General gaming

General gaming

Ni no Kuni Spreads Two Hours of Charm Over Forty Hours

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 05:59 PM PST

Take an animation studio beloved the world over, and pair them up with what just might be Japan's fastest growing game maker and publisher -- it sounds perfect. Level-5 (Professor Layton, Dragon Quest IX) teamed up with Studio Ghibli (Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away) to create two RPGs (same name, but different platforms) that feature Pokemon like monster catching mechanics. It's called Ni no Kuni and it sounds like an amazing game. Last year's Ni no Kuni: The Another World failed to set the world on fire after its release in Japan despite its impressive pedigree. Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is a part follow-up, part remake for the PS3, and it sounds amazing, but the reality doesn't quite live up to expectations.

If Ni no Kuni seems so amazing on paper, why am I so bored when I actually sit down to play the game? I've put around four hours into the Japanese version, and despite an amazing art style, wonderful voice acting, and the game featuring a charming cast of characters that really would be at home in a film by Hayao Miyazaki (Ghibli's most famed director), the moment to moment gameplay of the game is dreadfully dull.

Square Enix Members Service Suspended After Unauthorized Access

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 03:00 PM PST

Square Enix logo

Square Enix has been forced to temporarily suspend service at its Square Enix Members website following a breach of one of its servers.

"We have reason to believe that unknown parties may have gained unauthorized access to a particular Square Enix server related to the free SQUARE ENIX MEMBERS service offered in North America and Japan," reads a message that has taken the place of the website for the time being. Service was cut off at 10pm Pacific on December 12 and will remain that way while an investigation is completed and new security measures are put in place.

VOTE! Pick the Greatest Music Ever in 1UP's Game Music Thunderdome!

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 12:36 PM PST

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1UP's Game Music Thunderdome: Vote for the Greatest Music of All Time

64 tracks enter, one track leaves. Vote for your favorites every day!

By: 1UP Staff December 14, 2011

Alan Wake Will Finally Make it to PC in Early 2012

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 11:06 AM PST

Alan Wake

After the PC version of Alan Wake was scrapped early last year, Remedy's thriller will end up making it to computers in early 2012.

The game had a very long development cycle and was actually slated for a PC-only release when it was first announced. Remedy's roots were in PC gaming between Death Rally and the first two Max Payne titles but, like Max, Alan would eventually be set to come out on both consoles (in this case, Xbox 360) and PC. Over time the likelihood of the PC version was called into question; in 2009 Remedy said the decision would be made by the publisher, Microsoft. That decision ended up being made in early 2010, just prior to the game's release on 360 in May.

Buy Nintendo Games and Hardware, Get Free Downloadable Games

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 10:33 AM PST

Super Mario Kart

After years of offering digital and physical prizes like screensavers, posters, trading cards, game cases, and actual games, North America's Nintendo is now offering downloadable games in exchange for coins through its Club Nintendo service.

There are several ways to earn coins including buying Nintendo hardware or games (of both the physical and digital variety) for its systems, or filling out surveys regarding the games you have registered and played. Registering a copy of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, for instance, provides 60 coins at the moment, as games registered within four weeks of launch receive an extra 10 coins. Mario Kart 7 and Super Mario 3D Land buyers also benefit from the bonus, with both titles currently sitting at 40 coins each.

The Man Who Created Street Fighter

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 10:26 AM PST

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The Man Who Created Street Fighter

By: Matt Leone December 14, 2011

The game industry has a long and sad list of thriving developers who rarely do interviews. Jason Jones at Bungie, Sam Houser at Rockstar, Doug Church now at Valve.

One name you might not know, which should be on that list, is Takashi Nishiyama, who designed the original Street Fighter at Capcom before leaving to run SNK's development division, putting games like Fatal Fury, King of Fighters, and Samurai Shodown under his belt. In 2000, he founded the company that would become Dimps, itself a below-the-radar team that's worked on the Sonic the Hedgehog, Dragon Ball Z, and Street Fighter series, amongst others.

Zelda: Minish Cap, Wario Land 4 Among 3DS Ambassador GBA Games Coming Friday

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 09:06 AM PST

Wario Land 4

The ten free Game Boy Advance games being given away to early 3DS adopters have been dated -- for Japan and Europe, at least. The games will become available in those regions this Friday, December 16.

There had been some concern Nintendo might not keep its promise to have the games out by the end of the year. The company reassured 3DS Ambassadors -- those who bought a 3DS and registered it by the time the price drop went into effect on August 12 -- earlier this month that the free GBA games were still scheduled to be out in 2011 but provided no further information.

Posted by Shri Krishna

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