General gaming

General gaming

Mass Effect 3's Multiplayer Already Alternates Between Fun And Unnecessary

Posted: 27 Oct 2011 04:45 PM PDT

Until last month, you could have called Mass Effect 3's multiplayer mode the biggest secret in the video game industry -- unless you recall EA Chief Operating Officer John Schappert's comments that every EA game shipping in fiscal 2011 will have an online component. Developer BioWare has said little to hint that the mode even existed. But then the multiplayer confirmation story spread across the Internet, prompting a very mixed reaction from fans of the series. Some welcomed the idea; others completely dismissed it. And to some degree the arguing makes sense: Mass Effect plays like a fun science-fiction action role-playing series. Up until now, multiplayer has not been a part of the series' DNA.

I recently had the opportunity to play an early build of Mass Effect 3's new multiplayer mode, called Galaxy at War; the easiest comparison for the new multi-user dungeons is "Horde mode" -- the survival-focused cooperative game mode of Gears of War 2, but with some RPG elements. Galaxy at War pits a squad comprised of up to four players against multiple waves of enemies. You do not play as series protagonist Commander Shepard or any of the supporting characters from the Mass Effect series in this mode. Instead, Galaxy at War has its own character creator, and you'll construct a soldier based on one of six available races. Through repeated play, you'll tackle missions and win resources for the Galactic Global effort that goes on in the single-player campaign. BioWare reps confirm that your customized character from multiplayer will make an appearance in the main campaign as well.

Review: PixelJunk SideScroller is a Sublime "Shooter" From Another Time

Posted: 27 Oct 2011 03:02 PM PDT

Being a fan of the PixelJunk Shooter games, I found it an odd but mostly pleasant surprise that developer Q-Games was branching out with PixelJunk SideScroller -- it's definitely not the free-moving planetary spelunking game that Shooter is, but instead a much more cramped shoot-em-up from back in the day. You may think that's a step back, but it's really a step sideways -- making a pretty good complement to two great games.

From looking at SideScroller, it has a decidedly retro look to it in more ways than one: First, there's the vector-inspired look that makes the game seem like it's being played on the world's most bad-ass oscilloscope -- complete with monitor curvature effect. And it's also, duh, a side-scrolling shooter, as familiar as classics like the beloved Gradius -- though in this one you can't die by touching walls. That said, SideScroller is not some direct parody/tribute/homage to any one game: The boss fights may likely remind you of a boss in so-and-so game that had a similar attack or something, but otherwise, this is an original piece of bullety mayhem.

Phoenix Wright Movie Slated for February Release (in Japan, of Course)

Posted: 27 Oct 2011 02:01 PM PDT

Phoenix Wright movie

As announced back in May, the movie based on Phoenix Wright is real and will be out in 2012. A more precise release date than that has now been attached to the project: it'll be in theaters on February 11, 2012.

That date, of course, only applies for Japan. There's no word on a potential release of the film, first alluded to earlier this year, in North America or Europe. At best we can probably hope for a dubbed version to be released on DVD or for a fan translation to show up online.

BurgerTime Deluxe Now Available on 3DS eShop

Posted: 27 Oct 2011 01:11 PM PDT

BurgerTime Deluxe

If you don't care about the upcoming HD version of BurgerTime, World Tour, and just want some basic, burger-building action, you'll be pleased to know that today's Nintendo Download update brings the Game Boy version of the classic arcade game to the 3DS eShop. BurgerTime Deluxe is available now for $2.99 on the eShop, $2 more than the in-color (albeit touchscreen-controlled) version that's available on the iOS App Store.

Other new additions aren't quite as noteworthy, although a new video in the Nintendo Video app features Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey attending a musical based on Michael Jackson's Thriller. The other 3DS-only game this week is simply entitled Pyramids. It's a puzzle/platform game where you have to build paths to allow your character to navigate the environment while avoiding enemies and traps. Interestingly, you can unlock new levels from the Pyramids website using a QR code that can be scanned in with the system's camera.

Get PlayStation Vita Early by Pre-Ordering a Bundle

Posted: 27 Oct 2011 11:26 AM PDT

PlayStation Vita First Edition Bundle

Thanks to it being region free, you can import a PlayStation Vita from Japan and not have to worry about whether North American or European games will work on it. If you'd rather not resort to importing but want to get your hands on the system before anyone else, Sony is now presenting you with an option to do so.

By pre-ordering the PlayStation Vita First Edition bundle, you'll be able to get the system on February 15, a week ahead of its scheduled release on February 22. The caveat is it's bundled with some things you may or may not want, resulting in some extra costs.

Batman, Saints Row Headed to Origin as EA Adds Third-Party Content

Posted: 27 Oct 2011 10:37 AM PDT

Saints Row: The Third

EA's digital PC game distribution service, Origin, is already home to more than 100 games you can purchase and download immediately. Of course, every single one of those games is an Electronic Arts product. That will soon change, as EA plans to make good on its promise to offer third-party games starting next month.

Chief financial officer Eric Brown said last month that Origin would offer third-party content "very soon." That could have meant days or months; in this case, 'very soon' equates to the month of November, as starting then games from THQ, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, and Capcom will be sold through Origin. And it's not just smaller games, either; Batman: Arkham City and Saints Row: The Third, two big November PC releases, were each mentioned by name in today's announcement.

Nintendo Expects its First Annual Loss in 30 Years

Posted: 27 Oct 2011 09:56 AM PDT

3DS

Thanks to a combination of factors that don't play into Nintendo's hand, the company behind Mario today projected a net loss of 20 billion yen ($264 million) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2012.

That's an enormous shift from where that number was originally projected to be; it had been expected to come in at a 20 billion yen profit by the company. Analysts weren't quite as high in their estimates, but they were nonetheless expecting the company to turn a profit. Bloomberg notes how this would be the first time since 1981, when Nintendo started to release consolidated earnings reports, that it suffers a net loss over the course of a full fiscal year.

The Nine Worst Video Game Themes

Posted: 27 Oct 2011 09:48 AM PDT

Feature

Header

The Nine Worst Video Game Themes

Warning: these musical abominations may cause irreparable damage to your eardrums.

By: Scott Sharkey October 24, 2011

Sometimes someone gets it in their head that a videogame doesn't just need music, it needs an actual theme song. A vocal track that ostensibly captures the essence of everything that the game is about, and which may even appear as a recurring motif throughout other incidental pieces on the soundtrack. Sometimes, in the case of a game like, say, Metal Gear Solid 3, the theme works out almost flawlessly and even the outrageously goofy lines about eating tree frogs seem 100% appropriate. Then there's just about everything else. Here are a few that will drive sane men to put pencils in their ears before slamming their head in a car door.

I am the Wind - Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Posted by Shri Krishna

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