Pretty light week for consoles, but a great week for handhelds.
Playstation 3
Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii
... Go buy MGS4 you tool.
•Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm
•Wacky Races: Crash and Dash
PSP
Nintendo DS
Playstation 2
•Secret Agent Clank •Space Invaders Extreme
•Arkanoid •Code Lyoko: Fall of XANA •Imagine: Rock Star •Petz Dogz Fashion •Space Invaders Extreme •Tamagotchi Connection Corner 3 •Wacky Races: Crash and Dash
...
Secret Agent Clank seems good enough based on the demo, but sort of lacking the heart and soul of the Insomniac developed games. However, there is one game that each and every one of you must buy and that is Space Invaders Extreme. I don't care if you hate buying games for full price, this is one that you need to buy. I've played the Japanese demo for the PSP, and it is a STUNNING update of the classic. The game is just like the original but now there's boss stages, bonus stages, colored enemy matching, and a new remixed techno soundtrack. Just go buy it dammit! It's only $20 on your platform of choice.
Quick update: The US edition of Space Invaders Extreme does not have support for the DS rotor controller. If you want to play this game with the rotor controller, import it.
Oh and Blast Works for the Wii looks great as well.
There's also Nascar 09 (PS3, 360, PS2), Dragon Ball Z Burst Limit (PS3, 360), Don King Presents Prizefighter (360), Backyard Baseball '09 (Wii), Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles (DS), and more crappy DS shovelware, but who cares? There's only one game that TRULY matters this week.
Yo, sup homies? After outgrowing our previous server and temporarily moving operations to WordPress, we are finally back in action on our home base right here at RFGeneration.com. In celebration of our triumphant return, the game companies have dumped a massive load of (hopefully) great games for you to look at this week.
Playstation 3
Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii
•The Bourne Conspiracy •GRiD •The Incredible Hulk •Kung Fu Panda •Lego Indiana Jones
•The Bourne Conspiracy •GRiD •The Incredible Hulk •Kung Fu Panda •Lego Indiana Jones •Ninja Gaiden 2
•Cabela's Trophy Bucks •The Incredible Hulk •Kung Fu Panda •Lego Indiana Jones
PSP
Nintendo DS
Playstation 2
•Lego Indiana Jones •Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2
•The Incredible Hulk •Kung Fu Panda •Lego Indiana Jones •Paws and Claws Pet: Healing Hands •Summon Night: Twin Age
•The Incredible Hulk •Kung Fu Panda •Lego Indiana Jones
In a week with so many games, it's tough to give out a pick of the week. However, I've got to go with GRiD. The game is made by Codemasters, the same team behind last year's awesome rally racer DiRT, and attempts to bring the style of racing game presented in that game onto the streets. GRiD stands apart from most other racers in that it is neither a simulation like Forza or Gran Turismo nor an arcade style game like Burnout or Project Gotham, but somewhere in the between. It definitely has some great physics, but it isn't too overbearing for casual racing fans. Better yet, it carries over the amazing menu design philosophy as seen in DiRT, which is arguably the greatest interface ever seen in a video game. The game is available now on Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC. If you're interested in the game, be sure to download the demo for it on your platform of choice...it's definitely worth your time.
Check back next week where there will undoubtedly be a ton of games for me to cover.
Not a great release week overall, but again the Wii gets a great game. Wii comeback anyone?
Playstation 3
Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii
•Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
•Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
•Castle of Shikigami III •Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian •Deca Sports •We Ski
PSP
Nintendo DS
Playstation 2
...
•ATV Thunder/Monster Trucks •Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian •Drone Tactics •Myst
•Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
In a week with basically no interesting titles, there are two that really stand out from the pack. One of the being Myst for the Nintendo DS. Sure, Myst originally came out over 14 years ago for the Mac and since has been ported to damn near every operating system and disc based console ever, but this is the first portable edition of Myst (outside of lugging around a laptop). Now, I'm a huge Myst fan, but I wouldn't buy this port unless you have absolutely no other way of playing the game. The reviews have not been very good thus far. However, there are some pretty awesome additions made to this DS version. There's a new notebook you can scribble notes in (extremely handy because you NEEDED a real notebook to play the original one), a camera to take photo (only one at a time) with, some new video clips, and you'll get to explore the Rime Age from the 3D remake of Myst, realMyst. However, if you really want Myst, just go buy the Myst 10th Anniversary Collection from Ubisoft for the PC. This 3 DVD set is cheaper and includes not only Myst, but Riven and Myst III: Exile as well. The set also features some bonus content as well such as interviews with Cyan Worlds and some documentaries that you won't find on the DS version. Don't worry about the system requirements because if you're on this site, chances are you can run the games in that collection (just so long as you have a DVD-ROM drive in your computer). Or maybe wait for the PSP version which could end up being better because of the increased space.
Or just go buy the game of the week, Castle of Shikigami 3 for the Nintendo Wii. For those of you not in the loop, Castle Shikigami is a series of vertically scrolling shmups that are known for their fairly brutal difficulty...and convoluted release scheme in America. The first game came out on the Playstation 2 as Mobile Light Force 2, which is a "sequel" to Mobile Light Force on the PS1 (which is actually an American release of a game by Psikyo called Gunbird). Castle Shikigami 2 was released in America for the PS2 under its proper name, but given one of the most horrible dubs ever heard in a video game. Now, Castle of Shikigami 3 is coming out in America for the Nintendo Wii. It's basically your standard shmup but with a cool grazing system that rewards you for flying in close proximity to the bullets. There's not really much else to say. It's a freaking awesome game! Go get it! Watch some footage of the game here!
Don't forget that Nintendo is launching it's WiiWare service this week as well. RF Generation will have an article detailing the launch (and maybe a review of one of the games) sometime this week. So, keep it here on Channel 4 for all your gaming needs!
GTA IV and Mario Kart Wii came out last week. Knowing that fact, do you expect a great release week? If you said no, then you're correct...unless you're a Wii owner, then you have a FANTASTIC week. In addition, it appears that many games are on this week's release date that were delayed from weeks past. If you tried to buy a game I listed in the past but had no lucking finding it, you might want to check out the release list for this week and see if your game is on it.
Playstation 3
Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii
•Call of Duty 4: Game of the Year Edition (We'll see if it actually comes out this time...)
...
•Blast Works: Build, Fuse, Destroy (I'm getting conflicting release dates on this one, but I'll include it anyways. I'll talk more about the game next week, because it's really important for the Wii.) •Boom Blox •The DOG Island •Speed Racer
•Brain Voyage •Crosswords DS (This one is actually published by Nintendo!) •Speed Racer
...
My game of the week goes to Boom Blox on the Nintendo Wii. Developed by EA and Steven Spielberg, Boom Blox offers a unique twist on the puzzle genre, along with some of the most creative use of the Wii remote ever seen in a game. The basis of Boom Blox is extremely simple, knock a structure of blocks down. You can knock down these stacks of blocks in many different ways, including throwing balls, blowing wind, and shoooting them. In addition, there are some blocks with special properties, such as exploding when hit with something. Perhaps the most exciting feature of the game is in the built-in level editor, which will allow you to build your own block structures for both single and multiplayer modes. Once you build a level, you can send it to friends over the internet and have them play it. However the game features no online multiplayer, only split screen. If this sounds lame, then I urge you to . It explains the concept far better than I ever could. While I do highly recommend checking out this game, I don't know if it's worth the $50 asking price. But if no one buys the game right away, then it could cause EA and other developers to think that no one wants this type of game that makes very creative use of the Wii, causing more shitty shovelware. I'm going to wait until EA lowers the price to around $30 or so, which shouldn't be too long knowing how EA operates, and buy it NEW (not used because they won't know about that sale, and it would be the same as not buying it in the first place).
Other than the two obvious picks of the week (which you should know about, so I won't explain them in any detail), SNK Arcade Classics V.1 looks pretty damn awesome as well. The game is a compilation of 16 Neo Geo classics which include Art of Fighting, Baseball Stars 2, Burning Fight, Fatal Fury, King of Fighters 94, King of the Monsters, Last Resort, Magician Lord, Metal Slug, Neo Turf Masters, Samurai Shodown, Sengoku, Shock Troopers, Super Sidekicks 3, Top Hunter, and World Heroes. The price is definitely great on it too, only $20 for your choice of the PS2 or the PSP version. I'd pick that up if you don't want the big releases this week or want to buy something a little more "retro".
This week is just preparation for next week which has two megaton releases. However, there is still some pretty neat stuff coming out this week. Take a look:
Playstation 3
Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii
•Call of Duty 4: Game of the Year Edition •NBA Ballers: Chosen One
•NBA Ballers: Chosen One
•Battle of the Bands •Heavenly Guardian •Target Terror •Wild Earth: African Safari
PSP
Nintendo DS
Playstation 2
•Chameleon
Dream Pinball 3D •Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness •Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time •River King: Mystic Valley •The World Ends With You
•Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES
Looks like a good week if you're an RPG fan. You have a rerelease of one of the most critically acclaimed (and hard to find) games of last year, two new Pokemon games, and a game from RPG powerhouse Square Enix.
What is my pick of the week? I'll say Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES. I'm not an RPG fan, but this looks like a great rerelease of Persona 3. It will include an additional chapter and additional storyline/gameplay elements for a total of 30 additional hours of gameplay. If you're at all interested in this game, I recommend you get it right away since it is an Atlus game and will probably be impossible to find in 3 months.
Next week will be a huge one because we have both Mario Kart Wii and Grand Theft Auto 4 coming out. So, start saving because next week is going to be a good one! Until then, happy gaming!
Taxes are due Tuesday...did you get them done? If so, it's time to start thinking about how to spend that refund. Maybe this week's release list will help you.
Playstation 3
Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii
•Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (Also available as a download from the Playstation Store)
...
•Okami •Summer Sports: Paradise Island
PSP
Nintendo DS
Playstation 2
...
•Cory in the House •High School Musical 2: Work It Out •MLB 2K8 Fantasy All-Stars •Rondo of Swords
...
Yeah, it's a light week number wise but game wise, it's an extremely heavy hitter.
My pick of the week depends on what category you fall in to. If you have a Wii, but don't own Okami on the Playstation 2, then I demand that you buy Okami for the Wii this week. Okami was a PS2 adventure game in the style of Zelda, but got severely underlooked by most people because of the release of Twilight Princess. Now that the hype of Twilight Princess has settled down, it's time for you to revisit the game that was far superior to the vastly overrated Wii launch game. There, I said it. Okami is better than Twilight Princess. I'm not theonly one to feelthis way either. Zelda fanboy flaming aside, Okami on the Wii looks to be a fantastic port of the PS2 classic. The port will feature the same great game you never played on the PS2, however the team at Ready At Dawn (the same team behind the excellent Daxter and God of War: Chains of Olympus for the PSP) have taken the liberty to do some enhancements to the Wii edition including 16:9 widescreen visuals running at 480p and some wagglan controls (sadly). However, you can paint with the Wii Remote, which is awesome and hopefully inspires Nintendo to make Mario Paint for the Wii.
However, if you're like me, a snobby bastard that's a part of the hip alternative gaming scene, you'll have Okami already and most likely won't be interested in a Wii port of the same game. What do you do then? You buy Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, that's what. Gran Turismo 5: Prologue is a demo of Gran Turismo 5 fully featured racing game that will give you an early glimpse at what to expect from Gran Turismo 5 when it ships next year (or in 2010, knowing Polyphony Digital). This title follows in the footsteps of previous pre-release GT titles Gran Turismo Concept and Gran Turismo 4 Prologue, but what makes this one different is that it is the first one to receive a worldwide release. The game features 76 cars, 6 tracks, 12 track layouts, 16 player online racing, Full HD 1080p graphics, and uncompressed LPCM 7.1 surround sound. New to the Gran Turismo series with 5 is GT-TV, a video on demand service that will be regularly updated with both free and pay content related to the world of racing and automobiles. However, the game does not include in-game voice chat (dumb move, Sony) nor private racing with your PSN friends, but Taku Imasaki, the producer of the North American release of the game, confirmed that they are working on adding that in a future update. Sepaking of updates, the lead director of the Gran Turismo series at Polyphony Digital, Kazunori Yamauchi, has said that vehicle damage will be coming to Gran Turismo 5 Prologue as an update, and that GT5P will eventually reach the full functionality of Gran Turismo 5, but with fewer tracks and cars. So, maybe buyers of Prologue will get a discount on the full game when it comes out, but probably not knowing Sony. Anyways, demo or not, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue looks quite awesome, but it definitely isn't for everyone. Remember, this game will be released as both a retail Blu-ray and as a download from the all-new Playstation Store. Both versions cost $40 and offer the same content, but the PS Store version will be a 2 GB or so download and will make you download the GT TV videos from the internet to view them. The Blu-ray edition will include all of the GT TV videos available at launch on the disc for instant viewing.
And we're back from an extended break. In order to celebrate our triumphant return to the internets, here's a list of games that are out this week!
Wait a minute...
Playstation 3
Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii
...
...
•Baroque •Mini Copter Adventure Flight
PSP
Nintendo DS
Playstation 2
•World Championship Cards
•Fab 5 Soccer (Sorry, this isn't a game with The Beatles, it's a shitty budget title) •Plushees
•Arcana Heart •Baroque
Looks like the release list is taking a break this week too...
HOWEVER! There are two big releases this week that fall outside my realm of coverage. The first is Sony's long-awaited US release of the new DualShock 3 controller. The new controller adds rumble back into the controller and makes your PS3 controller not feel like a cheap piece of plastic. I got mine last night and I must say it's a definite improvement over both the Sixaxis and the DualShock 2. I highly recommend any PS3 owner to get one as soon as you can. Also, here's a list of games that have vibration support at the moment. More will be coming in the future with game patches. In addition, the DS3 supports vibration on all PS2 and PS1 games.
That is not my pick of the week, though. My pick of the week easily goes to Ikaruga on Xbox Live Arcade. That's right, Treasure's classic (and very hard to find) vertical shooter has been ported to Xbox Live Arcade and will be selling for the ultra-low price of $10. If you have an Xbox 360 and don't buy this game, I will be extremely disappointed in you because Ikaruga is one of the greatest games ever created and is something that everyone needs to experience it at least once. Sure, you could be old-fashioned and buy the Dreamcast or Gamecube version, but you'll be paying at least $30 or $40 more for a disc and a case. Not worth it just for that. Come on, you know you want it. Drop your fear of digital distribution and experience one of the greatest games of all time.
•Naruto Ultimate Ninja 3 •Obscure: The Aftermath •Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure
My pick this week goes to Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword. Now, before all you Final Fantasy fangirls start crying becuase I didn't pick your OMFGKAWAIIBISHIE ^__^ game, let me just say that I would never award FF7 or FF anything, other than "Series Tony Most Hates". Now to the pick at hand, Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword for the Nintendo DS. This game, while lacking the graphical prowess of Sigma, Black, and II, it definitely looks like a well thought out and well executed version of the game that you can put in your pocket and play anywhere. The game really seems to live up to the high bar set by the console iterations of the series. The critics so far seem to agree with my analysis, as it has been getting very positive scores across the board.
In addition to Dragon Sword, be on the look out for Dark Sector and Viking: Battle for Asgard. Dark Sector may end up being meh, but Viking looks like it could be a real surprise. The first review I've seen of that game gave it a 9.5/10. Be sure to check out the other reviews of it as the week progresses, because this might wind up being a game to buy. The fact that it's based on the Vikings only makes me more intrigued, because Vikings are freaking badass.
Also, I have a correction from last week's list. World Championship Cards for PSP has been delayed until April. Sorry for disappointing all less than two of you who are looking forward to this game.
Check back here next week to find out what games are begging for your money!
This week is actually a damn good one for new games considering we're right in the middle of March. If you have a PS3, 360, DS, or PS2, there's a great game coming out. The other consoles, not so much unless Sega Superstars Tennis completely beats my expectations (which it won't). So without further ado, here's what you can buy this week:
Playstation 3
Xbox 360
Nintendo Wii
•Condemned 2: Bloodshot •Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds •Karaoke Revolution: American Idol Encore •Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 (Also available in a Limited Edition) •Sega Superstars Tennis
•Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 (Also available in a Limited Edition) •Sega Superstars Tennis
•George of the Jungle •Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 •Sega Superstars Tennis •Worms: A Space Oddity •WWII Aces
PSP
Nintendo DS
Playstation 2
•World Championship Cards
(No highlight game here this week. I'm not going to tell you to waste your money on World Championship Cards. Go buy God of War, Wipeout Pulse, or Patapon instead.)
•Diary Girl •Fantasy Aquarium •Go Pets: Vacation Island •Lost in Blue 3 •Sega Superstar Tennis
•Metal Gear Solid: Essential Collection •Samurai Warriors 2: Xtreme Legends •Sega Superstar Tennis •Singstar 90s (Also available as a bundle with 2 microphones)
My overall pick of the week goes to Metal Gear Solid: Essential Collection. This package is a collection of the first three Metal Gear Solid games in a specially priced $30 bundle in preparation for the release of the highly anticipated (50GB, dual layer Blu-ray) PS3 exclusive Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of The Patriots which comes out in June. The Essential Collection is a fantastic deal if you are new to the MGS series, have only one or two games in the series, or are a completist. It's really hard to say no to $30 for three of the greatest games ever.
Check back here next week to find out what games are begging for your money!
This story is about a man named Nathaniel. Nathaniel is a huge Xbox 360 fan who pre ordered his console months before launch. Since getting the console, he has collected signatures from several people at Microsoft, Bungie, and Rooster Teeth (the creators of the hit Halo machinima series, Red vs Blue). As you can see, this is not just a few people signing it, but most of the console had some kind of signature on it. Heck, the bottom of the console had a drawing of Master Chief by the artist of the Red vs Blue comic.
Imagine his shock when the console died. Now Nathaniel was faced with a tough situation. He had to decide whether to take off the case and see what he could do with repairing it on his own...or send it off to Microsoft. It was not an easy choice but he opted for the latter because the first would void the warranty.
Before he sent the console off to Microsoft for repair, Nathaniel contacted them over the phone, explained the situation to them, and asked that he receive his exact same console back. Microsoft obliged and gave him a reference number to include when shipping the console off to them.
He sent his unique Xbox 360 along with a letter reiterating his situation and his wishes to have all these signatures preserved to Microsoft. Everything seemed to be in good shape...
Some weeks later, Nathaniel received his console back from repair. He opened up the box it came back in and saw his 360 was sent back. It had the exact same serial number, but it was missing something. What exactly was it missing? Yup, the signatures.
He couldn't believe it! All those signatures that meant so much to him...gone. Oh, but they didn't just replace the case, they SCRUBBED THE SIGNATURES OUT! You can tell because there is marker smudge visible on the 360.
(Click the image for a higher resolution version)
Since the original posting of the story, there have been some additional developments. Many have wondered why he decided to share this tale of woe with the internet. Well, he states that it's simply a cautionary tale for 360 owners who send in their consoles for repair. He regrets sending in his console in the first place, but he's angry because he was ASSURED by Microsoft that they would take care of his system and send it back to him how it was received. After some time trying to contact Microsoft, the company has finally responded to Nathaniel and apologized to him and stated that they are working to correct this issue. Nice of them to look into this, but it should have never happened in the first place.
Microsoft has the stage for the keynote this year at GDC, and here's a rundown of what they stated:
Seven games sold over one million units each on 360 last holiday season. Impressive numbers I must say.
"Games sell better on 360 because they play better on 360." HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Shut it, asshole! Don't take Sony's arrogance of years past because that is not true at all, my friend. Oh well, yay self promotion.
Over 1 billion achievements have been unlocked on Xbox Live. Half of those by Tynstar.
Gamers have spent over $250 million on Xbox Live Marketplace on gaming related content.
There are over 100,000 pieces of saved film content for Halo 3 uploaded each day by game players. That's 30% videos than what YouTube gets daily.
Three million songs for Rock Band have been bought.
Xbox Live Community Games is announced. This new platform is about "democratizing" game distriubtion and allowing everyone to publish games. One of the games shown is called JellyCar, and goddamn does it look AWESOME. They show off some other ones that I haven't seen pictures of yet, but JellyCar is just too awesome for me to care. Demos of the games shown are up on Xbox Live Marketplace now.
Guess what? Games are coming to the dead MP3 player Zune. You'll be able to play custom XNA games on Windows, Xbox, and Zune. Most impressive, but who the hell actually owns a Zune (or for that matter wants one)?
AAAAAAAAAAAND Michael Catz, president of Epic Games comes out on stage to show off the next version of the Unreal Engine and talks about Gears of war...where does this lead? Nowhere. Just a little tech demo. Nothing about Gears of War 2 announced...YET
Exclusive GTA4 downloadable episodes this fall. Take that PS3 owners!
Tomonobu Itagaki shows off Ninja Gaiden 2...and the controller fails and he has to reconnect it. Funny stuff, funny stuff. Ninja Gaiden 2 will allow you to take videos and upload them to the internet just like in Halo 3. Again, a 360 exclusive, coming out June 3.
Peter Molyneux comes out to demonstrate Fable 2. One of the new features is a game that's like roulette and craps combined. But, the thing is that this game will be released on Xbox Live Arcade a few weeks before Fable 2 comes out and you'll be able to take the money won in that game and import it into Fable 2. Very very neat idea if I must say so myself. Another new feature: co-op mode. You will be able to call up any character in Fable 2 by logging in as that user on Xbox Live. So, basically, if you want to go play co-op on Fable 2 with a friend, you don't need a memory. You can just login on your friend's system and your character will be imported into the game. Now, if you get any gold/experience playing co-op, you can take it back to your own game. Nice touch. He shows off the combat system.
At the end of the show, just as everyone thinks it's going to end, the screen turns red, shows some guy fighting a locust and chainsawing him to death, CliffyB comes out with a chainsaw and says "GEARS OF WAR 2 WILL BE EXCLUSIVE TO XBOX 360 THIS NOVEMBER." Wow. I sure as hell didn'tsee that one coming...
Overall, meh, I don't care about MS so nothing here really struck me as being compelling, except the whole Xbox Live Community Games thing. I like how that might shape up to be. Otherwise they made me roll my eyes with that whole "games play better on 360" trash and laugh at the Zune.
Do you have an Xbox 360 Core or Arcade model? Did you expect it to be able to do what the higher end Xbox 360s can? You did? Well, guess what? You're wrong. Dead wrong.
If you buy Burnout Paradise, the latest installment in Criterion's critically acclaimed series, you'll be forced to play it offline, unless you pay $100 to Microsoft to buy a hard drive.
"Wait a minute? Are you saying what I think you're saying?! Burnout Paradise on the Xbox 360 REQUIRES a hard drive in order to play online?!" Yes. That is exactly what I said. No typos. You MUST have a hard drive in order to play this game online. "But I thought Microsoft said 'every game will work with every Xbox 360 system'?" Yeah they did, but did you see the part that said, "But just like some games will require you to have a Memory Unit to save games, some games will require you to have a Hard Drive to experience them." OH MY GOD! NO WAY!
What does this mean? It means that if you bought a 360 Core or Arcade, you just got ripped-off big time, but not by Criterion/EA, but by Microsoft.
I know, I'm a Sony fan and tend to gravitate to them, but hear me out. Games these days need a lot of space to run, especially big open-world games like Burnout Paradise. Microsoft should have had the foresight to see that this would become a problem and launched the Core model with a 20GB hard drive and the Premium one with a 40GB or so. By not doing that, they basically limited what the developers can do with the system and make them figure out other ways of caching and quick access.
This isn't the first time that the hard drive has been required on the 360 (think of all the DLC for various games, video downloads, Final Fantasy XI, and Oblivion GOTY), but it is perhaps the most notable since Burnout has huge mainstream and casual gamer popularity, and the people who buy this game might not be the ones that have the Elite Super Deluxe model with all the bells and whistles.
The 360's lack of a standard hard drive is also holding back the game industry because now it's getting to the point where the PS3 versions of games are being effected by Microsoft's boneheaded decision. Rockstar and Capcom have already expressed problems with the lack of a hard drive, and I'm sure more are to follow.
But remember, this is one (admittedly biased) guy's viewpoint. So, readers, I ask you this: what's the solution to this problem? Should devs just leave behind Core and Arcade owners? Or what should happen here?
Secret Agent Clank seems good enough based on the demo, but sort of lacking the heart and soul of the Insomniac developed games. However, there is one game that each and every one of you must buy and that is Space Invaders Extreme. I don't care if you hate buying games for full price, this is one that you need to buy. I've played the Japanese demo for the PSP, and it is a STUNNING update of the classic. The game is just like the original but now there's boss stages, bonus stages, colored enemy matching, and a new remixed techno soundtrack. Just go buy it dammit! It's only $20 on your platform of choice.
METAL GEAR SOLID 4: GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS
In a week with so many games, it's tough to give out a pick of the week. However, I've got to go with GRiD. The game is made by Codemasters, the same team behind last year's awesome rally racer DiRT, and attempts to bring the style of racing game presented in that game onto the streets. GRiD stands apart from most other racers in that it is neither a simulation like Forza or Gran Turismo nor an arcade style game like Burnout or Project Gotham, but somewhere in the between. It definitely has some great physics, but it isn't too overbearing for casual racing fans. Better yet, it carries over the 
In a week with basically no interesting titles, there are two that really stand out from the pack. One of the being Myst for the Nintendo DS. Sure, Myst originally came out over 14 years ago for the Mac and since has been ported to damn near every operating system and disc based console ever, but this is the first portable edition of Myst (outside of lugging around a laptop). Now, I'm a huge Myst fan, but I wouldn't buy this port unless you have absolutely no other way of playing the game. The reviews have not been very good thus far. However, there are some pretty awesome additions made to this DS version. There's a new notebook you can scribble notes in (extremely handy because you NEEDED a real notebook to play the original one), a camera to take photo (only one at a time) with, some new video clips, and you'll get to explore the Rime Age from the 3D remake of Myst, realMyst. However, if you really want Myst, just go buy the Myst 10th Anniversary Collection from Ubisoft for the PC. This 3 DVD set is cheaper and includes not only Myst, but Riven and Myst III: Exile as well. The set also features some bonus content as well such as interviews with Cyan Worlds and some documentaries that you won't find on the DS version. Don't worry about the system requirements because if you're on this site, chances are you can run the games in that collection (just so long as you have a DVD-ROM drive in your computer). Or maybe wait for the PSP version which could end up being better because of the increased space.
Or just go buy the game of the week, Castle of Shikigami 3 for the Nintendo Wii. For those of you not in the loop, Castle Shikigami is a series of vertically scrolling shmups that are known for their fairly brutal difficulty...and convoluted release scheme in America. The first game came out on the Playstation 2 as Mobile Light Force 2, which is a "sequel" to Mobile Light Force on the PS1 (which is actually an American release of a game by Psikyo called Gunbird). Castle Shikigami 2 was released in America for the PS2 under its proper name, but given 
My game of the week goes to Boom Blox on the Nintendo Wii. Developed by EA and Steven Spielberg, Boom Blox offers a unique twist on the puzzle genre, along with some of the most creative use of the Wii remote ever seen in a game. The basis of Boom Blox is extremely simple, knock a structure of blocks down. You can knock down these stacks of blocks in many different ways, including throwing balls, blowing wind, and shoooting them. In addition, there are some blocks with special properties, such as exploding when hit with something. Perhaps the most exciting feature of the game is in the built-in level editor, which will allow you to build your own block structures for both single and multiplayer modes. Once you build a level, you can send it to friends over the internet and have them play it. However the game features no online multiplayer, only split screen. If this sounds lame, then I urge you to . It explains the concept far better than I ever could. While I do highly recommend checking out this game, I don't know if it's worth the $50 asking price. But if no one buys the game right away, then it could cause EA and other developers to think that no one wants this type of game that makes very creative use of the Wii, causing more shitty shovelware. I'm going to wait until EA lowers the price to around $30 or so, which shouldn't be too long knowing how EA operates, and buy it NEW (not used because they won't know about that sale, and it would be the same as not buying it in the first place).
Other than the two obvious picks of the week (which you should know about, so I won't explain them in any detail), SNK Arcade Classics V.1 looks pretty damn awesome as well. The game is a compilation of 16 Neo Geo classics which include Art of Fighting, Baseball Stars 2, Burning Fight, Fatal Fury, King of Fighters 94, King of the Monsters, Last Resort, Magician Lord, Metal Slug, Neo Turf Masters, Samurai Shodown, Sengoku, Shock Troopers, Super Sidekicks 3, Top Hunter, and World Heroes. The price is definitely great on it too, only $20 for your choice of the PS2 or the PSP version. I'd pick that up if you don't want the big releases this week or want to buy something a little more "retro".
What is my pick of the week? I'll say Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES. I'm not an RPG fan, but this looks like a great rerelease of Persona 3. It will include an additional chapter and additional storyline/gameplay elements for a total of 30 additional hours of gameplay. If you're at all interested in this game, I recommend you get it right away since it is an Atlus game and will probably be impossible to find in 3 months.
My pick of the week depends on what category you fall in to. If you have a Wii, but don't own Okami on the Playstation 2, then I demand that you buy Okami for the Wii this week. Okami was a PS2 adventure game in the style of Zelda, but got severely underlooked by most people because of the release of Twilight Princess. Now that the hype of Twilight Princess has settled down, it's time for you to revisit the game that was far superior to the vastly overrated Wii launch game. There, I said it. Okami is better than Twilight Princess. 
However, if you're like me, a snobby bastard that's a part of the hip alternative gaming scene, you'll have Okami already and most likely won't be interested in a Wii port of the same game. What do you do then? You buy Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, that's what. Gran Turismo 5: Prologue is a 
That is not my pick of the week, though. My pick of the week easily goes to Ikaruga on Xbox Live Arcade. That's right, Treasure's classic (and very hard to find) vertical shooter has been ported to Xbox Live Arcade and will be selling for the ultra-low price of $10. If you have an Xbox 360 and don't buy this game, I will be extremely disappointed in you because Ikaruga is one of the greatest games ever created and is something that everyone needs to experience it at least once. Sure, you could be old-fashioned and buy the Dreamcast or Gamecube version, but you'll be paying at least $30 or $40 more for a disc and a case. Not worth it just for that. Come on, you know you want it. Drop your fear of digital distribution and experience one of the greatest games of all time. 
My pick this week goes to Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword. Now, before all you Final Fantasy fangirls start crying becuase I didn't pick your OMFGKAWAIIBISHIE ^__^ game, let me just say that I would never award FF7 or FF anything, other than "Series Tony Most Hates". Now to the pick at hand, Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword for the Nintendo DS. This game, while lacking the graphical prowess of Sigma, Black, and II, it definitely looks like a well thought out and well executed version of the game that you can put in your pocket and play anywhere. The game really seems to live up to the high bar set by the console iterations of the series. The critics so far seem to agree with my analysis, as it has been getting very positive scores across the board.
My overall pick of the week goes to Metal Gear Solid: Essential Collection. This package is a collection of the first three Metal Gear Solid games in a specially priced $30 bundle in preparation for the release of the highly anticipated (
This story is about a man named Nathaniel. Nathaniel is a huge Xbox 360 fan who pre ordered his console months before launch. Since getting the console, he has collected signatures from several people at Microsoft, Bungie, and Rooster Teeth (the creators of the hit Halo machinima series, Red vs Blue). As you can see, this is not just a few people signing it, but most of the console had some kind of signature on it. Heck, the bottom of the console had a drawing of Master Chief by the artist of the Red vs Blue comic.
Microsoft has the stage for the keynote this year at GDC, and here's a rundown of what they stated:
Do you have an Xbox 360 Core or Arcade model? Did you expect it to be able to do what the higher end Xbox 360s can? You did? Well, guess what? You're wrong. Dead wrong.
