Articles by ROCsteady
Here is approximately the first nine minutes of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. This game looks amazing for a PSP title, showing graphical fidelity better than many PS2 games. It's hard to tell the complexity of the controls but if its anything like the MGS4, pulling off things like CQC maneuvers may take some getting used to.
The menus are slick, appear tactile and have a holographic quality that also boosts the overall polish. This is good considering the amount of time you will be spending wading through them as apparent in this demonstration.
As the mission progresses we get a chance to see some neat tricks in Snake's arsenal. Punctuating the stealthy tension are moments of near comedy, as when Snake attaches a device to a hostage. Without warning the body zooms out of sight attached to a balloon. My favorite moment is when Snake pulls out a sheet for cover and stays undetected! It is these touches that remain hallmarks of the series and suggest Peace Walker will be a day one purchase for me.
It looks like this game will be getting special attention from Sony because it will launch on June 8th in North America with its very own shiny green PSP bundle! The green looks sexy but if you already have a PSP it might be more economical to stick to buying just the game. Who else has MGS: Peace Walker on their list of must haves?
New Metal Gear Solid: Peacewalker Gameplay Trailer Arrives [CVG]
Whew! This month is flooded with scads of quality titles! This is a good thing though. It assures us almost endless entertainment during the doldrums of summer when there are fewer blockbuster games to be had. Here are some of the current releases on my list of March must haves.
Mega Man 10's old school charm takes me back to my platformer roots, where challenge and frustration are the best of friends. Mega Man 10 came out for the Wii on March 1st for 1000 Wii points, PS3 on March 11th for $9.99 and will be released for the Xbox 360 on March 31st for 800 Microsoft Points. This will bide your time until the dlc comes next month including the Bass mode and Endless Attack.
For those of you who wanted it all on one disk, the Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition came out on March 9th with Lost In Nightmares, Desperate Escape. Some features are all new costumes for Chris and Sheva and and new playable characters in the Mercenaries Mode. This is available for the PS3 Xbox 360 for 49.99. If you already have the original game you will save some cash if you just download the content from the PSN or Xbox Marketplace.
Hard core JRPG fans will not be missing Final Fantasy XIII. Its quirky new battle system is turning some heads and causing traditionalists to groan but by the gods is this game beautiful! It was released on March 9th for the Xbox 360 and PS3 for $59.99.
Pokefans like myself gathered on march 14th for the launch of Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver. A fresh coat of paint and added touch functionality has me absolutely absorbed during my daily commute. It is available for the DS at $39.99
I simply could not get enough of Dragon Age! The expansion: Awakening brings back more of the tactical brilliance that I love and has my current character happily moving beyond the level cap. It's price tag of $39.99 is high but worth the investment those who can't get enough of the bloody battles. It was released for the Xbox 360, PS3 and the PC on March 16th.
Kratos returns with his "smoldering blades of chaos" in God Of War 3. It is harder to sympathize with the Spartan this time as his killing becomes more gratuitous but the combo based battle system rips the screen apart with anticipated, spot on mechanics. The set pieces and and fixed perspectives amaze. The the GOW Ultimate Edition is available for $99 which gives you a replica of Pandora's Box, a handsome art book and a ton of dlc, including new arenas, skins, documentaries, and The God Of War Trilogy Soundtrack. Its kinda lame that most of this extra content is dlc. For this price a disk with the extra content might have been more appropriate. The standard edition is also available for $59.99. Both were released on March 16th.
What is on your list of March must haves? How are you whiling the hours during Spring Break?
The first few hours using Final Fantasy XIII's battle system may seem chaotic. The action queue and Active Time Battle gauge can make your options seem limited at first and the Paradigms, while giving you more skills, will move you even further from direct control over the battle. There were so many times I wished I could just enjoy unlocking a spell or skill and enjoy trying it out in battle but the constant shift in my defensive priorities, and the introduction to the "Stagger" mechanic really made it difficult for me to always select my series favorite spells and skills, especially if I wanted to survive the tougher battles.
Make the jump for more impressions.
The social gaming present on networking sites like Facebook and MySpace has spread like wildfire over the past few years and the companies producing games like Lil' Farmlife and Mob Wars are battling for your time and your money.
Major social gaming contender Playdom, known for games like Mobsters 2: Vendetta has recently placed funding of 5 million dollars into Argentine gaming company MetroGames in hopes to expand its already large presence on MySpace and push its way further into the Facebook market. MetroGames currently has a large stock of games on its own gaming site and many more already on Facebook. John Pleasents, Playdom's CEO has joined the board of MetroGames and had this to say:
"MetroGames has a proven track record for developing very appealing social games, so we are convinced that with Playdom's help they will become a big player in the social gaming market."
Playdom has also recently purchased Facebook game developer Offbeat Creations, suggesting it has a strong interest in diminishing competitor Zynga's control over the Facebook market.
It looks as if Playdom will continue to produce even more of its ubiquitous and addictive games, continuing to make the niche that was "Facebook gaming" into a full scale video game phenomenon.
Playdom Fuels MetroGames' Plans For Explosive Growth [PR Newswire]
Everyday, the graphical fidelity of video games gets just a little closer to matching what things look like in real life. Modern day graphic artists are making every attempt to capture more realistic representations of living things. The process of creating the perfectly porous human face in Heavy Rain or the visual delight of a jungle in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is difficult. A new technique developed by scientists at Bath University may bring video game artists closer to that coveted life-like design.
Dr, Peter Hall and Chris Li of Bath University have developed a program that allows computers to watch footage of something in nature and track it's movement realistically. The scientists used a tree as an example in their study.
For the demonstration, the artist drew an outline of the tree while the program tracked the movements of the real tree in the video footage. Then the computer began creating animations using algorithms for a more life-like tree. Finally, the computer was able to generate many trees from just one sketch, each with its own individual personality based on the one from nature.
Dr. Hall explained:
"With our system, the user can produce new trees of the same variety, with each one an individual. We can also very finely control the movement of the tree for different weather conditions, different seasons, and can even make it dance to music!"
The scientists said that this program could help to bring graphic artists closer to a life-like design while allowing studios to create animations faster and cheaper. Dr. Li created this program for his Ph. D at Bath University but he is eager to help game designers use this on a global level.
Computer Mimics Nature By Watching TV [Science Daily]
Nintendo broke another record in DS sales this past February, moving over 613,000 units of the DS Lite and DSi according to market research group NPD. This record surpasses last year's sales of 597,000 units in the same month.
This number is not surprising considering the ubiquitous nature of Nintendo advertising and the company's ability to constantly return awesome gaming experiences. What is surprising about these sales is the newer DSi XL is about to hit the market on March 28th. I would imagine those in the market for a handheld would wait to buy the newest model. For myself I remain satisfied with my trusty DS Lite despite the lack of a camera and will be passing on the third step child to the DS clamshell original.
This poses an interesting question: How many of you still enjoy older versions of the DS? And how many have you have upgraded to each iteration of the touchscreen handheld and helped to inflate that high February sales number?
Make the jump for the original press release.
This Week Square-Enix Ltd. released Final Fantasy XIII themed apartment, furniture, accessories, and items for HOME in Europe and PAL territories.
The fantastical list includes:
- Eden - Primarch's Vigilarium apartment
- Vigilarium sofa, table, chair, shelves, and desk,
- Vigilarium Side board A and B
- Vigilarium planter set and a curious Taxidermic Specimen.
- Cactuar, Flowering Cactuar, and Tonberry figures
- Carbuncle Plushie
For those not familiar with the HOME apartment set up, after purchase, the items will be available for decoration as you see fit.
I'm not sure how essential this set will be to someone who already has an apartment in HOME but for those Final Fantasy purists I imagine the purchase will be a no-brainer. As for me I can never say no to a Carbuncle plushie!
These items and apartment are now available in Europe and PAL Territories. There is no word of a North American release but I suppose you could always create a European PSN account if you absolutely need a Vigilarium Sofa. And who doesn't?
Final Fantasy XIII Playstation Home Items [Gamer Syndrome]
Tomorrow marks the launch of
Pokemon Heart Gold and
Soul Silver for the Nintendo DS. Nintendo continues to shamelessly repackage its pocket monsters as these are essentially enhanced remakes of the Game Boy Color Pokemon versions:
Gold and
Silver. These games were originally released in North America in 2000 and introduced things like a daily clock and the ability for pokemon to hold items.
Make the jump for more details.
This week Wootini revealed that Bass will be available as a downloadable character in Mega Man 10. Now you can take a look at all of his awesomeness in this clip from Capcom Japan.
The auto fire, multidirectional spray of Bass' buster is truly revolutionary for a Mega Man game. The fact that he can ramp up his buster further with his purple pooch adds to the gameplay possibilities in a way that makes me wish he had been around during the earlier games like Mega Man 3.
You can be sure that I will be downloading Bass and his dog Treble as soon as I finish the game with the original blue bomber. But what about you? Is this add on content essential to your Mega Man 10 experience? The duo is available on the Wii for 200 Wii points.
Watch Bass Bust Out His Buster In Mega Man 10 [Destructoid]
Handheld cartridges by Nintendo have held many shapes over the years. Who remembers the original Game Boy carts? They were beastly!
This week Nintendo filed a patent for a different kind of cartridge. Although it cannot be confirmed the pictures make it look as it if it may be for the DS.
The picture also illustrates how the cartridge sticks out of the slot (make the jump for more pictures), much like the development copy of a DS game. The patent application reads:
"broken lines showing of an electronic game machine is for illustrative purposes only."
Now the patent doesn't say it is for the DS but it doesn't flat out deny it either. I think the DS and its further iterations have had a good run so the time may be ripe for a new Nintendo handheld. Could these illustrations be the groundwork for Nintendo's new handheld or perhaps a just a newer, tricked out cartridge that adds a feature like rumble or in game augmented reality?
Only time will tell but for now we at least have these blueprints to stir the imagination.
Check the gallery below for more images from the patent.
Nintendo Application Hints At New DS Cartridge Design [Siliconera]
Note: Pictured glasses are not the ones to be included in the GOTY Edition of Batman Arkam Asylum.
Square-Enix London announced a European release for a Game of the Year Edition of Batman Arkham Asylum. This version will include six extra challenge maps and will be visible in 3-D on all PAL or HD televisions.
Viewing the game in 3-D is possible thanks to a technology called TriOviz 3-D. This patented process manages to leverage the depth of field to create the feel that you are in the game. This process takes the field of view to new heights while maintaining the integrity of the original colors and textures. 3-D glasses are packed in with the game.
Also included are the six previously released dlc challenge maps like the Infamous Crime Alley or the Insane Scarecrow Nightmare.
Batman Arkham Asylum Game of the year Edition will be available for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PCs in Europe and all PAL territories on March 26th 2010. Sadly there is no word yet on a stateside release.
Batman Game of the Year Edition with 3D for Europe Only [Gamespy]
Mega Man has graced our meta food shelves in the past with enough sugar and caffeine to power an army of game-crazed fifth graders. Who wouldn't want the power of an "E" tank to refuel a low charge just like the blue bomber?
In honor of Mega Man 10, Capcom has released the new "Sakuma Drops." Each fruit flavored snack is shaped like the weapon of the new robot masters, sporting fun shapes and the flavors of strawberry apple, orange, pineapple, plum, melon, peppermint and lemon.
Each tin will be available in Japan on March 6th for 350 yen or $4.
Delicious Mega Man Sakura Drops [Siliconera]
And girls who like girls who like rumble packs!
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