Here’s your first look at Atari’s upcoming downloadable Ghostbusters title Sanctum of Slime. The game will hit PSN, Xbox Live and PSN in Spring of 2011 and casts players in the role of a rookie Ghostbuster hired by the team from the original film to help prevent a paranormal tragedy. Wait, something about that feels so familiar.

Oh well, check out the never before released trailer and screens below.

Retro fans and casual gamers alike will have something more to rejoice over aside from their fall/winter holiday of choice in the upcoming holiday season. 50 classic Atari games, including Asteroids, Pong, Centipede, Missile Command, Tempest, Lunar Lander, Space Duel, Battlezone, and Adventure, will be compiled into what will possibly be the first installment of Atari’s Greatest Hits for Nintendo DS, arriving in North America this Fall.

According to Atari, every spotlighted game will feature the same control scheme as their original arcade and 2600 form, with modern updates to align with the Nintendo DS platform. Single card multi-player will be available for 20 titles including Space Duel and Pong; multi-card play will be available for head-to-head games. As an added bonus, the compilation will also include the original game manuals for each title, an Atari memorabilia showcase and other extras, such as an Atari Trivia game.

The complete lineup for Atari’s Greatest Hits: Volume 1 is as follows:

Atari Arcade Hits

Asteroids, Battlezone, Centipede, Gravitar, Lunar Lander, Missile Command, Pong, Space Duel, Tempest.

Atari 2600 Favorites

3D Tic-Tac-Toe, Adventure, Air-Sea Battle, Asteroids, Atari Video Cube, Basketball, Battlezone, Bowling, Centipede, Championship Soccer, Dodge ‘Em, Flag Capture, Football, Fun with Numbers, Gravitar, Hangman, Haunted House, Home Run, Human Cannonball, Math Gran Prix, Miniature Golf, Missile Command, Outlaw, Realsports Baseball, Realsports Boxing, Realsports Football, Realsports Tennis, Realsports Volleyball, Sky Diver, Slot Maching, Slot Racers, Sprintmasters, Starship, Stella Track, Submarine Commander, Surround, Swordquest Earthworld, Swordquest Fireworld, Swordquest Waterworld, Tempest and Video Checkers.

Atari’s Greatest Hits: Volume 1, developed by Atari in partnership with Code Mystics will available exclusively on Nintendo DS. Check out the trailer below:

If you’re old enough to have actually received an Atari 2600 as a Christmas gift like I am, then you probably remember one of the better games for that ancient console, Haunted House.

Well, in an effort to celebrate the game’s 30th anniversary, and to have a whole new generation of gamers actually play it, Atari has remade Haunted House with authentic replication of arcade gameplay, rich 3D environments, interactive objects, dynamic story lines, and new characters.

“The glowing eyes and mysterious urn of Haunted House still resonates with gamers who made the original franchise a blockbuster hit,” says Jim Wilson, President of Atari. “Atari looks forward to introducing a new generation of gamers to the fun and suspense of Graves Mansion and bringing families together with the magic that is Haunted House.”

Haunted House will be available via Xbox Live Arcade, Nintendo Wii, and Windows PC Download, this fall.

Video games and movies are both quite enjoyable when separate.

However, like eating sandwiches and sex, the end result is rarely good when the two are combined.

With this in mind, there is no surprise that I was a bit skeptical when I heard there was going to be a new Ghostbusters game to be released for the Xbox 360.‚  Yet, upon hearing about how this game was going to have a good distributor and all of the same main actors and writers from the original movies on board with the project, my skepticism quickly turned into cautious optimism for the title.

Ghostbusters takes place in Manhattan just two years after the events in the movie Ghostbusters 2.‚  With all of the main characters present, the stage is set perfectly for players to seamlessly jump into the post-movie action.‚  When starting a new game, players take control of a recently hired Ghostbuster team member.‚  While some of the members have a hard time trusting you at first, you quickly become a major cog for the team.

After completing a quick tutorial, your rookie character jumps right into the action when a Manhattan hotel calls to complain about some paranormal activity within its walls.‚  When the team arrives, it is revealed that your old friend Slimer is wreaking havoc in the hotel.‚  Following the clues and slime piles left behind, the team is locked in an adventure that expands far beyond the presence of Slimer and the premises of the hotel.

The main Ghostbusting function within the gameplay is utilizing the “Sap ‘em, Cap ‘em, Trap ‘em” technique.‚  Resembling the actions from the movies, your character must drain a targeted ghost’s energy (AKA sapping), prevent the ghost from running away (AKA capping) and put the ghost in one of the high-tech, Pokeball-like trapping devices (AKA”¦ well, you get the idea).

Sapping involves some eye-hand coordination, as this part of the technique requires some quick and accurate shooting.‚  Upon finding a powerful ghost (some small ghosts can be eliminated without the use of the entire three step technique) players must follow their ghastly enemy manually with their sapping ray by pressing the RT button.‚  Once you have sapped enough energy out of the ghost (as indicated by a small meter located on or near your target), it is time to trap it.‚  If your proton pack hasn’t done so automatically, press the left bumper to activate your capture stream.‚  When this ray is being used, players will be able to crash the ghost into the ground and walls in order to further weaken and eventually daze the enemy.‚  Once that is accomplished, players should throw out a trap and slowly drag the phantasm into it.

The control scheme is pretty much as difficult as it sounds.‚  Even with the very helpful tutorial portion of the campaign, it seems like most of the controls are not quite as intuitive as many gamers would like (tracking ghosts and even sprinting seems like a bit of a chore). ‚ With this in mind, it is no surprise that combat can be a little longwinded and repetitive. ‚ Expect to be methodically learning and relearning the different processes, especially the Sap “Ëœem, Cap “Ëœem and Trap “Ëœem technique, for a slightly longer period than most games.‚  If you are having much more trouble than you would like, consider customizing your control scheme through the in-game settings menu to accommodate your style of play.

What is really cool about this game, especially to fans of the films, is that the game stays true to its roots.‚  From the actors to the original music from the motion pictures, Ghostbusters really impresses with its attention to detail and continuity.‚  With the game being written by the original writers, comedy legends Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, it is no surprise that the dialogue in Ghostbusters is full of wit and sarcasm.

The voice acting is not without its flaws, however.‚  Though Ghostbusters’ cast has returned in full force, there seemed to be some volume issues with the in-game dialogue.‚  While the sound effects would come through crystal clear, I would have a hard time hearing some of the characters’ voices, especially Billy Murray’s character, Dr. Peter Venkman, whether it was due to overpowering background music or action.‚  This is especially unfortunate because it really leaves the player out of the loop when it comes to hearing the surely priceless comedic value hidden within the inter-character conversations.‚  This problem could surely be solved within the in-game the audio settings, but it would have been nice if the default settings worked a little more effectively.

The attention to detail in Ghostbusters doesn’t end at the writing; the game is filled with little visual features that will make even the most critical gamer pleasantly surprised.‚  The first thing that stands out is the highly functional proton pack located on the back of all of the Ghostbusters.‚  These proton packs are probably as intricately designed as any piece of equipment I’ve seen in recent games.‚  They are covered in bright, flashing lights with dark, well-textured crevasses and curves.‚  When cooling down the proton pack after a good Sap “Ëœem, Cap “Ëœem and Trap “Ëœem session, flurries of steam are emitted beautifully from the lower part of the pack as the energy rods are extended out of the pack and exposed to the air.

Beyond its visual beauty, the detail in the proton pack also comes in handy because it serves as a replacement to a traditional HUD.‚  So, even though the lights make the pack look pretty, they also have a real purpose to them as well.‚  Complete with health and energy meters, players will have no trouble appreciating all of the intricate and useful doodads and wiz bangs attached to the always-trusty proton pack.

The impressive visuals continue throughout the level designs.‚  Each level’s environment is colorful and full of outstanding shading.‚  A player’s surroundings are almost completely interactive, making even the simple act of walking through the game a pleasing experience.‚  Furthermore, a player can use their capture stream to change the environment around them.‚  A piece of furniture in the way?‚  Use your stream to pick up the annoying chair or table and toss it to the side.‚  Players will also quickly notice that the capture and sapping streams will tear holes in walls and even destroy some items, leading to some good clean fun involving scribing words and messages on ceilings.

Another fun feature in the game involves the customizing and upgrading of your equipment.‚  By capturing ghosts and finding hidden treasures, your character will acquire money throughout the game.‚  This expendable cash can be used to buy more powerful gear for a stronger, more effective ghost wrangling experience.‚  Weapon improvements are always loads of fun, however it seemed like one could max out the upgrades without having to beat the entire game.‚  Perhaps a character leveling system could have been utilized to fix this problem.

Blast Factor: Ghostbusters is not a flawless game.‚  However, it is far from a worthless game, as well.‚  Ghostbusters is one of those rare games where all of the main aspects of the game are solid but, for the most part, are somewhat removed from spectacular.‚  While that may not be great news for most games, it is really the best-case scenario for a movie-based game such as this.‚  Ghostbusters stays true to its roots and is visually impressive, making it at least a solid rental for the casual gamer and close to a “must have” for the serious Ghostbuster fan.

So, if you are looking for a movie-based video game that actually worth playing, who you gonna call?‚  Ghostbusters.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game is available for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 for $59.99

The long wait is over, and Ghostbusters: The Video Game is finally on store shelves. This latest version of Ghostbusters is a landmark of sorts, as its creation was aided by those that made the movies themselves; in a way, it’s accepted Ghostbusters canon, as it acts like the third movie in the series. The gameplay is solid, the more performance oriented work is just as good, and they add up to be worth more than the sum of their parts.

This particular review deals with the Wii version, which was developed by Red Fly Studios rather than Terminal Reality–they handled the Xbox 360, PC and PS3 versions of the title. Red Fly is also the developer of Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars, which was noted for its atmosphere, art style and mood, set by the graphical style and the music. Those very same elements permeate your Ghostbusters experience, and help make this game plenty of fun on its own, even sans the photo-realistic graphics of its console cousins.

Rather than port the game over, Red Fly built the game from the ground up for Wii. While the story remains the same, and the game retains the fantastic voice acting of the original cast (Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson, among others, all return to play the parts they made famous), the graphical style is more cartoony in nature. This isn’t a bad thing though–the Ghostbusters have been done in cartoon form before, and this style fits the Ghostbusters universe very well. Look no further than some of the creatures you will face, or the environments you will visit, or the highly-stylized caricatures of the men in beige, and you will see what I mean. The Wii does stylized very well, and Red Fly and Ghostbusters nailed that.

Gl33k, who so successfully created the music in Mushroom Men along with Les Claypool, return to help with Ghostbusters, and even without the metronome-based tunes, the sounds and music do much to add to the experience. It’s not quite survival horror fare, but it fits the mood and helps immerse you in the experience of chasing down ghosts through abandoned buildings, cemetaries and haunted hotels. The pace picks up when you start to wrangle ghosts, which serves to build tension and keep you in the moment. It’s all very effective, and a welcome addition.

So Ghostbusters Wii has a nifty look, and it sounds great, both musically and in its more movie-oriented moments. How does it play? Well, if you’ve ever wanted to strap on a proton pack, but can’t cart around 100 lbs. for very long–or you know, aren’t well versed in creating proton-powered beams capable of capturing the paranormal–then the Wii Remote is the closest you are going to get. Ghostbusters basically plays as a third-person shooter where you fire at ghosts to weaken them until you can capture them. When you hit that point, a capture cage automatically envelops them, and then you have to slam them around the room using motion-based quick time events. As with many other games that utilize motion QTE, they work well, and feel more satisfying than the twitch, button based variety. While this mechanic could become repetitive, there is enough variation in the types of enemies you will face and the ways you have to approach them that the wrangling retains its fun factor throughout, especially as the ghosts become more powerful and your allied ‘Busters start to drop like flies around you. Catching ghosts is a cinch too, as you just press Z and make a bowling motion with the nunchuk; if you don’t feel like throwing a trap out, don’t worry, as the other Ghostbusters almost always throw you out a few to make your life easier.

LOS ANGELES – Oh hell yes.

The Electronic Entertainment Expo is back. It’s better. It’s … over. Damn.

While it still wasn’t the spectacle of the 90s, the conference was easily three times bigger than it was last year, and there was some actual news this time.

Here’s what we took away from the conference this time around:

BEST GAME
Uncharted 2

The first Uncharted is still one of the best games on the Playstation 3, and that’s not a knock on the console’s library either. This sequel looks to improve on the gameplay of the fantastic original, while also including a brand new multiplayer mode–one we will have impressions of for you in the near future.

BEST WII GAME
Super Mario Bros. Wii
Nintendo
Q4 2009

Mario is back. This new four-player side scroller is the first game to remind us of the good old days since the good old days, except now, with that multiplayer involved, it gives you a reason to want to punch your friends in the face.

BEST XBOX 360 GAME
Mass Effect 2

Bioware is promising a darker, more developed game than the first, which is saying something considering how well-done the original was. We’ll need to see it for ourselves, but what we saw was impressive.

BEST PLAYSTATION 3 GAME
Heavy Rain
Sony/Quantic Dream

This is a sleeper, but IGN also recognized the potential for Heavy Rain by nominating it for Best of E3/Best PlayStation 3 game. Blast got to play a demo, and we were thoroughly impressed by the control, decision-making abilities, dialog, and visuals. This is an excellent-looking game.

BEST MULTIPLATFORM GAME
Rogue Warrior
Bethesda Softworks
PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Fall 2009

Rogue Warrior looked great in a demo, and nothing is cooler than getting to play out the experiences of a real life badass navy seal voiced by Mickey Rourke. This game is full of pure action, explosions, and a great mix of stealth and offensive firepower.

BEST SPORTS GAME
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 Wii with MotionPlus
EA Sports
Nintendo Wii
June 8

Wii MotionPlus adds an amazing new dimension of reality to games, but nowhere was it more noticeable than in the latest Tiger Woods game. You have to position your wrists straight and do a full swing with follow-through. The MotionPlus makes you get off your couch and actually do stuff, and where better than at a virtual Bethpage?

BEST MUSIC GAME
The Beatles Rock Band
Harmonix/MTV Games
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii
Fall

With The Beatles Rock Band, Harmonix officially takes back the music game genre, eclipsing Guitar Hero and coming out from its shadow. Beatles Rock Band will feature the most recognizable songs in history from the most recognizable band in history.

BEST PC GAME OR MMO
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Lucas Arts

This ambitious massively multiplayer game promises all voice acting and no text dialog — thousands and thousands of lines of voice acting. And it’s Star Wars.

BEST PERIPHERAL
Mad Catz Rock Band Wireless Wooden Fender Stratocaster
$299
September 2009

Mad Catz had Fender build them a real guitar, and instead of strings, they wired buttons into it and unleashed it for Xbox 360. It uses no dongle — it’s compatible with Xbox 360 wireless technology. It’s a real guitar, with wood and a shiny finish. If you like to play fake guitar, this is as close to real as it gets.

GUTSIEST PROJECTS

Heavy Rain
Sony/Quantic Dream
PlayStation 3

We’ve been looking forward to this one for a long time. From the same team that put together Indigo Prophecy comes Heavy Rain, a psychological thriller adventure that’s more about story and drawing you in than it is about shooting endless bad guys.

Wet
Bethesda Softworks
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

Eliza Dushku is awesome.

M.A.G. Massive Action Game, 256 player online multiplayer
Zipper Interactive/Sony
PlayStation 3
TBA

Second year in a row for M.A.G. on the gutsiest projects list, and it still stands. This game is either going to be huge or a huge disappointment.

James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game
Ubisoft
December

This is one of the first video games from a movie that stands on its own merits.

Biggest letdown: Atari. Where were you this year? One word kids: Ghostbusters. Or is that two words? Either way, with the failure of some recent releases, it’s the best chance for Atari to impress this generation. Despite a hell of a showing over the past year, the company hasn’t been able to blow up. Ghostbusters should sell millions, given it’s on every console, so let’s hope that’s a step in the right direction.

Marc Normandin and Bradley Ouellette of the Blast staff contributed to this report.

The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena is an odd game to review, as we are looking at two distinct titles within one package. First, you have the remake of Escape from Butcher Bay “" which, by the way, despite being one of last generation’s better games, was not part of the Xbox backwards compatibility program-and secondly, you have the sequel to that game, Assault on Dark Athena. The names alone do a good job of explaining the differences between the two titles; in Escape, you sneak in the shadows and deliver as many stealthy kills as you can, like some kind of demon in the shadows that is terrorizing the prison. In Assault, you still have stealth kills, but there is more of an emphasis on gun play and blatantly open attacks on your pursuers. This is a problem, one that is obvious to anyone who has tried to utilize Riddick’s gun play over long stretches of time before.

That is not to say that the new content found in Assault on Dark Athena is bad; it’s just that after replaying an improved version of one of the last generation’s gems, the issues stand out and take away from the experience. In the end, depending on your level of tolerance, you’re going to end up with a fantastic remake that has yet to really show its age coupled with either a decent sequel in Athena or one that ultimately disappoints.

As Richard B. Riddick, you help out some prisoners by doing them some favors “" favors which often involve killing other prisoners “" and they help you get on your way to escaping from Butcher Bay, a prison in the desert that no one has ever escaped from. You hide in the shadows, shoot out lights, snap necks, drop from the rafters “" all of these stealth kills are highly satisfying, and if you limit your gun play to involve shadows, even that is fun as the AI struggles to find where you are versus where you were when you fired. The AI is not stupid in this game, as they will find you and come after you once they sense you are in the area. They will turn if they hear you coming as well, so you need to be sneaky and quiet, not just unseen. Luckily, Riddick has a stealth mode that allows him to walk quietly, and also lets you know if you’re in anyone’s line of sight; blue vision means you are unseen, while a return to regular vision means someone has the potential to catch you. You do have to be careful in making sure that guards are not hiding in the shadows like you were, as once you pop out they could converge on you. Like I said, the AI is not stupid.

Escape from Butcher Bay is a game that had tons of attention lavished on it in the past, so I’m not going to go into too much detail here given that there’s an entire other game to review; just know that if you loved the original, this remake is fantastic, and is worth revisiting just for the visual upgrades, given that it comes in a package with another game.

That game is not up to par with Butcher Bay though; Assault on Dark Athena tries to mix run-and-gun gameplay with stealth, and it doesn’t do a great job of either. Here are some issues you need to deal with: there are tons of weapons and ammunition available, and the level design is set up in a way where there are tons of open spaces “" that means there isn’t anywhere to hide. Combine those two together, and you realize the game is telling you to shoot first and hide in the shadows later, which takes away from Riddick’s core gameplay. When you move from the confines of corridors into a more open world, this is magnified. Fewer places to hide, more shooting to be had, and as you will realize, that AI that is not so stupid is now also nearly impossible to kill with ease.

They could sense your presence in corridors when you weren’t visible if you made too much noise, but now you can’t even hide effectively. They have better accuracy and range than you do with Riddick’s limited (and imperfect) gun play, and they have far more health than you do as well; the imbalance between the number of shots you can take and the number you need to fire shows that this is meant to be a stealth game, but it’s tough to pull off when the level design screams run-and-gun. This is not a one-on-one thing either, as Athena often pits you against groups of enemies, or against a turret that can maul you in no time.

Again, this is a worthwhile package, even if you’re just buying the remake of Butcher Bay. You get two games for the price of one, and now Riddick gets to experience multiplayer as well, which is a neat addition to the series when you’re talking about the Pitch Black mode. If you have never experienced Escape from Butcher Bay before, you’re in for a wonderful game, while the remake is worth owning just to play through it again in it’s prettier form. The greatness of Escape from Butcher Bay is quite an experience (let’s say it’s a 9), while the disappointment that stems from playing ‚ Assault on Dark Athena is unavoidable (let’s give this one a 7), but at least you purchased both for the grand total of $60.

Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena is available on Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC, and retails for $59.99.

Digital text readers across the internets were up in arms this morning regarding word that Sony would be seizing the reins from Atari to publish Ghostbusters on PS2/PS3 in Europe and Australia, and mere hours later, the publisher came to the rescue to clarify.

The publisher dropped us a line this morning letting us know that Ghostbusters will indeed be published by Atari in North America with the PlayStation Portable/PlayStation 3/ PlayStation 2 versions by way of Sony in PAL regions.

What’s more we now have the worldwide release schedule-sorry PS2 + PS3 gamers abroad, you have to wait three extra days.

June 16 2009 marks the advent of Ghostbusters on PS2, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, PC, and DS in North America published by Atari.

Three days later on June 19 Europe and Australia PlayStation 2 + 3 gamers get their fill via publisher Sony, to coincide with the 25^th anniversary of the initial theatrical release of Ghostbusters.

No word on Xbox 360, PC, DS, or Wii coming to Europe this June in PAL regions. Sorry guys.

Furthermore, Atari confirmed a PSP version due out sometime in the fall of 2009.

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to play a video game created by someone who hasn’t played very many video games, then run on down to any place that rents out video games and pick up Atari’s latest boxing game, Ready 2 Rumble:‚  Revolution.

I have never played the original Ready 2 Rumble, but I had heard it was a decent Dreamcast brawler.‚  Whenever I received this copy of R2R:‚  Revolution, I assumed it would be a solid boxing sequel to a franchise that already had experience in the fighting game genre.‚  With the motion censored controllers on the Wii, a boxing game seemed like an ideal candidate for the console.‚  Wii Sports did it already.‚  Every time I see someone playing the Wii they always look like they’re making left and right jabs when they are really just fishing or playing tennis or pretending to strum along on guitars.

From every angle, a Boxing game using motion censored controls (think MoCap Boxing) put on a home console should be a hit.

There are a myriad number of modes to pick from depending on how you want to play R2R:‚  Revolution from the start.‚  The arcade mode and the training modes are where you’re likely to spend most of your time.‚  But the arcade mode won’t be as rewarding as you’d expect it to be.‚  Instead of the gradual progression of weaker to stronger enemies, almost all the boxers are equally difficult to fight.‚  And by difficult, I mean nearly impossible to beat.

The tutorial at the start of the game isn’t as thorough as it should be.‚  While it does show you how to specifically do all the moves available to every boxer, the fact that it takes at least three or four tries just to shake the Wii-mote in several directions to land any blow better than a jab is difficult.‚  It may be the sensor on the Wii, but the moves are so hard to pull off that after a few matches, the enemies won’t be lenient by letting you attempt to dodge an attack two or three times only to accidentally throw a right or left jab, and instead the cpu will pummel you to death without hesitation.

Even when I set the difficulty down to the easiest level, I had to ask a friend of mine to help me beat the game.

All of the characters are satirical representations of celebrates.‚  Simon Cowl and Sylvester Stalone and David Beckham all make appearances alongside other celebrities.‚  All of the characters have different pluses and minuses.‚  Some characters have higher amounts of speed at the sacrifice of power.‚  Others have the opposite.‚  But what all this really means is that you can’t swing relentlessly throughout a bout due to a meter of energy that each boxer has.‚  The meter is good; it helps to vary the pacing of the bout so you can tell who’s got skill and who doesn’t.‚  But almost all the skill in R2R:‚  Revolution is based in luck.‚  If the game doesn’t recognize the way in which you shake the Wii-mote and nunchuck, you’re probably going to be pummeled.

That occurs to often causing confusion and defeat.‚  Even on the easiest difficulty, I had to plug a good half-hour into it just to beat the game.‚  And on top of that, winning doesn’t even feel that good because I was never sure if I won or just got lucky.

The character creation is a little silly and it is incredibly difficult to increase the skills of the characters you have created.‚  The clothing items are dull and don’t show me that the creators of the game really cared about that section.‚  The game has a cartoony vibe where all the characters are silly and nasty, like Ren & Stimpy but not as good.

Each character has a special move that they can only utilize when they’ve filled up their Rumble meter at the top of the screen.‚  There are a few ways to fill this meter up.‚  Either through silly taunting or by dodging/ducking/weaving your opponents attacks.‚  Once the meter is filled and you activate it, the round will inevitably take a pause due to the fact that after three successful swings, you will for sure knock your opponent to the ground.‚  Then they’ll have to frantically shake the controller up and down to get up.‚  The fact that this is so predictable, it becomes more of a fight of who can keep the opponent from filling up their bar.

Ready 2 Rumble:‚  Revolution is an overall disappointing attempt at creating a Wii boxing game due to the fact that the characters are unoriginal, the controls are based on luck, and the game is far to difficult (which is in parts due to the awful controls).‚  I don’t know who Atari planned on marketing this game for, but it surely isn’t anyone who likes to play video games.‚  I recommend they rethink this approach, make it easier and more responsive, and eliminate the silly character design.

But, past all of that, the power meter is a good inclusion to a boxing game.‚  None of that relentless punching.‚  And the game is hard, so if you like a challenge that you can’t really improve upon but merely become better at randomly flailing the controller around, this game is for you.

Ghostbusers: The Video Game continues to get me all giddy with every developer diary, every batch of screens, and recently, the inclusion of a certain Alyssa Milano into the voice work. With almost the entire cast writing and providing voice work for the project, the production values and authenticity will be unparalleled in the video game world.

The game will be readily available for every major console, and while it is understandable that a PS3/Xbox 360 platform choice might seem preferable, if you own the little white Wii, you might want to consider the following.

A recent developer diary entry to the IGN Ghostbusters blog written by Jeff Mills, Technical Design Director at Red Fly Studios, indicates how the Wii version of Ghostbusters was built from the ground up specifically to support split screen multiplayer co-op for two players.‚  Players will have the ability to start each level either on their own, or with a pal, one that will always have your back during game-play to keep the game moving at a “very brisk and exciting pace.”

However, the word co-op usually refers to team strategy and helpfulness, and while it is an important part to surviving many missions in Ghostbusters, Wii fans will be happy to know it is not everything and competition is just as important says Mills:

“There is a mechanism for tracking how much damage the player does to the environment. Challenge your friends: Who can finish the level doing the most damage? How about the least? With environments packed with destroyable objects, furniture and fine art, it’s tough to hit either end of the damage spectrum.”

Personally, the choice will be a very difficult one between the specifically social multiplayer aspects of the Wii version and the wonderfully rendered and gorgeously frightening ghosts found in the Xbox 360/PS3 versions.‚  No need to fret however, as the slated release date is not until June and I am confident more pressing issues and aspects of the game will filter out, thus facilitating my decision.

Until then, enjoy the developer blog entry over at IGN, and our hands on preview of the title, both are great reads and will fill that ghostbusting void of yours at least for a little while.

The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena follows the enigmatic character Riddick, whom you’ve grown to love…maybe, on his combat filled journey to destroy his capturers aboard the mercenary ship, The Dark Athena.

Atari announced today that the Assault on Dark Athena demo is available for both Xbox Live and PlayStation 3 gamers.

In the playable demo gamers will be exposed to AODA’s three core game-play elements, melee, stealth, and gunplay.‚  Furthermore, players can enjoy classic Riddick third person cutscenes, control the unique Drone, and make use of the dozens of graphically gorgeous ways to bring down an enemy.‚  In addition, Vin Diesel again has lent his voice to the title, adding that total bad-ass feeling to the experience.

Read our full, in-depth hands-on Xbox 360 demo preview here.

Xbox Live users start your download here.

Riddick is back and he is badder than ever.

Yup, everyone’s favorite futuristic escaped convict will once again be showing up on gaming consoles around the world in Atari’s The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena.

This demo, produced by Starbreeze Studios, is a preview of the sequel to the previous Riddick game called Escape From Butcher Bay.

Though not everyone enjoyed the movie, I have a feeling that a lot of people are going to enjoy this bloody game (which blurs the line between stealth and FPS gameplay) even with the lackluster Vin Diesel voiceovers.

The Dark Athena demo jumps right into the storyline, so I recommend reading up on your Riddick beforehand. Here is the long and short of the plot: Riddick finds himself upon a shipped called the Dark Athena. When the ship’s captain, Revas, finds out that the fabled convict is aboard her ship, she quickly orders her soldiers to hunt him down. From there, you must guide Riddick through the dangerous craft using nothing but your stealth skills, wit and awesome weapons.

One of the first things I noticed about Dark Athena were the very impressive graphics.

Still, even with the great graphics, the very dark shadows along with the mostly black enemy character models led to frustration. Riddick does have a sort of night vision capabilities, but I often found that to be more distracting than helpful.

Controls will initially be confusing for new players, especially for those who are used to playing Call of Duty titles. Switching weapons will always seem to be a chore and some attacks seemed to be a bit longwinded. Attacking is very easy; just toggle the right trigger. Reloading is B and crouch is X. Everything else gets a bit more complicated. In short, Dark Athena needs more than a loading screen to explain the buttons and controls of the game, so hopefully the full title does a better job.

When it comes to features, one thing that really stood out to me was the Drone Control. This is an excellent aspect where you can take full, first person control of the robot-like Drone soldiers. Each Drone is equipped with a fully automatic rifle and decent health. After one of your Drones is killed, you can take control of another one rather quickly, so don’t be afraid to run your soldier into a messy situation.

Another interesting characteristic of this demo was how unobvious the objectives were. This could be a very good thing or a very bad thing, depending on the kind of gamer you are. If you are the type who likes to quickly knock out achievements, I would call this part of the game quite frustrating. However, if you like a good challenge in your video game experience, Dark Athena will probably be a pretty pleasurable experience for you.

For those who have experience in the previous Riddick title, The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, you probably have noticed that this hands-on reminds you quite a bit about it. It is true, most of the gameplay hasn’t changed much from the original game. From what I can tell, the only significant differences between Dark Athena and Butcher Bay are the improved graphics and character animations.

If you do plan on downloading this demo (and I do recommend that you do), be sure to determine if you want to use the stealth abilities or just go out and kill some people. If you would rather take the more homicidal route, be sure to turn the difficult settings of the demo WAY down. It will be nearly impossible to take on your gun slinging enemies, especially during the early goings of the demo when you are only equipped with shivs. If you want to take the slower, more traditional route, feel free to play on a harder setting.

Though playing the actual demo was quite fun, I would almost consider the opening video (viewable by staying idle at the starting screen) to be a much better preview of the game, giving players a better appreciation of the enhanced graphics and animations.

Go ahead and download this demo. To some, it may be an acquired taste. To others, it will be a nice little bit of nostalgia. But, for most, it’s going to be a fun ride.

The name SimBin is synonymous with breathtaking reality for PC race fans.‚  For years SimBin has steadily released first rate-racing sims, most famously in their latest PC release, GTR Evolution.‚  An over the top commitment to providing ultimate immersion and sense of wonder for their hardened fans has won the development studio high praises.‚  However, the Swedish studio was not satisfied with dominating the PC demographic.‚  Their sights moved to the powerhouse of a gaming platform, the Xbox 360.‚  For the past two years SimBin has been working tirelessly to perfect their winning formula and the end result is RACE Pro, the most realistic racing title I have ever played.

Before we delve deep into the components that make up RACE Pro, it should be known that the $40 price tag is clear evidence that SimBin desired to nail core game-play, multi-player both online and off, and not much else.‚  That is not to say RACE Pro is a title you will zoom through in three hours and be on your merry way, nothing could be less true.‚  Only that the narrative is absent, your desire to progress is fueled not on your passion for a character, rather for your desire to win every race for your own sake.

When first firing up RACE Pro you’ll be treated to some over glorified corporate logo’s.‚  One that stood out however was that of LIZARD, the core game engine RACE Pro.‚  Developed in-house, the LIZARD engine is a reusable engine primarily focused on the racing genre, but SimBin is hinting at future application to a first person shooter title utilizing the engine.‚  Furthermore, while RACE Pro is exclusive to the Xbox 360, SimBin is continuously building and adapting the engine to fit the needs of another next-gen console.‚  Any guesses? That’s right, the PlayStation 3.

RACE Pro has two major single player modes, Career, and Championship.‚  Career has seven different contract classes, labeled A through H each constituting a different car class on varied courses.‚  Each contract begins with a tryout in which you must beat a predetermined lap pace.‚  By completing a tryout, your “credit” fee to sign the contract is dramatically reduced to an affordable level.

Now that you are a signed driver, what else is there to do but prove yourself against formidable AI opponents on the course?‚  Each contract consists of three races that vary from two laps in a Mini Cooper against five others to the grueling seven lap, eighteen minute affair in a Formula 3000 racer.

Many of the courses are accurate representations of their real world counterparts.‚  I guess this would mean something to me if I knew anything about the sport and its famous locations, but even though I don’t, there is lasting appeal in each and every course.‚  ‚ My personal favorite, Macau, set on the urban streets of Portugal features long straight-aways followed by the narrowest of hairpin turns, a recipe that yields frustration but also pure joy when executed correctly.

Before you begin a contract you must select your difficulty setting.‚  Novice difficulty, which is a must for beginners, allows all driving assistants to be on and at their highest level.‚  The various driving aids are traction control, antilock brakes, the race line, and stability help.‚  Both novice and semi-pro allow the driving aids at a certain degree but professional removes every single driving assistant and is the most challenging experience I have ever encountered.‚  The race line, spoken about earlier, shows the best possible route to take when approaching corners and brake periods.‚  Furthermore, this line changes color and number to correspond with the severity.‚  A green line with a number 6 means the turn is barely noticeable and there is no need to slow down.‚  On the other end of the spectrum, a dark red line with a number 1 means you must almost come to a complete stop to negotiate the turn.

The load screen that follows your difficulty selection shows the course you are about to race on and has hints and details available for each and every turn.‚  Using the D-pad to scroll over a particular turn will show you the number severity of the turn and how, in words, is best to approach it.‚  I found this tool incredibly useful.‚  In the latter stages of the game when getting a great start is so very key, you must know how to approach a turn before you enter it, and without these hints you’ll see yourself lagging behind unable to catch up.

NEW YORK — While at the New York Comic Con, I spent some time with Atari playing their first entry in the Ready 2 Rumble series, Ready 2 Rumble: Revolution. The previous entries in the series were Midway properties, but Atari is distributing this AKI developed title this March.

The characters in this game are based off of real-life celebrities, though Atari was mum about just who everyone was meant to represent. Some of them are pretty easy to figure out, as you will see in the screenshots, while others may take you a little time. The classic characters you know from the series are not making an appearance, but thankfully the gameplay, from my hands-on time with it, seems solid.

The punching is motion controlled with both the Wii Remote and the Nunchuk. Unlike the boxing mode in Wii Sports, where you need to aim at different areas (punch low to punch low, punch high to punch high, etc.), Ready 2 Rumble allows you to press a button in order to switch to lower punches or power punches. This helps you maintain the feel of actually boxing with the controllers, but also makes sure that your punches are more accurate.

I played a lot of boxing on Wii Sports, putting up with the inconsistency in the control scheme, so this was a welcome change of pace. Because of this system, the controls are easy to pick up, but the fighting is deceptively deep as well. You can punch high and low as stated, but there are also different strength for your punches and combinations. In addition, you have a meter at the top of the screen, your “Rumble” meter, and when it fills up you are essentially unstoppable.

The Rumble meter can be knocked back down before they utilize it by stringing together a few punches. If they do happen to succeed in filling the meter, the only way to avoid taking a beating is to dodge their incoming attacks until the effects of Rumble wear off.

There are also multiple camera angles; you can either view the fight from a side view where both players are visible (this is required in multiplayer, so you can both see what’s happening) but there is also a Punch-Out!! Style camera, which I preferred to use during my single-player time. It made things a little easier as far as choosing a direction to dodge or punch went, which helped the rhythm of the punches and combos.

In addition to the single-player and multiplayer modes, there are also mini-games which are meant to act as training for you. This was much like in Wii Sports boxing, when you had a trainer holding pads that you needed to punch in a certain order, or speed punching, but the difference is that the controls are much more responsive, and if you hit the wrong pad or your trainer, it was your own doing and not faulty motion. I played these after I spent time playing in actual fights, but I feel like if I had done these first, I probably would have performed better in the matches.

One thing I want to mention as well: this game looks better in motion than it does in screenshots. The earliest screens released for this game made it look like AKI was not spending any time crafting a charming looking product, but after seeing the game in action, I can say that this is not the case.

Ready 2 Rumble: Revolution looks like it’s shaping up to be a worthwhile entry in the series, and one fans of the original Midway titles can get behind. Atari is making it easier for you to afford the game as well: if you preorder the game at Wal-Mart, Gamestop or on Amazon.com, you will get $10 off of the price of the game. We’ll have more information on the game as Atari releases it, and after the game releases we will also have a review ready for you.

NEW YORK — Hold up, I know what you’re thinking. Why would you want to play Ghostbusters on Wii when there’s a perfectly great looking, photo-realistic version coming out at the exact same time for those systems with the high-definition visuals? Here’s your answer: because this game is fun, and quality gameplay trumps all.

Here’s the deal with the Wii version of Ghostbusters. Red Fly Studios (developer of Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars, one of Wii’s top titles from 2008) knew that simply porting the Wii version over from the other consoles was not the way to make a quality game, so instead they have built a different game specifically for the Wii.

Rather than a realistic visual style, the Wii version uses a more cartoon influenced style, but that doesn’t detract from the atmosphere. Instead, what you get is a different take on an established franchise, as the characters also look markedly different from the cartoon series. The visuals I saw were from an earlier build, so I was assured by Red Fly that the one they have going now looks superior, but even on the old build you could see how well the style of the game was coming out. Check out the included screens to see what I mean, but keep in mind that those are also outdated when compared to where the game is now.

In addition to that, the same sound team (GL33k) that worked on Mushroom Men is putting together the music for this Wii game. Sadly, I couldn’t hear their contributions thanks to the noise at Comic Con, but if their input is, quality-wise, on the same level as what I expect based on my previous experiences with them, then they will only add to the game’s appeal.

Like the other Ghostbusters title, this one takes place two years after Ghostbusters II. You begin by picking a character from a few templates (you can be either a male or female in this version; you’re the new recruit on the Ghostbusters team) and then you’re put to work capturing ghosts.

As for the actual gameplay, this version of Ghostbusters utilizes the Wii Remote in effective ways. You’re in a third-person, over the shoulder view, and you use the IR pointer on the controller to aim and to look around. Once you’re in motion, you have plenty of things to keep you occupied. Ghosts will appear, and you must defeat them or capture them, depending on the size and strength of the specter. They will also hide in different objects, and you will need to find them using your PKE meter and by blasting around with your pack.

Atari announced the official release date for the much anticipated Ghostbusters: The Video Game.

“On June 16, 2009 the all new adventure inspired by the hit film franchise will release across North America,” said Nicole Tubman, a publicist for Atari.

“Ghostbusters: The Video Game, is written by original Ghostbusters writers and stars Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd and reunites many of the original cast members including Bill Murray and Ernie Hudson to recapture the unique blend of humor and fright that established Ghostbusters as a pop culture sensation,” Tubman said. “In addition, the game will also coincide with the original motion picture’s 25th anniversary and launch Tuesday, June 16, 2009 with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s worldwide debut of the original motion picture on Blu-ray Disc.”

Ghostbusters is coming for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, Wii, DS, and Windows. This is by far the biggest project Atari has taken on since it moved from a development house to a distribution-only shop last year.

Infogrames Entertainment, the parent company of Atari, announced Tuesday that will totally acquire Cryptic Studios, a leading publisher of massively multiplayer online (MMO) games.

“This acquisition is a critical step in the implementation of Atari’s strategy to become a leading online game developer and publisher,” said Atari spokeswoman Amy Wisel.

Cryptic is currently developing three unique MMO franchises, planned for release over the next three years on PC and next-generation consoles, including Champions Online to be released in 2009 and Star Trek Online to be released in 2010. A third game currently in development will be announced in the near future.

Cryptic employs about 150 people. Its revenues for the fiscal year ending June 30 totaled $17 million.

In a huge move for Atari, which had been struggling over the past few years, will publish the highly anticipated and much previewed Ghostbusters game in development by Sierra.

A source with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed for Blast that the New York-based American arm of Infogrames Entertainment will publish the game.

We announced last year that the game will be available this fall on Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC, Playstation 2, Wii and DS.

This is the second — and certainly bigger of the two — development to come out of the Atari camp today. We previously heard that they will also publish a new “Riddick” game.

Stick with Blast for more on the Ghostbusters game!

Upswinging game publisher Atari announced Thursday that it will be publishing and distributing a new The Chronicles of Riddick first person shooter called “Dark Athene” coming out next spring for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows.

“Previously announced as a remake of hit title The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay with added content, Atari can today reveal that The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena contains a brand new full-length campaign,” the company said in a statement, saying the game would “include the original game re-imagined for a whole new audience,” in addition to the new campaign.

They’re also promising online multiplayer combat modes.

In The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena the player takes the role of Riddick, as played by Vin Diesel, using stealth and action to overcome the merciless crew of the predatory Merc-ship Dark Athena which awaits its prey in the dark reaches of space.‚  Cheating death through a series of spectacular battles and events, Riddick will fight for his life amid a storm of malevolence and horror.‚  The Chronicles of Riddick series of games takes the player deeper into the universe of Universal Pictures’ films The Chronicles of Riddick and cult classic Pitch Black, which first introduced Vin Diesel as enigmatic anti-hero Riddick.

Atari announced that final Dragon Ball Z title for the PlayStation 2, Infinite World, has gone gold and will be released on time November 4 for $29.99. The title was developed by Namco Bandai Games.

“Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World will boast several special features including ‘Dragon Missions’, new battle types, and dramatic cut scenes that enable fans to delve deeper than ever before into the Dragon Ball Z universe,” Atari said Wednesday.

The new “Dragon Missions” feature will follow some of the popular scenes from the television series, making their first appearances in a video game. There will be a time attack and cerebral skills-based tests included.

The game features over 40 characters, plus their transformations, fighting techniques and battle stages.

For more information on Dragon Ball Z video games, visit http://www.atari.com/dragonballz.

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word “addicted” as “to devote or surrender (oneself) to something habitually or obsessively.”

Here is a word of warning: you will become addicted to Atari’s N+.

You control a ninja, N, who travels through increasingly more difficult levels to gain as much gold as he can before he reaches the next level all the while managing to not be killed by enemies or heights in Atari’s newest platformer puzzle game.

Based on the Xbox arcade game (“N+”) which was based on the classic flash game (“N”), Atari has truly created something special and unique out of something that was similarly as great before.

With over 300 different levels, beating N+ sounds like it should be a daunting task, but watching your stick figure body splat across the screen of your Nintendo DS or PSP is surprisingly more gratifying than frustrating.

The control over your ninja was the most enticing part of the game because, for a stick figure, the little guy is agile. While you start out doing the simple run and jump to traverse around each level, soon it becomes apparent that those techniques won’t be enough. That’s when you start discovering the wall jumps, slope glides, climbing up walls, and most importantly, just how far you have to fall to not become multiple pieces of ninja.

Oh, and you have the option of adding blood to the gore that shoots out everywhere after you die. That is way more fun than it should be.

N+’s biggest attribute is that, for once, it is a game that doesn’t make you chuck your handheld system out the window when you die. Dying adds more to coming up with strategies than irritation, because as the levels get harder, the strategies for getting as much gold as possible before obtaining the next level.

Newer, harder levels are unlocked as you progress through the game. In addition, different colors for your ninja can be obtained the more levels that are unlocked.

N+’s level creator allows hours more fun, and with the DS’s and PSP’s wireless capabilities, players can compete against their friends to see who is the most skilled ninja.

Atari has created a gem of a game: N+ is flawless in its simplicity, and is a game all gamers will gain enjoyment from.

N+ was released Tuesday.

Am I right?

Here’s a commercial for Smash Court Tennis 3 to preview our upcoming review.

One game we didn’t see much of at E3 was Atari’s Heroes over Europe, the WWII flying combat simulation sequel to Heroes of the Pacific, which was a very strong PC and PlayStation 2 title in its own right.

Heroes over Europe brings the combat to high definition on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC in Q4 2008.

The sequel to the mighty World War II flight combat game Heroes of the Pacific, Heroes over Europe takes aspiring combat pilots into the bullet-ridden heart of major World War II European air battles in glorious dogfight-friendly high definition. Heroes over Europe follows the Allied campaign from the attacks on London to the destruction of Berlin, with players under orders to strap themselves into the authentically rendered cockpits of the campaign’s iconic aircraft. Their mission: to survive the most ferocious dogfights ever seen in a flight combat game.

Game features:

• Best tactical dogfights in HD: relive the best tactical dogfights in over 40 types of ultra-realistic iconic warplanes of the era, all presented in stunning high definition graphics with realistic localised damage on aircraft
• Meticulously rendered environments: detailed landscapes and landmarks recreated in painstaking detail including faithful representations of London and Berlin to bring war-torn World War II to life
• Legacy of ‘Heroes’ series: new instalment in the Heroes series builds on its impressive legacy with highly detailed realistic visual presentation and more online options
• Comprehensive online gameplay: fight for the skies with 4 modes of online multiplayer action for up to 16 players
• Downloadable content: additional downloadable content will be available from launch

Atari, on the home continent of its parent company, Infogrames, brought the same strong lineup of games to Leipzig as it did to E3 this year.

Some of its top premiering titles include What’s Cooking wit Jamie Oliver for the Nintendo DS, which Nintendo featured in its E3 press conference, as well as My Horse and Me 2 for Wii and DS, the mature “Witcher Enhanced Edition” for a good role-playing experience, and the PS3 port of Alone in the Dark.

For anime fans, Atari is bringing out Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3 for PlayStation 2 and Naruto: Ultimate NInja Storm for PlayStation 3, which expands from the original anime storyline. Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit for PlayStation 3 will also be around.

One game we did not see at E3 was Family Trainer for Wii, featuring mat-based fun and games designed to get the blood pumping family-wide.

The Witcher: Enhanced Edition was one of the top PC titles we demoed at E3, and it promises to include a bunch of gameplay improvements and new content when released.

Another game that ranks high on the potentiometer is Race Pro for Xbox 360, which brings a little familiar taste of Gran Turismo to Xbox. The game is very realistic, but be warned that it’s no arcade racer. Race Pro requires subtle adjustments, lots of braking and gear shifting and other movements — but that what y’all wanted in a realistic racer eh?

For information about Atari’s entire product line up visit www.atari.com.

LOS ANGELES — Okay, so it wasn’t the most surprising, awe-inspiring E3 ever, but we had a great time and saw some amazing things.

We witnessed a revitalized Atari, a ballsy Electronic Arts and the peak of the music game fad.

Here’s what we took away from the conference:

BEST GAME
Fallout 3
Bethesda Softworks
Xbox 360/PlayStation 3
September

Bethesda built a winner from scratch with an amazing looking Fallout 3. Blast played this game, Blast loved this game. You won’t see a more visually and audibly appealing video game this year. This game is a massive project for any developer, but Bethesda, who saw huge success with "The Elder Scrolls" role playing game series, seems poised to release a game of the year candidate in the fall.

BEST ONLINE GAME
DC Universe Online
Sony Online Entertainment
PlayStation 3, PC
TBA

Comic book legend Jim Lee was the Executive Creative Director of the game and created the visual world DC Universe would be set in based on art from the entire history of DC comics. You get to team up with or fight against Superman and Batman. How cool is that?

BEST HANDHELD GAME
N+
Atari
Nintendo DS and Sony PSP
August 12

With 300 puzzling levels to explore, plus many hidden unlockable ones, N+, based on the hit Flash game, was the best handheld game at E3, and E3 agreed by giving it best in show in the DS and PSP categories. N+ led the charge for a revitalized Atari Inc.

GUARANTEED BEST SELLER/BEST PC GAME
Spore
Electronic Arts
PC
September 7

Within 18 days of the release of Spore Creature Creator, there were over 1.7 million "Spores" created. That’s more than the 1.589 million actual species known to exist on earth, Will Wright pointed out at the EA press conference Tuesday. And that says something about the anticipated impact "Spore" will have when it’s released in September.

BEST WII GAME
Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party
Ubisoft
November

First game you can play with your ass.

BEST MUSIC GAME
Rock Band 2
Harmonix/MTV Games
Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii
Fall

No real competition at E3. Guitar Hero: World Tour will be awesome too, but Activision wasn’t there this year.

GUTSIEST PROJECTS

Dead Space
Electronic Arts
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC
October 21

Mirror’s Edge
Electronic Arts
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC
Holiday season

Good work, EA. You managed to stretch your legs and come up with both a bloody horror flick and a FPS where you don’t have ever fire a gun. Both games will either be home runs or total flops (leaning toward an extra base hit) but they’re ballsy! Nice!

M.A.G. Massive Action Game, 256 player online multiplayer
Zipper Interactive/Sony
PlayStation 3
TBA

Another crap shoot. If Zipper does this game right, and we mean JUST RIGHT, M.A.G. could be one of the good ones.

MOST IMPROVED: Atari

BIGGEST LETDOWN: Nintendo

LOS ANGELES — The biggest underdog story of E3 was by far Atari. As a company that’s been through every kind of trouble imaginable in the last few years; management changes, financial troubles, and struggling through complicated ownership situations with their French parent company, Infogrames, Atari managed to put out a well-rounded display of their game development potential.

Winning E3′s Best in Show for DS and PSP, N+ led the charge to highly acclaimed gaming. Based on the award winning flash-game N, N+ is a uniquely addictive platformer experience.

As a ninja trying to obtain as much gold as possible during your average one and a half minute lifespan, N+ has 300 puzzling levels to explore, plus some hidden unlockable ones. Each level of N+ has a door to the next level, gold coins to obtain, and various robotic bombs and missiles to explode a player as often as possible. Luckily for N the ninja, he has remarkable regenerative capabilities that allow the player to restart the same level where they most recently had a tragic death.

In addition to the faithful translation of the original online game, the DS and PSP versions also have a wide array of multiplayer capabilities. With 100 cooperative levels and 50 competitive levels, N+ also had the ability to download new maps from the N server as well as design new maps with the integrated level editor. The ability to share levels over the PSP and DS wireless connectivity services is new to the N universe.

N+ is coming to handheld systems worldwide on August 12.

Atari’s big PC title came in the form of The Witcher: Enhanced Edition; an updated version of the role-playing game released in October 2007. In addition to updated features like more than 5000 rerecorded lines of dialogue and a new character differentiation system for non-playable characters, the enhanced edition also includes a multilingual game disc which allows any language combination of voice-over and subtitles, the official soundtrack CD and a short story by The Witcher novelist Andrzej Sapkowski.

The Witcher, based on the novels by Sapkowski, has won more than 90 awards and has sold more than 800,000 copies worldwide since its release in 2007. The player takes on the role of the renowned monster slayer Geralt of Rivia in a world where moral ambiguity reigns. A unique feature of the game is the way that each decision made may not directly affect the game until hours later. The Enhanced Edition of The Witcher is set to be released in September.

On a different note, RACE Pro is an ultra-realistic simulation racing game coming from Atari in November for the Xbox 360.

RACE Pro’s new ‘Hot Seat’ feature gives a different meaning to multiplayer racing. Each player drives in the ‘hot seat’ for a short period of time before they have to pass off the controller to the next player. This unique feature accelerates the pace of the game and makes multiplayer a more communal experience.

Atari went out of their way to produce as realistic a racing game as they could. RACE Pro features more than 15 real life tracks that span all continents across the globe. Players can win official championship titles using a wide variety of realistic car models. Participants earn their skills as a true racer would in real-life; through intense training, scoring key wins and receiving big sponsorship deals.

Hailed by many as being better than 2K’s 2008 tennis title Top Spin 3, Smash Court Tennis 3 was Atari’s big sports game release. Coming out in August to the Xbox 360, Smash Court Tennis 3 allows players to compete against or alongside some of the biggest names in the industry such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Justine Henin.

Smash Court Tennis 3 allows the player the ability to compete in the tennis world on more than a dozen courts and championships in five different modes; Arcade, Tutorial, Exhibition, Pro Tour, and mini-games.

Players can play with their local or online friends via Xbox Live. Smash Court Tennis 3 has already been released on the PSP.

Coming this fall is the newest installment of the Deer Hunter franchise and, as the Atari producers said, the most addictive. Deer Hunter Tournament is to be released for the PC and, for the first time, the Xbox 360 later this year.

European game publisher Infogrames has gobbled up the last scraps of their misbehaving adopted love child, Atari.

By buying up all outstanding shares of Atari stock, Infogrames has completely absorbed a company they already controlled as their American distribution arm. The move comes in the middle of disastrous financial times for Atari, which recently stopped developing its own titles in favor of full-time distribution.

Under the terms of the agreement, Infogrames will acquire the remaining outstanding equity interests of Atari (other than shares of common stock held by Infogrames or its affiliates, which would be canceled) for $1.68 per share, equaling $11 million. Infogrames is already the majority shareholder in Atari holding over 51 percent of its shares. Atari will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Infogrames.

From Infogrames:

This agreement is an essential and positive development for Infogrames and its shareholders. It brings Atari fully under the control of Infogrames, delivering a platform for future growth in the US. This step closely follows a series of recent major restructuring actions implemented in an effort to reposition Atari, streamline its corporate structure and reduce its annualized costs, including costs related to being a US public company.

“Bringing Atari US and Infogrames businesses together will enable us to create a simplified global structure for our business as we seek to re-build a well-managed, cohesive and financially disciplined company,” said David Gardner, CEO of Infogrames. “This is a key strategic event for Infogrames that will benefit all of our shareholders. I believe that this transaction will generate significant benefits for the Group.”

Jim Wilson, Atari’s CEO will transition over to Infogrames.

“By joining Infogrames, we will have the opportunity to further transform Atari. As part of this newly integrated company, we will be better able to streamline operations and have a stronger platform for growth in North America,” he said.

Under the terms of the deal, Infogrames is also lending Atari $20 million to fund operations.

Atari has released a trailer for Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit, the first DBZ game for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

“Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit signals the series’ first foray onto the PS3 and 360 platforms, boasting incredibly rich cell shaded characters, frenetic gameplay and incredible effects, all powered by a new game engine,” said Hiro Ito, spokesman for Atari. “Take a first look at the quickest and most cinematically intense fight scenes around!”

Atari has had an assuredly awful go of things lately.

After reports that majority shareholder Infogrames is bringing in former Sony Computer Entertainment executive Phil Harrison — and he would probably clean house — Atari let consumers know late Thursday that Infogrames has also offered to buy back all outstanding shares of Atari stock for $1.68, taking the company private and avoiding what could be a potentially embarrassing NASDAQ delisting.

In a statement, Atari said they received a “non-binding expression of intent to acquire the outstanding common stock of Atari, Inc. not owned by IESA (Infogrames Entertainment S.A.) and its affiliates.”

“A Special Committee of Atari, Inc.’s Board of Directors intends to undertake, together with its advisors, a thorough evaluation of the proposal,” the company said Thursday.

Atari needs a boost badly, and Harrison may be able to work some magic. The company has had several years of poor and poorly selling games — the abundence of poor games has lead to poor sales for their better games — and recently announced they would halt game production and focus on distributing and marketing their parent company’s titles.

One of my all time favorite PC sports games was High Heat Baseball 1999. It was behind its time and had sub par graphics, but it was a smooth playing game that was insanely customizable. It had replaceable graphics, importable stadiums (real Citgo sign for Fenway) and custom sound effects and player musical anthems you could add.

Around 1995, well before my High Heat days, I played hours and hours and hours of Hardball baseball. One of the first CD-ROM’s I ever owned — which came with my first 4X CD-ROM drive — was an Accolade game compilation that contained Hardball, Unnecessary Roughness football and Jack Nicklaus golf.

Hardball never had awesome graphics, but it, like many other PC sports games, especially at that time, was game you could truly make your own. You could add players, change teams, add yourself and your friends, add legendary players and change everyone’s skills accordingly.

The March 1996 edition of Computer Gaming World Extra, the free CD that came with issue 140 of the magazine, contains a demo of Hardball 5 as well as CRY.SYS, Space Bucks, 11th Hour, Age of Rifles, Fulltilt! Pinball, Heroes of Might and Magic, NCAA College Basketball and FPS Football 96 packed into a disc with patches, a comic strip and the obligatory AOL installation. It was a very typical magazine CD back then.

The Hardball series itself has been around since 1985, when Accolade put it on Commodore 64. It later ended up on Apple II, Apple IIGS, Macintosh, the Atari 8-bit family, Atari ST, Amiga, MSX, ZX Spectrum, PC (DOS in CGA and EGA), and eventually the Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, and Sony PlayStation — if you believe Wikipedia.

Hardball 5 is one of the highest-rated PC baseball games ever made. Gamespot’s Hugh Foster called it “the most playable baseball sim on the shelves today,” in an early review.

It was also one of Accolade’s late titles before the Infogrames took over in 1999. Accolade is responsible for the Test Drive, Deadlock, Bubsy, Brett Hull Hockey, Barkley: Shut Up and Jam (AWESOME Genesis title) and Star Control gaming franchises among many others.

Download the Hardball 5 demo free from Blast Magazine

Fantasy Wars will be criticized for its unoriginal gameplay style and an equally uninspired name, but there’s a good game under the hood.

The game is a lot like Blizzard’s Warcraft III and also has the RPG style of a game like Quest. The true beauty of Fantasy Wars lives in the fact that, especially for a clone, it has amazing replay value!

There are three campaigns in which you take the roles of the humans, the cute little elves and the tough orcs. The orcs are the usual fantasy stereotype. In “Wars,” they are known for desiring gold, being a strong race and a constant need to pillage.

The game is no pushover. It’s very difficult in the beginning and gets harder in later phases. It’s important to use your units to their maximum potential and be able to plan for what your opponent might attack you with. The game is a turn-based strategy, which means that you will direct units to attack, hold their positions, defend, gather, etc. Then it’s the other guy’s turn.

Unlike other TBS games, your units and supplies will carry over to the next mission, instead of just starting fresh. Each individual campaign has it’s own ups and downs. The key to being successful at Fantasy Wars is to stay focused, protect your units and deploy them at the right time.

The graphics are well-done. The environments are clear and well animated. It’s all just a little “cartoony” sometimes though. The battle animations will even have you laughing at times.

On the other hand, the sound is enough to drive you insane. The battle cries start off okay enough, but when you hear them every four seconds in a heated battle, you might turn your volume all the way down.

Multiplayer is also available via networking.

The game delivers. It’s an affordable strategy title. Fantasy Wars is highly addictive and a great way to kill an afternoon.

Quick hits:

Publisher: Atari
Developer: Ino-Co
Platform: PC CD-ROM
Genre: Turn-based strategy
Players: 1-2
Launch Date: November 13, 2007

Playability: 4 out of 5 stars
Learning Curve: 4 out of 5 stars
Sound: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Graphics: 4 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

Editor’s note: See also, “Game Over” from yesterday.

Atari announced today that the company will re-focus its operations on publishing and distribution, completely ending its game production business.

“Atari has determined to focus its resources on the publishing and distribution segments of the rapidly growing video game business,” the company said in a statement today. “The Company’s operations will involve title acquisition, sales and marketing, and physical distribution of products from IESA, its 51% shareholder, and other selected partners.”

Translation: Atari is not going to make games anymore. They are going to bird-dog and market games for its French parent company, Infogrames in North America.

Atari has licensed its Test Drive racing franchise, originally held by Accolade, to Infogrames. Infogrames bought Accolade in 1999, and Atari inherited the platform.

This is a major development in the gaming community as questions have been raised within Atari about its future ability to develop video games. Those questions now appear to be answered.

Atari will also reduce its workforce and transition certain employees to Infogrames.

“Atari continues to take important steps to stream-line operations and establish a winning business plan,” said Curtis G. Solsvig III, Atari’s Chief Restructuring Officer. “We expect that the actions we are undertaking today will position us for the future as a preferred business and distribution partner.”

The move ends one of the oldest eras in electronic entertainment history.

One can only hope technology historians will characterize the name Atari by its 1980s contributions to modern video gaming.

Through little fault of its own, the Atari name has floundered under its European parent, Infogrames, in the 21st century. But maybe, just maybe, Atari can regroup going forward.

Gamespot reported recently on Atari’s bleak financial reports and the doubt expressed by the company towards the future. Its financial reporting shows earnings down to $10 million with losses as high as $12 million.

In response, one reader posted this, which has substantial bearing on this situation:

This isn`t the “real” Atari to begin with. The original Atari was a publisher by accident, not design. Its main business was hardware and the software to put on it; in fact it went to court to prevent anyone else from having access to their machines in any capacity, (they lost) which led to the way things are today. The real Atari died with the 7800/ST/Lynx back in the 80s. I`ve said it before, but it is a shame companies can`t die young of an overdose or in a plane crash like rock stars do so we can remember Atari young, with a head full of hair and a Space Invaders cart plugged in blooping away happily … instead of with Enter the Matrix hanging out of it`s arm, fighting with it`s ex over custody of the Dragon Balls, (sic) slowly blowing away our happy memories in a belch of Driver ports. Even an intervention may be too late to save the Atari we all knew and loved. – “Jaeme“

Atari is today what GT Interactive Software was in the 90s. Seriously — Infogrames bought GT, ceased the brand and changed the name of the American branch of Infogrames to “Atari.” But it goes much more beyond that.

Atari is trying to hold on to its stalwart names like DragonBall Z and Dungeons & Dragons, and that’s a good thing. I firmly believe that Atari needs to get back to basics. It’s going to have to restructure its entire operation to get back in the black.

Take the lesson from 8 years ago. When GT Interactive was facing an unsure road ahead, they poured all of their resources into a new, untested Playstation game franchise called “Driver: You are the Wheelman.”

It was a terrible game. All ports and sequels (Which Atari inherited from GT) have been terrible. It was their big “savior” and months later GT didn’t exist anymore.

Get back to basics. Atari’s savior isn’t going to be something new — they (and GT before it) don’t have the resources to produce an effective, amazing and captivating brand new gaming franchise. It’s sad, but that’s the fact. Atari has sold off studios and properties. They are basically a marketing firm at this point.

Atari has for years tried to recapture its arcade successes by releasing its classics in compilation form … over and over and over for the last 10 years. I think the games are the right approach, but I think some development needs to be done.

Here’s what I think they should do:

Make a new Misisile Command
Make a modern Missile Command. Don’t screw with the gameplay too much — point and click is what brought the quarters in — but give it some modern graphics and sound. Maybe make it a hybrid of the old style with some new style of play and a riveting storyline. Anti-missile defense is still a hot topic, but its the basic, addictive gameplay that Atari can build on to make a new standalone product.

No compilations of old games. You did that … a lot

No more Driver.
Test Drive is a decent driving platform. Build off that. Let Driver die.

Make a 2D scrolling shoot-em-up game for Xbox Live Arcade, etc.
Chopper Command and River Raid come to mind. I know those were Activision titles, but they were Atari 2600. (I know Atari had Defender, but Defender wasn’t as good) Another title (which I’ll be offering the shareware of for download next month) is Raptor: Call of the Shadows, from Apogee/3D Realms. Simple concept: shoot everything. Give it some story, some sick sounds and a ton of weapon upgrades. Make it $19.99 and available via multi-platform download.

Re-release Video Chess and Video Checkers on Xbox Live Arcade, etc.

Artillery Duel
In 1983, Xonox put together a game where two players, each with an artillery canon, duel until one blows up the other. We should remember a QBasic game where two gorillas threw bananas at each other until one hits the other.

So let’s try this: Give players their choice of canons, missiles, tank guns, grenades, frigging Ninja throwing stars, just about anything creative you can think of with updated graphics and sound and let two (OR MORE?) people take turns shooting at each other until there’s only one left standing.

I’m just not sure if I’d leave the numerical aiming in or develop some new way of shooting, like a grid or guessing or visual aiming, etc.

Hey, Infogrames, make a Fahrenheit sequel for Wii
Too bad you changed the name in the US, but Indigo Prophecy, as we know it by, was a good game, and I think Wii controls would work better than the “Simon” play by color controls.

Make a Time Crisis-style game for Wii with the Zapper
An arcade shooter. A different Atari did this with an Area 51 port for the PC. It wasn’t great, so try again. Don’t call it Area 51 either. — Anyway Midway owns that name now.

And finally…

Release Pong for Xbox Live Arcade, etc. Don’t change it at all. Charge 25 cents for the download.