Coinciding with the 20-year anniversary of the first appearance of the Aardman Animations characters, Telltale Games is giving away a free sample of their episodic Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Adventures. From now until next Monday, November 9, fans can head over to the Telltale website to download the entire third episode of Grand Adventures, titled “Muzzled!”
They’ve also temporarily discounted the full, four-episode season of Wallace & Gromit. During the same period as the free episode promotion, you can pick up the entire Grand Adventures series for just $20 — about $15 off the usual price.
These deals naturally only apply to the PC version of the game, but as of this morning, Xbox 360 owners will be able to check out all of the individual episodes of Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Adventures for $10 (800 Microsoft points) apiece. And while there are no freebies on Live, you can at least download limited trial versions of each episode to see if you’re into the humor.
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Arc System Works announced this week that a PSP port for BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger, an arcade fighting game already out now for the PS3 and Xbox 360, is in the works. BlazBlue Portable is slated for a February 25 release in Japan for 5040 yen; no US release has been announced.
The PSP port will feature all the bits you’d expect — ad-hoc fighting for up to four players, the full suite of 12 characters (including the Unlimited forms they showed off in the previous home ports), and so on. The chief new addition: Legion mode, a new game variation where you move your character around a strategic map and fight enemies one-on-one to take over more territory.
Arc just announced BlazBlue: Continuum Shift, a sort-of sequel/sort-of update to their original Fighter, back in September. That game’s still set for a winter debut in Japanese arcades.
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Hello, gamers!
Starting today and ending this coming Tuesday, we will be holding a contest for The Secret Saturdays: Beasts of the 5th Sun. Three copies are in stock – one for Wii, DS and PSP.
This week’s challenge:
Highest score on "Trouble on the Tower" in Honeyhive Galaxy, in the Terrace (Super Mario Galaxy)
If there is a tie, it will be broken by the best time on "Surfing 101" in Loopdeeloop Galaxy, in the Terrace.
To compete, take a picture (not a screenshot) of your high score on the TV screen from a skewed angle with your screen name visible on a sign in front of the TV, and post it in the linked forum topic.
An example of what the pictures should look like will be in the topic.
The contest ends at 9:00 PM EST.
One last note – It is not required, but I highly recommend that you tell us what Wii and DS games you own. If we know what games you have, it may help us in setting up future challenges.
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“YOU get a job, Mom! I’M playing SPACE INVADERS!”
I have, for the past few days, pored over the arcade classic Space Invaders in preparation to review its latest incarnation: Space Invaders Extreme 2 for the Nintendo DS.
Space Invaders has that special arcade charm that makes you, the player, want to rip the throats out of everyone remotely near you when you reach “Game Over”. It bestows that special euphoria that only classic arcade-style alien blasting can hold.
From the excitement of blasting aliens to oblivion, to the intense hatred of anyone that dares talk to you while you play, Space Invaders is truly one of the great classics. The question now is, will Space Invaders X2 continue this tradition? Read on, my friends, and we will see.
Having played a few less-than-stellar arcade remakes in the past, my expectations for Space Invaders X2 were far from high. It was, I thought, probably just a rail-shooting version of the original game with LSD-inspired backgrounds.
Starting the game, I was greeted by a very arcade-like attract mode, complete with top scores and a cheesy voice announcing the game’s name for all to hear. Seeing the arcade-style approach, I began to have hope for the game.
There are three main game modes: Score Attack, Time Attack and Multiplayer. Score Attack and Time Attack are identical except that in one you are scored by points, and the by speed in the other. Multiplayer may be played over the Nintendo WFC or locally through single-card download play.
Now, on to gameplay. I started Score Attack mode, and realized immediately that I was right on one thing: The psychedelic backgrounds were definitely inspired by LSD. But I was soon happy to learn that the rest of my guesses were far from the mark.
Space Invaders X2 is more of a spiritual successor to the original than a remake. Sure, it still has the traditional “Shoot the aliens before they shoot you” concept, but X2 expands much more on the gameplay. There are a great number of different enemies, each with different traits, and a few upgrades for your cannon (such as lasers and bombs). The upgrades and bonuses are somewhat like pinball; Space Invaders X2 gameplay is so simple, and yet so chaotic and unpredictable that it is easy to lose yourself in the game.
Multiplayer mode adds much to the Space Invaders X2’s replay value, as if it needed it. On the lower screen, you fend off hoards of mindless Invaders while watching your opponent on the top screen. As a whole, multiplayer is an endurance test… with a twist. As you blast your Invaders to oblivion, you build a stock of aliens to send to your opponent’s screen. Shooting a UFO will send your stock to attack, and the color of the UFO shot will determine what kind of Invaders are sent.
The soundtrack follows the arcade-like style of the game. A commentator proclaims your level-ups and bonus rounds, the music is trance-inducing and the sound effects are fantastically neo-retro. By that last bit, I mean that most of the sound effects are similar to classic arcade sounds, but with a new twist – shots fired from the cannon match the beat of the music. It is subtle, but it adds a lot to the trancelike quality of the soundtrack.
So, let’s just get to the ratings already:
Graphics: 8.0 of 10 – The backgrounds do much to create the arcade feel of Space Invaders X2. But, they can easily distract the player from impending doom when concentration is needed most. But, there is an option to turn off background effects.
Soundtrack: 8.5 of 10 – The soundtrack is probably the most important part of the Space Invaders X2. The commentator, the music and the beat of the cannon shots help to lock the player’s consciousness in to the game.
Gameplay: 9.0 of 10 – The gameplay, to be frank, is brilliant. The simplicity, the chaos, and the “GAH YOU MADE ME LOSE!” factor add up to spell out what is probably the most enjoyable classic shooter experience I have played in a long time. Plus, a fun multiplayer mode adds much to the replay value.
Overall – 8.5 of 10 – Space Invaders X2 is very fun, very addictive, very pretty, and sounds great. If you are a fan of classic arcade shooters, this is definitely a game to look in to.
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Click here to view the embedded video.
Click here to view the embedded video.
[Videos by Josh from WiiFolder.com]
IGN’s Closing Comments
If you haven’t already realized, please take note: Rabbids Go Home is not a Raving Rabbids sequel, but an altogether different experience — one far more inspired and ambitious. This title at times feels like an action romp and at times a platformer on wheels, but regardless of the scenario, you’ll be having fun and smiling if not laughing. The presentation is generally polished (minus some stupidly long load times between areas) and the grocery cart-based controls are fluid and satisfying. What the game lacks in narrative arch and difficulty progression it makes up for with some hilarious Rabbid antics. Meanwhile, I found all the collecting engaging, not annoying — but be warned that there’s a lot of it.
I really think Ubisoft has a potential franchise on its hands with this one. I like the formulas in place and love the characters. Here’s hoping it sells well so that we can see more of the Rabbids beyond the confines of mini-game compilations.
They gave the game an 8.5, I would have to agree with that score. I had a chance to play the game back in August for about 20 minutes and I was immediately hooked.
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Even though John, Paul, George and Ringo have been rocking the disc tray of your favorite console with The Beatles: Rock Band, its expectation-exceeding sales haven’t helped boost overall Rock Band sales. Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman told USA Today the “economics of our Rock Band franchise are improving, though not as quickly as we’d like.” There’s still hope that Rock Band could at least break even or show a small profit, though Viacom CFO Tom Dooley said that will depend entirely on the franchise’s performance this holiday season.
Despite tanking sales, the music genre still remains one of the best in the industry and The Beatles: Rock Band shows us that the right approach could still determine financial success in the space. Its September debut was very fortuitous and it even managed to best Guitar Hero 5 in the US — which not only came with a free game, but is also one of the most recognizable brands to the mainstream.
Source – USA Today
Source – Viacom earnings report
Viacom: The Beatles: Rock Band sales strong, overall RB growth slow originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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THQ has released its financial results for the second quarter of its fiscal 2010, which ended September 30, 2009, and things are mostly looking up. The company lost money this quarter compared to the same period last year, posting non-GAAP net sales of $100.38 million, down from $151.62 million during Q2 of its fiscal 2009. However sales are up for the entire year, with THQ posting net sales of $334.28 million for its fiscal 2010 thus far, up from $272.69 million last year, a 22 percent increase.
THQ blamed the second quarter dip on a lack of new titles, though it hopes to have a good holiday season thanks to a “strong mass-market line-up” including WWE Smackdown vs RAW 2010 and MX vs ATV Reflex. The company was also sure to mention its triumph in the JAKKS Pacific lawsuit, which resulted in a much lower payment to the longtime WWE series developer (though the scuffle is still haunting the publisher).
Finally, THQ promised to prevail in its march to profitability by the end of fiscal 2010. Though the company expects its Q3 2010 to be 5-10 percent lower than the same period last year, it predicts Q4 sales will exceed those of last year. A reasonable hope, given that all of THQ’s major releases drop in its fiscal Q4, including Darksiders, Metro 2033 and the Dawn of War 2 expansion, Chaos Rising.
2009 THQ year-to-date sales up 22 percent over 2008 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The website for Eric Testroete, who recently made the rounds for his “big head mode” Halloween costume, shows work-in-progress screens of an unannounced Wii war game he animated for MLB Superstars developer Deep Fried Entertainment. The game uses an almost top-down, zoomed-out perspective, and appears to put the player (or players) in control of jeeps equipped with machine guns.
As Kotaku notes, it looks rather like Konami’s Jackal, prompting the site to speculate that it’s a ReBirth made for Konami, like the recent Castlevania, Contra, and Gradius games. If true, it would be the first ReBirth title not to be developed by M2 in Japan. Of course, the American side of Konami is also working on refreshes of old Konami franchises in the form of Rocket Knight, so there is precedent.
Prototype Wii game found in developer portfolio originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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When Mickey Mouse makes his triumphant return to the world stage in Disney Epic Mickey, he’ll do so without his trademark squeaky voice. The mouse will still speak in the game, but all speech will be rendered as text bubbles. And it’s not a technical limitation, but an artistic one.
“I made the creative decision that characters wouldn’t talk in the Cartoon Wasteland,” Warren Spector explained to The Cut Scene. “It was entirely a creative decision because [he begins speaking in a high-pitched Mickey voice] As soon as I start doing this, I’ve lost most of my potential audience. [resumes natural voice] If I’m trying to re-introduce this character to an audience, there are certain connotations with that voice that I’m going to have a hard time overcoming.” When he does speak in a future game, he’ll probably be an affable Everyman voiced by Nolan North (our guess).
Oswald, Spector said, won’t need much consideration, due not only to his relative unfamiliarity to modern audiences, but also due to the properties of the character itself. “If you watch the existing cartoons,” Spector said, “he’s such a special character. In many ways, he’s a funnier, more cartoon-y, more modern guy than Mickey is.”
Epic Mickey is the strong, silent type (of cartoon mouse) originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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