Final Fantasy Trading Card Game Launching in February

Promo card to be included with 3rd Birthday.

Square Enix announced today (via 4Gamer.net) that a Final Fantasy trading card game will be released in Japan starting on February 25, 2011. The game will be published by Hobby Japan.

Exactly what sort of collectible card game this new Final Fantasy product will be was not revealed in today's announcement. All that was promised was that the cards will feature "characters and summons creatures from the Final Fantasy series." Among the few sample cards released, some feature a more cartoony art style (like Cloud's card above) while others more closely resemble the games' 3D models (such as Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII).

The cards won't be available for purchase until February, but Square Enix will be including a "promotion card" with the upcoming PSP title, The 3rd Birthday.

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Rumor: Microsoft Working on Halo: Combat Evolved Remake

U.K. magazine claims first Halo is being remade with Halo: Reach engine.

Now that Bungie is done with Halo: Reach, the franchise has moved to 343 Industries, an internal Microsoft studio. And according to a rumor being floated by U.K. magazine Games Master (via CVG), their first release will be a remake of Halo: Combat Evolved.

The magazine cites "industry chatter" as their source, and claims the remake will be built using the Halo: Reach engine. Moreover, Games Master reports this remake will be released in 2011, preceding a real Halo sequel (likely Halo 4) in 2012. And when asked about the rumor, U.K. Xbox boss Stephen McGill told the magazine that "I imagine it's a good idea." Obviously not a confirmation, but not exactly a flat-out denial, either.

 

Sony Patent Explores Touchscreen

Patents back up PSP2 speculation.

Sony has filed a number of patents that seem to support early reports on the specifications of its successor to the PSP, detailing a handheld device with touch screen control.

The patents – dug up by gamesindustry.biz – detail a system whereby a panel on the rear of the device controls the action on the screen. It backs up reports that first started circulating at this year's Gamescom, and more recent rumours have suggested that the device would also boast a larger, HD screen.

It's believed that any successor to the PSP won't be released until the end of 2011.

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Kinect Sells 26,000 Units in Japan

"About half" of what the PlayStation Move sold at launch.

Media Create, the company that tracks sales data for Japanese video game software and hardware, amended its weekly report today with an assessment of Microsoft's Kinect. Describing it as having "a quiet start," the company reported that 26,000 units were sold during its launch weekend of November 20th & 21st. That figure includes stand-alone units as well as those bundled with a console.

Media Create made the inevitable comparison to PlayStation Move, stating that Kinect sold "about half" of what Sony's motion controller sold during its October debut. Considering a major retailer estimated this week that Kinect was selling one-quarter of Move's numbers, that's an improvement. Also worth noting is the significant cost difference between the two: Japanese Move bundles start at only 5100 yen (approximately $60.89 USD, cheaper than a typical new game) while Kinect units cost 14,800 yen ($176.70).

New Assassin's Creed for 2011

And Ubisoft hints at the next location.

On the back of Asssasin's Creed: Brotherhood shifting over a million units after its first week on sale in Europe, Ubisoft has begun talking about the next outing in the increasingly successful series – and begun hinting where the time-hopping adventure might be heading next.

Geoffery Sardin, Ubisoft's EMEA chief of marketing and sales told MCV that next year there will be another installment in the Assassins' Creed series.

Sardin went on to hint where the series could go having already explored Renaissance Italy and The Holy Land. "If you've read the comic books you will see that we took Assassin's Creed to the USSR, or Caesar's Rome – that's a good example of what we could do in the coming years in the next video games," Sardin told MCV, "We never saw this as just a franchise – it is a 360 degree franchise, and touches a lot of other experiences. It's not just a game, but an animated story, on comics, in books, and other formats too. There's lots of scope for what we can do."

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood launched last week, getting an 8.0 from IGN in the process.

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Apps, Web Browser May Be Coming to Xbox 360

Job posting points to Silverlight coming to Microsoft's console.

Recent Microsoft job postings may point to the company's plans for future Xbox 360 updates, reports Cnet. Two new openings for Software Engineers both look to expand on Silverlight, a Microsoft framework that allows the running of web applications and streaming video. The postings mentioned "Silverlight on the Xbox as part of the next wave," but the posting has been changed to read "various devices we plan to enable over the coming years."

Back to the Future: Your First Look

Telltale's episodic adventure exposed.

Back to the Future will be back in the near future courtesy of Telltale Games. Next month PC and Mac gamers will get to pick up on Marty McFly and Doc Brown's exploits, and PlayStation 3 and iPad owners will get their shot a little later on. Spread across five episodes, this video game continuation of the film trilogy will follow the two main characters on a totally new adventure. For the kids out there who haven't watched the trilogy, you should know it contains crazy science, awkward hoverboard chases, time travel, and bizarre incestuous implications. It's weird, but also very much worth watching.

Quite a bit of talent is involved with the project, including the co-creator / co-writer / co-producer of the movies Bob Gale, Christopher Lloyd as the voice of Doc Brown, and of course the group at Telltale that has very clearly demonstrated skill at building entertaining episodic adventures. I know the folks here at IGN are excited to see how things turn out, and Telltale just handed over a few screenshots to give us a look at the visual style.

Realtime Lightsaber Made With Kinect

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Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Class Rejects

Silver Surfer and an outspoken lawyer almost made the cut.

Remember your high school gym class? Remember the anxiety of waiting to be picked for dodgeball? That's how I imagine a character feels when he or she is being considered for Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds. This fast-paced fighting game from the developers at Capcom is on the horizon. Both Marvel and Capcom characters have been collected together to battle, but not everyone made the cut. During my demo with Marvel vs. Capcom 3 last week, I asked Capcom producer Ryota Niitsuma to talk about the characters that got left behind during development. His answers surprised me.

Niitsuma explained that many of the Darkstalkers characters were considered for the roster, but only a few of the fan-favorites could be included. One character Niitsuma mentioned by name was Donovan Baine, the half-vampire warrior boasting Buddhist beads and a troubled past. Donovan would have been a nice addition to the ensemble, though I'm thrilled enough that Morrigan and Felicia are already present and accounted for.

Sony CEO Speaks Out on PlayStation Phone

There's a lot of smoke, there must be a fire somewhere.

A Sony executive has all but confirmed the existence of the PlayStation Phone, lending credence to reports late last month that outed a working prototype of the device.

Blizzard Announces World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Launch Events

Meet the devs, enter contests, win prizes at parties around the world.

In two weeks, World of Warcraft will change forever with the release of the MMORPG's third expansion, Cataclysm. Today Blizzard Entertainment invited fans to celebrate the release in style at launch events scheduled around the world.

Xbox 360 Celebrates its Fifth Birthday

November 22, 2005: The Xbox 360 launches in North America alongside Perfect Dark Zero and PGR3.

First Look: Vaan in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy

The FFXII hero makes his fighting game debut with an array of weapons and an Amano costume.

We shared first details on Vaan's appearance in Dissidia Duodecim Final Fantasy last week. Now get your first look at the character in our media gallery courtesy of the game's official site.

New Dragon Ball For DS

In Japan today, Namco Bandai took the veil off the DS's latest Dragon Ball game, and we've got first screens and some preliminary details.

Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans is getting a followup. In Japan today, Namco Bandai took the veil off the DS's latest Dragon Ball game.

The new game is known in Japanese as "Dragon Ball Kai: Ultimate Butouden." Preliminary details promise a simple control scheme, super attacks performed by shouting into the DS, and what appears to be some sort of auto evasion system (Shounen Jump, which debuted the game, said that even if you don't press any buttons you'll evade weak attacks).

Kinect vs. Move: Let The Court Decide



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Crazy Taxi Review

You'd be crazy to buy this old Dreamcast port. It lacks The Offspring.

I make no apologies for loving SEGA's Dreamcast. It got me back into gaming and it did have some awesome titles. And among those greats was Crazy Taxi, a pedal-to-the-metal driving game that had tongue firmly planted in cheek. SEGA has revived Crazy Taxi, sort of, bringing the original to PSN and XBLA with 720p support. 

You take on the role of one of four cabbies, racing against an overall time clock to pick up and drop off as many passengers as possible. But just driving won't help your cause at all. You'll need to learn a few different moves, like the Crazy Boost (to speed forward) and the Crazy Drift (to drift, if that wasn't clear). The various moves involve rolling your thumb across the drive and reverse buttons, which can quickly cause severe pain -- but the kind of pain you can live with, because pulling off the moves is so much fun. 

Final Fanatsy XIV PS3 Progress Report

PC version completely ported over. Major update planned around time of console version's release.

Pretty much everything we've been hearing about Final Fantasy XIV has been with regards to the currently available PC version. At long last, Square Enix has started talking about the upcoming PS3 release.

Producer Hiromichi Tanaka and director Nobuaki Komoto were interviewed about FFXIV in this week's Famitsu. Amid the expected discussion about the various problems the PC version has been having, the two revealed that the PS3 version has already been 100% ported over from the PC and is currently running on actual PS3 hardware. The staff is optimizing the game to make it play as smooth as possible.

Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Getting Jill Valentine, Shuma-Gorath as DLC

Collector's Edition listing reveals new characters...and also a possible release date?

Capcom isn't quite done revealing every character that'll be included in Marvel vs. Capcom 3's initial roster, but now we already know two characters that'll be available post-release as downloadable content: Resident Evil's Jill Valentine and Marvel's Shuma-Gorath.

Rumor: Gears of War Kinect to be Announced at Spike VGAs

"Reliable" tipster says a host of new Kinect action games will be announced during the awards.

If ever there was a franchise to prove to skeptical hardcore gamers that Microsoft's Kinect is indeed made for them as well, it would be Gears of War. Okay, probably Halo also, but Gears of War won't hurt one bit -- and according to an anonymous tipster, some form of Kinect-compatible Gears of War game will be announced during Spike TV's VGAs next month.

Electronic Arts Now Lone Publisher of Star Wars: The Old Republic

EA inks deal to take on full publishing, marketing, distribution responsibilities.

Electronic Arts was already betting big on BioWare's upcoming Stars Wars MMORPG, The Old Republic. Today the publisher announced it's going all in, signing a new agreement with LucasArts that will shift all global publishing, marketing, and distribution for the game to EA.

Speaking at the EA Games Showcase event in San Francisco, BioWare co-founder Ray Muzyka told Joystiq that Star Wars fans concerned something might be amiss with The Old Republic shouldn't give the announcement a second thought.

Study: Playing Tetris Helps Prevent Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Flashbacks

Oxford University scientists find Tetris acts as a "cognitive vaccine".

Tetris is a videogame classic, iconic for its colored, form-fitting blocks and hypnotic puzzle play. And according to a new independent study out of Oxford University, it's something else entirely: a potential treatment used to help prevent post-traumatic stress disorder flashbacks.

The so-called "Tetris Effect" has been talked about for years -- the feeling of relaxation and accomplishment players often experience after playing a few rounds of the 26-year-old Russian videogame. According to research conducted by the Department of Psychiatry at Oxford University, the effects of the game are real and could change the way trauma victims are treated.

In detailing the discovery, lead researcher Emily Holmes wrote: "Tetris may offer a 'cognitive vaccine' against flashback development after trauma exposure."

We Kinect With Harry Potter

Xbox, EXPELLIARMUS.

While the bulk of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One for Xbox 360 is played with a standard controller, it does have some Kinect functionality. Up to now we've only seen the on-rails shooter-esque Kinect stages, but we've finally gotten a chance to try them out for ourselves. The consensus? They may not be for everyone, but Harry Potter fans – who also happen to own a Kinect – will get some giggles out of swinging their arms like mad men in this bonus mode.

The Kinect levels in Harry Potter are a series of challenge stages, where up to two players control the spell casting of the franchise's main characters as they run through levels filled with evil Death Eaters. Movement is completely out of the players' control, allowing them to focus on manipulating their arms to cast spells. Each challenge level takes anywhere between one to five minutes to play, with 10 or so stages making up the entirety of the mode.

Xbox 360 Transforming D-Pad Controller Review

Has Microsoft finally solved the mystery of the mushy d-pad?

The official wireless Xbox 360 controller hasn't changed much over the years; in fact, outside of a few special edition variations, it has remained almost entirely the same. However, since the console launched players have complained about the controller's d-pad, criticizing it for being unresponsive and feeling too loose, resulting in inaccurate directional control. Now, after five years, Microsoft has come up with a solution – a new transforming d-pad that combines both disc and cross-shaped designs – but does it actually fix the problem?

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-land Mayhem Review

You can't have too much of a good thing.

Mario and Donkey Kong have been having it out for almost 30 years now and, thankfully, the two don't appear to be anywhere close to settling their differences. The rivalry has made for some of the most delightful handheld puzzle games over the years, a tradition that continues with Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-land Mayhem. This is one of the best DS games of the year. It's not at all a departure from previous entries in the series and essentially provides more of the same, but I'm not going to complain about more of a good thing.

Donkey Kong has made off with Mario's girlfriend, Pauline, again. Remember, Donkey Kong Mario dates Pauline, while Super Mario Bros. Mario dates Princess Peach. Think of it like those pilots that have different wives in different cities. Anyway, Mario is out to get his girl back and he'll need the help of the Mini Mario toys to do it.

Transformers: War for Cybertron 2 Confirmed

Transformers MMO project coming to the West.

Hasbro confirmed during its investor conference earlier this week a sequel to Transformers: War for Cybertron is currently in development and is set for release sometime in 2012.

Mark Blecher, SVP and General Manager of Digital Media & Gaming, said he was pleased with the response of the first title released earlier this year.

Mortal Kombat - Character Vignette: Sub-Zero

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Gran Turismo 5 Dated

Much-delayed PS3 racer is coming at long last.

After countless delays and false starts Gran Turismo 5 has been given a final release date, with Sony and Polyphony's PlayStation 3 exclusive driving game now slated for November 24.

The news should hopefully herald the end of an ongoing saga as the game missed its initial street date earlier this month and was subject to speculation that it wouldn't see the light of day this year.

Final Fantasy IX Opening


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Rock Band 3 DS Review

The world tour starts in your hands.

Once in a while, I'll get asked if there's a review score I wish I could change. While I back everything I write, there is one rating that I wish I could go back and change -- Rock Band Unplugged. A PSP game released in 2009, Rock Band Unplugged boiled down the four-instrument formula to the PSP's face buttons. It rocked, but I got hung up on a few minor issues and gave the game an 8.2. For the next six months, I played Rock Band Unplugged on the way to work each day and marveled at how much fun it was. Since then, I've been kicking myself that I didn't give the game an 8.5 and an Editor's Choice Award. It's haunted me.

Well, while I cried over three-tenths of a point, Backbone took its formula to the DS for LEGO Rock Band and now Rock Band 3. If you're familiar with either of the previous handheld music games, the gameplay formula here isn't breaking the mold. You have four music highways that represent the four instruments in your band. Notes fall on one of these highways with a "phrase box" around a certain section. As the notes cross an onscreen line, you tap one of four buttons to make the music play. Nail the phrase, and you clear the highway for a bit and get to jump to the next instrument that has notes on its highway. If you flub a note during the phrase, you have to keep trying until you complete a phrase perfectly -- of course, notes begin falling on the other highways while this happens.

Mario Sports Mix Has Final Fantasy Characters

Moogle, Cactuar and more join Miis and possible a Dragon Quest character.

Square Enix is the developer of the latest Mario sports game, Mario Sports Mix. And just as they did with DS's Mario Hoops 3-on-3, they'll be bringing a little bit of Final Fantasy into the Mario universe.

Nintendo has confirmed that Ninja, White Mage, Black Mage, Cactuar and Moogle will appear in the game as playable characters. They'll be joined by "Mii," which seems to imply that you'll be able to use you own custom Mii character.

LEGO Harry Potter Coming to iPhone, iPad

Collect the studs within Hogwarts, as well as some little LEGO pieces.

LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 is coming to the iPhone and iPad. Based on the very popular console game, LEGO Harry Potter zeroes in on Harry's first four years at Hogwarts. As Harry, you explore Hogwarts, deal with the many challenges that befall the Boy Who Lived, and learn how to become a wizard. After all, it is a wizarding school. And because this is a LEGO game, there will be a lot of stud-collecting.

Rock Band Developer Up for Sale

Viacom puts Harmonix on the block.

MTV parent company Viacom plans to sell Rock Band and Dance Central developer Harmonix.

The announcement came during the company's third-quarter earnings call this morning. Viacom provided no reason for why the developer is up for sale.

A MTV Games spokesperson responded to requests for comment and provided IGN with the following statement:

Call of Duty: Black Ops Sells 5.6 Million Copies

New title becomes the biggest entertainment launch in history.

The first-day results are in and they are staggering.

Kinect Star Wars Coming Holiday 2011

The Kinect game everyone talked about at E3 is still a year away from release.

The E3 teaser of the game was brief, but just a glimpse of a motion-controlled Jedi dispatching Storm Troopers with a wave of the hand was enough to make Kinect Star Wars the most eagerly anticipated title for Microsoft's motion-sensing device. Unfortunately, Microsoft says the game is still in a galaxy far, far away and won't arrive until Christmas 2011.

In an interview with BBC Newsbeat, Kinect's Creative Director Kudo Tsunoda confirmed it will still be a solid year before the LucasArts-developed Xbox 360 exclusive is released.

Blizzard Adds Another Layer of Account Security with Battle.net Dial-in Authenticator

Unusual log-in attempts will trigger service, require phone call, PIN for authorization.

Blizzard has erected an additional force field around Battle.net accounts, introducing the dial-in authenticator. The free service will actively monitor your account and request phone call authorization if anything fishy happens with your login.

Like the Battle.net Authenticator and Mobile Authenticator app before it, the Battle.net Dial-in Authenticator is an optional tool subscribers can use to add an additional layer of security around their account.

NHL Heads to PlayStation Network

Game Center Live application available today.

Hockey fans can now get their fix through PlayStation Network as Sony announced today that NHL Game Center Live is now available for download as an application for PlayStation 3.

The service allows users to stream live HD games, full-length replays, and other classic games through the PlayStation 3. An annual subscription to Game Center Live costs $169, and the application for PlayStation 3 will cost $9.99. PlayStation Plus members will be able to download just the application for free.

"The addition of streaming NHL content continues the expansion of our library of movies and TV shows, original programming, music, live sports and access to social networks," said Peter Dille, senior vice president, marketing and PlayStation Network, SCEA.

HAWX 2 Wii Review

Where's the ejection handle on this thing?

Don't let the name fool you -- HAWX 2 for Wii is not the same game as its Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 brethren. It's a different story, different missions, different characters, different... well, pretty much everything. This isn't necessarily a bad thing all the time. HAWX 2 for PS3 and 360 was a pretty so-so title with promise but poor execution, and the idea of a more accessible interpretation of its dog-fighting combat has merit. Unfortunately, HAWX 2 for Wii does not. It feels like a bizarre attempt to cash in on the HAWX brand (a brand whose success is questionable to begin with) with a game that bears little resemblance to the main series save that there are planes in it.

HAWX 2 Wii sets itself apart from the PS3 and 360 versions immediately with an on-rails shooting sequence through a bizarre landscape that seems more at home in a sugary platformer than a series about the world's most elite pilots. This is added to by cartoon pilot portraits that appear next to some pretty questionable dialogue which establishes that HAWX 2 for Wii is telling a strange personal story that has more to do with personal grudges and family antagonism than any believable modern conflict.

The Last Story to Feature Online Play

Cooperative and competitive modes for up to six players, from the creator of Final Fantasy.

There's one tiny feature of The Last Story that Nintendo forgot to reveal all this time. The upcoming Mistwalker RPG has online support. And we're not talking about download content. The game will let six players get together for online play sessions.

The latest issue of Jump reveals the surprise feature. Players will be able to access a "Raid Lobby" area to take part in cooperative and competitive play. In competitive play, six players face off against one another using the game's battle system. Cooperative play has six players team up to fight powerful bosses.

Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga Ready for Mac Launch

First Lego Star Wars game for Mac set to ship on November 12.

The Lego Star Wars franchise has the unique ability to appeal to gamers of all ages. And now, with Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga set to ship for Mac on Friday, the popular "blockization" of all six Star Wars movies will be available to gamers of all platforms.

Developed by TT Games (makers of all videogames Lego) and LucasArts, Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga features the franchise's iconic characters like Luke Skywalker and Han Solo adventuring through 36 levels of action in a galaxy far, far away.

More Glory for DSi

Glory Days will spin off as a tower defense game for DSi owners.

It's a game that would easily crack my Top 100 DS Games of All Time, if there were such a list: Glory Days 2, the sequel to the GBA game Super Army Wars, is a hybrid multiplayer title that brings back the fun of Wings of Fury with the tactics of Armor Alley. Two games you probably never heard of, either.

New PS3 Bluetooth headset due out in Nov.

Sleeker new model is 30 percent smaller than original; arriving at retailers this month for $50.

Gadget fans who haven't picked up the official PlayStation 3 Bluetooth headset may want to hold off a few weeks. Sony today used its PlayStation Blog to unveil the new version of the device, which is 30 percent smaller than the original. However, it will bear the same retail price of $50 when it arrives in stores later this month.

Unlike the first PS3 Bluetooth headset, the new model has built-in noise cancellation. It also sports a dedicated mute button, dual-microphone design, and its charging station doubles as a desktop microphone. It also boasts improved mobile phone compatibility, including three-way calling, call waiting, and six hours of talk time when fully charged.

Atari Greatest Hits Volume 1 Review

Great emulation, not so great price.

Anyone who knows me recognizes my love for the old-school. I grew up in the arcades of the 80s, and my first system – played daily – was an Atari 2600. Compilation packs are not only a great way for companies to revisit and celebrate some of their classic properties, it's also a much more convenient way for gamers to enjoy them without the hassle of tracking down and hooking up the original consoles or arcade machines.

Atari Greatest Hits Volume 1 definitely hits a few right notes for a collection of games that, admittedly, don't hold up nearly 30 years after their release. First, it's the apology for the truly embarrassing Retro Atari Classics compilation released on the Nintendo DS – looking back at that disaster of a retro remake I was far kinder than I should have been. Atari Greatest Hits features spot-on emulations of nine arcade games and more than 40 Atari 2600 console games, all of which remain untouched with same sound, control and gameplay that they're known for. Even games that used spinner or trackball control come off well through touch-screen support that's a far better compromise than the way they've been handled on other consoles.

Star Wars: The Old Republic Impressions: Warzones and Crafting

We take a look at the player-versus-player combat and crew skills crafting system in BioWare's massively multiplayer Star Wars game.

"Immersion" is the watchword for this massively multiplayer Star Wars game. It not only applies to BioWare's heavy investment in storytelling and fully voiced dialogue--about which we've heard plenty--but also to more traditionally game-y segments of an online role-playing game such as this: the player-versus-player combat, as well as the gathering and crafting system. In a presentation on the game's crafting and warzones (the PVP arenas announced at the Electronic Entertainment Expo), BioWare bods Blaine Christine and Gabe Amatangelo explained how the number-crunching, stat-based heart of each would be concealed to maintain immersion.

New Darksiders 2 Details

Sales of first title exceed 1.3 million copies.

Darksiders 2 is still a ways off, but that hasn't stopped THQ from dropping a few details for fans.

Speaking at the IGDA conference in San Francisco last week, THQ VP of Core Games Danny Bilson teased some information about the sequel. He said players won't be taking control of War, the first game's protagonist and one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse.

"It's a different character and takes place simultaneously to the first game's story, because there's only one apocalypse, and has new mechanics and features that differentiate it a lot and grow it from the first game."

Super Mario Bros. X 1.3 Gameplay Trailer



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Sonic Colors DS Review

The hedgehog returns to his glory days.

After more than a decade of mediocre or downright bad Sonic games, 2010 is proving to be the turning point for Sega's little blue hedgehog. Sonic 4 started the trend, and Sonic Colors continues it, giving portable players one of Sonic's best adventures yet.

Sonic Colors DS looks and plays a lot like the classic Genesis games. It's a fast, 2D platformer where you blaze through levels collecting rings and other items in a mad dash to reach the end. Sonic Colors follows a formula, but it never feels repetitive thanks to wonderfully inventive level design. You're constantly encountering new, often one-time-only mechanics. One level might have a portion where you're careening down a waterslide; another might pit you against a giant dinosaur's skull that's chasing you, and another still might keep you underwater. Each act combines moments like this with traditional Sonic staples like spikes, loops, and moving platforms, creating frenetic courses that demand your attention.

Determining Gran Turismo 5’s release date

Despite Gran Turismo 5 being complete and currently undergoing manufacturing, we’re still clueless as to when the game will launch. We know a release date will arrive “soon,” but we’re impatient, so we’ve done a little research to try and determine the forthcoming date ourselves.

Hitman 5 Definitely In Production, Coming 2011

After a very, very long time of rumours, speculation, faked trailers and subtle hints, SystemLink can exclusively reveal that not only is Hitman 5 definitely being made by IO Interactive, it's also down for a 2011 release date.

Nintendo May Localize Unreleased DS Games

Move would be part of an effort to take advantage of large DS install base during transition to 3DS.

As Nintendo prepares to transition to the 3DS, the company is looking for ways to continue serving its large install base on the Nintendo DS. One way may be to localize games that have yet to arrive in other territories (via Siliconera).

Speaking with investors, president Satoru Iwata said that localizing games from the DS's large library may be a way to take advantage of the current DS library. He cited Animal Crossing for the GameCube as an example, which wasn't slated to be localized until Nintendo's localization branch evaluated it and determined it would be viable in the west.

 

Sniper Ghost Warrior Announced for PS3

Port will feature enhanced graphics, new maps and more multiplayer modes.

The success of Sniper: Ghost Warrior on the Xbox 360 has prompted City Interactive to create an improved version for the PS3.

Kinect Claims Its First Busted Television

An unlucky gamer accidentally ruins his HDTV during a round of volleyball in Kinect Sports.

Reports of 'Racist' Kinect Debunked

Consumer Reports tests Microsoft's motion-control device with dark and light-skinned players under a number of lighting scenarios.



One long-standing rumor about Kinect is that the Xbox 360 motion-control device has trouble recognizing people with darker skin tones. Now that the unit is widely available to the public, however, Consumer Reports set out to put those rumors to bed once and for all.

BioWare Doc Says Free-to-Play Could Become "Dominant" MMO Model

But, the makers of The Old Republic still believe a space for subscriptions will always exist.

It's becoming hard to count how many MMORPGs have gone head to head with World of Warcraft and then quietly faded away. BioWare's The Old Republic, with the combination of a prized license and respected developer, is one of the few expected to stand a chance in the marketplace. But as more and more developers retreat to a free-to-play model, BioWare's Dr. Greg Zeschuk told Videogamer.com that he can see it becoming the more common sales approach for games.

Amazon Japan Reveals its Top 10 Games of the Decade

Nintendo, Square Enix occupy all but one position on the chart.

In celebration of ten years of operation, Amazon Japan has posted a list of the ten most popular games it has sold (via Kotaku Japan). The number one title of the past decade was Dragon Quest IX, the mega-hit Nintendo DS RPG released last year.

Blizzard Grants StarCraft II Players a Free Name Change

One time free pass for those who regret their decision.

Great news, 'Terrible_Terran69' and 'ZergRushmyNutz!' Blizzard is giving you a one-time free pass to change that god awful StarCraft 2 character name.

Blizzard made the announcement yesterday via the StarCraft II forum, outlining the simple steps that need to be taken to erase your misguided attempt at humor.

Microsoft Increases Kinect Holiday Sales Projections

On the eve of the product's launch, Microsoft nearly doubles its holiday forecast.

Just as Microsoft prepares to unleash its hands-free motion control gaming onto the public, the company has noticed the apparent interest in the device and raised its sales expectations to match. A tweet from Bloomberg reporter Dina Bass (via TechFlash) broke the word from Microsoft's Don Mattrick. Microsoft has raised its forecast from 3 million units this holiday season to a whopping 5 million. With only two months to go until annual gift-giving time, that's quite a lot.

Dragon Age Facebook Game to Unlock Content in DA2

"Dragon Age Legends" to let players earn loot with friends in tactical combat.

EA is cross-promoting its next big classic-styled RPG with a social networking game on Facebook. Dragon Age Legends is a tactical combat game with co-op built around interacting with friends, and will serve as an introductory piece to Dragon Age 2. It's set to launch in February of 2011, but users can sign up now for a chance to get into the beta test.

God of War 3's Deleted Scenes



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Japan Review Check: Tactics Ogre, God of War PSP

Plus: Mafia II's scores just as mixed in Japan.

An overview of the hottest games hitting Japanese store shelves next week, courtesy of Famitsu magazine's review pages:

- Tactics Ogre (9/9/9/9, 36 points): For JRPG fans, this PSP remake of the 16-bit classic is definitely the game of the week. "All the new gameplay features added are incredibly fun and incredibly useful," one editor wrote. "You aren't just rewinding your turns in battle; you get to pore over the branching points in the story and every move you've ever made in the game, which is amazing. With a game as tough as this one, it's a vital tool for your strategy -- I think it makes things a lot more accessible to beginners."

 

"I like the changes made to the leveling system," another added. "It makes creating a truly unified force a lot easier. The difficulty and story are just as hardcore as always, too."

 

- God of War: Ghost of Sparta (10/9/9/9, 37 points): While Tactics Ogre may be the homeland favorite in Japan, it seems plain that the second PSP God of War is the release that wowed Famitsu the most this week. "The graphics and controls have been polished and more than live up to the God of War tradition," one editor said. "The fact that loading is practically nonexistent is impressive, and the new flame-based attacks are awesome when you pull them off. Much of the game is the same as before, but even so, this game takes action to a whole new dimension."

 

Another editor agreed that "while there aren't any major changes to the series here, the simple fact that this game more than stands up to comparison with its console brethren is nothing short of astounding. It's impressive that the PSP can be taken this far."