New Games

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• Sonic the Hedgehog 20th anniversary soundtrack planned
• What's with giant butts, Capcom?
• Samus Aran named after Pele, other fun Metroid facts
• This is the stuff that was cut from Super Meat Boy
• Blackwater: The game vs. the controversy
• PSA: Register Ocarina of Time 3D for your free soundtrack
• Pimps and bikini women with Saints Row: The Third
• SEGA Pass website hacked, 1,290,755 customers risked
• The latest headsets from Turtle Beach will blow you away
• The Child of Eden Experience
• Hamza finds out why Orcs Must Die!
• Fight.destructoid.com 48 hr point challenge winners!
• Interview: Keep an eye on The War of the Worlds
• Interview: Hollie versus id's Rage
• Interview: The new features in F1 2011

Sonic the Hedgehog 20th anniversary soundtrack planned Posted: 19 Jun 2011 01:00 PM PDT SEGA is really rolling out the red carpet for Sonic the Hedgehog's 20th anniversary. In addition to Sonic Generations and a limited edition figurine, the publisher is also putting out a commemorative soundtrack, featuring music from the first two classic games. The soundtrack will contain all the music from Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2, as well as a reprint of demo tapes from composer Masato Nakamura. It'll be due out this Summer and has only been announced for Japan thus far, but hopefully we can get it on this side of the world too.  Sonic the Hedgehog Soundtrack Compilation Announced [The Daily DL]

What's with giant butts, Capcom? Posted: 19 Jun 2011 12:00 PM PDT This tip was sent in with the warning "The Capcom Girls calendar gets a little risqué with a picture of GIANT BUTTS..." They weren't kidding. For whatever reason, the artist behind the above picture of Morrigan and her evil Lolita soul-sister Lilith decided to go all out on the tuckus on this one. From the looks of it, I'm not entirely certain that those two ladies would be able to walk. The weight from their butts alone would probably cause them to fall backwards with every step. And why are they sitting on... wait... is that ketchup? This just keeps getting yuckier. The good news here is, this image an many more are available for purchase via the Capcom Girls Calendar 2012. Pre-orders are open now. If your looking for something with a bit more testosterone, you can also pick up the Capcom Heroes Calendar 2012, which from the looks of it, is all man, all the time. I'm sort of put off by the implication here that "girls" and "heroes" should be in two different catagories, but Capcom could easily make up for that by giving me a drawing of Dante and Mega Man in thongs, flexing their giant, striated ass cheeks. Capcom lets you choose between sexy and heroic calendars [GameSwag.com]

Samus Aran named after Pele, other fun Metroid facts Posted: 19 Jun 2011 11:00 AM PDT Ever wonder how Metroids got their name? Personally, I've always assumed they're called Metroids because when they're sucking on your head, they look like a giant jellyfish helmets, and the "roid" was in there just to sound unnatural. Makes sense, right? As it turns out, I was totally wrong. The word "Metroid" is a combination of the word "android" and "metro", and in the Japanese metro subway system. "But Jonathan, what do giant flying alien jellyfish that suck the life out you from your skull have to do with androids and the Japanese subway system?" Dear reader, you must remember that this is Nintendo we're talking about. These are the guys who called one of their games Sin and Punishment because the name Dark Wasteland was "too wild". Also, Samus Aran was named after Football/Soccer legend Pele ( his full nameis Edison Arantes do Nascimento) and the planet where the Metroids come from is named after a motorcycle engine. Feel free to help me make sense of all this in the comments. Nintendo explains where Metroid, Samus and the SR388 names came from [GoNintendo, via Siliconera]

This is the stuff that was cut from Super Meat Boy Posted: 19 Jun 2011 10:00 AM PDT Super Meat Boy is jam packed with secrets, unlockable characters, and death dealing environmental hazards. Amazingly enough, the game might have been even bigger. If everything Team Meat ever intended for the game had made the cut, there would have been even more ways to die, more skulls, more cut scenes, and about ten more secret characters, including Knytt from Knytt Stories and Quote from Cave Story. Some of those characters were dropped because their creators declined to have them appear in the game (like Quote), some just didn't fit, and others were intended to be unlockable in the ill-fated WiiWare version of the title. If Super Meat Boy is ever ported to the Wii U or the 3DS, I hope that at least a few of them get back into the game. Come on, Pixel. Quote needs all the exposure he can get! For more about Super Meat Boy's cut content (including a look at the hilarious intro of Tim from Braid), check the link below. Cutting Room Floor! [SuperMeatBoy.com]

Blackwater: The game vs. the controversy Posted: 19 Jun 2011 09:00 AM PDT Last week at E3, I had a chance to sit down ... er, stand up with Blackwater, a new Kinect-exclusive first-person shooter from publisher 505 Games. Just recently announced, the game has already caused quite the stir over its controversial title, named after the real-life mercenary group known for using some pretty hardcore tactics in the Middle East. But, here’s the thing: I liked Blackwater (the game). I thought it was interesting and a pretty nice step forward to what can be done with the Kinect. Because of this, I wrote a preview of the game, determined to focus on nothing but the game itself, ignoring any controversy that may surround it. But after reading my preview, it just didn’t feel fair. It wasn’t necessarily unfair to the readers or to the creators of the game -- I was still writing my honest thoughts on how the game played! -- but it ultimately felt unfair to me. I had conflicting thoughts about Blackwater the game vs. Blackwater the controversy. Why not talk about that? Now that I have had a week to mull everything over, rewriting the preview felt like the right thing to do. The biggest draw to Blackwater is the fact that it is an FPS game played with nothing but the Kinect -- no regular controller is used outside of your own moving body. This intrigued me, as, up until now, there hasn’t really been a Kinect game that has done much more outside of offering a healthy variation on basic (but fun!) minigames. Blackwater is most definitely not a collection of minigames. It is a full, retail game with a traditional single-player campaign and all the standard trappings associated with your standard FPS: shooting guns, hiding behind cover, and completing missions. It was this campaign that had me most concerned before playing Blackwater. In the game, you play as members of the controversial Blackwater mercenary group. What did this mean? Would I be doing everything that Blackwater has been accused of doing? Would I be reenacting incidents that took place in real life? Mercifully, no. In fact, Blackwater is a very generic first-person shooter starring a very generic group of soldiers fighting a very generic group of enemies. Outside of the name, I didn’t notice any connection to the Blackwater Worldwide mercenaries. (At least, in the demo I played.) As a game alone, Blackwater is pretty interesting. The game is on-rails like something like Time Crisis is on-rails. Movement is not completely independent. The game moves for you, only progressing forward once a group of enemies in a specific area is defeated. To do this, players must hold out their arms and “point” at the area they want to shoot. When an enemy is targeted, a meter starts to fill up. If you manage to hold your target until the meter fills, the gun is fired and the enemy is shot. This gameplay works pretty well, offering a healthy mixture of strategy and fast-paced action. To dodge, players can literally lean in any direction and hide behind cover. At first, I had trouble with this, as it was tricky to point in the right place and move your body all around at the same time. With time, though, everything felt much smoother ... and with little to no lag! On the downside, while other guns can be used, only one specific weapon can be equipped in each section -- the game chooses for you. The option to select different guns at any time would have been nice, but, given the limitations of not using an actual controller, this is understandable. All in all, I had fun with Blackwater. It was a really intriguing Kinect-only title that really tries some new things with the hardware. But is that okay? Is it okay to like a game that casts you in the role of a real-life mercenary group known for its controversial tactics and headline-making hearings? Even if said game only makes this connection in name alone? I don’t know. I would say yes -- just as with another infamous, controversial scene in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, it’s just a game! -- but maybe it is more complicated than that. Are gamers supporting Blackwater by purchasing this game? Or are they supporting the hard-working people at publisher 505 Games and developer Zombie Studios? My personal feelings on Blackwater aside, I think the people at 505 Games and Zombie Studios have put together a worthy Kinect title that deserves some attention. But is associating the game with Blackwater garnering the wrong kind of attention? What do you think? I think this is an interesting and important conversation. What happens when a game connects itself to something controversial in real-life? Is it a bold move? A strange one? A doomed one? What if the game was exactly the same, but had a different name? Blackwater the game is good. But can it ever be separated from Blackwater the controversy?

PSA: Register Ocarina of Time 3D for your free soundtrack Posted: 19 Jun 2011 08:00 AM PDT If you're buying The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D today, remember that you can register your game with Club Nintendo to pick up a commemorative soundtrack CD. The CD contains all the music from the game, plus an unreleased orchestral mix. Worth the price of entry, for sure! Who's actually picking this up today?

Pimps and bikini women with Saints Row: The Third Posted: 19 Jun 2011 07:00 AM PDT Can't see the video? Click here Saints Row: The Third looks like crazy fun, and man, do I dig that slick trailer it's got! Hamza had a chance to talk with Drew Holmes, one of the writers at Volition, about how crazy the game is, the new vehicles, and Hamza's favorite weapon, the purple dildo bat. Seriously, he was really excited about that thing. He was probably less excited about almost getting a smackdown from a pimp. As a bonus, we've included a bunch of pictures from the Saints Row: The Third promotional car wash that THQ and Volition were holding directly outside of E3. A car wash featuring sexy women washing cars. Yeah, you're welcome. Be sure to check out Saints Row: The Third on Facebook or the official website for more pictures of the game's eye-catching E3 ads (and girls).

SEGA Pass website hacked, 1,290,755 customers risked Posted: 19 Jun 2011 06:00 AM PDT SEGA has revealed the extent its SEGA Pass hack, confirming that they lot the details of 1,290,755 customers. The publisher has offered its "sincerest apologies" and promised to upgrade its security, which would've been nice in the first place. "We express our sincerest apologies to our customers for the inconvenience and concern caused by this matter," said the company. "Sega Pass is the service used to provide information about our new products to registered members and does not hold any customer financial information." SEGA is investigating the cause of the incident and said it will strengthen its network security, as well as report any further discovered on its official site. This is but one in a long line of videogame-based hacks that have hit Codemasters, Epic, Bethesda, Minecraft and more. The Lulz Lizards who calls themselves LulzSec take the lion's share of the credit while they drink quality rum and bask in the adulation of their more than 215,000 Twitter followers. They do not take credit for this one, however, because they "Love the Dreamcast." Sega says hackers stole data of 1.29 million users [BBC]

The latest headsets from Turtle Beach will blow you away Posted: 19 Jun 2011 05:00 AM PDT Can't see the video? Click here At least, I think they will. I'm not much on gaming headsets -- I don't play PC games and I'm quite content with my TV's speakers -- but Hamza seemed really into these new headsets coming from Turtle Beach. I tried out a few, and I admit, they were pretty spectacular, bumping the game's audio into my ear drums in 7.1 sound, which amazes me considering that all the speakers for each ear are so close together. Turtle Beach's headsets have a ton of options too, including crazy ones like letting you hear your enemies' footsteps in Call of Duty before they even get to you. Some might call that cheating, but I'd call it "letting someone with no skill like me have a chance to shoot a couple of non-lethal bullets at you before you unceremoniously headshot me for the billionth time."

The Child of Eden Experience Posted: 19 Jun 2011 04:00 AM PDT [Anus Mcphanus takes us on another awesome London journey, this time to the Child of Eden Experience. Want to see your own writing on the front page? Write something awesome and put it in the C Blogs. -- Kauza] The highly anticipated spiritual successor to Rez, Child of Eden was released in the UK on the 17th June, and what better way to channel your excitement than to experience the game yourself. Last week Ubisoft opened“The Child of Eden Experience” in central London to the public. This custom-built store is designed with one purpose in mind: to give you the opportunity to experience Child of Eden the way it was meant to be played in all its interactive glory using Xbox Kinect. Located on 34-35 Dean Street, Soho in London, it’s very easy to get to and offers a truly unique and spectacular environment to try out Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s latest “synaesthesia shooter.”  So let’s have a look inside, shall we?  The Set Up  From the outside, The Child of Eden Experience appears to be nothing more than a modest and almost ordinary, albeit slightly out of place, pop up shop. However, once you step inside, that all changes. Ubisoft has done an incredible job in making the shop feel like an extension of the game, hiring London born artist Tom Blackford aka Ink Fetish to create the artwork painted on the walls throughout the store. Dark and atmospheric, euphoric and colourful, flashy yet understated, this is the perfect setting for Child of Eden.  The shop is made up of three game trial rooms, each with large TVs and a surround sound system, with custom artwork in each and what can only be described as multicoloured disco lights that all help set the tone for the game wonderfully. There is also an area downstairs for special game demonstrations and not to mention a chill out area where you can relax, listen to the games exceptional soundtrack, and watch/spy on people who are currently playing in the trial rooms via the cameras set up in each room that are hooked to screens in the chill out area.  The Game  Why does The Child of Eden Experience exist? Well "Child of Eden has to be played to be believed," as Ubisoft's brand manager Jan Sanghera recently told MCV. And he’s right. Like Rez before it, describing Child of Eden and the sensational act of playing it is nearly impossible to convey accurately with mere words or even with trailers. No amount of praise or criticism can truly do the game justice. The combination of the game's unique visual style, music, and level of interaction using Kinect is unlike anything you would have played before, even Rez.  The controls are simple enough; you use your left hand to aim and shoot your rapid fire attack (shooting is constant/automatic) and you use your right hand to lock on to up to eight targets and then push your arm or flick your wrist to fire your lock on missiles. By raising both your hands in the air you can unleash your smart bomb to obliterate anything on the screen and like Rez, each attack has a different sound which builds up and enhances the music and adds to your score multiplier provided you’re in time.  There are two complaints about Child of Eden that will become apparent to anyone who plays it, and one of those revolves around the Kinect hardware. On the one hand, Kinect really does add that extra level of immersion to the game as you honestly feel closer to the game using your body, although your arms will probably get tired after a level or two. On the other hand, there is noticeable lag between your movements and what happens on the screen, which can get a little frustrating. Thankfully, Child of Eden seems to be designed to be much more lenient when you choose to use Kinect, so while you can still play, have fun and experience everything the game has to offer, the score-hungry among you will probably want to stick to the controller option. The other complaint is one of longevity. Like Rez, there are only five levels in Child of Eden and although it will take some time to master every stage, it may seem a little bare-bones for some in this day and age.  The Child of Eden Experience is a fitting name for this pop up shop. If ever you should open your mind to new gaming experiences and try something new, this is the game to do it with. There is honestly nothing else like it. The game will have you chasing a giant whale through the ocean, up to outer space in one moment and in the next, you’ll be shooting insect-like creatures on the surface of a lake. The sense of wonder and discovery throughout the entire game is almost unparalleled, and while the game will not be for everyone, you owe it to yourself to try Child of Eden and see firsthand what it has to offer.  The Child of Eden Experience can be located on 34-35 Dean Street, London, W1D 4PR and it's open daily from midday until 20:00 from now until June 22. So there’s plenty of time to pop down and see it in the flesh. The staff there are lovely and it’s in the heart of central London so there’s plenty of things to do after your visit. Don’t forget that if you check in on Facebook while you’re there you get a free voucher to grab yourself a free Child of Eden t-shirt from GAME on Oxford Street.  For more details check out their Facebook page  Awesome Pikmin inspired t-shirt available from Insert Coin Clothing handsome model not included

Hamza finds out why Orcs Must Die! Posted: 19 Jun 2011 03:00 AM PDT Can't see the video? Click here We first got some hands-on impressions of Orcs Must Die! back in February, but Hamza wanted to check in on how the game was doing at E3. So, he talked with Robot Entertainment's Justin Korthof about what the game was like while I shot a bunch of footage of the game. If you've forgotten the premise, there are orcs, they want to get into your Rift, and you have to stop them using a third-person combat mixed with tower defense tactics. It looks pretty fun, but I'm really sad there's no multiplayer planned for now. I can imagine complex map set-ups that would be awesome to defend with a friend or two. Here's hoping that once Robot Entertainment confirms the platforms Orcs Must Die! will release on, it can manage to get some co-op action in.

Fight.destructoid.com 48 hr point challenge winners! Posted: 19 Jun 2011 02:00 AM PDT The great thing about Fight.destructoid.com is that it gives us a brand new way to give away prizes. A couple of weeks ago, before the craziness that was E3, we held a 48 hour point challenge for the chance to win either this Razer Anansi MMO Keyboard, or a copy of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings for the PC! Contest: Destructoid readers had 48 hours to earn as many points as you can through challenging people to matches or tournaments in any game available on fight.destructoid.com, from the many sports titles, fighting games and even Starcraft II. The player who earned the most total points from the challenges or tournaments over this weekend automatically won the Razer Anansi Keyboard! That prize goes to Wrenchfarm! That's not all, because every match that readers took part in entered a chance to win the copy of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings! The winner of this raffle is Skullodream! Congratulations to the winners, and keep paying attention to the front page to find out other prizes that will be given away through Fight.destructoid.com! New to Fight? Read our getting started guide

Interview: Keep an eye on The War of the Worlds Posted: 19 Jun 2011 01:00 AM PDT Can't see the video? Click here Other Ocean is taking their own approach to The War of the Worlds, turning it into a rotoscoped 16-bit style platformer in the tradition of Flashback and Out of this World/Another World rather than making another typical licensed game. If anything, it sounds like a far cry from the mess of Spielberg's interpretation of 2006's War of the Worlds. And even though I had never even heard of this game before E3, I'm foaming at the mouth with anticipation now.

Interview: Hollie versus id's Rage Posted: 19 Jun 2011 12:00 AM PDT Can't see the video? Click here Our own Miss Bennett got a chance to ask id Software about Rage at E3. The more I hear id talk about how they came up with Rage, the more it sounds like it is a game created around an engine and that they just decided to throw some fun stuff in here and there. The game might be a showcase for id Tech 5, with 'megatextures' being thrown around unironically, but that last trailer did make it look like it has a ton of potential in the "FPS with crazy weapons and items" category. I can't wait to see if id was able to turn Rage into a well-rounded game that transcends being an interactive tech demo with guns.

Interview: The new features in F1 2011 Posted: 18 Jun 2011 11:00 PM PDT Can't see the video? Click here I don't know anything about Formula 1 other than that I used to sit for three hours and waited for cars to crash in races ten years ago. The F1 series is very popular in Europe though, so check out what Codemasters had to say about their new title. The DiRT developers are masters at the racing genre, which usually makes me wonder why they even bother diverting attention to their adventures into shooters and whatnot. It sounds like they are in their element with F1 2011 though, so if you're a fan of the sport this seems to be the racing game to get.

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