatic creatures. And it looks hot. Hot enough to send us back through the series in anticipation of the December 24 Japanese release, and for us to send our sincerest wishes to Taito parent company Square Enix. Sell this to us!

Though Microsoft has been a bit cagey with a solid release date for the upcoming Facebok/Twitter/Last.Fm update for Xbox Live, eagle-eyed UK readers have spotted the phrase "Service launches 17th November 2009" on the UK Xbox website (seen above).When we recently got to give the services a spin at Microsoft's First Annual Open House, the company wouldn't give us a set-in-stone release date, though MTV Multiplayer were told a public beta for the services would arrive for XBL Gold Members in the "middle-towards-end of October." We've contacted Microsoft for word on when the services will be arriving on this side of the pond, though ... well ... it's the weekend. We'd suggest you don't go holding your breath for that info until Monday.[Thanks, Scump!]

If you're like us, you're still writhing about in agony from the last round of Brütal Legend videos unleashed upon the internet. It's okay, we had little hope things would get better -- that is, until we were handed this latest video. It's actually entirely watchable and even makes a few funny comments about the various games being released around Brütal Legend, including Assassin's Creed 2's feathered protagonist Ezio and how those night-vision goggles that come with Modern Warfare 2 aren't as awesome as slamming an axe into a demon's face. Check it out above.

Here's a great example of why it's tough serving two masters. Game Informer has totally re-engineered its web site, and one of its first big scoops was a teaser image and info on Epic Mickey, which was touted as a Wii exclusive.When that last detail was removed from the website, however, it sent the internet into a tizzy of speculation, with some assuming the change put the exclusivity in question. Enter our good friend, the fact: Game Informer has today reconfirmed that Epic Mickey is only coming to Nintendo's box, a revelation that it was hoping to save for the magazine. If only the accursed internet hadn't noticed! We're impressed with GI's new site and wish it all the best as it tries for a stronger web presence alongside its mag; however, we're equally interested in how the team deals with the growing pains from aligning the print and online offerings.

At Tokyo Game Show 2009, NIS America took the time to announce a few new games for Western release. Amongst them was the sequel to Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman!. The retro-themed anti-hero game comes equipped with 4 times more stages, 3.3 times more monsters and 2.3 times more heroes than the first game. The hilarious sort-of-localized trailer makes note that creatures at your disposal can also mutate through deformity, obesity and gigantism.Most likely, the Badman sequel will skip UMD and head straight to PSN release. Makes sense, considering the bite-sized nature of the game. But if for some reason you insist on having plastic packaging, go to the PlayStation.Blog to tell NIS that you really want a UMD version of the first game.

You know what? Screw you, Ben Heck. Every time you come around, you bring these awesome, portable-ized consoles with you. From your corner of the internet, you wave these scintillating creations under our noses, then withdraw them from our lives. Sure, occasionally you'll provide us with tutorials to re-create your projects, but we don't possess your otherworldly, Forge-esque proclivity for technology. We are but simple folks whom you've chosen to tease at your leisure with glimpses of the future. It's just mean. You're a mean guy. Oh, but your most recent creation -- a laptop built around a PS3 Slim (demoed in a video after the jump) -- is pretty remarkable. Rarely do these modified Frankenconsoles look this good. We can't wait to get our hands on ... Aw, damn it.

Now that Joystiq has gone on record regarding Naughty Dog's sequel, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, we figured it prudent to scour the webotron for more organized words on the PS3 exclusive so we could present you this Metareview. Let's not waste any time -- the reviews await your anxious eyeballs! Eurogamer (100/100): "Whether or not the multiplayer sticks, however, is arguably a footnote, because at the core of Uncharted 2 is an action-adventure masterpiece whose minor flaws are washed away on a tide of rhythm and spectacle -- one that would still be an essential experience even without the option to pull your friends off cliffs and play capture-the-heirloom." GamePro (100/100): "The A.I. is a little suspect, the camera can be stubborn, and you will die your fair share of cheap deaths. But it's still a fantastic effort and Naughty Dog deserves full credit for building upon the momentum of the first installment. PS3 owners should definitely experience it, especially if they liked the original." 1UP (A+): "Uncharted 2 is simply a vast improvement over its predecessor, and it's a damn great PS3 game. Let's leave the "are games art?" question for another time; what Uncharted 2 proves is that games are, at the very least, craft. Just as Raiders is Spielberg at the top of his game, Uncharted 2 is Naughty Dog at the top of theirs, and further proof that they are masters of their craft." IGN (95/100): "It's very, very good. It's easily one of the best games on the system, blending fantastic presentation and visuals with gameplay that is practically second to none. And then there's the stellar multiplayer which you'll probably be playing until Uncharted 3 ships. No, Uncharted 2 is not perfect, but it's closer than pretty much any other game out there these days." Videogamer (90/100): "Uncharted 2 does so many things right, that its problems (a less than perfect cover system, some frustrating combat and unfortunate glitches) are easy to overlook. The single-player adventure packs in so many incredible moments that you'll be talking about it with friends for months, the multiplayer functionality is superb and rammed with content, and the whole game looks beyond anything you'll have seen before."

Looks like the rumors and speculation were spot-on -- GameStop just revealed the first details on Super Street Fighter IV, a new version of the brawler released earlier this year in the U.S., which will rebalance the game's existing characters and add eight new fighters to the roster. For now, the only confirmed fighters we know are series regulars T. Hawk and Dee Jay, and a brand new female pugilist named Juri. Due to the minor scope of the changes, Capcom won't be charging full price for the title -- however, the character balancing is drastic enough to prevent cross-game matches between SFIV and its Super iteration. The game is due out in Spring 2010 for the PS3 and Xbox 360. For more details about the updated Hadoken simulator, check out Gamespot's initial impressions. To see the complete version of the A-ha-esque trailer which was teased earlier today, watch the video after the jump.

There are a lot of LittleBigPlanet DLC packs out there. However, thanks to a tip submitted by Marius, you can get access to one pack absolutely for free. Sony Wonder is giving away free codes for the "Norse Mythology" content pack, which adds all sorts of costumes and stickers for inquisitive creators. All you need to do is have a US PlayStation Network account and click here. It's as easy as that.[Thanks, Marius!]

Anyone who's ever played LittleBigPlanet knows that the experience is enriched when played with friends -- but what if one of your "friends" was not a Sackboy in the context of the game, but rather, an invisible agent of divine intervention? Think of it: He or she could effortlessly lift objects through the air, discard obstacles, bridge gaps or, depending on their temperament, instantly murder you. Sony and Media Molecule are teaming up to incorporate this unsettling omnipotence into the customizable platformer with the launch of the PlayStation Motion Controller. You can check out a video of the motion-controlled LBP multiplayer demo (culled from Sony's Tokyo Game Show keynote) after the jump. Fans of the title might see this new functionality as a bold evolution Media Molecule's lovable game -- we see it as an unprecedented advancement in hilarious griefing technology. [Via Kotaku]

Sony has announced a new PSP service for designing 3D avatars and "my room" spaces, along with blog, album, and group gathering and chat support. Um ... does this sound familiar to anyone?Yes, it looks like PlayStation Home is coming to PSP ... sort of. PlayStation Room (officially spelled with an infinity symbol in place of the "oo" in Room) will be added to PSP in an upcoming firmware update this winter and can be launched directly from the PlayStation Network section of the XMB. Just like in Home, PSP owners will be able to invite other PlayStation players into their rooms to "enjoy real time communication." Is that what the kids call it these days?While anything remotely resembling PlayStation Home has us reeling with trepidation, we do think Room's stylized avatars look significantly less creepy than the Home avatars ripped from the uncanny valley. We're also hopeful that the advent of Room will mean the addition of much-needed features, like a friends list and proper messaging services. And just imagine the connectivity possibilities: PlayStation HomeRoom! ... Anybody?

Oh my gawd, oh my gawd, the twinkly blood-suckers of Twilight are coming to Wii in a Scene It? game this fall! Yes, the vampire franchise -- with only one released movie under its coffin -- will be the subject of an entire multimedia-based trivia game for Wii, featuring some 500 multiple-choice questions based on clips, music and audio from the film. There are no details about the DS version of the game, which will release sometime next year. (There's also no mention of an Xbox 360 or PS3 version.) We'd call this the "shovelware cash-in of trivia games," but we'd be afraid that in doing so, pale, starving actors covered in glitter would come and suck our blood -- accompanied by throngs of enraged tweens and housewives that would rip our lifeless bodies to shreds. So ... we'll just call it not the game for us.

Those that downloaded Red Alert 3: Commander's Challenge may have noticed that the game is huge for an Xbox Live Arcade title, weighing in at 2.1GB. Over the years, XBLA games have gotten bigger and bigger, with Microsoft slowly making exceptions to the size limitation rule so that important releases could ... well, release. Now that size limit is, for all intents and purposes, gone. At the same time, XBLA games can't get any bigger than two gigabytes. Confused? Scott Austin, Microsoft's director of digital games, told IGN that the XBLA system actually can't accept anything larger than 2GB. Some may be tempted to cry foul, as Microsoft already offers significantly larger downloads with its Games on Demand service. However, according to Austin, Games on Demand uses a different file structure. We'd be remiss if we didn't point out that Commander's Challenge is slightly above two gigabytes (while it's listed as 2GB on Xbox.com, it shows up as 2.1GB on the 360 HDD). We've sent this little puzzle to Microsoft, in hopes that we might get some more concrete details. We'll update this post when such details arrive.

Sony may have been busy talking up the PSP Go (and its ridiculous accessories) during TGS, but it looks like the company hasn't forgotten the Go's older brother. Beginning October 1, the original PSP will receive a fifteen percent price drop in Japan, lowering the price to ¥16,800 (~$185). While it might seem a little strange for Sony to lower the price of the PSP just prior to the launch of the already overpriced PSP Go, Bloomberg rightly points out that the cut will place the PSP at a lower price than Nintendo's monstrously successful DSi. For now, the price cut remains exclusive to Japan. Joystiq has contacted Sony to find out whether it plans to share the love with the rest of the world. [Via Engadget]

Okay, buckle up -- there's a whole lot to take in here. Sega's public relations FTP site recently got a titillating addition: The alleged minutes from an August 5 meeting between the Hedgehog-centric developer and Sony Computer Entertainment America. (The document is reproduced in its entirety after the break) The biggest, potential news from this document concerns SCEA's general plans for the future. One excerpt from the minutes lists a Spring 2010 launch window for the PlayStation Motion Controller -- specifically March for Japan. Another noteworthy section mentions a "PS2 emulator for PS3," which claims that "SCEA wants to sell all PS2 titles on PSN." Later in the document, the possibility of Dreamcast titles on PSN is also mentioned, in addition to a "Japanese Import" section. This leak has an air of credibility due to its appearance on Sega's public FTP resource center -- however, it's entirely possible that it could have been uploaded to said FTP site by a hack-savvy Dreamcast enthusiast. Maintain your skepticism as you browse the full document. [Via NeoGAF]

If fanboys complain loudly enough, can they get a game localized for an English release? The answer appears to be: yes, at least according to an unnamed 1UP source "close to the project," who says that "Yakuza 3 is currently being localized for release in the U.S. and European markets."If true, it'll be interesting to see if people will actually buy the game. The late-to-the-party PS2 release of Yakuza 2 was largely ignored. Could Yakuza 3 meet the same fate, now that Yakuza 4 is already on its way to Japan?[Thanks, Marius!]

Enter "The Green Box." The question we've all been asking ourselves: Is Halo 3: ODST worth $60? If you want the answer, this is your review: In hindsight, announcing what was then "Halo 3: Recon" as a "value-oriented" expansion appears to have been a crucial first misstep for Microsoft and Bungie along the road to marketing what is now Halo 3: ODST. In time, the so-called expansion grew to include a complete campaign with 4-player support; Firefight, a separate co-op multiplayer mode; a comprehensive version of Halo 3 multiplayer; and access to the Halo: Reach beta when it becomes available at an unspecified date next year. ODST was ultimately set at the standard, full-game price of $60. That's when folks got skeptical.So how's your money being spent? $30 + $10 + $10 + The Remainder = Halo 3: ODST

The portable version of Sony's PSN-exclusive darling, Fat Princess, was being demoed by the publisher at yesterday's PSP holiday showcase and looked ... just like the console version. We asked Sony what would set the game apart from its console counterpart -- other than the fact that it's on PSP -- and were enthusiastically told, "It'll feature 50 percent more content!"Okay, that's very nice, but also very vague. So, we of course asked for more details and learned that the game will have a variety of modes not found in the PS3 release, including one where the class hat generators are busted at the beginning of the match and must be repaired using resources before they can be used.Another mode removes the princess from the equation and has players delivering something to their opponents' castle rather than removing it -- a bomb. Sony calls this portable version of the game "Fat Princess 1.5," saying that it also has an expanded single-player component, a new map and the aforementioned new modes (plus some). If there's anything this franchise stresses, it's that "more is better."

If you're planning the playoffs for the video game industry's intramural softball league, you may want to avoid the weeks leading up to Feb. 9. That's when the 27 different development studios involved with BioShock 2 (a full half of the world's developers) will be crunching to finish BioShock 2 for release. After waiting all this time, we're just happy that the game can finally ship, 2K can staff up just a bit more, and work can begin on BioShock 3: Now It's An MMO.

At DICE Summit Asia, Sony Japan Studio VP Yasuhide Kobayashi gave a speech about appealing to a global audience with games, which he identified as increasingly important as the Japanese market contracts. He mentioned The Last Guardian, which was given that particular title to appeal to Western markets. As an example of Western-focused marketing that didn't work, Kobayashi presented the Japanese and North American boxes for ICO, the game that brought the Last Guardian developers to prominence. "If the packaging was designed differently, we think it would have sold more," he said. "In fact on the internet many people have said that the Japanese version was better." Because it is.Kobayashi then finished by highlighting what he saw as a different perception of what makes a "new" game in the West and Japan. He said that a "new" game in the US or Europe could be "something similar to something that's come before, because they think it is easier for people to understand.""But actually we don't like this - it's like you're simulating, following suit, combining two titles into one," he continued. "It seems the definition of a new title is different in the US and Europe to Japan. It means a new genre, that's what we call a new game."Japan has just as many iterative sequels as anywhere else, but we guess they aren't considered as new?