Upcoming games to look out for

Like most years, 2009 has started out slow with in terms of big games being released.  But, alas, January is over and the games are about to flow.  Tomorrow, the sci-fi horror shooter F.E.A.R. 2, which has received mass praise after its demo was released, ships out for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.  While I didn't write an article about it on here, I was thoroughly impressed with the F.E.A.R. 2 demo and can't wait to get my hands on it.  For those who only have a Wii and still want a fun and gory experience, do not worry.  Sega has you covered with the all new House of the Dead: Overkill.  We only hope that they have improved the voice overs from the past games.  That's not all to expect from Sega this week though, for you fans of classics, Sega has created the Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for the Xbox 360 and PS3.  This is not another Sonic compilation game!  This game includes 40 (THAT'S NO TYPO, FORTY!) classic Genesis games, oh, and did I mention it's only $30?  You want a list?  You got it: 

• Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
• Alien Storm
• Altered Beast
• Beyond Oasis
• Bonanza Bros.
• Columns
• Comix Zone
• Decap Attack starring Chuck D. Head
• Dr. Robotnik's MBM
• Dynamite Headdy
• Ecco the Dolphin
• Ecco II: The Tides of Time
• E-SWAT
• Fatal Labyrinth
• Flicky
• Gain Ground
• Golden Axe I
• Golden Axe II
• Golden Axe III
• Kid Chameleon
• Phantasy Star II
• Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom
• Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium
• Ristar
• Shining in the Darkness
• Shining Force
• Shining Force 2
• Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
• Sonic 3D Blast
• Sonic and Knuckles
• Sonic Spinball
• Sonic the Hedgehog
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2
• Sonic the Hedgehog 3
• Streets of Rage
• Streets of Rage 2
• Streets of Rage 3
• Super Thunder Blade
• Vectorman
• Vectorman 2

There are more games than this that will be unlockable as well.  Finally a classic game collection with good games!  But this week isn't the end of it!  Oh no, in two and a half weeks (Feb 27th) Killzone 2 ships out!  Based off the demo (whether you preordered it or downloaded it from the European PSN store), this is going to be a system seller.  The PS3 has had a hard time getting a legitimate system seller like Microsoft's Halo series.  Metal Gear Solid 4 is probably considered its strongest "system seller" at the moment, but a lot more people would go for an fps then a stealth third person action/shooter.  Killzone 2 is a solid shooter with insane graphics (best looking game yet? maybe...) and great action.  If the new multiplayer scheme is a winner, Killzone 2 will be a system seller for sure.  

If that wasn't enough, psp owners will finally get to dust off their fancy little portables come March 3rd when Sega releases Phantasy Star Portable.  The Phantasy Star series has a pretty strong following and his title will hopefully bring some life back into the psp.  It is basically a new and updated version of Phantasy Star Universe with a nice wireless multiplayer feature.  Does Sega stop there?  Nope!  They recently announced Phantasy Star Zero for the Nintendo DS which is a prequel to the hit title Phantasy Star Online that was released years ago for Sega's Dreamcast, then eventually Xbox, Gamecube, and the PC.  No date has been released for that game yet though.  Wii fans not happy with the gory'ness of House of the Dead, well Capcom has you covered with Dead Rising: Chop til you Drop which is coming February 24th.  Also, for you fans of fighters, Feb 17th marks the day of Street Fighter IV for Xbox 360 and PS3.

Also on March 3rd, Halo Wars for Xbox 360.  Microsoft's hit fps goes rts with this prequel to the hit Halo series.  A demo is currently available on XBL.  March 13th brings Capcom's survival horror series Resident Evil back to life with Resident Evil 5.  The demo for that is already out on PSN and XBL for download offering a look at two different levels.  If none of the games mentioned in this article appeal to you, then there's something wrong with you.  In the next month, there's something for everyone coming out.

-CA

2008 Gamers USA GOTY Awards!

Well folks, they're finally here!  The votes have been tallied and here they are.  After much deliberation between the four of us, we have all settled on the following:

Best Party Game - Scene it? Box Office Smash! (Xbox 360)

Honorable Mention - Boom Blox (Wii)

Best Portable Game - Chrono Trigger (Nintendo DS)

Honorable Mention - God of War: Chains of Olympus (PSP)

Best Music Game - Rock Band 2 (multi)

Honorable Mention - Guitar Hero: World Tour (multi)

Best Downloadable Game (does not include games avail. on disc) - Braid (XBL)

Honorable Mention - N+ (XBL)

Best In-game Environment - Dead Space (multi)

Honorable Mention - Fallout 3 (multi)

Best Fighting Game - Super Smash Brothers Brawl (Wii)

Honorable Mention - Soul Caliber IV (multi)

Best Shooter - Left 4 Dead (Xbox 360)

Honorable Mention - Resistance 2 (PS3) and Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360)

Best RPG - Fallout 3 (multi)

Honorable Mention - Chrono Trigger (Nintendo DS)

Best Horror Game - Dead Space (multi)

Honorable Mention - Silent Hill: Homecoming (multi)

Best Sports Game - Tiger Woods '09 (multi)

Honorable Mention - Skate It (Wii)

Best Racing Game - Burnout Paradise (multi)

Honorable Mention - Midnight Club: Los Angeles (multi)

Best new IP - Dead Space (multi)

Honorable Mention - Little Big Planet (PS3)

Best Sound - Left 4 Dead (Xbox 360)

Honorable Mention - Dead Space (multi)

Best Graphics - Gran Turismo 5: Prologue (PS3)

Honorable Mention - Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3) and Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360)

Best Downloadable Content - Burnout Paradise (multi)

Most Satisfying Hype - Grand Theft Auto IV (multi)

Most Disappointing Hype - Wii Music (Wii)

Most Malicious Gore - Dead Space (multi)

Honorable Mention - Fallout 3 (multi)

Most Side Stories/Jobs - Fable 2 (Xbox 360)

Honorable Mention - Grand Theft Auto IV (multi) and Fallout 3 (multi)

Game That Left Us Begging For A Sequel - Dead Space (multi)

Honorable Mention - Fallout 3 (multi)

Most Unique Control Scheme - Mirror's Edge (multi)

Most Life-Consuming Game - Fallout 3 (multi)

Honorable Mention - Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3) and Grand Theft Auto IV (multi)

Highest Replay Value - Fallout 3 (multi)

Best PC Game - World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King

Honorable Mention - Spore

Best Nintendo DS Game - Chrono Trigger

Honorable Mention - Ninjatown

Best PSP Game - God of War: Chains of Olympus

Honorable Mention - Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core

Best Wii Game - Super Smash Brothers Brawl

Honorable Mention - Boom Blox

Best Xbox 360 Game - Fable 2

Honorable Mention - Gears of War 2

Best PS3 Game - Metal Gear Solid 4

Honorable Mention - Little Big Planet

GAME OF THE YEAR HONORABLE MENTION - Grand Theft Auto IV (multi) and Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3)

GAME OF THE YEAR!

FALLOUT 3 (multi)

After hours of playing and many a sleepless night, this new addition to the Fallout franchise quickly became an instant favorite of all of us here at Gamersusa. The revamp to the franchise was Bethesda's difficult but satisfying task. Doing a good job of rebuilding Interplay's baby, Bethesda has definitely proved itself to, pretty much, the entire industry. Fallout 3 literally starts you off at your character's birth and lets you build yourself from the very beginning. The story does not stop there; Fallout 3, in addition to a main storyline, has many arduous and somtimes hilarious tasks. From finding an old lady her violin to dealing with people who think they're supervillains, there's no end to the outrageous side-tasks. Bethesda has taken a brand new approach to the RPG genre, by mixing action/adventure, RPG, and FPS elements. One of the most noteable being the Vault-Tech Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S.), a 'slo-mo' way of meticulously defeating various foes, which lets you pick out parts of the body individually in order to cripple them. With a wide variety of weapons, tools, foodstuffs, and plenty of skill books, Fallout 3 lets you play the way you want to play, which is why it made our Game of the Year. So, in closing, if you haven't played it yet, go buy it!

-gmusa staff

Preview: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

Yes, folks, the wait is over. The people at Lucasarts have released the official demo for Star Wars: the Force Unleashed available on XboxLive and Playstation Network. I downloaded it yesterday and played it through, and then I played it through again, and again. It is shaping up to be a powerhouse of a title that will definately satisfy your thirst for a taste of the dark side.

You play a Darth Vader's secret apprentice named Galen Marek (codenamed "Starkiller"). The opening cutscene was especially satisfying. Vader sends you on an assignment and tells you to kill everything, Rebels and Imperials alike; you are not to be discovered and nothing will stand in the way of completing your mission. The game takes place between Episode III and IV, during the great Jedi purge ordered by Emperor Palpatine. You're pretty much responsible for seeking out and destroying any Jedi throughout the galaxy.

Keeping in mind that this was a demo, it looked good. The graphics when performing Force moves were especially unique and showed little details in the attributes of each move being performed. The controls could be a little tighter, though. It got a little awkward performing one move after another and I sometimes ended up just button-mashing to clear a room full of enemies. It seems, though, that once you get used to the controls, learn the combos, and master force-moves, you could probably unleash some pretty viscious attacks. The gameplay reminded me of the God of War series, with combos and powerups and also little button-sequenced boss fights. That being my only complaint, i was very satisfied with Force Unleashed. I think the Star Wars franchise needs something like this to appeal to the older gamers, plus I'm tired of playing as the good guys.

In conclusion, when this game hits store shelves on September 16th, I'll be one of the first to pick it up and I think you should too. Look for the full review of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed later in September.

Thanks for reading and may the force be with you.

-JD

News: Guitar Hero: On Tour (DS) announced!

That's right, Activision has finally announced officially that Guitar Hero: On Tour is in fact a portable version of Guitar Hero that is to be released on the Nintendo DS. The game will come with two peripherals: one is a pick style sytlus, and the other is four button (unlike the usual 5) fret board.

Now, all I've seen are the pictures here so I'm still not too sure on how it will all work together, but I'm sure it will be fun. The game is also said to feature the most diverse set list of master tracks ever offered in a Guitar Hero game and will include classic rock, alternative, and pop songs. (Hooray for master tracks!) Oh, and most importantly, there will be online multiplayer battles as well as local. :) I'm looking forward to it.

-CA

Review: Lego Star Wars: Complete Saga (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PC, DS)

Ah, yes. The latest installment of the Lego Star Wars series. I figured I would give this a review in light of the upcoming Lego Batman and Lego Indiana Jones games. I'll start off with the console version, whereas I have the PS3 version. I had Lego Star Wars 1 for Gamecube and Lego Star Wars 2 for Xbox 360, so I pretty much thought I knew exactly what I was going to get. It was a matter of whether or not it would live up to what I expected. I thought I was going to get a polished version of both games with a few extras. Well, it did, more so than I even expected!

The graphics are as good as they are going to get for a Lego game, which is fantastic. You literally look like little legos running around (except they're a little more flexible than real legos). The music and sounds are straight from the movies and 100% perfect. Apart from the old versions, there are a few more characters, a few extra 'extras', and even a few extra'ish levels. But the fun doesn't stop there.

In Lego Star Wars, you start off in what I will call, for lack of better words, the overworld. It's nothing like an overworld in most games but it is where you choose what episode and chapter you will play. But it is free roaming and such like an overworld area. Well, I found that there was so much fun that you could have in this little overworld area. (see pic below)

That is a picture I took with my camera of my TV (which explains the odd look to the picture), and I took this picture because of how ridiculous I thought this was (in a funny way). You don't just walk outside and there's a race track and go-kart thing, you have to do a few things to get them there, but this is one of the things I love about the Lego Star Wars series. Random stuff thrown in to make pure hilarious fun. The game is simple and fun, with plenty of game modes (including a new challenge mode for each stage), you won't get bored easily. The controls are great and easy, though the flying levels are still a little awkward. I give the console versions an 8 out of 10.

8/10

Now in the DS version, you obviously expect a downgrade in graphics and sound because the DS is not a powerhouse system. The graphics are quite superb for it being on the DS though. The screenshots your see from here on are actually from the DS version.

To be honest, there isn't too much different in the DS version from the console versions. There are the obvious shortcomings due to lack of storage space on the DS cart. Less levels, different sometimes shorter levels, not as many extras or characters, and it was semi side-scroller in play. But that doesn't make it much worse of a game at all. It is definitely a great portable edition of the series.

The only thing that really bothered me about the DS version is the cutscenes. They were basically stop-motion animation. A bunch of still images spliced together, they are so annoying to watch. They almost take the humor out of the cutscenes. The controls are the same as the console versions except for a few touch add ins (some you don't need to use). Now that isn't to say that the DS version is completely lacking. It has many extras that the consoles don't have. Quite a few mini games, most which utilize the touch screen. You can definitely tell that the game was built from the ground up for DS and not horribly ported. The game is great and if you like Star Wars, you'll like this game. I'm going to give the DS version a 7 out of 10.

7/10

-CA

Nintendo to charge for some online gaming?

It's true. Nintendo is planning on charging for online play for some games. They have not released game specifics. However, the new logo will be red and say "Pay and play". Yes, a game that you are purchasing will remind you that you, in fact, must pay to play it. The player will be charged by using Wii points to play online. This was announced at the GDC.

Review: Pokemon Diamond/Pearl (DS); 493 useable pokemon?

The pokemon franchise has come a long way* since it's introduction way back in 1995 (in Japan). For those who are either new to the series or have just never played, Pokemon is a turn-based RPG in which you typically start off as a young boy or girl who manages to get a free pokemon (out of a choice of 3; a water type, a fire type, and a grass type) from a random professor in town and starts a journey to see all the pokemon the world has to offer while filling information in your pokedex that the professor gives you, and perhaps become a champion in the process. Pokemon Diamond and Pearl are no different**. You start of as a young boy or girl and come across a professor at the lake near your house. After they leave you and your friend notice that they left a briefcase behind in the tall grass. (for those who don't know, you encounter pokemon in tall grass) You and your friend take the risk going into the grass to see what's in the case. When you get there you open it and there are 3 pokemon inside**. The choices are Chimchar, a little monkey who is fire type**, Piplip, a little penguin who is water type**, and Turtwig, a little turtle who is grass type**. Then pokemon attack you and you have no choice but to use one of the 3 pokemon as your defense. After the battle the professor comes back to see what has happened, gets angry and leaves. You and your friend track him down to say sorry and he lets you keep the pokemon if you take his pokedex and fill it with data. And that's how the game begins.

The DS brings a few new elements to pokemon and most of them are great. The second screen takes the clutter out of the first screen, especially during battles. The DS's power over previous handhelds allow for a 2.25D (not quite 2D, not nearly 3D) overworld but to my severe disappointment, the battles were left with non-moving sprites (well, they bounce around a bit when the pokemon is first released) and simple attack animations. This is frustrating to me because this is the fourth major installment of the series and the battles are (other than being more clearly drawn) exactly the same** (below picture is from pokemon red viewed on super gameboy).

In the previous pokemon titles leading to diamond and pearl, there have been a total of 386 pokemon which means that there are 107 all new pokemon to enjoy in this installment... if you can find a way to get them. The reason I say this is because once again, Nintendo thought it would be fun to have more "special event pokemon"**. These pokemon are only attainable by going to special pokemon events where you would receive special items that would unlock a sequence of in game events. These steps will eventually lead you to extremely rare pokemon in the game (Arceus, Shaymin, and Darkrai). In America, these pokemon are near impossible to get without cheats. There are so few pokemon events held in America, and some of them don't even release the "special event pokemon" at them, so I personally am not to fond of the idea if special event pokemon (though it does add a nice rarity factor, it also adds significantly to the hacked pokemon population).

If if you think that getting all of the new pokemon in diamond and pearl because of things like special event pokemon; just wait and see what you have to go through for all 493. First, you need to have all of the Pokemon Ruby and/or Sapphire, Pokemon FireRed and/or LeafGreen, Pokemon Colosseum, Pokemon XD, Pokemon Ranger, and a link cable from your gameboy advance to your gamecube (or wii). Then you have to get all the pokemon into those versions, and oh yes, they have special event pokemon too. Once you somehow manage that, you have to beat diamond or pearl to open the pal park and have them transferred onto your diamond or pearl file. Good luck! Shiny pokemon have also returned to the fray and are just as rare as they have been since they were introduced in the gold and silver versions except, they don't give you one in the plot like they did in gold and silver either. With the Diamond and Pearl versions alone, I'm not sure of the exact number but I think somewhere around 150 pokemon are available.

Of course with new pokemon come new legendary pokemon and once again, this is no exception. Nintendo did a great job in coming up with some kickass new legendary pokemon for diamond and pearl. Dialga and Palkia are both awesome.

So, what's so great about diamond and pearl then? Well, obvious reasons like the new pokemon, the gameplay (though almost exactly the same as it has always been) is rock solid, new moves and pokemon competitions spice it up a little, giving you so much more to do than just stroll your way through the game. Also, for the in depth pokemaniac EV points were added for those who want to breed and raise their pokemon to be absolutely perfect. The game's difficultly level, especially towards the end with the elite 4, is a good amount higher than previous versions; but they keep it bearable. The addition of online battling and trading are an incredible add on as well. Not only can you just trade with people you know but you can go to the global trading center and trade pokemon with people around the world. (My Palkia in my diamond version is from Japan) With a clear and easy to use interface throughout the game, no one that is over 5 years old should have a problem playing this game.

In the end, I give Pokemon Diamond/Pearl 8 out of 10. While the new innovative features definitely get the games score up, it is the lack of innovation in other areas that brings it down. I put a * in the beginning of the review where I said the franchise has come a long way and ** next to several things that are due for a makeover in the game. I referenced them together because the franchise when you think about it, hasn't come that far at all. But don't let that discourage you from the game. My note to Nintendo would be, if you keep stuff in the game from old versions, take something awesome like how after you beat the elite 4 in gold/silver you could travel to the region from the red/blue versions and not only catch a lot more pokemon, but also battle more gym leaders and everything. I still think that the gold/silver/crystal versions are the best in the series having had 251 pokemon available in game (only 2 were event pokemon: Mew and Celebi). So all that bad and still 8/10? Yes! Pokemon is a great and and always has been, it's all of the elements of the game are good; they're just starting to get old. And to those who think it's just for kids, you're wrong. The game is great and people of all ages will love it. The show is for kids (though the movies are tolerable).

8/10

-CA

Releases: Week of 2/5

Here is the list of titles to be released this week (most of them today).
Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles (DS)
Culdcept SAGA (Xbox 360)
Devil May Cry 4 (PS3, Xbox 360)
Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore (Wii, Xbox 360, PS2)
Sins of a Solar Empire (PC)
Turok (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Twisted Metal: Head On: Extra Twisted Edition (PS2)

Technorati Tags: Releases,PC,Nintendo Wii,Xbox 360,PlayStation 3,Nintendo DS

News: Navy Blue DS lite coming to the US!

On February 10th, gaming stores in the US will begin selling a navy blue/black DS lite. This makes the 6th color scheme for the DS lite in the US joining white, black, pink (and pink with a pawprint for the nintendogs version), crimson/black, and gold (zelda version).

-CA

Technorati Tags: Nintendo DS