Perfect Dark … 360

Cop or Flop… Cop

The legendary Nintendo 64 classic finally makes it way to the Xbox 360. With a $10 price point, upscaled graphics, and online play, it’s hard to give Perfect Dark a flop for its return. There might be a day when all the multiplayer maps are empty due to people growing tired of the game, but that day won’t be anytime soon. Games like this show the true value of downloadble games

Metro 2033 … 360, PC

Cop or Flop… Cop

Information on the contents of Metro 2033 were scarce at first glance, but once I watched videos on this and read about fan anticipation, it wasn’t hard to see that this game will offer an unique experience that is worth the time and support of the gaming community. This is a survival horror shooter, but many believe it’s Metro’s world and story that surpasses just about every other game in the genre. I will personally check this out and let you know what the deal is on Metro 2033. Until then check out the game’s official site and read up on it.

Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver

Cop or Flop… Cop

Nintendo is the king when it comes to remakes and Pokemon is getting the remake treatment once again. Back in the day Gold and Silver were straight crack on the screen. Those two games took the Pokemon series to new heights. These remakes may not be the evolution of the brand like the Game Boy versions, but the value and quality of a Pokemon game is still here. With upgraded graphics, new Pokemon, music, and wi-fi connectivity, people will find themselves addicted to Pokemon all over again.

God of War III

Cop or Flop… Cop

First off, go read the homie Swiff Epic’s God of War Review right HERE. Secondly, this is what we all have been waiting for. The battle between Kratos and the Gods finally hits the PlayStation 3. God of War III looks to be the premier action/adventure title to represent this generation of gaming and if the game really does live up to the hype, game of the year front-runner might be an understatement.

Pre-order bonuses will also be available at some of your favorite retailers. Pre-order at Gamestop and receive a Kratos character. Pre-order at Amazon.com and receive Ratchet & Clank. You can also pre-order at Best Buy to receive Mr. Uncharted himself, Nathan Drake. There will be other pre-order items as well. You can check out the PlayStation Blog for more information.

source: playstation blog

The story of Mega Man 10 is simple and direct. Mega Man’s sister Roll gets a virus called Roboenza, and while Dr. Light and Mega Man tend to Roll, the illness spreads throughout the world. At first it seems that Roboenza is only making robots sick, but in typical Mega Man fashion, robots start to go wild. Dr. Wily then shows up talking about how he was attacked by infected robots and he needs help building some kind of medicine machine to cure the robots. Dr. Light and Mega Man eventually agree to work with Dr. Wily and Mega Man’s brother Proto Man shows up to offer his help as well.

As far as additions and gameplay is concerned, this is just like any other Mega Man. There are a few things I would to point out. One being, that like its Mega Man X counterpart, players are now able to switch weapons in game via trigger buttons without going to the start menu. This turns out to be a very useful option when playing some of the later castle stages. Speaking of stages, this seems to be the most pit filled Mega Man game every. Might wanna call this one Pit Fall 10. All Mega Man games have spikes and pits, but this time its seems like the developers decided to test a man’s will with the way some of these pits are set up. It will take patience, self control, and knowledge of your surroundings to complete some levels in this game. Anyway, there is no need to worry too much about it. Once you get the Rush Jet to ride across some of the stage, its smooth sailing from there.

If you are not a dedicated and patient Mega Man player, there is now an easy mode for you to choose from. Easy mode decreases the amount of enemies that you face in a stage, adds red floating platforms in pits that you normally might have died at, and it also decreases the different number of attacks that each boss has. Hard mode will be available once you complete the game. The numbers of enemies are increased, the stages have slight structural differences to give you more places to die, and the bosses have new attacks that will shred you to pieces in seconds. Other modes include the return of Time Attack mode that has a worldwide ranking system, and the addition of Challenge mode. Challenge mode offers 88 small, but sometimes crazy difficult task for you to complete. This is a great add-on that increases the game’s re-playability.

The biggest addition in MM10 is the option to play the whole game as Proto Man at the start of the game. Proto Man differs from Mega Man in a couple of ways. The first is his ability to power up his Mega Buster. Mega Man lost that technique for some unexplainable reason and Proto Man has picked it up. Proto Man also has a shield that he uses whenever he jumps that is able to deflect many enemy attacks. What I consider the most important difference between the brother’s is Proto Man’s ability to slide. It’s such a simple feature, but when it comes to dodging the bosses attacks, he has the clear advantage over Mega Man. The only thing better about Mega Man is that he is tougher than his brother. Proto Man loses any where between 2 to 5 more life points than Mega Man whenever he is damaged.

Overall, Mega Man 10 is a worthy sequel in the series, but the nostalgia people got from Mega Man 9 is gone. Also, Mega Man 9 is the better game in general. The lackluster weapons and unparalleled stage design take away from the aura of this being a classic game in the legacy of Mega Man. Another thing that I would like to note is that the music in Mega Man 10 is below average. It does not have the usual instant catchy tune vibe that Mega Man games are recognized for. The music in Mega Man 9 is head and shoulders above this latest edition. With that being said, this is a solid release from Capcom. If you have the tiniest desire to play this game you should do so. It’s easily worth ten bucks. Even if you have to play on Easy mode, there are enough challenges to keep you busy and interested. Just don’t play Normal and Hard mode without any resolve. You may find yourself throwing the controller on the floor just like they did back in the NES days.

“Shake That” by Eminem mixed with “Show Me What You Got” by Jay-Z
“Without Me” by Eminem mixed with “Encore” by Jay-Z
“Can I Get A…” by Jay-Z mixed with “Lose Yourself” by Eminem

*UPDATE*

Gametrailers uploaded a couple of videos of the new DLC.

source: playstation blog

source: playstation blog

Let’s go back in time to the days of PlayStation 2. The long lasting Final Fantasy series with Final Fantasy XII, sold 896,000 units in its November 2006 PS2 NPD debut. God of War II sold 833,000 units in the March 2007 NPD’s. That is not a huge difference when you consider the amount of fans that Final Fantasy has built up over time. Indeed FFXII sold more for its particular month, but the change in variables and time is what I would like to point out when it comes to God of War III and Final Fantasy XIII.

The first thing I would like to point out is that the month in which Final Fantasy XIII is coming out is different. The series historically has games released in the late Fall. This allowed Square-Enix to take advantage of holiday season sales opportunities. Final Fantasy XIII is going outside of tradition with this new March release date. Holiday sales are no longer there to give this latest entry that extra push.

Secondly, I would like to point out the issue of install base. Xbox 360 currently leads the PlayStation 3 in terms of install base. Install base heavily favors the DS over both consoles, but parents tend to be very selective of purchasing games. These latest Pokemon games will sell extremely well for remakes, but the PS3 is ready to match selling potential with all the biggest games at this point in time. The PS3 slim has rapidly increased the PS3’s previous install base, and has gotten some of its PS2 users to finally join the current gen. Many people are saying the the supposed PS3 shortage in March will affect GOWIII sales, but is that really a given? I find it hard to overlook the combined sales of previous months that will contribute to a game’s success instead of assuming that people always wait for the “system seller” game.

Back to PS2 for a second. When comparing Xbox 360 and PS3 users to the PS2, they both pail in comparison. Both Final Fantasy XII and God of War II were released when the PS2 install base was phenomenal. Final Fantasy now splits sales between two consoles, while God of War will maximize sales on one console. God of War players can only get God of War on the PS3. Dual console owners will split the sales of Final Fantasy XIII in an uneven skew overall. Owners of both systems are likely to buy the game on the PlayStation 3 leaving non PS3 owners and casual gamers as the Final Fantasy XIII market on the Xbox 360. At the end of the day, the core Xbox 360 only user base may find themselves not buying Final Fantasy XIII due a preference of shooters and American RPG’s.

The third issue I would like to bring up is hype and gamer reception. Final Fantasy XIII is becoming a love hate issue wherever you look. This has to be the most disrespected Final Fantasy game ever. Reviews are either good or they are mediocre. Loyalist and hardcore gamers will pick up the game, but I believe Final Fantasy XIII sales will suffer from consumer resentment and the inability to appeal to the average Xbox 360 users. The amount of bad press FFXIII is receiving will come back to bite it sales wise. The opposite can be said of God of War III. The hype is going at full speed and the fan base from God of War II is more than likely to now have a PlayStation 3 console. Expect a huge amount of original God of War II purchases to be reflected in God of War III sales. Add on top of that gamers who will jump on the bandwagon because of the positive press, sales from word of mouth between gamers, and new fans from the playing the God of War Collection, and March looks to be very positive for Sony with the release of God of War III.

The last issue I want to talk are the games themselves. The quality of God of War III will not be denied. While people question the experience they might receive from Final Fantasy XIII’s western indoctrination, God of War III has little to no ill will whenever it is talked about. God of War III will take its place next to games like Uncharted II and Metal Gear Solid 4. Metal Gear Solid 4 was the best selling game in June 2008 with 774,600 units and in October 2009, Uncharted 2 was the best selling game for that month with 537,000 units sold. While Final Fantasy has always had its best month in a holiday season with PS2, that is unlikely to translate to this current generation of gamers where the series has lost credibility and fans.

Of course the remakes of Pokemon for the DS could prove to be too much for God of War III and may try to do numbers like its platinum counterpart (805K – March 2009), but the division in sales between its Silver and Gold editions and the lack of internet press on the Pokemon games have left GOW III an opening. Overall, we as gamers, should focus more on quality and less on the numbers, but that isn’t realistic in today’s world. So, I state that with unstoppable momentum, God of War III Will Be Number 1 on the March 2010 NPD List.

Leave your comments and predictions below.

01. Fabolous – The Wake
02. Fabolous – Im Raw
03. Fabolous – Body Ya
04. Fabolous – Hard (feat Kobe, Paul Cain & LA The Darkman)
05. Fabolous – Oh Lets Do It
06. Fabolous – Suicide 2 (feat Paul Cain & Freck Billionaire)
07. Fabolous – Its Goin’ Down (feat Freck Billionaire)
08. Fabolous – Roger That (feat Freck Billionaire)
09. Fabolous – Love Come Down
10. Fabolous & Paul Cain – Popular Demand
11. Fabolous – Mr. R.I.P
12. Fabolous – Body Bag (feat Cam’ron & Vado)
13. Lloyd Banks – Beamer, Benz or Bentley (feat Juelz Santana & Fabolous)
14. Fabolous – For The Money (feat Nicki Minaj)
15. Fabolous & Red Cafe – Tonight
16. Fabolous & Trey Songz – All The Way Turnt Up
17. Fabolous – Say Somethin’ Nigga
18. Fabolous – Funeral Service Music (feat Kobe, Paul Cain, Red Cafe & Willie The Kid)
19. Fabolous – Bring Death To Em’
20. Fabolous – Exhibit F

Check your emails now because Halo 2 gamers are receiving invites to the Halo: Reach beta, 3 months of Xbox Live, and 400 Microsoft points as a thank you for supporting their legendary game. I don’t know how MS is determining if you are a worthy enough Halo 2 player to receive these goodies, but it can’t hurt to play Halo 2 for a few weeks before online play disappears. You just might get lucky.

If you haven’t seen the new Halo Reach Trailer watch it HERE

This seems to be a classic example of big bank takes little bank (the one with the most money pwns). Activision has propelled itself as one of the premier publishers in the video game industry, and they are bound to do what is best for their stakeholders. I guess bulling the Infinity Ward staff would be part of the part of the job as well. There will be more to report on this story later, but for now who’s side would you take in this dilemma. Publisher or developer?… and what is Treyarch thinking now?

source: Kotaku via G4

http://www.finalfantasyxiv.com/

Coop Story

Deniable Ops

Persistant Elite Creation

The head of development over at Sony Santa Monica studios, Christer Ericson, dropped this tweet on his twitter account earlier.

God of War 3 does NOT do a HD install. The 5MB listed on box back is for save game only. #GoW3

That is an impressive feat for a game estimated to utilized 35 GB’s of space on a blu-ray disc. As soon as the game comes out, you can get right to the action. Zeus is ready to own all those who appose him without any waiting.

Heavy Rain … PS3

Cop or Flop?… Cop
There are certain games that I shouldn’t have to tell you to cop. It’s just understood that if you consider yourself any kind of respectable gamer, certain games must be played. Heavy Rain is one of those games. If you have a PS3 its simple. Get this game. Heavy Rain is set to deliver an unforgettable, unique gaming experience that blurs the lines between gaming and movies. Don’t let this generation pass you by without playing one of the game will represent this gaming gen five years from now.

Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing … 360, PS3, Wii, DS

Cop or Flop?… Cop
I might be putting too much personal bias in my recommendation that you buy this game, but who doesn’t love a fun racer? Mario Kart gave me so many hours of play back in the the day, that any excuses to play a game like it is fine by me. Sonic Racing can be played heavily when families get together and for random nights of gaming with friends… and the ladies. A great selection of characters and online play also adds to the replayability of SSASR. I suggest picking this one up to diversify your gaming catalog. It’s time to take a break from playing the homies in NBA 2K10 and Call of Duty. Play some Sonic All Star Racing until Battlefield Bad Company 2 comes out.

Metal Slug XX … PSP

Cop or Flop?… Flop
Metal Slug has been doing its thing for a while now. The thing about Metal Slug games though is that they all feel the same.You could buy any version and be just as happy. Sorta like how Koei keeps putting out those wack titles know as Dynasty Warriors. Trying to tell the difference between each game is like trying to solve the pictures that have minor differences in them. For $19.99 this does have some value if you play the PSP that much. Be warned though, Metal Slug XX only has 7 levels and a few bonuses in it. Don’t expect too much replay value.

Now let’s fast forward 8 years later. There is an over-saturated market of Dragon Ball video games. The series may be over, but the games don’t have an end in sight. Having played 90% of Dragon Ball games out right now, it’s only natural that a combination of my two addictions would lead me to this article. Being somewhat of a Dragon Ball connoisseur aka nerd, I’ve decided to put together a list of some of the best and worst Dragon Ball games around. Of course there will be some games missing, but if you want to add or subtract something, then feel free to say so. Other than that, let’s get started with some of the better Dragon Ball games to hit the market.

Good Dragon Ball Games

Dragon Ball Z Legends (PlayStation 1)

Dragon Ball Z Legends is known as a classic in the DBZ gaming catalog. It doesn’t feel like a normal fighting game. It’s not an action adventure game either. I don’t know what to call it. It has a simple formula; put four characters on the screen and let the chaos begin. The graphics are dull and the music is average in Legends, but the gameplay is extremely addictive. Once you get the hang of the controls, you’ll never get tired of pulling off dazzling combos. All the people who desired a solid Dragon Ball gaming experience for many years know about Legends. It’s one of the best games the DBZ series has to offer.

Dragon Ball Z Hyper Dimension (Super Nintendo)

This might as well be called Street Fighter Z. It has all the elements that make Street Fighter 2 fun, but with Dragon Ball Z characters and better techniques. As far as gameplay goes, it plays like a mix of Street Fighter 2 and Fatal Fury 1. And the pace of Hyper Dimension is great. It feels superior to its Butoden predecessors in that aspect. Also, Dragon Ball Butoden games take a bit of patience to pull off amazing combos. Hyper Dimension is very offensive oriented and gets rights to the action. Making Hyper Dimension a great game to play against people in tournament style matches. Overall, Hyper Dimension is truly a diamond in the rough when it comes to anime video games. It deserves its spot on this list.

Dragon Ball Z Budokai 3 (PlayStation 2)

My personal favorite and one of the best dragon ball z games ever, Budokai brought the fast action of the actual show that mostly every DBZ game before it has lacked. Everything from multiple transformations to energy wave battles and teleportations kept Budokai 3 in heavy rotation in PlayStation 2’s across the country. Budokai 3 really showed that Dimps had the blueprint to success after making the previous two Budokai games. It’s shows from the first time you pick up the controller.  And as far story mode is concerned, the Dragon World mode is one of the best modes in any Dragon Ball game. The lack of cutscenes take away from the story’s appeal, but actually looking for matches and the dragon balls was a good concept. for  This does get repetitive, but all games do eventually. You are guaranteed to get your moneys worth before that happened though.

Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 3 (PlayStation 2)

After two solid releases in the Budokai Tenkaichi series, part 3 delivered the same great gameplay, more moves and power ups, and a roster with just about every character anyone could ever think of. The boss fights in BT 3 can be ridiculously hard, but that only forces you to develop skills. You won’t be left angry and upset after getting beat down by bosses. Only determined to win even more. On thing bad about BT3 is the camera. The camera can be pretty shaky during critical moments and the story mode lacks the quality of previous games, but that doesn’t take away from the game itself. The amount of diversified battles in BT3 will keep and DBZ fan entertained for endless hours.

Go to Page 2 for Bad DB Games

source: 1up

Read the Darksiders Review Here

Endless Ocean: Blue World … Wii

Cop or Flop? … Cop
I don’t have to many things to bad to say about this game. Endless Ocean seems very relaxing. This is something to play when needing to calm down or a way to waste time, but do you really want to spend money on this and add it to your gaming collection? I would if I had a Wii. Enough with the Wii Sports. Play something else. It’s only $29.99 too.

Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce … 360, PS3

Cop or Flop? … Flop
This made a descent PSP game, but enough is enough. I feel that the Dynasty Warriors developers are the most uncreative team in the history of gaming. This is worst than annual sports games in my eyes. Time after time, year after year, new name same game. The cost of production must be so low to produce a DW that they can’t resist putting them out. That or they really love Feudal China.

Alien vs. Predator 3 … 360, PS3, PC

Cop or Flop? … Flop
The homie Dro aka James G of the Koalition was really looking forward to this release for a while. That was until he played the demo. He might have a review coming to let us know what this game has to offer, but from what has been seen this game is a flop. Go play the demo if you have not and you will be left feeling the same way. Just put this down as another L in Sega’s recent catalog of games.

P.S…. Go pick up Bayonetta if you haven’t already.

This will be the third super elite bundle to planned for releases since the introduction of the 250GB HDD, so one can only assume that this 250GB bundling is more than a trend and is apart of Mircrosoft’s business plan. The 120GB hard drives are scheduled to disappear, leaving 250GB hard drives as your only retail choice of purchase. Be on the lookout for more details on what’s going to happen with all this hard drive and bundle madness.

source: Arstechnica.com

See the participants of the 2010 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game Here

source: kotaku

Bioshock 2 … 360, PS3, PC

Cop or Flop? … Cop
Some people say that games will be great just because of its name alone. That isn’t always a good thing to do. However, when the game being released is a sequel to a masterpiece, would you expect anything less? The sequel to 2007’s game of the year is back and it looks to contend for GOTY in 2010. If Bioshock 2 offers anything close to the experience that Bioshock 1 had, then the developers have done us gamers a great service.

Dante’s Inferno … 360. PS3, PSP

Cop or Flop? … Cop
When it comes down to it, this game is nice. There will be continuous God of War comparison’s because of Dante’s Inferno’s evident copying, but we all know that God of War III will be in a different league. Just appreciate the hellified experience of Dante’s Inferno for now. Play the demo one more time if you need more convincing.

Star Ocean: The Last Hope International

Cop or Flop? … Cop
Star Ocean had its fair share of controversy with its 360 release. Even had some people outraged. If you were one of the people that asked why didn’t the PS3 get any love, then your worries are over. Square Enix didn’t forget about you. This PS3 version is deemed the superior experience by the development team themselves. Star Ocean: The Last Hope International might even be fighting for crown of best RPG this generation; at least for now.

Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll … Wii

Cop or Flop? … Flop
Can’t imagine too many people who actually plan on buying this game. If you are one of the rare people who are, tell me why. Is it because you like the taste of Super Monkey Balls? I’m just saying, let me know.

P.S… Who Dat.

Vote Here

At an investor’s meeting today, THQ CEO Brian Farrell spoke on upcoming projects for the 2011 and 2012 fiscal year. More importantly, he stated that Darksiders 2 and Saints Row 3 are planned to be released during their 2012 fiscal year (April 2011 to March 2012). Darksiders recently jumped over the one million copies sold achievement, so its a no brainer to get the development team worker on another solid game. Saints Row 3 is where curiosity emerges. Are people tapped out of the whole GTA style sandbox genre, or will they be ready for another one by the time Saints Row 3 comes out. Only time will and NPD’s will tell.

source: kotaku

As stated in the title, the first known pack of Dante’s Inferno DLC will include an online co-op mode for you and a buddy to reign down chaos to the minions of hell. The DLC is called the Trials of St. Luca, and she will be the second playable character. To add to the replayablity of the online mode, a mission maker will be available that allows players to create custom challenges for other gamers around the world to conquer and rank up in. The Trials of St. Luca DLC is scheduled for an April 29th, so don’t plan on trading in Dante’s Inferno as soon as you beat it.

source: destructoid

Family Party: 30 Great Games Winter Fun

Cop or Flop? … Flop
It’s safe to assume that we can’t expect a GOTY quality game from the Wii every week. I didn’t even know that 30 winter games existed until watching this game in action. Family Party: 30 Great Games Winter Fun lacks graphics, quality music, is quickly repetitive despite 30 mini games, and doesn’t seem that fun. This will not be a Wii title that will have the masses spending their money. You shouldn’t either.

White Knight Chronicles

Cop or Flop? … Cop
Just when it seems like JRPG’s are leaving behind all traces of its traditional style, a couple of companies drop a gem to represent. By all indication’s of reviews and footage, if RPG’s are your style then White Knight Chronicles is your game. It does leave behind the turn based action for FFXII like gameplay, but that’s just the way the world is now. With a solid, consistent story, and an online mode for bonus play, White Knight Chronicles is a good game to occupy your mind in a time of boredom.

Star Trek Online

Cop or Flop? … Cop
A Star Trek game of this caliber is long over due. Mass Effect may be the latest space game on the block, but I still think of Star Trek whenever I think of outer space. Star Trek Online will provide endless hours of exploration, networking, and challenges, but like any big MMO it will cost you monthly. A lifetime subscription does sell for $300. Decide if you really want to make such an investment into one game.

source: Joystiq

It is only a matter of time before full scale piracy spreads like Skynet in a Terminator movie. Luckily for Sony a blu-ray burner and blank disc cost an arm and a leg, otherwise PSP piracy would be the least of their worries. With that being said, those looking to get over on the man will not be denied and pirate anyway. Just expect a lot more firmware updates when that happens.

Update: It is 360 only. Sorry PS3 fans.

Source | Andriasang