Ok, so it's official I'm obsessed with Left 4 Dead. It was really only a matter of time, but I hoped the fact that it was a first person shooter would stall me a little while I got over the fact that it's one of the best zombie games created, like ever. I still need to go online and vomit bile on some people.
To go with my obsession, I need merch. Lots of it. Everywhere, I want to cover my body in sweet, sweet zombie goodness. Thank you Valve for seeing my need and filling it with, not torso wrapping cotton, but movie style posters! Thats right, Valve released a pack of 4 posters, as seen in the game, for each of the four campaigns available in the retail copy of Left 4 Dead.
The posters can be purchased individually for $6.99, or the entire set can be yours for the low low price of $14.99. The later being the far better deal, in my opinion. So, I tell you all to march over to the Valve Store and pick yourself up some Left 4 Dead stuff. Because I don't want to be a retail whore all by my lonesome.
[via Bits Bytes Pixels and Sprites]
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has graced local-boys-done-good Telltale Games with the Best Videogame Award at the 2008 Children's BAFTA Awards. TT Games, which was bought by Warner Bros. in 2007, beat out Mario Kart Wii, Professor Layton, and their own Guinness World Records: The Videogame to score big with Lego Batman: The Videogame:
"We're absolutely delighted; it's a very special accolade for the whole team" said TT Games head of production Jonathan Smith.
"To get this acknowledgment, here in our home country of the UK, to be acknowledged by the British Academy for the work that everyone's done on LEGO Batman, was really thrilling."
Congrats, TT blokes! More after the jump.
One of the best things about working for Gaygamer is I get to try out games that I would never consider getting for myself. No sooner than it came in the mail did Fruit Brute toss me a copy of National Geographic Panda. This title that I had been guiltily following since it was announced for a US release.
As someone who's schedule has been increasingly less forgiving to free time activities, National Geographic Panda fit perfectly into my spare moments at the office, on the plane and wherever else I could find a few minutes to prod the screen with my stylus.
The core game revolves around caring for one to four pandas. Starting it you're set to run the gambit of various in game activities back to back as the tutorial shows you how to love, train and care for your new pet. My pet was named Pando, I wasn't feeling particularly creative that morning. The tutorial covered feeding, watering, shopping, teaching Pando how to do a summersault and basic UI usage.
Ever wondered what Half-Life, the original game that made Valve what it is today, would look on the latest and greatest engine produced by the same company over a decade later? Well it looks like one team is trying to deliver just that with the Half-Life 2 mod, Black Mesa. Above is the latest trailer for the game, which sets forth the ambitious goal of recreating the original Half-Life game using all the technical and graphical wonders that is Valve's Orange Box engine. The game, planned to be released next year, looks fantastic and seems to pay correct honors to the game it mimics. Along with the fantastic looking characters and environments, they even plan to use the better AI to help make the game even more challenging. I'm just impressed that these guys have devoted so much time and energy to this task without direct backing from Valve to do so. It's good to see that type of devotion, especially when they produce something as wonderful as what the trailer shows, enjoy.
Ambition has a tough tightrope to walk: it requires balance and care, or else it can careen and fall into disappointment or failure. The protagonist of Far Cry 2 knows this, as he plays two sides of an African civil war against each other, but it's also something that the developers at Ubisoft had to keep in mind when making the game. In many ways, Far Cry 2 is an amazing accomplishment, providing a living, open Africa for the player to explore. It also delivers a unique and serious story, something unlike most modern games. Unfortunately those high highs make the lows seem even more vexing, as a little more care could have easily prevented them. The problems don't completely obscure the experience, however, and the game remains impressive, despite the flaws.
Read more after the break.
Name: Jake L.
Age: 19
Astrological sign: Gemini
Gay, Straight or Bi: Ghey
Relationship Status: I got me a hottie.
Consoles/handhelds you own: Wii, PC, Genesis
For the first week of December we get another two WiiWare games and one Virtual Console classic. In honor of the 30th anniversary of the Space Invaders series, today we get Space Invaders Get Even, a game that lets you control the brightly colored, blocky invaders for a change as you set out to destroy all human civilization. The game looks great and it seems like you control the invaders Pikmin-style, but be careful. Get Even was originally supposed to be a full retail release, meaning the shift to WiiWare has broken the game into smaller chunks. The base game is only 500 points, but that's only one mission. To get the full game and its additional 6 missions it'll cost you an additional 1500 points and add up to almost 700 blocks of memory. Maybe if Nintendo allowed us to play games from the SD card....but now I'm just talking crazy.
For those of you who are fans of unnecessary exclamation points, the WiiWare also sees the release of Pit Crew Panic! which will have you controlling a cheerleader-like pit crew to repair everything from cars to castles and cakes. The game looks delightfully bizarre, so it might be worth the points if your in the mood for something quick, odd, and fun.
This week's sole Virtual Console release is good, but hard to actually recommend. It's Metal Slug 2 which is a great classic shooter. The Metal Slug series is one of my favorites with frantic action and amazing sprite animation. The problem is, Metal Slug Anthology came out as one of the Wii's launch titles and packed Metal Slug 1-6 as well as Metal Slug X. It's hard to recommend buying just Metal Slug 2 when you can get it as well as 6 other Metal Slug games for about double the price of just the one. Although Metal Slug Anthology doesn't support the classic controller, so there's that advantage for the Virtual Console release.
Here's the full rundown of today's WiiWare and Virtual Console releases.
WiiWare
- SPACE INVADERS GET EVEN (Taito, 1 player, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older-Cartoon Violence, 500 Wii Points): The Space Invaders are back, and this time they're out to get even. Take control of a UFO and make those Earthlings pay by unleashing your fleet of heroic invaders against their puny tanks, fighter jets and artillery-but watch out for the massive boss awaiting you at the end of each stage. Use your invaders' five attack types and the might of the mother ship to rack up high scores, then upload them via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and see where you stand in the global rankings.
- Pit Crew Panic! (Hudson Entertainment, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): Pit Crew Panic! is a frantic, action-packed game that unfolds on the racing circuit. During the game, the pit crew is not only faced with repairing vehicles, but also various WHATSITs. Handling the WHATSIT repairs is a pit crew made up of legendary beauties. The controls are simple: Just grab a member of the crew with the Wii Remote controller's A Button, then release the button when the Pointer is over the damaged PART, and that crew member will begin repairs. Assign repairs to the members of your team and provide support using the Wii Remote to send a fully repaired WHATSIT out of the pit as quickly as you can. The game features Normal mode, which can be played using one of two rules: Abnormal mode (players split into two teams and compete against each other) and Ranking mode (compete with players around the world for the top record). Each mode can be played with a maximum of four Wii Remote controllers, allowing you to team up with friends and family. Your teamwork could lead to outstanding records.
Virtual Console
- METAL SLUG 2 (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, Rated T for Teen-Blood and Gore, Violence, 900 Wii Points): Released in 1998 by SNK, METAL SLUG 2 is a side-scrolling military-action game. Players choose from Marco, Tarma, Eri and Fio, setting their sights on wiping out Morden's newly remobilized Rebellion Army. Just like the original METAL SLUG, players blaze a trail by shooting and jumping, but METAL SLUG 2 adds a new arsenal for you to command, including a heavy machine gun, a shotgun and even a laser gun, providing players with rich variety. Battle effects are packed in, as well-players turn into mummies after getting caught in poison gas coughed up by mummies. After picking up too many food items, characters turn fat, but they get an attack-strength upgrade. Two-player action is supported, too, so players can have a blast with their friends.
I cannot believe it is already December. The gaming busy season seems to be dying down a bit in retailers, not that it means I have less of a stack of games to play through. This week we've got Prince of Persia in all it's beautiful cell-shaded glory. I've got this game on my X-mas list. Fans of the offspring caused by Disney and Square Enix can get their hands on the PS2 remake of Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories, originally released on the GBA. Remember that system? PC owners can finally see what all the fuss is over GTA IV. Has anyone else noticed a surge in the GTA commercials on TV? Half of me wants to pick up Singstar: Abba, and the other half of me thinks singing along to the Mama Mia soundtrack in my car is embarrassing enough. Finally, if this weekend has left you feeling a bit overstuffed, perhaps picking up My Fitness Coach for the Wii is a good idea. Now if you'll excuse me, I have plenty of Thanksgiving leftovers to stuff my face with. Fitness be damned!
- PETA leads David Jaffe, creator of God of War, toward vegetarianism. Apparently violent decapitations, human sacrifice, and limb tearing don't phase him, but the meat packing industry is another matter entirely.
- Microsoft gave the XBLM a new place on the web, so now you can browse and buy content from you computer.
- NaviFairy said that you should give another chance to Hotel Dusk: Room 215 now that it's got a fancy new re-release.
- Game Boy asked how you review reviews.
- Most Sony owned films returned to Netflix's streaming service on Xbox Live.
- Remembering Chibi Robo for the Gamecube made Game Boy misty eyed and wistful.
- Wootini asked which games make it onto your lists for Santa.
- NaviFairy wanted to know what you play with your families. You know, besides, "Keep your emotionally unstable sister from bursting into tears." That one's a crowd pleaser.
- Reader Fabrissou provided another amazing work of fan art, this time letting you dress up the protagonist of Dead Rising. I hope you all found Frank's hidden turtleneck!
- American's celebrated Thanksgiving, and we gave thanks by taking the day off.
- Reviews: Navifairy found Resistance 2 mostly irresistible, The Doctor felt a little less warmly about Valhalla Knights 2, and Fruit Brute finished Mortal Kombat Vs. The DC Universe.
So my fellow Americans, did you wander out to the stores this weekend, still full of turkey and carbs, and partake of our annual tradition of consumer excess? Maybe you stayed at home, clicked a few buttons at your favorite online retailers, and now you're expecting a few exciting packages in the mail? It's an important year for retailers: we're already facing losing a few of them, and they're desperate to get you to buy. Let us know what you if you partook of any of the big black friday sales: was it big or small, a present for a loved one or a treat for yourself, something you've been long wanting or something that was just such a great deal you couldn't pass it up?
Due to a combination of impatience and a birthday earlier this month, I pretty much already had most of what I wanted, so I sat out this Black Friday almost entirely. The one exception: Sonic Unleashed for Xbox 360 from Amazon.com, which was a Deal of the Day yesterday. I just have to know!
In an editorial for Gamasutra, Tom Cross has some very harsh things to say about Dead Space. The plot? Hackneyed. The characters? Boring. The scares? Predictable. From this, you'd think that he'd be reluctant to recommend the game to anyone. Strangely, just the opposite:
In the end, I'm still not sure why I like Dead Space so much: it makes all of the story mistakes that I don't appreciate, and it displays a disdain for interesting presentation of its characters. Yet, for once, it's enough that the rest of the game comes through, no matter the contortions my brain is forced to go through to believe its justification. Style and flair really can prevail over substance and feeling.
I can't say I completely disagree with him about the plot (although if you abandon pretension it settles into a popcorn-style potboiler groove about halfway through ), but so much of the game is done right, it's still headed onto my list of favorites this year. In fact, a lot of the games that I keep thinking about this year have succeeded despite, or maybe even because of their faults. It's almost like a completely polished game slides in and out of my gaming consciousness by the time it leaves my disk drive, but a game I have to work a little harder to enjoy sticks with me longer, like an acquired taste. Or maybe I've just got a thing for damaged goods.
Are there games that, despite all their problems and faults, you still love?
Opinion: Why Blood and Guts Make Up For A Dead Story, Characters [Gamasutra]
With the holiday in the US this week, apparently everyone's innuendo centers are working overtime as rumors are flying right and left. The latest involves a North American release of Monolith Soft's Wii adventure Disaster: Day of Crisis, which has already been released in Japan, Europe, and Australia. The game hasn't really sold like gang-busters in any territory, leaving Nintendo representatives on this continent reluctant to peg down a date for the game, and leaving some to speculate that there would be no release here. Now, in correspondence with company representative, GoNintendo reader Silver Lunar (probably not his real name), has received word that NOA has finally made up their minds. In response to Silver's question about the game, Dervin Camden of Nintendo writes:
I'm pleased to report that Disaster: Day of Crisis has been announced for North America, but no release date yet.
The rest of the printed letter reads like a form, so the whole thing could just be an error on the part of Mr. Camden. Still, it's hope for those of you who are still impatiently waiting for the game in North America. The game still looks like it could be fun, but I have a feeling by the time this thing hits stores it's going to take something more than mutton-chops to get me to care about it anymore.
Rumor: Disaster: Day of Crisis getting a chance in North America? [GoNintendo]
[via: Destructoid]
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