Spearmen to the front and drive back the fire serpent, its time for another edition of EpicBattleCry! In this week’s skirmish we plot a course to Star Trek Online’s release early next year, dig through some of the leaked Black Friday deals, play with Princess Zelda in Spirit Tracks, and gasp in shock at the news there will be more Call of Duty in 2010.

First up under the axe this week: Warhammer Online’s recently announced “Endless Free Trial” will allow players to have as much fun as they want in WAR, up to level 10. Will giving away a big chunk of their game increase sales? Next up we take a look at Nintendo’s holiday lineup and ponder whether or not New Super Mario Bros Wii and The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks can hold the line against Sony and Microsoft’s third party onslaught.

The Battle Cry of the Week goes to Halo: Reach, Machinarium, the debut Prince of Persia film trailer, and Ubisoft Montreal for listening to their fans feedback with Assassin’s Creed II.

Remember to sound off below and each week will pick our favorite to become the next Member Battle Cry! Stay sharp.

-iPod compatible mp4 download-

-Audio only download-

WiiWARE

Excitebike: World Rally
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: Prepare to face daredevil jumps, crazy obstacles and other racers in the newest installment in the venerable Excitebike franchise, available exclusively on the WiiWare service. Choose from multiple camera angles as you tilt your way to smooth landings using motion-sensitive controls. Compete in races around the world in four championship circuits. Use Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to invite friends to a race. Or if you’re feeling brave, take on anyone else looking for a match. Feel like tackling a challenge of your own design? Use the intuitive Track Editor to choose from the available obstacles and put together your dream course, then share courses with friends to see whose creation skills reign supreme.

Frogger Returns
Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Frogger Returns takes the heart-pounding challenge of arcade Frogger and moves it into the next dimension. Classic top-down 2-D game play is updated with colorful 3-D graphics, a new perspective, new levels, new enemies and game-changing power-ups. A local multiplayer mode lets you race a friend.

Dragon Master Spell Caster
Publisher: Stickmen Studios
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: The Dragon Lords have returned to the magical world of Nakiha, bringing ultimate power to whoever controls them. Choose your champion, then master amazing magic and fierce dragon attacks to defeat the rival Champions and their Dragon Lords. Choose from four different paths and decide the fate of the world in the fantastic story mode. Battle your friends in two-player split-screen arcade mode and tailor your tactics with different dragon and rider combinations, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Marvel at the effects of mind-blowing spell collisions. Mix spells and unleash their ultimate power. Control your Dragon Lord and crush, bite and burn your way to victory.

NINTENDO DSiWARE

Bomberman Blitz
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1-8
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Bomberman makes his downloadable debut on Nintendo DSiWare with Bomberman Blitz. Dive into a classic multiplayer Bomberman experience with eight-player local or online multiplayer using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Hone your skills and learn the maps, then take the battle online. Change map and item preferences for enhanced customization. Delivering unparalleled multiplayer excitement, Bomberman Blitz lets Nintendo DSi users enjoy the addictive fun of Bomberman anytime, anywhere.

Electroplankton Trapy
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Trapy plankton make sounds as they swim over graceful lines made up of linked triangles. The creatures follow the lines you trace along the water. There are six types of Trapy in all, each with a unique color and sound. All Trapy plankton produce different tones depending on the direction they swim. They produce the lowest-pitched sounds when they swim to the right and produce higher-pitched sounds as their path veers to the left.

Electroplankton Hanenbow
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Normally aquatic creatures, Hanenbow sometimes use floating leaves to launch themselves out of the water, creating strange sounds and melodies as they bounce off the leaves. Entire schools of Hanenbow have been known to launch out of the water, one after another. As a leaf is repeatedly hit by flying Hanenbow, it gradually changes color. This also alters the sound made by bouncing Hanenbow. When all the leaves turn red, a flower will bloom. It remains unclear why the Hanenbow display this curious behavior.

Electroplankton Rec-Rec
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Rec-Rec are fishlike plankton that feed on sound waves. They absorb sound waves transmitted through water and use them as a form of nutrition. The sound waves that the Rec-Rec eat are then stored inside their bodies until they have been digested. Once the digestion process is complete, they play back the sounds in perfect four-second intervals. While these sounds are playfully emitted, wave patterns can be seen pulsating on their bodies. Rec-Rec always swim side by side in schools of four. When they swim at different speeds, the frequency with which they emit sounds also changes.

Electroplankton Nanocarp
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Nanocarp have very sensitive hearing. Using their two ears to sense vibrations coming through the water, these plankton can distinguish sound quality and frequency. They display very interesting reactions to the sound of humans clapping or breathing. Nanocarp are also excellent swimmers. They have a tendency to swim in formations of 16 and react together when they detect sounds. These plankton emit sounds on their own when they sense waves on the water’s surface. When this happens, the pitch of sounds they produce changes depending on where the Nanocarp is located.

Electroplankton Beatnes
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Beatnes are curious plankton with geometrically shaped heads that form vertical strands like seaweed. Their bodies are made up of eight sections, each featuring a distinctive diamond-shaped tail. The sound of a Beatnes can vary wildly depending on which segment of the body is tapped. However, all of the sounds closely resemble the short-wave and triangular-wave sound effects from a Nintendo Entertainment System sound chip. When Beatnes are tapped in time with a rhythm, they continue to repeat the sounds in perfect time for a short period.

VIRTUAL CONSOLE

Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap
Original platform: MASTER SYSTEM
Publisher: SEGA
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence, Tobacco Reference
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap is widely considered to be one of the best games produced for the SEGA MASTER SYSTEM. The direct sequel to Wonder Boy in Monster Land, it starts in the final lair of the previous game. This game is the first in the series to allow Wonder Boy to roam freely by using various animal forms, but as with previous games in the series, Wonder Boy can also buy various weapons, armor and items to help him in his quest.

Cybernoid
Original platform: Commodore 64
Publisher: Commodore Gaming
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Federation storage depots have been raided by pirates, who’ve taken valuable minerals, jewels, ammunition and the latest battle weaponry. You have been commissioned by the Federation to retrieve the cargo and return it to storage within a specified time limit. The pirate craft have activated all planetary defense systems, which you must negotiate along with the pirates themselves. If you fail to reach the depot within the time limit, or if the value of your retrieved cargo is insufficient, you must forfeit one of your Cybernoid ships.

Square Enix posted that puzzle on the official Final Fantasy XIII website on Friday and smart cookies hintonmj and Squirrel Emperor on finalfantasy-xiii.net were able to decipher the mysterious message.  It turns out the phrase is an anagram for “Announcement Nov Thirteenth”.  And they say gaming rots your brain!

Could the 13^th be the day Square Enix finally lifts the veil on the FFXIII’s North American release date?  I guess we’ll have to wait until the then to find out.  Bring on the puzzles Square Enix, were ready for them!

Source

For those that don’t know, the movie is being developed by the same team that brought you Pirates of the Caribbean. Upon hearing that, one might think that it has loads of potential, but then the eerie reminder of the past video game movies come to mind and you’re left wondering if this will also be a disappointment.

Last week, Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films released the first official trailer for the film. After watching it you can tell that this film is being done by the Pirates of the Caribbean team as it closely resembles the same style of action and visuals. Some might even say that it is Pirates of the Caribbean but with sand instead of water.

The trailer is packed with epic moments and has me anticipating it’s release. However, how will you treat this film from just watching the trailer? Will the past movie disasters stop you from checking it out? Will Jake’s sweaty half naked body turn you off (or on…), or will this eye candy filled trailer lure you in?

Watch the trailer after the jump and decide for yourself, then let us know what you think below.

Official Website

Anyway, with such a monumental release on the horizon, I thought it’d be fun to open up the forums with a special Modern Warfare 2 Madness thread, invite you to check out some media (after the jump), and wish you all good luck as you answer the Call of Duty. So, if you have any pre-release thoughts or if you’d like to share your opinion once you pick up the game, this would be the place to do it. Take care soldiers and happy gaming!

Join the forum discussion on this post - (4) Posts

The confirmation comes on the heels of both Amazon.com and GameStop listing the game’s early February release on their respective pre-order pages.

So, there ya go…February will see the highly-anticipated launch of Star Trek Online. Will you be beaming up?

Again, not really a surprise that Activision is answering the call when it comes to milking key franchises, but the exact setting and details on the next Call of Duty are still up in the air despite some online rumors suggesting that the Cold War would serve as the backdrop for the next installment. Honestly though, it could be a freakin’ MMO for all we know…

Of course, we’ll keep you posted as more details emerge.

Source

Here’s a description:

In the near future, a mysterious, growing, black void appears at the Earth’s southern pole. Unable to determine its cause and powerless to stop its deadly encroachment, humanity sends an elite team of explorers into the heart of the phenomenon, just as Strange Journey’s look and feel represent a return to the heart of Shin Megami Tensei, bringing to mind the all-time classic Nocturne. With over 300 demons to bribe, coerce, and negotiate with to gain assistance in battle, Strange Journey is every bit the deep, rewarding RPG experience fans have come to expect from the SMT franchise, yet delivered with a fresh new sci-fi story that taps into mature themes of morality and introspection.

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey for Nintendo DS is currently scheduled for release in the US during Spring 2010. You can see images of the game right here.

For more information, visit the game’s official website.

Created by legendary game designer Tim Schafer (Brutal Legend), Psychonauts is a classic action-adventure game that was highly acclaimed by critics and received numerous awards. Players step into the shoes of Raz, a ten-year-old circus acrobat with psychic powers, as he takes up training at the Whispering Rock Summer Camp, a breeding ground for Psychonauts. Raz sets off on an incredible trip through the psyches of many of the camp’s inhabitants, and the ensuing adventure is full of hilarious dialogue and time-tested gameplay.

Advent Rising is a science-fiction action-adventure game that features a script written by famed sci-fi writer Orson Scott Card, the author of “Ender’s Game” and “Speaker for Dead,” both awarded the Hugo and Nebula awards. The game introduces Gideon Wyeth, a rookie space pilot who lives a happy life until a terrifying message about an alien invasion appears. Gideon has to face the vicious race of the “Seekers” and save his homeland with futuristic weapons and psychic powers.

“One of GOG.com’s main goals is to bring games that were overlooked back into the spotlight,” said Adam Oldakowski, Managing Director of GOG.com. “Games like Psychonauts perfectly embody the ‘Good Old Game’ and we’re thrilled to be bringing that game, along with other quality titles like BloodRayne and Advent Rising, to a new audience.”

Psychonauts and Advent Rising are already available for download at GOG.com for $9.99 and $5.99, respectively, DRM-free and compatible with Windows XP and Vista. Other titles from Majesco’s catalogue will be added in the coming weeks.

Mythic Entertainment, today announced that the critically-acclaimed MMORPG, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (WAR), has replaced its 10-day time-limited free trial with a new, endless free trial program which is now available for download. The new streaming client for the endless free trial enhances the game’s accessibility and greatly decreases the download time, making it easier than ever for new players to experience the never-ending battles of WAR for themselves.

The new WAR endless free trial replaces the original 10-day time-limited trial program, and gives new and returning players the opportunity to create and play any of the 24 different careers to find their perfect character match for use during extended gameplay if they purchase the game and/or subscribe. The endless free trial limits players to progress through character level 10 as they explore the tier one Empire vs. Chaos zones of Nordland and Norsca. In addition, players can explore the newly added tier one dungeon, Hunter’s Vale, or battle other players in the instanced scenarios Nordenwatch, Khaine’s Embrace and Gates of Ekrund.

Endless free trial players will embark on the recently introduced New User Journey, which features enhanced tutorials and new community elements, such as a “new player” guild, to streamline the transition of new players into WAR and its vibrant community of players.

“With the introduction of the endless free trial and streaming client, we are making it easier than ever for a new player to join the WAR,” said Jeff Hickman, executive producer, Mythic Entertainment. “We’ve worked hard to create a more informative and community driven new user experience, and now we are giving players an unlimited amount of time to explore the early parts of the game at their own pace. We are confident that players new and old will find all the enhancements we’ve made to WAR over the past year worthy of their time and commitment.”

Available now, the new streaming endless trial client is a seamless way for new users to get into the game. After an initial download of just over 1GB, additional content streams in the background as required while playing. All closed 10-day free trial accounts have been converted to open endless free trial accounts and are ready for returning players to resume their journeys across the frontlines of WAR.

New users and returning players can download the Warhammer Online endless free trial by visiting http://www.warhammeronline.com/trial.