Braid features time shifting puzzles set in a plethora of fun, and colorful settings.  Players don’t die or lose in Braid, they play, replay, and scratch their heads at the puzzles presented to them.  With the unique art and sound track, puzzle lovers need to be getting on the PSN to check out this title.

Quit reading this and go snag it and see what all the hubbub is about!

• Pink- “So What”
• The All American Rejects- “Gives You Hell”
• Coldplay- “Viva la Vida”
• Rod Stewart- “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy”
• Miranda!- “Enamorada”
• Jackson 5- “Dancing Machine”
• Rhianna- “Disturbia”
• Taylor Swift- “Love Story”
• Modern English- “I Melt With You”

Expect to see the full song list on the official Karaoke Revolution page soon.

Tiberian Twilight will bring the 15 years of story to an epic conclusion.  Command and Conquer 4 offers new class based game play system, mobile bases, experience system, and an all new 5v5 objective based multiplayer mode.

Fans who pre-order Command and Conquer 4 will get early access to the beta, the game’s soundtrack, and an exclusive bonus mission.  Keep it tuned here for more information as it develops.

Sentinel’s Fate will hit retail on February 16, 2010, followed by the digital release on February 23, 2010.  As with prior EverQuest II expansions, this will include all prior expansions.  Sentinel’s Fate will carry an MSRP of $39.99 for the regular edition, and $69.99 for the collectors edition.

• Natal will launch worldwide in November 2o10.
• It will cost around £50 on its own but there will be a variety of bundles available.
• There will be a total  5 million units available at launch.
• There will be 14 titles available at launch.

Most of the big publishers have signed up to produce titles for the device including Activision, Bethesda, Capcom, Disney, EA, Konami, MTV, Namco Bandai, Sega, Square Enix, THQ and Ubisoft. After causing such a stir at this year’s E3 all eyes are on how Natal will perform at launch. Forget this Christmas, next year will be the one to watch.

Composer Shawn Lee, who worked on The Getaway and the first Bully game let slip the news in an interview with The Gaming Liberty saying, “It looks like I will be doing the soundtrack for Bully 2 in the not so distant future.

Given the fearsome reputation of Rockstar’s PR engine, this was probably no accidental leak and may just prove to be the beginning of a drip feed of tantalising morsels building up to a proper announcement. Hopefully this means that Bully 2 could be hitting our shelves sometime next year.

NCSoft have announced a whopping 630% growth in profits for this quarter on the same period  last year. This massive hike in profits is mainly down to their new epic MMORPG Aion along with steady sales of Lineage 2.

The awesomely successful launch of Aion in the US and Europe has shows that NCSoft might just have  the teeth to challenge  Blizzard/Activision on their own turf.

NCsoft’s CFO Jaeho Lee said, “2009 Q3 has been a very meaningful period for NCsoft. Especially since our arduous preparations and efforts for overseas expansion became tangible through Aion ’ s successful global launching. ” He also added that “ We will not be contented with these early results. We will do our best to make Aion a globally loved game and endeavor for results surpassing that of Aion with upcoming Blade&Soul and Guild Wars 2.

Aion is available on the PC and you can read our review of it here. Also, for you diehard NCSoft fans out there our own Fanky Malloon is showing you a different side of City of Heroes/Villains in his brand spanking new column. Check it out here.

Due to the publishing giant seening its eleventh quarterly loss in a row they have decided to cut 1500 jobs, 900 of which will come from their development staff. 500 will go from their publishing operations and the final 100 from their corporate operations. This comes despite their recent rennaissance which saw great new IPs like Dead Space and Mirror’s Edge as well as revivals for the FIFA and Need for Speed  franchises.

It would appear that it is time for Electronic Arts to pursue other avenues and acquiring Playfish will help them do just that. Playfish are the developers behind the ridiculously popular Facebook games like Pet Society and Restaurant City.

Dante’s Inferno is slated for release in North America on February 9, 2010 and in Europe on February 12, 2010.

Star Trek Online is from Atari, Inc., the publishers of the universally popular City of Heroes, City of Villains and the latest of their MMO’s, Champions Online.  They have announced that on the specified date, players will be able to embark on their latest journey, continuing on from the latest film installment, and travel to the depths of space, in the year 2409.  Players will be given the opportunity to become a high ranking Starfleet Officer and  participate in missions across exotic planets and starships.

Star Trek Online will be the first Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game for the franchise and will offer both space and ground game play to fans and casual players alike, Star Trek Online will certainly be one to look out for.

Duels of the Planeswalkers is due out in summer 2010 for the PC, and fall 2010 for the PS3.

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You may not be very familiar with seeing interviews in the EvilCast space, but we are always willing to make exceptions when it comes to talking to some of the great minds in game design.  So who would have enough pull to make us deviate from our usual publishing schedule? How about an industry luminary by the name of John Carmack? That’s right, the man behind such franchises as Doom, Quake, Wolfenstein, and the upcoming Rage, sat down with EvilCast host Blake Grundman, to discuss the recent release of Doom Classic on the iPhone.

Don’t worry though, the discussion was not limited to the iPhone and covered a wide variety of topics including:

• His views on both iPhone and traditional game development
• What made him reconsider his stance on developing cellphone games
• Which platforms he prefers to develop for
• Surprises associated with developing games for iPhone
• Does he have a favorite game that he has worked on
• What kinds of games does he like to play in his free time
• Does his son have any idea how influential he has been on the game industry
• How does he manage to stay relevant after all of these years
• Even commenting on his role in the current development of both Rage and Doom 4

We cover all of that and much, much, more in the first installment of the EvilCast NewsBrief, Interview Series.  Don’t miss it!

So, you say you’ve been captured by your number one fan, sold to a mad scientist who wants to experiment on you, only to be saved by a angry mob whose main goal is to serve you a summons to pirate court? It’s no big deal, really. Nothing you can’t solve with the help of a magnetic cat, a glass eye, and a lamp straight out of “A Christmas Story.”  Thankfully, all those things (and more) are to be found along the byways of Flotsam Island, and you, as  Guybrush Threepwood, Mighty Pirate™, have the skills and knowledge to do it, too.

Tales of Monkey Island 4: The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood is the penultimate (that means the next to last,folks) chapter of the Tales of Monkey Island series. You return to Flotsam Island, the location of the first chapter, only to find that almost everyone is infected with the Pox you released in the first chapter.  All the major characters are gathered together now, and the various plot threads that have been building over the past three parts come together.

The core gameplay is still there: it’s an adventure game – the movement and inventory interactions are the same.  It’s still got a wacky sense of humor, only this time it’s muted by a dark sense of foreboding.  While it is largely the same Flotsam Island as before (the geography is the same), it’s now night time and that’s reflected in the plot and mood of the game.  Comedy is often about laughing at the darkness, and here the darkness has risen up to meet the comedy.

I enjoyed the game. Most of the bits I loved about it were the plot progressions and resolutions that happen, involving all of the bits I’ve played before. Some of the most humorous part were just random bits of silliness that are the hallmark of this series.  There’s a joke about EDGE, there’s the previously mentioned lady-leg lamp, and there’s even a bit where you have to remove a lion’s paw from a thorn.

The game is structured well, and even if you need a walkthrough (there is one provided by TellTale Games) early on, the final confrontation is made clear based on what has happened previously. Overall, I think this is a good thing. This has been true of all their games, and while the full series might be the same length as a traditional adventure game, having it bite-sized chunks narrows down the scope of puzzle solving, and makes you feel smart at the end for having figured it out.

That said, can I recommend this game? Well, it’s a must play if you’re enjoying this series, certainly.  If you haven’t played the previous games though, this one won’t make a lot of sense, however. You can buy it separately, but I would try one of the previous chapters first. They are more lighthearted and contained, and don’t depend as much on prior plot points.

Nevertheless, as a part of the whole series, this chapter is wonderful, tying things together and dramatically setting things up for the next part.  I was glad to get to review it after having done chapter 3 for GamesAreEvil, and I’ll be begging to play the last part after this is all over too. The entire chapter set is in the $30 dollar range and comes with physical media that will be released when the series is finished, which is in a month, so get cracking!

As Activision likes to point out to its stock holders, Modern Warfare 2 is expected to be the best selling game of all time. Everybody knows it. Half of the games expected to come out this holiday season have tucked their tails between their legs and ran off to 2010 to avoid it. This is the first person shooter to rule all first person shooters. Infinity Ward’s track record is impeccable and they are once again expected to deliver.

The single player experience as always, will be short, but pushes the boundaries of story telling on the gaming platform. Their multiplayer is legendary. If you only play/buy one FPS game this year, it will probably be this one. Only a game this big could get away with some of the story archs that take take place, not to mention getting a free pass on blocking Xbox Live party chat.

Modern Warfare 2 is likely to be the best shooter so far this generation. The notable exception is the PC version of the game. Infinity Ward is taking a huge gamble on the PC by introducing IWNET, removing dedicated servers, mod tools and many other PC gaming staples. Because of this, I have omitted the PC version as my pick of the week. Stick to Team Fortress 2 for a while yet, just to see if Modern Warfare can prove itself worthy of your PC multiplayer dollars. A six hour single player isn’t going to be worth it if the multiplayer doesn’t work right. Listen tonight to this week’s EvilCast Recap podcast for a more in depth look at the PC version of the game.

Imagine Gyromancer as a puzzle-RPG. You take the role of Rivel, a ball…er jewel bustin mage. Your spells of choice, matching up jewels to decimate your opponent. The game will feature 50 unique creatures, 10 levels, and an online ranking system for gamers to prove that jewel matching prowess.

The game drops on November 18, 2009 for Xbox Live and Steam users. Sorry to all of those on the PS3, but it looks like they have no love for the PSN community. Gyromancer can be had for 1200 Microsoft points / $14.99.

Check out the teaser video!

DoubleJump is a free audio podcast that we deliver to you!
Click HERE to subscribe in iTunes | Click HERE for the RSS Feed.

Or Just Listen Here: Download audio file (doublejump_ep_13.mp3)

Join us once again for our Network-wide podcast, pulling content and audio from Games Are Evil and The Portable Gamer to bring you the best of the week. Rob sits in for Ewan, bringing you the best of all Evils.

This week:

• Interview with @owengoss – Streaming Colour Studios – MONKEYS IN SPACE!
• The GrE Staff tells what games THEY are playing
• Ewan reviews Risen
• Blake moans his way through some EvilCast outtakes

The Good Egg

Subject: The Good Egg

Real Name: Unknown

Other Aliases: None

Place of Birth: Unknown

Marital Status: Unknown

Height: 4′

Weight: 200 lbs

Known Powers: The Good Egg possesses reflexes beyond the greatest athletes the world has ever known. He has trained himself to be able to kill anyone at any size with his bare hands. Though through his pranks he has killed more than a few targets. Through unknown means he has augmented his strength and speed with the dark magics that course through the world. He can travel at superhuman speeds as well as render himself  invisible at will.

Making a Clockwork "talk"

Case Log: The Good Egg is one of the assassins of the 7^thEgg Dynasty. His role in the organization is one of great trust. The Good Egg has direct audience with The Great Egg, also known as Gran Tomago. The Great Egg uses The Good Egg on his own special assignments. Tasks that are only known to the highest members of the organization are entrusted to The Good Egg. My investigations have shown that he has been a member of the group as far back as the 1980s as a torchbearer between the 6^th and 7^th Egg dynasties. If we could ever capture him and extract information, I think we would find all we need to bring The Environmentalists down.

Anyone that followed Japanese professional wrestling in the late 1980s would be familiar with the Good and Bad Eggs, as that is where they established their public identities. They held various wrestling titles and entertained audiences from around the world. It is unclear if they had their powers when they began as wrestlers, but by the time The Great Egg appeared as their mysterious ally, it was clear that they possessed abilities. As you may recall fan outrage caused all three to leave wrestling. It is my belief that this was all planned by The Great Egg.

A sense of his height

In the mid 1990s to the mid 2000s, all three resurfaced as members of a the highly successful touring band, Yolk. Their final tour was as a co-head lining act with the eclectic group, Mung Mind. Many sources at the time reported troubles back stage. Mung Mind fell apart when their guitar player was terribly injured during a sound check. This show was also the final public appearance of Yolk as a band. Public financial records would corroborate that the band combined with the wrestling funds are what allowed Gran Tomago to get the controlling interest in the Environmentalists.

My interactions with the subject have been minimal, as he spends a great deal of his time in counsel with Gran Tomago or the Bad Egg. When not with them he is out on his own performing tasks assigned to him by Gran Tomago.  The remainder of his time is spent in their base. I believe this base exists outside of reality as we know it, for I have found no physical egress. The only means in and out of there are via teleportation. I will be providing an additional report on their headquarters in a future report.

He does that all the time

The other members of the 7^thEgg Dynasty are clearly uneasy when The Good Egg is present. He has a sense of humor that is as twisted as he is dangerous. For example, my first night sleeping in the base lead to my needing hospital care, (fortunately in the Rogue Isles not many questions are asked in an ER). I had fallen asleep in my bunk, while unconscious The Good Egg had fetched a glass of warm water. He then placed my hand in it. Immediately thereafter he punched me in kidney with such force that I required emergency medical care. This sort of behavior is quite typical when it comes to The Good Egg. He takes great pleasure in twisting simple childish pranks into acts of mayhem. Stealth is his primary weapon, his victims seldom meet him face to face. His preferred method of killing is what he calls, “The Ass Punch”. From his concealed state The Good Egg can deliver enough concussive force to kill a normal human, even though he targets their buttocks.

Mr. Blackmail the other assassin in the 7th Egg Dynasty told me about one of the other “pranks” The Good Egg performed. This involved an apprentice sorceress named Davi Rose. The Good Egg found her home in Perez Park and waited for her to come home from her day job at City Hall. When she went inside he snuck over to her home and lit a bag of dog waste on fire in front of her door and rang the door bell. He ran across the street and waited in a crane.  When she opened the door to investigate she was surprised by a 10 ton wrecking ball that killed her instantly. Another seemingly juvenile act turned serious.

Powers Activated

I thought him to be a bit disturbed when I first met him. It was after I had wrapped up killing some snakes for Matthew Burke. I was on my mobile phone discussing my next job when I felt like I was being watched. I turned and no one was there. I finished my call and still had an uneasy feeling. This time when I turned, I barely saw the outline of The Good Egg. He was almost perfectly blended into his surroundings. The Good Egg then shifted into full view he informed me that if I had not seen him, he would have killed me on the spot. I think he planned to stab me with a badminton racket. No longer invisible, I got my first real view of him. He wore a simple white costume without pants (See attached photos). I find it terrifying that someone so small can exude so much menace. I was informed by The Good Egg that he had been observing me since I got to the Rogue Isles and he wanted to offer me a place in the 7^th Egg Dynasty based on my potential.

My cover identity is one of a man suffering from some trauma which has caused him to behave in a childlike manner. I think this helped me get in quicker, as there as little suspicion when I agreed to join them immediately. They think me too simple minded to be capable of subterfuge, thank God.

The most disturbing rumor I have heard about The Good Egg, is that he may be a psionic projection from someone else. Intelligence claims that the person projecting The Good Egg into existence may not even be aware of it. I have no idea how to go about proving that The Good Egg is the figment of someone’s imagination made real.

Updates

Mercury Bundle 2 Sale – Includes Archer Maclean’s Mercury and Mercury Meltdown (now $9.99)- For a limited time only, you can get these two games for one low price. Coupon clippers rejoice!

TV Show King Price Drop (now $6.99)- Now can you tear yourself away from the TV and onto PSN?

X-Men Origins: Wolverine Weapon X Arena Pack Price Drop (now $4.99)- Wolverine + Arena = Happy Gamer

Downloadable Games

Military Madness: Nectaris ($9.99)- Now with a “platoon of new features”.

Numblast ($4.99)- A surreal number puzzle? No. Surreal would be me having anything to do with math unless I *have* to.

PSOne Classics: PS3/PSP

Gex ($5.99)- Look at the lazy lizard and the side-scroller game.. aww.

Game Demos (free)

Trine Demo- Get the first two levels of this bone crushing (no literally, you kill skeletons) solo or multiplayer action to try out.

Military Madness: Nectaris Demo- In case 10 big ones is still too rick for your blood, try the demo first!

Add-On Game Content

LittleBigPlanet Anniversary Costume (free)- You can dress him up like a little doll…

LittleBigPlanet Spaceman Costume (free)- …and tell your friends your daughter did it!

Dragon Age: Origins Stone Prisoner ($14.99)- Get Shale, a Golem who is willing to travel by your side.

Dragon Age: Origins Warden’s Keep ($6.99)- Get the scoop on the loss of Soldier’s Peak, and help the Grey Wardens get it back!

Brutal Legend Tears of the Hextadon Map Pack (free)- Two new maps for your multi-playing happiness; Circle of Tears & Death’s Fjord.

PC owners will get to enjoy this new free DLC along with a game patch on November 5, 2009.  360 owners will see a game patch on November 5, 2009, with the DLC following soon.  Sorry PS3 owners, but your stuck waiting for the patch and DLC.

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We are like the Dark Knight returning to Gotham, to once again put an end to all evil, except Blake and Ross are going to have to fight it out to decide who is Batman and who is Robin.  My bets are on Ross wearing the green tights, but I might be a little biased.  This week the topics discussed include strippers, blunders and even shutters, along with Ross’s Top 5 Left 4 Dead 2 controversies. So don’t miss a second of the action!

Links to Topics Discussed:

1. Grenades or Gonorrhea?

2. Did Valve inadvertently spill the beans?

3. Sony no longer cares about Home…

4. Death is calling the N-Gage.

Open To The Public:

• Does the N-Gage sound like a worth purchase?

The Evil Cast:

• The collective of chaos: Ross Polly and Blake Grundman

Special Thanks:

• Rob LeFebvre, the best Alfred we could get for free!
• To all of our subscribers!

If you have any comments, ideas or suggestions, get off your ass and get them to us!

1. Leave us a comment (DO IT NOW!) here on the post
2. Email us at feedback@gamesareevil.com
   
3. Call and leave us a voice message at (206) 309-4286

Related stuff to check out:

• EvilCast NewsBrief Episode #61
• EvilCast NewsBrief Episode #62
• EvilCast NewsBrief Episode #63

To discover whether a game that is marketed for kids (and the young at heart) is any good at all, all one needs to do is the following:

• Find a seven year old boy. My son fits this demographic nicely.
• Place said boy in front of large TV screen, running an Xbox 360 and copy of said game.
• Place a controller in his hands (of course he already knows how to use it; he IS my son…)
• Start the game, while helping him navigate through menus that are too hard for him to read.
• Watch him play.

Throughout this process, data collection is essential. Two data points must be observed, and recorded. The first essential point is the length of time spent playing the game, with a secondary variable being the amount time spent asking to play the game, while the television or console is not on. This requesting process includes asking, normally in a plaintive voice, or outright manipulation in the form of hugs, kisses, and “you’re the best dad, ever” statements. The second key data point to be recorded is the incidence and volume of exclamatory statements and giggles while playing the game in question. If the experimenter can hear said statements and laughter from upstairs, then one can be assured of a positive result.

I have used this tried and true method on rental games to see if they are worthy of a purchase. I’m now utilizing this highly specialized system for you, dear reader, to help you decide whether this movie tie-in game is worth your hard earned money.

We all know that movie tie-in games typically suck. Under most circumstances they suck fairly hardcore, to be completely honest. The only one I’ve heard of being any good is a certain James Bond game from a generation or two ago. So, I approach any tie-in game with some trepidation. Our own staff has reviewed a few movie games in the past, *cough* Terminator Salvation *cough* and found them to be lacking.

My son, in his inimitable seven-year-old wisdom, has decided that Where The Wild Things Are: The Game, rates high on the KWPTG scale. In the Kid Will Play This Game Scale we can find a large number of loud exclamations of delight, joy, laughter, and happiness. In addition, we also found there to be an increase in the amount of hugs, smiles and snuggles from said experimental subject when the game itself was turned off and stowed.

In my own play-through, the game proves to be an engaging mix of platforming elements, engaging characterizations and story events, truly making it a pleasant way to spend time with the Wild Things. I found my inner child laughing and whooping it up, howling right along with Max and the Wild Things, as they jumped and ran their way through the events of the story. This is a game that encourages play, whether in the Village, which an in-between-story-missions location that houses both Max’s tent and the Wild Things’ nest-like chairs, or in the missions, where things like jumping, running, and sliding become crucial to completing the mission.

My son found the running missions to be his favorite, and I must admit, they seemed to convey the proper amount of speed and joy that any young child would experience while running through the woods and jumping over logs and roots. That Max is riding a giant Wild Thing, jumping over and sliding under logs, and leaping across rivers, only adds to the howling happiness of the activity.

This balances out my initial disappointment when I realized that yes, Max would have to use his scepter to hit and smash things while moving through the levels. I haven’t seen the movie, yet, but doubt that it includes much in the way of hitting large fireflies or bushes. That being said, though, smacking them does feel satisfying in a aurally tactile way.

The audio of the game was an integral part of the enjoyment that we found while playing it. The weight of these huge creatures is conveyed through their deep, resonant voices, the rumble of the controller and the satisfying smash when landing a particularly difficult jump. Also worth noting, the “Press Start” screen is one not to be ignored, as watching Max run through levels, or listening to the quirky and thrillingly subtle soundtrack, can be as entertaining as actually playing the game. Throughout the missions, the music does not feel repetitive, or overly orchestrated. The camera angles and delicate transitions between cut scene and game play help emphasize a measure of elegance not typically seen in video games at all, let alone movie tie-ins.

The platforming is simple, but not overly easy. My son needed my help on occasion to get past a particularly tricky jump or a hive full of fireflies, which actually burn or explode. Max collects various objects for the different Wild Things, starting with skulls for The Bull, and progressing through model houses for Carol and plants for SOMEBODY. It’s all fairly innocuous, but remains pleasant and never felt like a grind or busy work.

The story hits all the themes of friendship, even the not so nice ones, in a nod to the original source material. Not everyone who acts like a friend actually is a friend, and Max finds this out early on, after being taken on a long trek and abandoned by two of the less accepting Wild Things. When my son wasn’t watching, I threw rocks at the large bird-like Wild Thing and made him mad. He came after Max, hitting him. When Max’s health got too low, the bird actually ATE HIM. This is brilliant, because it drives home that fact that the Wild Things are actually wild. They aren’t meant to be reassuring at all, and I appreciate the game for not dumbing that down. It’s good to be a little afraid of them.

My only quibble with the game is the lack of any kind of any multiplayer mechanics. It sure would be great to control a Wild Thing while my son controls Max, or some sort of co-op mode where I could play along with him. I don’t need a whole online leader board system, but a simple local 2-player mode would have been the icing on an already tasty cake.

Overall, if you have a young child at home, boy OR girl, you owe it to yourself to pick this game up. If you are familiar with the book, or the movie, and want to extend that experience, this may be a perfect way to do so. If you are able to put aside the foolish things of adulthood and engage your inner howling wild thing, this game will serve you well. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to sneak back to my Xbox and run through a few more forests to collect fallen stars before my son wakes up and takes the console away.

The new content will be available this week, and will include new Shakespearean-style buildings, new roads, and new maps.  No matter how it is put, the new style looks amazing.

Academy of Champions is compatible with the Wii Balance Board and Wii Motion Plus.  The game packs 12 action packed mini games, 5-on-5 soccer action, story-driven playing experience, and unlockable characters like Sam Fisher and Altair.

Geared towards kids, but fun for the whole family.  What better way to introduce your young gamers to soccer and multi-player fun!

Are you a frugal North American who refuses to pay full price for your face-shattering entertainment? Well you are in luck! EA today announced that the retail price of Fight Night Round 4 has been dropped to the more respectable asking price of $39.99. Sorry,  U.K. pugilists. In addition to the price drop, Fight Night will also be receiving a new DLC pack, and a mysterious one at that. This new DLC pack, which will be sold for $9.99 on the PSN and 800 MS points on XBLA Marketplace, adds 3 new boxers and 2 new modes. The new boxers joining the roster are Bernard Hopkins, Sonny Liston, and Evander Holyfield. The only details we have on the 2 new modes are as follows:

The first, Old School Rules brings a new take to the traditional boxing experience, while the second, Ring Rivalries, allows you to re-create some of the greatest match ups in boxing history.

Well, that is not vague at all. We expect to hear more details of these new modes in the near future, and the DLC pack will be released for download in early December.

Click here to get your very own free episode of Muzzled.

Ubisoft announced a collectors edition for the up coming Splinter Cell Conviction.  Below are some deets; don’t forget to clean up the drool as you leave.

Custom USB drive with the following pre-loaded:

• Full-length ‘Making of Splinter Cell Conviction’ video
• Wallpaper
• Concept art
• Renders
• Screenshots
• Storyboards

“Fifth Freedom: The Art Of Splinter Cell” Book
Two In-Game Items

• Gain first access to the MP5-SD3, a lethal close-quarters submachine gun with an integrated suppressor (yeah, we think its hot, too).
• an exclusive 3rd Echelon outfit.

Collectable Decals

• 3rd Echelon Logo Decal
• Iconic Bullet Hole Decal

“Digging In The Ashes” Comic Book
Steel DVD Case

WiiWare

Carnival King - Are you having a rough day?  Have you ever had the desire to “go postal?” Well there is a much better alternative to a homicidal rampage through the Human Resources department of your office.  Instead, you should spend your time taking out your aggressions on a virtual shooting gallery of inanimate digital objects on your television screen.  Plus, as an added benefit, it doesn’t involve the use of grief counselors afterward!

Featuring 12 unique levels and 3 bonus stages, Carnival King is sure to keep you firing off shots for quite some time.  Oh, and don’t forget that there is a 2 player mode and online leaderboards to keep your competitive spirit fed until you have gotten rid of that pesky itch in your trigger finger.  If this tickles your fancy, reload your wallet and snag this for 700 Wii Points ($7.00 USD).

Here is a sample of the midway inspired mayhem below:

“Aha! I Got It!” Escape Game – In this age of senseless violence in video games, it is good to know that there are still some that strive to test your brain, rather than your twitch reflexes.  Released over a year ago in Japan under a completely different name, this oddly titled game is a graphical representation of classic puzzlers from back in the text based days of PC Gaming.  Expect to have your mind bended, twisted and jumbled in knots by this interesting take on styles of old.

Though it is a single player game, the puzzle aspects render itself a game that can be played with the entire family.  Just be sure you can all get along for long enough to actually finish each stage, because eventually trial and error with tend to grate on the nerves a smidgen.  If this sounds like a good time, it might be worth picking up for a mere 500 Wii Points ($5.00 USD).

Take a look at this preview of the brain numbing shenanigans:

Family Card Games – Alright, I need to get on my soapbox for a moment and ask, is it really necessary to release all of these different card games on WiiWare?  I mean, I understand that it is an open development platform and all, but how many different solitaire clones do you really need to have on your console, Nintendo?  This is just getting to be a bit much…

That said, if you are a fan of such games as Speed or Memory, then this might be right up your alley.  Up to four players can engage in Hoyle based combat, all in the name of having the strongest deck. Lets face it, there have been so many horrible card games released on WiiWare that I am simply running out of creative euphemisms on the topic.  Looks like it is time to bust out the thesaurus!  Despite all of my warnings otherwise, if this peaks your interest, it is available for 500 Wii Points ($5.00 USD).

Check out a sneak peak at the action in this gameplay trailer:

Virtual Console

Fighting Street – You would have to be living under a rock for the last two decades to not know about the tremendously popular Street Fighter franchise.  However, what most people don’t realize is that the original Street Fighter was not what you would call a “great game.” Considered decent by some, mediocre by others, the first installment in the series was ported to the TurboGrafx 16 in 1988 under the absurdly unclever re-title, Fighting Street.  (Come on Capcom, you could have done better than that!)

Fortunately for the Street Fighter faithful, there is one thing that the port had, that trumped the original: a fully composed soundtrack.  Whether this was a result of using the extra space provided by the TurboGrafx 16’s CD drive is unknown, but it might be just enough to tip the scales towards adding this to your vintage Virtual Console library.  You can snag this classic for 800 Wii Points ($8.00 USD).

If you are curious if it is worth parting with your hard earned duckets, here is a preview of what you can expect:

R-TYPE - Nintendo has once again decided to go right into my nostalgic wheelhouse, by releasing this piece of side scrolling shoot ‘em up royalty.  Originally released in Arcades way back in 1987, it has pretty much been ported to every platform imaginable since then.  Being a classic game doesn’t mean it is easy though, in fact, it is very much the opposite.  R-TYPE is widely revered as one of the most difficult games of all time!

As far as I am concerned, there is nothing more satisfying than navigating a minefield of bullet hell, to deliver that one perfect shot that will bring a boss to its proverbial knees.  The game has tons of moments like this and will keep you on the edge of your seat for hour after frustrating hour.  Do me a favor though, don’t cheat and use a Game Genie.  Nobody likes a cheater!  You have no excuse not to pick this up for the full sticker price of 500 Wii Points ($5.00 USD).

Seriously, you haven’t bought it yet? What are you waiting for, some gameplay video? Alright, here you go:

There should be more than enough choices here to keep you busy for quite some time, so get to it!

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Brian Clough once said “I wouldn’t say I’m the best manager in the business, but I was in the top one.” In SI Games’ sheepskin simulator, Football Manager 2010, you’ll be given the chance to emulate the goals of Clough and his peers throughout a career of football management, from the lower leagues, all the way up to European super stardom.  With Championship Manager 2010 finally mounting a viable alternative to Football Manager after last years of practically not showing up, and sales of the franchise ‘exceeding expectations’ with its latest release, have SI Games rested on their laurels or pushed on from last years rather disappointing outing?
This time last year, Sports Interactive’s PR department were in overdrive, promising more features than ever before, including a new, much anticipated 3D engine and the most complete managerial experience ever seen. To some degree those promises were delivered on, but even the most ardent of fans of the franchise would admit it was quite underwhelming.  Most disconcerting was the 3D, engine which could only be described as primitive at best.  As one would imagine, this time round, the PR firm has been somewhat more subdued, instead only promising a better game all round, and with Football Manager 2010, they have definitely succeeded.  However, as with any success there is still plenty of room to improve in the future.

The first thing that hits you is just how much prettier the game is. The game is awash in a sea of dazzling white and crisp, cool colours. This is not just a new clearer skin, but a whole new, more functional layout. Gone are the vertical navigation menus we’ve seen throughout the history of the series, replaced with a more free-flowing, drop-down menu style. Though this redesign could be viewed as beneficial, it quite possibly could confuse those who’ve become so accustomed to the old menu style. Whilst the game is still the same as those you’ve played before, a few options have been moved around to make for much more logical navigation from screen to screen. Essentially, it’s not as intimidating for those new to the series, while still adhering to the demands of those who’ve lived and loved Sports Interactive’s games for over a decade. It may take a while for gamers used to the series to warm to it, but once understood, it quickly becomes the best all round layout to make its way into any sports management game, ever.

Football Manager 2010 is not only a stark improvement visually, but under the hood it is a much different animal as well. In previous installments, many people, myself included, would often be afraid to run any more than one or two leagues featuring a large database of players, for fear of instant PC meltdown. Curiosity however, got he better of me, so with this in mind I put Football Manager 2010 to the test and tried running the game on a large database with a number of leagues running.  With eight leagues active, from the lowest leagues, because nobody likes to miss out on potential talent, I started a new game. To my shock, database generation was almost instant. The days of 20 minute database creations now seem further away than reality would have you believe. But that was only the first test. After all, what good is a huge database, if the game becomes either too slow to use, or so unstable it becomes prone to crashes? So you can imagine my surprise when the game loaded even quicker than my Football Manager 2009 save, running just 3 leagues! Crazier yet, I was able to zip from screen to screen as if I’d only chosen the bare minimum of what was available.

There can be no denying that Football Manager 2010 as a game is built much more on small tweaks and touches from Football Manager 2009 than an all out revolution, such as that we’ve seen with Championship Manager 2010 this year.  So if you’re familiar with previous titles, there will be nothing too different, but that’s not so much a bad thing. After all, it only needed some key tweaks in the first place. One area that has been improved hugely is match day games. Gone are the bare minimum of options leading up to and throughout a game day. They have been replaced with a copious amount of new and improved options, from enhanced back room staff feedback, such as how certain players can improve areas of their game, to a tactic creation wizard where you can set playing styles for the team.

Two of the largest changes are new features that will soon become invaluable to any budding manager. Firstly, the option to define a players role, setting players as deep-lying playmakers or box-to-box midfielders, ball winning players, poachers, supporting forwards etc… There are now so many options available in setting up your team that you can truly create a playing style, from the silky smooth style displayed week in-week out by the likes of Arsenal and Barcelona, to the more robust styles displayed by Stoke City or Bolton Wanderers. Secondly, there is finally an option to coach from the sidelines, a feature sadly lacking in the previous outing. Now you have the option to truly roast your players for doing a bad job, telling them to focus play around a certain part of the pitch such as down the flanks or to shoot on site, or for those trying to hold on to a win, drop deep and clear the ball. All choices are made on the fly and you can clearly see players moving the ball around accordingly. You’re even able to stack various commands such as defending deep and breaking on the wings. Using these feature become a truly important part of the experience and is the real breakthrough of the new features available in the game.

Unfortunately, for every area that is improved, there are sadly some that have remained the same. Everything from the lackluster 3D engine we saw last year is an improved, but still not overly impressive, despite the inclusion of new player animations, stadias, and weather/pitch degradation. Though graphically it’s still a little disappointing, they’ve left the 2D mode in, which ironicly enough, has proven incredibly popular with many. However, one can’t help but feel that in a day and age where graphics are better than ever, it does feel that these 3D engines should at least be on par with those we saw on consoles over a decade ago, rather than those of an older generation. Another area severely lacking in functionality is the scouting section, which has remained the same now for far too many years and is in dire need of an overhaul. It’s functional, but nothing more than basic, especially when compared to the fantastic mode included in Championship Manager. For a game built around unearthing the latest footballing wunderkind, it seems a rather shocking oversight to have not improved it.

On a note for concern, there are some flaws present from the start. On every new game that was started, there were players moaning about how you deal with them in team-talks, even if you praise them for mauling the opposition 5-0. Some more player specific praise would be a welcome addition to future iterations of the franchise, if only to stop this happening all the time. There also seems to be a lack of reality in some matches, and although nothing is going to be perfect all the time, the ones encountered were more than a little odd. An example of some of these problems were present in my very first match, where playing as Manchester United, I had Gary Neville, a right-back who has scored only a handful of goals in his entire career and not score a goal, but a 30-yard screamer off of the woodwork! Further illustrating inconsistancies, Ben Foster, the Manchester United goalkeeper, rocketed in a free-kick from 85 yards! Although ‘he never meant that’, those kinds of things just shouldn’t happen and most definitely never in the same match.

Overall though, I do absolutely love this game and know I will play this several times a week, right up until Football Manager 2011 and quite possibly beyond. I do wish they’d add more new things, especially scouting and set-piece support, both of which are done better in other games.  It would also be nice to reduce the number times you see silly things happen such as players moaning over nothing or getting the most random goal scorers. However, with all that said, it really is purely nit-picking at a game which edges closer to perfect every single year. This game will cause yet more divorces, break-ups and arguments due to its ‘one more game’ nature, but then, do you really need a relationship with this game in your life?

Infinity Ward/Activision have been given the green light by Microsoft to disable party chat for team playlists.  At this juncture, there are conflicting reports on what is and isn’t excluded from party chat.  Ostensibly, the decision has been made to remove party chat to prevent cheating.  But, since cheaters are notoriously inventive and often ferociously determined, something as simple as a phone will surely serve just as well.  Which really leaves the question: why?

Presumably, this will save on bandwidth, setting an alarming precedent for other developers to follow.  But is this really that big a deal?  Or should we be annoyed that Microsoft seem to be happy for developers to rewind 360 functionality several years?  Is this a bridge too far (ahem) after the dedicated server furore that so angered prospective PC players recently?

This expansion has you taking your Sims to places like China, Egypt, and France.  The expansion also boasts a new soundtrack with artists like Nelly Furtado and LeAnn Rimes lending their musical talents.

Look for The Sims 3: World Adventures to hit retail on November 17, 2009.  Don’t have The Sims 3 yet?  Good news for you as a collectors’ edition will be available the same day.  The collectors’ edition will come with both the game and the expansion.

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Join us once again for our Network-wide podcast, pulling content and audio from Games Are Evil and The Portable Gamer to bring you the best of the week. Ewan’s back, podcasting from some pub in the wilds of Scotland, kilt flapping in the breeze, bringing you the best of all Evils.

This week:

• Ewan weights the pros and cons of digital download distribution
• Carter interviews 4J Studios about Texas Wuggle
• Then Carter interviews Brian Robbins from Riptide Games

DJ Hero is a work of musical art.  I have played both Guitar Hero and Rock Band, neither of which have gotten the same dancing, and dare I say, radio cranking effect that DJ Hero achieves.  Bottom line, this game is addictive and immensely fun to play.

As you would imagine, DJ Hero follows the same formula of notes falling down an endless highway.  You have three buttons on the top of the platter (record) that you have to hit in sequence.  You earn stars.  You have a point booster.  This is where the similarities come to an end.

Like any new game, the first thing I did was play through the tutorial.  Grand Master Flash held my hand as he taught me about scratching, crossfading, fader spikes, rewinds, and directional scratching.  It was a bit much to take in at first.  That said, after an hour or so of playing, I was crossfading and scratching with sheer enjoyment.

For those that are concerned about the initial learning curve, let not your heart be troubled, because the difficulty of this game scales very well.  If you start out on the beginner difficulty, you only have to press a button on the platter when a colored bar comes down the screen.  Easy has you doing scratches and matching up colors, with Medium adding in crossfades, Hard imposing directional scratches and fade spikes and Expert, well, that speeds the whole process up and really makes you prove yourself.

The biggest difference I noticed from other entries in the Guitar Hero brand was that missing a note does not cause a loud irritating noise that would stop the beat.  This was always a big turn off for me in other games, because I might be rocking a song, miss a note, and get out of sync with the game.  DJ Hero keeps the beat going, thus allowing you to remain in sync.  On the negative side, this also means you won’t always notice when you miss a note, other than the score multiplier resetting back to one.

Yet another difference from other music games is that you can use euphoria (star power) as soon you gain it.  You no longer need to wait until it fills the meter half way.  It is also worth noting that there are now three bars to fill for euphoria.  You will still want to plan your euphoria use carefully, but it is nice to trigger euphoria before you know the song is ending and you only have one bar to use.

Scoring remains much the same.  If you hit all the notes, scratches, fades and spikes correctly, your score multiplier will increase.  Much like playing lead guitar any of the other music games, your normal multiplier maxes out at four.  This is where rewinds come in.  If you manage to hit enough notes in order, the rewind ability becomes active.  This allows you to spin the platter in reverse and run through a sequence a second time.  Though, on the second pass, you can get double the score multiplier.  Mastering rewinds is crucial to getting five stars on songs.  With practice, you’ll be spinning the platter in reverse and catching the note buttons without even looking down.

Another nicety is that there is little distraction from the music.  Lets face it, when star power is available in Guitar Hero or Rock Band, the sound the game makes can pull you out of a song.  DJ Hero keeps these sounds subtle.  Text pops up on the screen telling you that rewind has became available and the green reverse arrow lights up.  When Euphoria becomes available, the bars on the right side of the highway light up.  Also, the euphoria button on the turntable controller lights up.  It is a nice touch.

As solid are the core mechanics are, this game would be nothing had it not been for the music.  There are 93 mixes available in the game, which sounds like a lot, but you may hear the same song repeated in several mixes.  This is true of songs from artists like Cypress Hill, Gwen Stefani, and Gorillaz. There are some mixes that you will see the song titles, and ask yourself “what the heck?” However, once you start playing the mix, you’ll find yourself really liking it.  This is a testament to the skill of the DJs behind each track.

There are 20 venues to play, all of which contain a wide range of different track counts.  Hell, there are even venues where you will only see two mixes listed.  Once you have met the requirements of the location, usually achieving a three star rating on all of the songs, you will be invited to play the bonus mix.  Some venues even have you playing as the actual DJ.  If you manage to find the Daft Punk venue, and you will be playing as Daft Punk for the entire setlist!

The visuals on the game are pretty much on par for this style and genre of game, not that it will really matter with your eyes focused on the center of the screen.  So, pretty much all you will see is black, green, red, and blue.  Though fairly predictable, the backgrounds do have some thought put into them.  Dancers will also do real club dance moves, spin poi around, and try and get the crowd excited. Special effects attempt to add to this atmosphere as well, just be prepared to see lots of screen flashes and strobes.

All of this adds up to a very engaging game, though it is not all ecstasy in the club.  One of the biggest annoyances is that after you finish a mix, the music stops as it displays your score and star count.  It would have been nice to have some sort of transitional music going, to try and illustrate how a DJ would transition from one mix to another. This would also help keep the flow of the game going without pause.

Another downfall is the feature set.  You have a single player mode, two player mode with a second turntable, and two player where one plays a guitar (imagine that), along with online play, and create your own set lists.  It would be remiss to neglect to mention that the guitar sections are hit or miss in terms of quality.  When you play solo and have a venue with a guitar, it will put you on the left side and the guitar on the right.  Why?  I am glad these are far and few between, and this is only a minor annoyance.

Overall, the game does a good job of breaking the ice and bringing you into the DJ world, but keep in mind that the sets on which your DJ plays are highly exaggerated.  This game will not teach you how to mix songs, nor will it teach you how to transition from one mix to another.  What would have been awesome to see is some interviews with DJ’s like Grand Master Flash, Daft Punk, DJ Shadow, and DJ Z-Trip, just to name a few, included with the game as an unlockable bonus.

This is a great addition to the “__ Hero” family of games.  If you are on the fence about picking up DJ Hero, you might be pleasantly surprised at how fun and enjoyable it is.  Those you you who enjoy techno, house music, hip-hop, or rock music owe it to yourself to at least give it a look.

One of the goals of this game was to shine a light on the masterful work of DJ’s, and it has achieved that goal with flying colors.  Another goal was to bring an interest to turntables/mixers, and it once again accomplished what it set out to do. Most importantly, DJ Hero brings a new level of fun and excitement to the music game genre.

One thing that sets Dragon Age apart from other RPGs is that your race and class effect far more than how you play your character. The first few hours of the game will take place based on one of 6 “Origin Stories”.  These series of quests will help explain how the character got to where they were when the rest of the campaign started. This is an interesting idea that should provide good replay value, not that many people are going to play through a full length RPG numerous times.

Even if you don’t want to play it multiple times, a large amount of DLC should keep the game engaging once the main story is complete. RPG fans should be drooling over this game. While a little more of a niche title then other games coming out this week, Dragon Age is a solid entry for those who aren’t after one of the half dozen shooters or action games coming out. If you’re on a budget, there is a lot of game here. If you enjoy RPGs at all, this is a must buy.

It was to my relief that James O’Reilly, Ubisoft’s Group Brand Manager understood my sentiments, commenting: “We are responding to direct feedback from the fans of Assassin’s Creed. Variety and depth of gameplay is an important learning and the team have been hard at work ensuring that the Assassin’s Creed 2 experience delivers accordingly.” When questioned if things be different this time around, he responded, saying, “I’m really excited about AC2. I feel like we’ve been able to really get what we want out of the game this time.”

Visually, the game has certainly received an upgrade. Climb a building and you’ll see that the play-area is now genuinely city-sized, with no “fog of war” cheats. See a building on the other side of town? You can free-run your way there across the roof-tops with no loading. Other touches, such as how Ezio’s (highly customizable) outfits will darken and stick to him when wet, both dripping and leaving squelchy footprints as he tries to inconspicuously wander across town, add an extra feel of finish.

The first one didn’t do too bad for itself though, did it? “What? 1.2million units for a new IP? Yeah, it did OK,” O’Reilly laughs, “but the ad campaign for the new game will be immense. I’ve never spent this much money before, it’s quite scary,” though no fear was showing in his eyes. “I really can’t wait for it to come out. It’s something the whole team’s really proud of and we know we’ve got a great game on our hands.” When saying this, O’Reilly seems genuine, as if he feels that the team has something to prove this time around, especially after the first AC showed so much promise and technical merit, but failed to cement itself as one of the greats, in the minds of players.

So where will the game be bettering its predecessor, I questioned. “Altair was already a master assassin when we jumped into his part of the story” O’Reilly reminisces. “Players will meet Ezio da Firenze Auditore before he becomes an Assassin and will join him on the path to becoming an Assassin. We can’t wait to see what’s in store as you join the character throughout a 30 year span.” He continued discussing what players would be doing over the span of the game, saying, “In the first game there were really only three mission types. In AC2 there are about 15 mission types in rotation, and the order’s mixed up so the repetition is completely gone. There’s also a ton of side missions outside the main rotation, so there’s loads more for the player to do.”

We’re not allowed to reveal anything about the story yet, but it seems that Ubisoft have really given their all to throttle out the first game’s failings, and make better still its successes. The combat animations were from a three month-old build, but they played at least as well as the first game, with more variation promised. It goes without saying that the free-running and animations are set to once again drop the jaws of passers-by. In its current state the game seemed fairly fleshed out, with surprisingly unique and varied inhabitants wandering its world, not to mention a lot of side-missions apparently already in place. That AC1 sold so well was probably down to expert marketing and the ‘wow’ factor, but AC2 looks to be shaping up to be one of the must-haves in a sea of great story and character-driven games coming our way soon.