Had the privilege to check out a few of the Vita’s upcoming games, and one that definitely caught my eye was the new Street Fighter X Tekken Game for the Vita. It’s currently out for the major consoles like PS3 and XBox360.
There are a few things that make this game worth the extra dough.
First, the developer I spoke with, Seth Killian, said that players of the Vita version would be able to play with anyone playing the console version which means both games are virtually the same! Not only that, but there will be added characters for the Vita Version that will come standard who won’t be on the console version unless you purchase them as DLC.
Playing the Vita version took a little getting used to with the smaller buttons and D-Pad, however, after a couple of warm-ups, I was throwing Hadoukens with the best of ’em. Graphics were amazing so I can see how you could play vs. any using the console version of the game. Animations were very smooth and contiguous. Look out for it in the coming months.
We got a chance to look at an advanced preview of the new Amazing Spiderman. Does it live up to the hype or is it destined to go the way of the awful movie video-game? Read on to find out!
One of the things that I was afraid of when previewing the game was that the game might be too rushed. This is generally what plagues video-games that are made from Movies, but I am happy to report that the game play did seem to be well thought out. I’ll tell you about my favorite bits before I get to what I thought could use improvement.
One of the things I love doing with the Spider-man Character in any Spidey Video game is webbing around the city free-form. This is what made Spider-man one of my favorite superheroes. I would imagine myself with those amazing powers to somersault and zip around the city via web. This is what makes playing Spider-man great and the developers nailed it. Spider-man really seems real and there is a sense of tension when falling all the way down to near ground levels before Spider-man suddenly shoots a new web, swinging upwards in the nick of time. It’s absolutely brilliant! So what’s so new about that? Well, they’ve added the ability to choose where you will web to next while in mid swing. The cool part is, based on your surroundings, Spider-man dynamically uses objects around him or in his path to get to the destination that you’ve selected. So he doesn’t just miraculously appear where you wanted him to or magically web through solid objects. He interacts with them by using them or somersaulting over them in unique and different ways to get to the destination you’ve chosen. Not only that, but you can chain these together for the ultimate Spidey-Experience! You can’t really destroy or damage buildings around you which was a bummer, but Spider-man isn’t exactly known for his destructiveness so it’s all good. You have all the normal stuff like collectible comics and figurines, or side quests and random thugs to take out. Other than the Iguana fella, we didn’t get to see any other characters that might be revealed in the movie or later on in the game.
A few items of note though are that there really isn’t a life bar for better or for worse, nor do you have to run around looking for web cartridges as they automatically replenish. Some fans may take issue with this. Also, I wasn’t too impressed with the character design of the baddies – but since it was an early build I expect the team to polish the characters up a bit.
Long story short, I am cautiously optimistic about the game and will be picking it up as the game-play was intriguing enough to give it a shot. Check the trailer below:
If your a fan of the original XCOM game “UFO: Enemy Unkown”, then you will no doubt be happy to hear that Developers have been hard at work with a refresh of the popular series.
We had the privilege of being able to take a quick look at a Demo and see the new trailer found here. As a fan of strategy games, this game really seems to really test the gamer’s skills. What I was most impressed with is the fact that it takes the best from RPGs, Shooters, and Strategy games and makes a hybrid of all those genres. You have complete control over your squad and can assign weapons and gear at your base which you also have complete control over designing. Another really intriguing aspect of the game is the fact that each squad member is unique and will not come back if killed in action! So all of your hard work – for better or worse dies with that member. This adds an added dynamic to the game that ups the ante a little bit every time you play a level.
We got a chance to speak with Garth DeAngeles and Greg Foertsch so check out the video below:
I’m sure you’ve heard of Sony’s new handheld gaming system called the PS Vita. You know about the 5″ screen, and the front and rear facing cameras. You may also know about it’s wi-fi, 3G, and Bluetooth connectivity. However, have you actually handled one? Held it gently in your arms and played the day away? If not, then here’s your chance! Sony has set up 8 “Social Clubs” around the country for people to go to, to experience the Vita. The eight towns are: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta, New York, Boston, Chicago, and Austin. You can go here for more information. I went to the one in New York located at 154 Stanton Street, New York, NY. They hooked us up with free snacks and beverages as well as let us play as long as we wanted on the Vitas strewn across the many tables in the room. The hip decoration and trendy music made for a vibrant and cool experience. You also get to sign up for free which locks you in to the possibility of winning a Vita for yourself. If you haven’t gone yet, you better hurry as the promotion ends on the 22nd!
A couple of the games you’ll be able to play are listed below. There’s also some pretty cool footage of some of the games and their developers, so click the links below.
If you’re a fan of Baseball there’s a good chance you’ll be interested in 2K’s announcement that they are partnering with SPIN Media, the premiere source for media discovery, to release a sound track for the new game. The game release date is March 6th, 2012. This is the first time SPIN has collaborated with any video game. Check the full PR Release below:
2K Sports partners with SPIN for Major League Baseball® 2K12 Soundtrack
Featuring exclusive original track from G-Side – free to download on SPIN.com;
Plus artists Bass Drum of Death, Grouplove, Skrillex, The Vaccines, and more
New York, NY – February 16, 2012 – 2K Sports today announced that they have
partnered with SPIN Media, the premier resource for music discovery, to create a
13-song soundtrack for the upcoming Major League Baseball® 2K12, the eagerly
anticipated next iteration of the popular MLB 2K series, which hits stores
nationwide on March 6, 2012.
The release of MLB 2K12 marks the first time that SPIN has collaborated on a video
game soundtrack and the first time 2K Sports has worked with a music media company.
The baseball-loving team behind SPIN jumped at the chance to curate the game and
enlisted a hard-hitting team to select the songs.
The resulting playlist covers all bases with a wide range of musical genres from
hip-hop and electronic, to rock and pop, and includes both established and emerging
artists, reflecting the true diversity of baseball fans. Earning themselves the
unofficial title of “most valuable players,” Alabama rap duo and SPIN breaking-out
artists, G-Side, recorded an exclusive original track called “Put Me in the Game” –
hitting a home run with the fresh, futuristic, synth-heavy beat.
G-Side’s exclusive track, which is inspired by “defying odds to achieve something
greater in life,” can be downloaded for free at SPIN.com/mlb2k12 starting February
21. The rest of the soundtrack will also be available to stream.
"When the match is right, music and sports can complement each other in a profound
way, so curating SPIN’s first video game soundtrack was an exciting challenge. We
were thrilled to be asked by 2K Sports, and took seriously the responsibility of
sharing some of our favorite tracks with MLB fans,” said Charles Aaron, SPIN
Editorial Director. “Many special thanks, of course, go to G-Side for providing an
awesome new track."
MLB 2K12 features AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander on the cover
along with a robust list of features and game modes, improved gameplay, and the
return of the $1 Million Perfect Game Challenge, which will award one MLB 2K12 gamer
the coveted grand prize. SPIN’s hand-picked soundtrack bolsters an immersive
baseball experience.
“This year’s soundtrack is easily the best yet thanks to SPIN,” said Jason Argent,
vice president of marketing, 2K Sports. “They are experts in the music industry and
our fans are really going to enjoy the playlist they selected when playing MLB 2K12.
Music is a key element in our sports titles, so when we’re working hard to create
the best, most authentic experience for fans we expect the soundtrack to follow the
same beat.”
The complete track listing for the MLB 2K12 soundtrack includes:
1. Bass Drum of Death, "Get Found"
2. Explosions in the Sky, "Trembling Hands"
3. The Cool Kids, "Boomin'"
4. The Vaccines, "If You Wanna"
5. G-Side, "Put Me in the Game"
6. Grouplove, "Colours"
7. JEFF the Brotherhood, "Shredder"
8. My Morning Jacket, "Holdin On to Black Metal"
9. Skrillex, "Nice Sprites & Scary Monsters"
10. Telekinesis, "Please Ask for Help"
11. The Joy Formidable, "Austere"
12. Atmosphere, "Just for Show"
13. Pretty Lights, "Hot Like Dimes"
MLB 2K12 is rated E for everyone by the ESRB and will be available March 6, 2012 for
the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation® 3
computer entertainment system, Wii™ system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment
system, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, Nintendo DS™ and Windows PC.
the title is not misleading at all. Sony has come up with the idea, as promotion for the new installment of Twisted Metal for Playstation3 coming out on the 14th, to hook a fully automatic weapon up to a server and a webcam. They are allowing lucky winners to remotely shoot at an ice cream truck in the middle of the dessert. All you sick and twisted individuals interested can sign up here with your facebook or twitter account.
Activision announced that come Jan 24th, Call of Duty Elite Members will have access to post-release content. This content will be released monthly for the next 9 months. Yup NINE MONTHS! Those with Xbox Live Accounts will get the first dibs with content for other consoles coming later.
The new content will include new multi-player maps including Central Park and the Italian seaside. I’m pretty excited about this new package as MW3 is, in my opinion, the best in the series to date. If you’re an Elite Member, you can go here for more info: http://www.callofduty.com/elite/go-premium
Full Press Release below:
BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT RELEASE OF THE YEAR GETS EVEN BIGGER WITH UNPRECEDENTED NINE-MONTH POST-RELEASE CONTENT SCHEDULE AVAILABLE FIRST FOR CALL OF DUTY® ELITE PREMIUM MEMBERS Call Of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 3’s Season of Monthly Content for Call of Duty Elite Premium Members Kicks Off January 24th on Xbox LIVE Santa Monica, CA – January 10, 2012 – Modern Warfare® 3 blazes into 2012 with the debut of all-new multiplayer maps Liberation and Piazza, the front line of the Modern Warfare® 3 Content Season for Call of Duty® Elite, nine consecutive months of epic downloadable content that commences January 24th for Xbox Live users. Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc.’s (Nasdaq: ATVI), revealed today that the content will be available first for Call of Duty® Elite’s premium members on Xbox LIVE, followed by additional platforms at a later time. From January through September, Call of Duty Elite premium members on Xbox LIVE will receive regular updates of all new content totaling at least 20 content drops. The Modern Warfare 3 Content Season for Call of Duty Elite will include a broader variety than ever, with brand new multiplayer maps, Special Ops Missions, new game modes and more. While Call of Duty Elite premium subscribers get the new content first, as promised, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 fans who want to buy the content a la carte as they have in the past, will be able to purchase the content via Modern Warfare 3 Content Collections. “The mammoth launch of Modern Warfare 3 and the breakout success of Call of Duty Elite were just the beginning. Call of Duty Elite provides an ?always-on’ connection to our fanbase, and the MW3 Content Season is the ultimate way to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the Call of Duty community and provide tremendous value to Call of Duty Elite premium members, said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. With the Call of Duty®: MW3 Content Season for Call of Duty Elite we are delivering on our promise of more new content, more often, and with more variety than ever. With three studios collaborating on the first season, the breadth and depth of material on tap is truly extraordinary. It’s rare you can successfully execute both quantity and quality, but thanks to the expertise of our developers, the reach of Call of Duty Elite and the passion of our fans, we intend to deliver. All content drops for Call of Duty Elite premium members will occur once a month, starting in January for Xbox Live users and will continue through the year, ending in September. During the first three months of 2012, Activision will release five different content drops on three occasions in January, February and March, first on Xbox Live, followed by additional platforms at a later time. The first two Content Drops will be multiplayer maps also playable in Modern Warfare 3 Survival Mode that throw combatants into a war-torn Central Park and an Italian seaside village. Liberation is a vast, militarized landscape, ripe for long-range sniper and LMG fire, with mounted turrets on either end that lend power to anyone brave enough to expose themselves in exchange for deadly firepower. Piazza is the idyllic Italian getaway that is anything but, where tight corners and branching pathways pose great risk at every turn. Close-range combat dominates in Piazza, where attacks from behind, above and below are an ever-constant threat. The third Content Drop will be available for download in mid-February and two additional Content Drops will go live in March, as premium Call of Duty Elite members will receive new content once a month through September. Also in March, the first Modern Warfare 3 Content Collection will be available for purchase by the entire Call of Duty: MW3 player community on Xbox Live. To celebrate the launch of each new content drop, Call of Duty Elite will run specialized events for real-world prizes throughout the nine-month Season. Additional details about the Modern Warfare 3 Content Season for Call of Duty Elite and Collection series will be announced throughout the year. The Modern Warfare 3 Content Season is co-developed by Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer Games and Raven Software. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is rated “M” (Mature) by the ESRB for Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence and Strong Language. For more information on the Call of Duty: MW3 content drops, season of content, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Call of Duty Elite visit www.callofduty.com/mw3 and www.callofduty.com/elite. To become a Call of Duty Elite premium member, go to http://www.callofduty.com/elite/go-premium. For additional Call of Duty Elite updates and information, visit www.facebook.com/callofdutyelite, and also via Twitter @CallofDutyElite. Published by Activision and developed by Beachhead Studio, Call of Duty Elite is a comprehensive social gaming network offering a deep and innovative service for all registered Call of Duty players. Call of Duty Elite provides “always-on,” universal communication between the platform and the game. Players can access Call of Duty Elite via web or console—to connect with friends, plan multiplayer matches with their Clan or social Group, configure load-outs, access comprehensive stats and interactive heat maps, and much more. About Activision Publishing, Inc. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com.
I think you will be hard-pressed to find a better Batman game, and dare I say, a better superhero game anywhere. I’m trying to think and I’m honestly drawing a blank. Superman, Spiderman, Wolverine…they all fail to come up to the lofty standards that the Rocksteady crew has put forth in this game. There are tons of walk-throughs and tidbits you can find around the web so I won’t waste too much time there. I’ll just break it down into pros and cons and let you do the math.
Likes:
Gadgets
Winning
Side Missions
Combat
Voice Acting
Catwoman
The gadgets are just as great this time around as they were for Arkham Asylum. In fact, you start off with most of the gadgets in tact. You’ve got the cryptographic sequencer, explosive gel, the batclaw, smoke pellets, and of course batarang. You get more as the game progresses and most of the items are actually upgradeable.
All of those gadgets make for an awesome experience playing the Dark Knight. The gadgets with the fight system really make you feel great when beating up the baddies.
Completing side missions also offer perks by giving you access to better weapons. You can play straight through the game without them, but you have a better time with a couple of extra goodies.
The Voice acting is top notch and reminds me of the good ole Batman Cartoon days. This is because many of the voice actors from then are present in this game as well. Kevin Conroy is back as Batman and Mark Hamill is doing the Joker.
Lastly, Catwoman is hot.
Dislikes:
Detective Mode
Riddler Trophies
It was hard to find anything to complain about with this game since there were so many things that were spot on. However, I did get weary of Detective Mode. It was annoying having to use it as often as we did. This was mostly because I’m convinced it was tearing up my eye site. The colors are all crazy and its cool for the first hour or so, then gets really annoying the rest of the time. I just wish it didn’t change the color of the world. It would be great if Detective Mode just helped you find clues and highlighted weapons. Or it may have been better to toggle different Modes in Detective Mode so that you weren’t stuck with the weird colors all the time.
The Riddler Trophies, while fun, are annoying. Most of the city is painted with question marks. It can be a little overwhelming and quite frankly is the only thing that doesn’t feel right in this universe. I could see the Riddler hacking in from time to time or as more subplots, but really just hiding gems all around the city? I felt like the Rocksteady crew could have changed the direction a little bit there rather than just adding more trophies.
Overall:
Overall, this game is stunning. They completely nailed the sequel which is really hard to do with movies and, in my opinion, even harder to do with games. Batman is even cooler, the enemies are cooler, the stage is bigger, the fighting is better, and the story line is top notch. Other than the annoying Riddler Trophies and needing Detective Mode on all the time this game is definitely worth springing for if you like super hero games.
2K Sports announces 45 new “Legends” to their Roster today. If you felt like your favorite player from back in the day didn’t make the cut in the new 2K12 game, then chances are they have just been added. In addition to MJ, Bird, and Magic, they are adding the likes of Jalen Rose, Dee Bron, Rolando Blackman and other old heads. See complete List of the new Legends as well as the press release
Complete List of New Legends
George Mikan (1951 Lakers)
David Thompson (1978 Nuggets)
Derek Harper (1990 Mavericks)
Bob Cousy (1957 Celtics)
Jamaal Wilkes (1981 Lakers)
Tom Chambers (1990 Suns)
Bob Pettit (1959 Hawks)
Jack Sikma (1982 Sonics)
Kevin Johnson (1990 Suns)
Nate Thurmond (1967 Warriors)
Alex English (1983 Nuggets)
Reggie Lewis (1993 Celtics)
Lenny Wilkens (1968 Hawks)
Adrian Dantley (1984 Jazz)
Dan Majerle (1993 Suns)
Dave Bing (1968 Pistons)
Bernard King (1984 Knicks)
Kenny Anderson (1994 Nets)
Wes Unseld (1969 Bullets)
Rolando Blackman (1984 Mavericks)
Cedric Ceballos (1994 Suns)
Connie Hawkins (1970 Suns)
Kiki Vandeweghe (1984 Nuggets)
Dee Brown (1995 Celtics)
Dave Cowens (1973 Celtics)
Mark Eaton (1985 Jazz)
Gheorge Muresan (1996 Bullets)
Tiny Archibald (1973 Kings)
Sleepy Floyd (1987 Warriors)
Glen Rice (1997 Hornets)
Spencer Haywood (1973 Sonics)
Fat Lever (1988 Nuggets)
Shawn Bradley (1997 Mavericks)
Bob McAdoo (1975 Braves)
Mark Jackson (1989 Knicks)
Steve Smith (1998 Hawks)
Elvin Hayes (1975 Bullets)
Kenny Walker (1989 Knicks)
Jalen Rose (2001 Pacers)
Rick Barry (1975 Warriors)
Dale Ellis (1989 Sonics)
Jamal Mashburn (2003 Hornets)
Bob Lanier (1977 Pistons)
Artis Gilmore (1978 Bulls)
George Mikan (1951 Lakers)
PR: About NBA 2K12 Legends Showcase:
Legends Showcase will be available this holiday season for $9.99 via PlayStation Network for the PlayStation 3 and for 800 Microsoft Points via Xbox LIVE Marketplace for the Xbox 360.
Legends Showcase creates a truly unique basketball experience for all fans, featuring a new, cell-shaded art style set in New York City’s iconic Time Square. This downloadable add-on enhances NBA 2K12 by providing a never-seen-before gaming experience, unlocking hours of additional gameplay and giving fans an all-new way to end the debate over who is the greatest basketball player of all time.
Legends Showcase also features mini-games, such as 21 and H-O-R-S-E, along with other new features like the 2-on-2 Teammate Challenge and 3-on-3 Era Challenge. Gamers can also unlock current NBA players to create unique match-ups between legends and current stars. Finally, for the ultimate challenge, gamers can bring their My Player into the mix and battle the legends of the NBA to see how they stack up against the best ever.
As an added bonus, Legends Showcase also includes Classic Quick Match, a new mode that is opened up in the main game allowing gamers to play online with the NBA’s Greatest teams in a regular simulation setting.
Got a chance to Demo this game and I must say that this game is not only beautiful but fun to play. You all know the story, hoards of baddies have come to annihilate man-kind and only you the player can stop them. Insomniac Games takes it back to the arcade with life packs rather than automatic health regeneration which is very noticeable. The weapons are crazy! The Chimera definitely don’t sit there and get shot, the AI is pretty good. Definitely a game you should be checking out if you like shooters.
Gears of War:
Gears of War is a great shooter because it somehow gets you so involved in it’s story and it’s characters. The visceral nature of the combat system is just over the top, which is just the way most of us like it. Online play is great so you really can’t go wrong here.
Call of Duty 3:
Black Ops was great, but I am really looking for another modern combat story rather than soemething that takes place in the past. MW3 comes out Nov 8th, and please believe I’ll be on it…
