New Games |
- New Pokemon game is... Nobunaga's Ambition!? Buh!?
- Cobalt alpha released for Windows, but it'll cost you
- Double Fine's Stacking is making its way onto PC
- Final 'Choose Your Side' video released for SWTOR
- Little Deviants is cute and cuddly fun times
- The Street Fighter asks you to be serious for sec
- Soundtracks added to all Humble Indie Bundle orders
- Live show: A.D.D. Friday on Mash Tactics
- PSN exclusive Malicious is getting an English version
- Trailer for FIFA Soccer on Vita shows off unique features
- Best of 2011: Favorite New Characters
- Friday Night Fights: Expansion
- Office Chat: Zelda's patch, movie games and MvC3 DLC
- NICE: Uncharted: Golden Abyss gyro tilt-to-aim feature
- Wind-Up Knight out on iOS; kiss your productivity goodbye
- 25 Days: Win Renegade Ops for Steam!
- Review: The King of Fighters XIII
- Zynga pulls in $1 billion with its $10 shares
- Robotical Mighty Switch Force drops on December 22
| New Pokemon game is... Nobunaga's Ambition!? Buh!? Posted: 16 Dec 2011 02:00 PM PST Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition. Wow. I mean, just... really? That's... I never would have... There have been rumors of a new Pokémon game floating about, and most assumed that it was either the inevitable Pokémon Gray or a brand new generation for the 3DS. Turns out neither are true, nor is it your run-of-the-mill Mystery Dungeon or other such spin-off. No, it's a crossover with Koei's Japanese history strategy series Nobunaga's Ambition. On top of that, it's for the vanilla DS. There are so many things completely bizarre about this, but I think I'll let the media speak for itself. Just check the photos released by Dengeki or tour the site. Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition, everybody. |
| Cobalt alpha released for Windows, but it'll cost you Posted: 16 Dec 2011 01:00 PM PST The Oxeye-developed, Mojang-published Cobalt will follow a path to completion not unlike the one Minecraft took. Though it's being described as a platform game, it appears to offer players quite a bit of flexibility. For approximately $13, interested parties can grab Windows-only alpha access, which serves as an introduction to the single-player/co-op campaign, level editor, and local multiplayer. This will help fund further development, and yes, early adopters get the best price on Cobalt, in addition to future updates. |
| Double Fine's Stacking is making its way onto PC Posted: 16 Dec 2011 12:00 PM PST Double Fine's Russian doll-themed Stacking was, for the most part, well received among both players and critics alike. It launched back in February of this year on Xbox LIVE Arcade and PlayStation Network, but a PC version was absent. That made some fans and their PCs sad. That's all about to change though, because Stacking's developers have decided to go ahead and announce that they're going to launch their adventure/puzzler title on Steam sometime in Spring 2012. To help sweeten the $14.99 price tag, said version of Stacking will come with The Lost Hobo King DLC for free. So, PC people, has Stacking got your attention (and possibly money)?
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| Final 'Choose Your Side' video released for SWTOR Posted: 16 Dec 2011 11:30 AM PST The last installment of the "Choose Your Side" videos from the developers of Star Wars: The Old Republic has been released, pitting the Smuggler class against the Sith Warrior. You can watch it over on the official site. I think they have done a good job choosing the classes to pit against each other for these videos. In this case, we have one class (Smuggler) that focuses on ranged and tricky combat to take down enemies going against the Sith Warrior, a class that is almost entirely melee-based. The fact that the developers are split on the winner gives me a bit of reassurance as to what to expect from PvP balance in SWTOR. Whether or not PvP is balanced is yet to be seen on my end since my current highest level is three. Have any of you been high enough to experience PvP in SWTOR? If so, how was it? |
| Little Deviants is cute and cuddly fun times Posted: 16 Dec 2011 11:00 AM PST One of the launch titles accompanying the PlayStation Vita is Little Deviants, a cute, cuddly ensemble of mini-games that are designed to showcase the new handheld's features. Ranging from rear-touch functionality to Sixaxis controls, Little Deviants has it all. While you may think this is just a shameless cash-in gimmick title, after my brief hands-on with it, I would say that's further from the truth. Coming off the hype of the 3DS earlier this year, I felt as if the augmented reality cards were a bit gimmicky. After experiencing what Little Deviants has to offer in terms of utilizing the PlayStation Vita to its full potential, I forgot all about those little cards. Little Deviants (PlayStation Vita) I was able to play three games with my hands-on time: Rotten Rumble, Botz Invasion, and Depth Charge. All were, surprisingly, insanely fun to play. The first of the lot, Rotten Rumble, is essentially a hybrid of Paper Toss, Brick Breaker, and wrestling. Your task is to use the ropes of the ring as a catapult, launching your Deviant to other areas of the ring in order to hit the enemy robots. This is done by pulling on your Deviant downward, using either the touchscreen, the rear-touch or both. With a quick flick of the fingers your Deviant is launched into the ring, and will act like a pinball that bounces around when hitting the ropes, ring posts, and enemies. The more robots you hit, the more points you gain. Plain and simple. Each mini-game is played in waves, at which point either the enemies will become harder or the level you are traversing will become more difficult to navigate. Here, there was just more enemies on screen, with the occasional big boy to take down. Speaking of traversing terrain, Depth Charge was the next mini-game I checked out. Think of it like Super Monkey Ball, except that you are on a 2D plane navigating up and down. Your goal is to collect as many of the scattered stars as possible before the bomb at the end of the level explodes. The Sixaxis is the controller here, and the sensitivity is very, very sensitive. You really need to be relaxed and coordinated when playing this one, as one slight gesture in the wrong way will spell death. There's practically very little margin for error in Depth Charge, and it's that aspect which makes it a thrilling, heart-pounding experience. Okay, so maybe "heart-pounding" is a tad too strong, but you get the picture. It's tense! As I increased in waves in Depth Charge, corners were tighter to maneuver, the speed increased slightly, and there were more obstacles in the way. As with Tetris, there's a gradual difficulty increase, but it becomes quite noticeable as you progress. The last of the lot, and my personal favorite, was Botz Invasion, an augmented reality game where you are piloting a gunship shooting down enemy robots. These robots are also carrying away Deviants into black holes, and you need to shoot down the Botz before they get too close to said holes. The augmented reality worked phenomenally well, and I didn't notice any hiccuping with the display. Botz Invasion is also a standing man's game, as you are forced to turn every which way in order to shoot down those pesky Botz. There are also a few power-ups in Botz Invasion, such as the EMP, which stuns the Botz in their tracks, and the ol' faithful set of missles. They don't feel too overpowered, though they do pack a punch when used. There are thirty different levels in all to play through in Little Deviants, though they mostly are build-offs of other levels. As noted before with Rotten Rumble, sometimes you'll be using certain features, like only playing with rear-touch controls, or only using the gyrosensor. It may sound a bit redundant, but it does achieve adding replayability. Every handheld needs that one game that people jump for. Game Boy had it with Tetris, Game Boy Color had it with the Pokemon series, the PlayStation Portable had, uh ... and Little Deviants looks like it will be that "it" game Vita owners will want to pick up in order to really test out the hardware. Deviants feels like more than just a tech-demo. The cute widdle cweatures and bright color palette all come together to form a tight, well-produced game. Besides, who doesn't like cute stuff? |
| The Street Fighter asks you to be serious for sec Posted: 16 Dec 2011 10:30 AM PST TheGameStation has produced a new six-part web series based on Street Fighter and has released the first two episodes this week. Well, that's not quite accurate. The Street Fighter features people playing Street Fighter IV, but it isn't really about videogames at all. It's a drama about a father trying to find a way to make ends meet for him and his son after getting downsized from work. So... don't expect too many laughs. The Street Fighter is certainly quite different from what you'd expect out of a game-focused video series. It does its best to capture an actual gamer environment without falling into the trap of mainstream television portrayals of gamers (i.e. basement-dwelling nerds who exaggerate controller operations and are obsessed with "scores" and "levels"). It doesn't always succeed, but at least its heart is in the right place. In the first episode above and the second after the break, a father enters a local comic shop's Street Fighter tournament just for a little quick cash after losing his newspaper job. In the preview for the upcoming episode, he decides to hone his skills to compete for higher stakes in the hopes of paying for his son's tuition. Yeah, it sounds like a film plot straight out of the 80s, but it could turn out well. I'm interested to see where this goes if only because few fan shows try to explore more serious topics. THE STREET FIGHTER Episode 1 [YouTube]
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| Soundtracks added to all Humble Indie Bundle orders Posted: 16 Dec 2011 10:00 AM PST Having brought in $1.4 million within a matter of days, it's clear that this Humble Indie Bundle is a remarkable one. The organizers are sweetening the deal further with the inclusion of free soundtracks to all seven independent games for every contributor. If you're having trouble immediately finding where to download the music from, look for a link to the right of the platform selection tool on your unique post-purchase landing page. The tunes of Super Meat Boy, Bit.Trip Runner, and Cave Story are always quick to receive praise, and rightfully so, but Jamestown deserves a special mention as well. I can't remember the last time I connected with a game on such a high level because of its music. |
| Live show: A.D.D. Friday on Mash Tactics Posted: 16 Dec 2011 09:45 AM PST Closing out Konami week, Mash Tactics is playing whatever they feel like today. The end of the week is what we affectionately call "A.D.D. Fridays," where we take suggestions on what to play (though something tells me it might be Konami related), then play along with the people watching at home. Also don't forget to mark your calendars for Monday's exciting show. The header picture is another hint at the "special" game we are playing early. Feel free to leave a comment below as to what game you think it is. Who knows there might be a little gift for anyone with a correct guess. Mash Tactics airs Monday through Friday at 4pm Pacific. Watch Jon Carnage and Wesley Ruscher down energy drinks and freestyle rap about the human perineum on Destructoid's Twitch.TV channel. Also, there are videogames being played. Join us for your chance to win prizes, talk to industry guests, and witness all of the glorious antics. |
| PSN exclusive Malicious is getting an English version Posted: 16 Dec 2011 09:00 AM PST Long-time readers may remember Malicious, a really cool looking PSN title about a guy with a magic cloak that fights stuff. It's been out in Japan since forever, but an unlikely source has confirmed that an English language version is happening. The news comes by way of Korea's rating board which listed "Malicious Eng. Ver." alongside its publisher, Sony Computer Entertainment. While this isn't confirmation of a North American release, it's a healthy sign. The game looked like it was a lot of fun, so I certainly hope it's on its way in a localized form. Malicious, Alvion’s Action Packed PS3 Game, Is Getting An English Release Soon [Siliconera]
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| Trailer for FIFA Soccer on Vita shows off unique features Posted: 16 Dec 2011 08:30 AM PST
EA Sports is bringing just one game to the PlayStation Vita launch party, but it looks as if that title will be one of the stars of the show. I played FIFA Soccer back in mid-October, and came away feeling like EA Canada has actually translated the console experience to the Vita. |
| Best of 2011: Favorite New Characters Posted: 16 Dec 2011 08:00 AM PST What games' stories lack in substance is often made up with character. Like, actual characters. Although we often identify a franchise by its main protagonist, the smallest side character has just as much of an opportunity to work his or her way into our heart. Despite being a year dominated by sequels, 2011 has left us with a wealth of memorable characters brought to life through winning dialogue and performances. Whether they are funny, mysterious, or just damn cool, these are the favorite new faces we got to know over the past 12 months. Out of the four partners you have during L.A. Noire, Roy Earle is the one who really nails the sleazy and corrupt post-war LAPD. He's more interested in getting his money back from a rigged boxing match than upholding the law, but at the same time he shows a surprising amount of pragmatism and harbors no illusions about who and what he is. The fact that he never receives his comeuppance and seemingly comes through the finale smelling of roses makes him even more infuriating. - Alasdair Duncan My actual mum is a wonderful woman, so I never had a chance to run about a procedurally generated basement, killing my monstrous siblings as I fought my way through hell to slaughter an evil fundamentalist matriarch. Not until I played The Binding of Isaac, that is. Mom allowed me to see what it's like living in a dysfunctional home, and I'm a better person for it. - Fraser Brown I'm not sure if he counts as a proper video game character, but Devolver Digital's walking HR-violation of a CFO is playable in multiplayer, and the amount of lewd and offensive nonsense he spouts off on Twitter provides an uncomfortable amount of personality. Between his love of tequila and farts, and his progressive (?) stance on sexual harassment, he's somewhere between Cave Johnson and Duke Nukem. - Max Scoville One character that stood out for me this year was Adam Jensen. His apartment scene provided more significant emotional background than most other cookie-cutter characters I've seen this year. And the best part was that this information wasn't explained to us -- in that wonderfully typical game fashion -- but rather, shown to us. The apartment itself was a look into the conflict inside Adam after his transformation: the unpacked boxes, the unfinished clock on the desk, the broken mirror in the bathroom, and even the mournful wail of a single cello. It all made me feel like I was learning about the character myself, rather than him telling me his life story. Freaking brilliant. - Ryan Perez In a game like Dark Souls where the atmosphere is so oppressive and hostile, you could really do with a friend. Enter Knight Solaire. He is the embodiment of camaraderie and selfless generosity. He is also bat-shit crazy. The first time you meet Knight Solaire, he is just standing still, staring up at the sun, wishing that he could be so "gloriously incandescent." From that point on, you can summon Solaire to help you defeat certain bosses. He's also the head of the Sun covenant, which is all about helping other players by joining their world as friendly phantoms. Shine on, you crazy bastard. - Jamie McGinn Toad has always been kind of weird, but this new Toad is the strangest, saddest one yet. I feel like I'm his only friend. He pops up out of nowhere ONLY when Mario uses his binoculars. It's as if he refuses to say anything unless someone is using binoculars. When someone around is using them, Toad screams for attention endlessly. He's always stranded on some far-off platform that is impossible to get to, but he doesn't want any help getting down. He only wants you to acknowledge him and receive his greeting from afar. He's happy to stay there, stuck forever, dishing out a seemingly endless supply of Star Coins to anyone who will look at him. Sad. Sad and hilarious. - Dale North Never have I enjoyed going through so many different phases of emotion with a character in a game. It started with admiration; he was a war hero and damn fine go-getter. Cole busted his ass and wanted to be the very best -- what's not to like? But as the story progressed, you learned about his past cowardliness and, on top of that, his less-than-moral ethics. I hated him and was shocked by the game's portrayal of this man. I almost put down the controller in disgust, but I was intrigued by Team Bondi's storytelling and wanted to see where it went. By the end, Cole came full circle and made up for his scarred past. He didn't make amends for the present, but I felt satisfied with his conclusion. The roller coaster I experienced is easily why he was the best in 2011. - Wesley Ruscher It's not often that a character like this comes around. He's a passionate, foul-mouthed Mexican demon hunter (and slayer of pendejos) who hangs out with a wisecracking talking skull that happens to be a shapeshifter with a penchant for the phallic. More than your typical bizarre Suda 51 protagonist, Garcia is the embodiment of machismo, and along with Shadows of the Damned as a whole, represents Latin culture in a way previously unseen in videogames. "Taste my hot boner!" - Kyle MacGregor Ghost Trick is a game full of delightful characters brought to life through gorgeous animation and snappy dialogue, but no character stands out more than one brave little canine that took a literal bullet for his owner. Missile, a peppy Pomeranian, is too adorable for his own good. He’s such a loyal companion that he worries about his owner’s health even after taking a bullet for her. Who wouldn’t want a dog like that? - Allistair Pinsof The funniest new character of the year. Wheatley in Portal 2 -- voiced by the incredible Stephen Merchant -- starts off as a well-written, hilarious sidekick to main character Chell ... but slowly morphs into a genuinely fascinating character with a pretty amazing, twist-filled storyline. After the original Portal, I never thought a robot character could top the greatness of GLaDOS. Wheatley sure comes close. - Chad Concelmo ------------------------------- Did we forget to mention a new character you loved in 2011? Of course we did! Why don't you tell us about it in the comments below? What games’ stories lack in substance is often made up with character. Like, actual characters. Although we often identify franchises by their main protagonist, the smallest side character has just as much of an opportunity to work his or her way into our heart. Despite being a year dominated by sequels, 2011 has left us with a wealth of memorable characters brought to life through winning dialog and performances. Whether they are funny, mysterious, or just damn cool, these are our favorite new faces we got to know over the past 12 months. Alasdair Roy Earle (L.A. Noire): out of the four partners you have during L.A. Noire, Roy Earle is the one that really nails the sleazy and corrupt, post-war LAPD. He's more interested in getting his money back from a rigged boxing match than upholding the law but at the same time he shows a surprising amount of pragmatism and harbours no illusions about who and what he is. The fact that he never receives his comeuppance and seemingly comes through the finale smelling of roses makes him even more infuriating. (don't know if this last line is okay to go in, vaguely spoiler-ish) Fraser "Mom" (The Binding of Isaac) - My actual mum is wonderful woman, so I never had a chance to run about a procedurally generated basement, killing my monstrous siblings as I fought my way through hell to slaughter an evil fundementalist matriarch. Not until I played The Binding of Isaac, that is. "Mom" allowed me to see what it's like living in a dysfunctional home and I'm a better person for it. "Hawke" (Dragon Age II) - Hawke is different for everyone, but for me he's a sexy, smug, sarcastic bastard who is more interested in the curves of lovely lady pirates and getting drunk than fighting dragons and saving a racist shit hole like Kirkwall. He also has a sweet beard. Max Fork Parker, Serious Sam 3 -- I'm not sure if he counts as a proper video game character, but the Devolver Digital's walking HR-violation of a CFO is playable in multiplayer, and the amount of lewd and offensive nonsense he spouts off on Twitter provides an uncomfortable amount of personality. Between his love of tequila and farts, and his progressive (?) stance on sexual harassment, he's somewhere between Cave Johnson and Duke Nukem. Ryan Perez One character that stood out for me this year was Adam Jensen. His apartment scene provided more significant emotional background than most other cookie-cutter characters I've seen this year. And the best part was that this information wasn't explained to us -- in that wonderfully typical game fashion -- but rather shown to us. The apartment itself was a look into the conflict that resided inside of Adam after his transformation: the unpacked boxes, the unfinished clock on the desk, the broken mirror in the bathroom, and even the dismal song of a single cello. It all made me feel like I was learning about the character myself, rather than him telling me his life story. Freaking brilliant. Jamie Knight Solaire of Astora (Dark Souls) In a game like Dark Souls where the atmosphere is so oppressive and hostile, you could really do with a friend. Enter Knight Solaire. Knight Solaire is the embodiment of camaraderie and selfless generosity. He is also bat-shit crazy. The first time you meet Knight Solaire he is just standing still, staring up at the sun, wishing that he could be so "gloriously incandescent". From that point on the player can summon Solaire to help you defeat certain bosses. He's also the head of the Sun covenant, which is all about helping other players by joining their world has friendly phantoms. Shine on, you crazy bastard. Dale North My favorite new character of 2011 is Screaming, Stranded Binoculars Toad, from Super Mario 3D Land. Toad has always been kind of weird, but this new Toad is the strangest, saddest on yet. I feel like I'm his only friend. He pops up out of nowhere ONLY Mario uses binoculars. It's as if he refuses to say anything unless someone is using binoculars. When someone around is using them, Toad screams for attention endlessly. He's always stranded on some far off platform that is impossible to get to, but he doesn't want any help getting down. He only wants you to acknowledge him and receive his greeting from afar. He's happy to stay there, stuck forever, dishing out a seemingly endless supply of Star Coins to anyone that will look at him. Sad. Sad and hilarious. Wesley Mine would have to go to Cole Phelps from L.A. Noire Never have I enjoyed going through so many different phases of emotion with a character in a game. It started with admiration; he was a war hero and damn fine go-getter. Cole busted his ass and wanted to be the very best --what's not to like?? But as the story progressed you learn about his past cowardliness and on top of that less than moral ethics. I hated him and was shocked by the game's portayal of this man. I almost put down the controller in disgust, but I was intrigued by Team Bondi's story telling and wanted to see where it went. By the end, Cole comes full circle and makes up for his scarred past. He didn't amend for the present, but I felt satisfied with his conclusion. The roller coaster I experienced is easily why he was the best -- in my opinion -- in 2011. Kyle Surprisingly hard to sum up a character in just a couple lines and be happy with it, but maybe you can use this. Garcia "Fucking" Hotspur -- Shadows of the Damned It's not often that a character like Garcia comes around. He's a passionate, foul-mouthed Mexican demon hunter (and slayer of pendejos) that hangs out with a wisecracking talking skull who that happens to be a shapeshifter with a penchant for the phallic. Taste my big boner! Allistair Missile - Ghost Trick Ghost Trick is a game full of delightful characters brought to life through gorgeous animation and snappy dialog, but none stands out to me more than one brave little canine that took a literal bullet for his owner. Missile, a peppy Pomeranian, is too adorable for his own good. He’s such a loyal companion that he worries about his owner’s health even after he took a bullet for her. Who wouldn’t want a dog like that? |
| Friday Night Fights: Expansion Posted: 16 Dec 2011 07:45 AM PST 'Tis the season for quality expansion packs, so it seems! This week saw the release of two highly-anticipated pieces of DLC: Battlefield 3's "Back to Karkand" and Gears of War 3's "RAAM's Shadow". Both offer a hefty hunk of content for a reasonable price (even more reasonable if you purchased the Limited Edition of the former or the "Season Pass" for the latter!), and both come highly recommended! I've personally been enjoying the new maps, vehicles and weapons of "Back to Karkand" non-stop since it finally hit the 360 on Tuesday (it was released last week for PS3), and our own Joseph Leray awarded high praise to "RAAM's Shadow" in his review earlier this week. What more do you need to know?! So what do you say? Do you plan on picking up either pack? Regardless, there's plenty of gaming to be had tonight, so hit the jump and see what's on the menu! New to FNF? Read this! Each week, a bunch of us Dtoiders get together to play videogames online! It's a 100% community-run event, so feel free to join in or even host something yourself! The planning for FNF starts in the forums, where community members volunteer to host matches and post their pertinent details (game, time, Gamertag, etc.). Then, every Friday, reminder posts go up in the community blogs followed by a recap post here on the front page for last-minute planning. To join in, simply send a friend request to the match host! (Don't forget to say you're from Dtoid!) If you'd rather host something yourself, sound off in the comments section below! We hope to see you online! Tonight's Hosts:
Tonight's Hosts:
Check out the 360 FNF community blog for more details! Tonight's Hosts:
Check out the PS3 FNF community blog for more details! Tonight's Hosts:
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| Office Chat: Zelda's patch, movie games and MvC3 DLC Posted: 16 Dec 2011 07:30 AM PST In this conversation from Destructoid's virtual office, I'm accompanied by Dale North, Jordan Devore and the charming Jonathan Holmes. We discuss how Nintendo is going to patch The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and how Hollywood is scraping the gaming barrel for ideas. Also, Holmes gives us the skinny on the new Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 "Heroes & Heralds" DLC and we demonstrate that we are clearly not technological wizards. |
| NICE: Uncharted: Golden Abyss gyro tilt-to-aim feature Posted: 16 Dec 2011 07:00 AM PST
This six-axis gyro tilt-to-aim feature for upcoming PlayStation Vita title Uncharted: Golden Abyss is like a dream come true for me. I'm the guy that flails his controller around trying to clean up my terrible analog stick aim, so this fine-tuning feature will feel totally natural to me. This new video from the PlayStation Blog shows exactly how this motion-sensing aim works. The devs have named it the Intu-Aim feature, and they say it's more for fine tuning to pinpoint accuracy, though the video shows that you can make bigger gestures to do the aiming with the gyro alone. This is an optional feature, but I'm already sold. I can't wait to try it out. |
| Wind-Up Knight out on iOS; kiss your productivity goodbye Posted: 16 Dec 2011 06:30 AM PST
If you've scoured the underground sewers of the Android Marketplace lately, maybe you recall seeing the game Wind-up Knight floating around the list of Top Free Apps. In the month since its release on the Marketplace, the charmingly ambitious side-scrolling platformer has already garnered over a million downloads, and just yesterday made its grand debut on the App Store. A success story from start to finish, Wind-up Knight is the first title developed by Robot Invader, an independent three-man studio comprised of Destructoid community members Casey Richardson and Chris Pruett and Art Director Mike Witt. With a truly unique style and some help from other big names in the indie community (Jordan Fher, Super Meat Boy, The Binding of Isaac), Wind-up Knight has quickly skyrocketed to my list of favorite iOS games of 2011. Hit the jump to find out why! Wind-up Knight is, at its core, a relatively simple game. Think Bit.Trip Runner, but without the blind fury. That is not to say it isn’t difficult; it packs its fair share of frustrations, but they’re laid out in such a gradual progression that you never feel you’re being treated unfairly. Rather, you embrace it as you would an abusive ex-boyfriend - with hopeless despair and an inexplicable need to come back for more. The story is light and what you might come to expect from a knight’s tale. The princess has been captured and our noble gallant must fight his way through treacherous and foreboding territory in order to save her. The game starts you off gradually, giving you nothing beyond the ability to jump at first. As you progress through the tutorial integrated within the first few levels, you'll learn how to attack, roll, double jump, and shield yourself against outside threats like falling barrels, sword-wielding guards, and hungry wolves. Also, cocks. (No, seriously.) One hit from any of these threats will undoubtedly kill you and send you back to the beginning of the level, but any and all frustrations are mitigated by the fact that levels are often never more than a minute and a half in length. Although the basic goal is survival, the game does provide challenges beyond its immediate objective. The developers really wanted to reward players who put a lot of time into the game, so they created several perks for the over-achievers. Every player is assigned a letter grade based on the number of coins and hidden cards collected in each level, but 'extra credit' is awarded if the player collects every coin. Performing well will also unlock special weapons and armor in the game’s store, all of which have the option to be purchased separately with cash.  The game is divided into books, or worlds, each with twelve levels and a bonus Knightmare stage that can only be unlocked by getting straight A's on every level. This provides a total of 52 levels from start to finish, supplemented with enough heart-pumping action and extra incentives to provide replay value far beyond the game’s initial price tag. There's a handful of cute touches thrown in as well, like different "Princess tips" displayed during each loading screen. These demonstrate the effort that went into the game's creation and ultimately help set it apart from other similar titles. The popularity of the Android version has surely been bolstered by the fact that it’s free, but it comes with only the first book unlocked. The iOS version, on the other hand, costs 99 cents but comes with all four books unlocked from the get-go. It may not give you the option to try before you buy, but I personally feel it’s a better pricing structure and I’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t have a total blast playing this game. It’s fun, it’s addictive, and best of all, it was born from a true love of video games. |
| 25 Days: Win Renegade Ops for Steam! Posted: 16 Dec 2011 06:15 AM PST It's Sega week for our 25 Days of Giving! Today, you can win Renegade Ops for Steam! This time, you'll just need to leave a comment below telling us what the (if there was one) sequel to Renegade Ops should be called. For example: "Renegade Ops: Earth Punchers" or "Renegade Ops: Chocolate Milk Haters." We have ten codes to give out for Steam and we'll be picking winners at random after the contest closes at 11:59PM CST tonight. Contest is open to everyone! Be sure to check out our Sonic Generations and Sonic Figurine contest going on all this week for more Sega goodness! |
| Review: The King of Fighters XIII Posted: 16 Dec 2011 06:00 AM PST I fell madly in love with The King of Fighters XII the first time I played it. After slogging through the slow-paced, polygon-based KoF: Maximum Impact games, it was such a relief to see the series return to its roots. The game featured some of the best 2D graphics I'd ever seen, and a fighting system that felt familiar, yet offered plenty of opportunities for discovery and creativity. Then I actually got it home, and I realized how much it sucked that the game had no story mode, the smallest roster in series history (lacking fan favorites Mai, King, K' and many others), shoddy netcode, some balancing issues related to the new systems, and a load of other flaws and frown-makers. The core game was still fantastic, but the fine tuning and features that fans had come to expect from a full-priced retail fighting game release just weren't there. Much like Street Fighter III: The New Generation, KoF XII felt like a promising, half-finished first entry in a fighting game franchise that was just begging for a fully-featured follow-up. That brings us to The King of Fighters XIII, the game that does its best to give us the experience that KoF XII should have been in the first place. The King of Fighters XIII (PlayStation 3 [reviewed], Xbox 360) The King of Fighters XIII is an improvement on KoF XII in every way, but it still feels a little bit behind the times. With Super Street Fighter IV and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Capcom has set the new standard for these kinds of retail-based upgrades. Both titles feature ten or more new characters, new modes and systems, and copious helpings of re-balancing, all for $40. KoF XIII does the same, but for $10 more. Thankfully, the game does just enough to validate its slightly inflated price tag. First up are the 11 new characters, including the all-new boss character Saiki, and ten fan favorites from previous KoF titles. Though it's a little bit of a bummer that so few of the game's new characters are really new, it's undeniably great to see classics like Mai, Billy Kane, and King, alongside more recent KoF icons like K' and Kula, make their upgraded debut in KoF XIII's breathtakingly gorgeous graphics engine. Sprinkled in are some characters that are old, but may feel new to many fans, like the forgotten Thai boxer Hwa Jai from Fatal Fury, and the karate master Takuma, who comes to KoF XIII equipped with all-new fighting styles. Though it's still far from the largest KoF game to date, there are more than enough characters here to keep even the most die-hard KoF fan happy. While KoF XIII adds plenty of characters to what SNK started with KoF XII, it also takes a lot away. The Guard Attack, Critical Counter, and Clash Systems have all been ditched, leading to a game that feels less easy to break and exploit. In their place, we have the Drive Cancel system (which allows you to cancel moves together, costing you some drive meter), the EX system (which allows you to throw out a more powerful version of a special, much like the EX moves in SFIII, SFIV, and the Darkstalkers series), and the Hyper drive mode (which allows unlimited use of Drive Cancels until your Drive Meter runs out). What that all leads to is a game that allows for incredibly high levels of play, while making you work really hard to get there. While you may have a fair amount of luck activating a Custom Combo in Street Fighter Alpha 2 or X-Factor in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and just spamming special attacks until your meter runs out, you'll really need to work to make Hyper Drive mode effective. The timing for canceling together specials and supers is extremely specific. Most of the time, your window for a cancel is frame-specific. If you manage to pull off one of the game's many 20-hit drive cancel combos, it will be because you really earned it. That system is a perfect fit for what KoF has always done best: offer an easier-to-learn-but-harder-to-master alternative to Street Fighter. While the game only has four attack buttons, the amount you can do in a KoF game dwarfs even the most complicated entry in the Street Fighter series. There are four different kind of jumps in KoF, which is just the start of your mobility and counter options. There are rolls, dashes, two types of power counters, get up moves, and much more. In KoF, you can basically get anywhere you want on screen at any time if you understand your character and can properly read your opponent. Don't be intimidated, though. If you know the basics of Street Fighter, like high/low blocking, half-circle and z-motions, and light-to-heavy attack combos, you'll be able to pick up and play KoF right away. From there, though, there are gallons of KoF-specific gameplay mechanics to be learned and exploited. If you play KoF like Street Fighter, against other beginners, you'll be fine. But beyond the most basic of matches, you'll have to master the roll and the quarter-circle back, half-circle forward roll to keep your face off the floor. Another thing about KoF that has always made it different from Street Fighter is its focus on beauty. KoF XIII is easily the prettiest game in the series yet. This is the most fluid, detailed, and well-timed 2D sprite animation I've ever seen in a fighter. While I personally prefer the character designs and personality of the Darkstalkers and Street Fighter III games more, I can't deny that in terms of pure technical craftsmanship, KoF XIII is the new champ of sprite-based fighting games. That focus on beauty isn't just a technical thing with KoF XIII; it spreads over to the character designs as well. While plenty of the KoF dudes definitely have their fair share of machismo going on (particularly the Ikari Warriors Ralph and Clark), just about everyone in KoF XIII is prettier than your average fighter, especially the guys. While Street Fighter IV's art direction focused on making even the slimiest characters chunky and muscular, KoF XIII goes in the other direction, making even the most buff tough guys slinky and stylish. The game has more exposed hairless pecs, perfect hair, and tight leather pants (revealing even tighter man-buns) than your average episode of The A-List: New York. Sure, the game's female cast is attractive, too, but it's the game's selection of beefcake that makes it really stand out, at least in terms of character design. It's nice to see so many bad-ass fighters play against type. KoF proves that, contrary to what some may tell you, there is nothing wrong with defying traditional gender roles while kicking some ass. That theme is exemplified by Ash Crimson, the main character of KoF XIII. At first glance, you'll be sure that Ash is a woman, but upon further inspection, it's clear that he's something else, something beyond the idea of a "male or female." He may not even be human, and as such, he's not tied down by the rules of humanity. He's not afraid to call a mademoiselle a maggot, or threaten to kill a friend, though in the end, he may be the only one who can save the world. Like the gender-defiant pop stars of the 1980s and '90s, he doesn't follow anyone's rules, and that's a big part of where his power comes from. In that way, he's the perfect mascot for the KoF series as a whole. Ash's story is just a part of KoF XIII's strange narrative. You can get a condensed version of the game's events in Arcade mode, or explore it in greater detail in the Choose-Your-Own-Adventure-style Story mode. Either way, you will see time stop, a giant demonic doorway open in the middle of a stadium, a very feminine man turn into a naked muscle-person, and much more. Then, when it's ll over, you'll be treated to a quote from classical poet Robert Browning. If you like surrealist, occasionally long-winded storylines in your fighting games (I'm looking at at you, BlazBlue fans), KoF XIII won't disappoint. Beyond Story mode, the game is packed with tons of other content. There is an extensive customizing mode that lets you edit every single color in the character sprites (so yes, you can make some characters look sort of nude), along with Time Attack, Survival, Trail, and Training modes. There are also the obligatory art and sound galleries, and other little bonuses. As for online, it's missing the much-loved spectator mode that you may find in other fighters, but it's still a big step up from KoF XII. I've played on a wireless connection, and I can say that every match I've played with three green bars of signal has been perfectly lag-free. Sadly, there have been plenty of times when the only opponents available were those with one red bar, which led to some sad, laggy disasters. I'm not sure that's the game's fault, though. We'll see when the announced online patch hits in the coming weeks. KoF XIII is probably the best game of 2011 for die-hard fans of traditional 2D fighters. From the incredible graphics, to the deeply detailed and difficult-to-master drive cancel combos, to the invigorating options for rushdown and retreat that come with every KoF title, the game feels like the most traditional, yet most skill-rewarding modern fighter on the market. Unlike the Street Fighter IV games, KoF XIII doesn't make much of an effort to win over people who are intimidated by the fighting game genre. Instead, it offers a love letter to all the things that made fighting games a phenomenon in the first place. If you're burned out on Street Fighter or Marvel Vs. Capcom, or are just looking for a more "back to fundamentals" 2D fighter, you'll more than get your money's worth with KoF XIII. |
| Zynga pulls in $1 billion with its $10 shares Posted: 16 Dec 2011 05:30 AM PST Holy f*cking Farmville. Zynga, makers of all those silly games on Facebook that you don't play, have managed to raise $1 billion by offering up 100 shares at $10 in its public offering. It starts trading today on the Nasdaq, symbol name ZNGA. To give you some idea of how crazy huge that is, Google's 2004 initial public offering brought in $1.9 billion. Zynga's is the biggest offering since Google, says Bloomberg. Welcome gaming's new monster company. Let's see if they can move from browser games and friends list spam into something a bit more substantial. And maybe they can use that cash to buy a better logo. |
| Robotical Mighty Switch Force drops on December 22 Posted: 16 Dec 2011 05:00 AM PST Yesterday, Casey Baker shared his impressions on WayForward's upcoming 3DS eShop title Mighty Switch Force. What made me extremely curious was that only a European release date had been set, which is odd for a game from a small company that is based in the US. According to Nintendo's latest North American release schedule, all we know is that it is a Q1 2012 title. At least, that's what we thought. The Mighty Switch Force Twitter page has announced that the game will be arriving in the US and Australia on the same day as in Europe: Thusday, December 22. That means in less than a week, I can get my robo-girl action on and so can you. I can't wait for this baby, "Ugly Checkpoint Dog" and all! No price has been announced, but it will supposedly be well under $10. |
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