On paper, X-men Destiny sounds like a great idea. The game gives players the ability to take three characters brand new to the mutant universe, craft them any way they want and allow them to fight alongside (or against) famed mutants like Wolverine,  Cyclops, Gambit and Magneto. Not all ideas pan out like they should.

At times, X-men Destiny flirts with being a decent game, like when it delves deep into the X-men mythos, or lets you play mad mutant scientist by mixing powers and genes of your favorite heroes to create the mutant of your dreams – but it’s all combined with such messy, uninspired at broken mechanics that you’re unlikely to ever experience these things in full. Those who can’t get enough of the X-men should check out Destiny, if just for its fan service; just don’t expect a good game.

The stars of X-men destiny aren’t heroes like Wolverine and Cyclops, but three mutants you’ve never heard of. You take control of one of three characters created specifically for Destiny; Aimi, the mutant smuggled by her parents from Japan to escape incarceration, Grant the jock who knows nothing about the ongoing mutant VS human war and Adrian, the son of an anti-mutant to extremist.  Throughout the game you’ll interact with some of the Marvel universe’s biggest names and play an integral part in the human and mutant war that’s been raging since the death of Professor X. It’s here where X-men Destiny proves that it’s at least in tune with what makes the X-men cannon so unique. The characters origins actually have heart, and each of them (well, maybe not Grant) have a vested interest in the way the battles play out. The game may not portray this 100% of the time, but the game at least makes a valid attempt at giving us a story that fits in with those found in the X-men books on the market.

The beauty of starting with a brand new mutant is that you’ll get to craft them to your liking by finding and combining mutant genes to create a pretty cool arsenal of powers. As you play through Destiny, you’ll earn experience points by exploring, taking out identical no named thugs and even some of Marvel’s most well known mutants, you’ll use this experience to unlock genes, which in turns unlocks new abilities. Want the punishing power of Colossus combined with the speed of someone like Quicksilver? Go for it. Looking to create a badass combination of Wolverine’s berserker rage with Nightcrawler’s teleporting capabilities – you’ll just have to find the right genes. As someone who grew up creating his own X-men characters, I found this to be very intriguing and at times its incredibly rewarding; it’s just a shame that I found myself not caring about it less than halfway through the game.

For all that it has going for it, X-men Destiny falls apart when it comes to its core gameplay mechanics. Rather than fighting meaningful battles, you’ll be taking on a never-ending series of nameless thugs. The result is a boring and uninspired brawler which often feels like nothing more than a grind fest. Now, this would be alright if it were a brawler in the form of previous X-men games like Legends or the later Alliance games, but Destiny is nowhere near the quality of these titles.  Attacks have little or no weight to them and you’ll often get stuck in a sluggish combo that must be completed regardless of if your opponent is finished or not – leading to your character taking unnecessary damage. What’s worse is that these combos often cause the game itself to slowdown.  X-men destiny may present itself as a deep combat game, but it’s really nothing more than a sluggish button masher.

The game also asks you to explore quite often if you’re looking to get more of the mutant genes you’re looking for; but unfortunately, this to tends to drag the game down. Environments are often drab and uninteresting, and exploring becomes something you’ll have to do, rather than something you’ll want to do. At least the genes are hidden pretty much plain site more often than not, so you won’t have to look that hard for them.

The game’s problems don’t stop there as Destiny is an overall thin and unfinished experience. Destiny is a game that shouts its decision engine from the top of mountains, but you’ll find out very soon in the game that these decisions don’t make much of a difference at all. Throughout the game you’ll be asked to choose between two paths, one that aids the X-men and the other that helps Magento’s Brotherhood of Mutants. Making these decisions is supposed to open up new pathways and different missions, but in reality they all play out mostly the same – punch guys in the face and move on. All of this can be wrapped up in as little as 6 hours.

Presentation wise, Destiny is a mixed bag, the voice acting is surprisingly well done, but the rest of the game doesn’t feel as polished. We’ve already touched on the drab environments, but the characters as well feel incredibly awkward and move strangely at times. It’s most disappointing when characters and other elements in the game show up strangely or worse, not at all. These moments don’t happen all that much, but when they do, it’s enough to take you completely out of the game.

The Blast Factor: It’s not all bad though – if there’s one thing that X-men Destiny does right, it’s fan service. Playing through Destiny gives you plenty of different costume choices inspired by your favorite X-men characters. In that sense, there’s a ton of depth to Destiny if you really know where to look for it, it’s just a shame that it couldn’t be found in the game itself. Hardcore X-men fans, who pour of every page of the comics and have a notebooks full of sketches of their own mutant creations will get a kick out of Destiny – just don’t expect it to last too long.

They say that football is a game of inches. That it’s won and lost in the trenches, and not by the flashy plays that make the highlight reels. The same could be said then for Madden. The long running football series is built year after year by small improvements, rather than game changing new features (I’m looking at you quarterback vision cone).  This year’s game is no different, new features like Dynamic Player Performance are a welcome addition, and it’s still a satisfying game of pigskin, but there isn’t much new here to separate it from last year’s offering. Though it may be more Kerry Collins and less Peyton Manning, Madden NFL 12 is still a great time for fans of the sport.

The biggest addition to this year’s game is unquestionably the Dynamic Player Progression system. Essentially, it helps players act more like their real life counterparts. Player’s ratings are now effected by everything from the hits they take, to the flow of the game and even how they’ve been playing in the last few games, meaning you won’t be able to constantly rely on the same plays to the same players all season long. For instance, if Green Bay Packer tight end Jermichael Finley is on a cold streak and has been dropping open passes lately, I may want to look elsewhere when driving down the field for that come from behind drive. These ratings are pretty true to life, as players like Manning, Rodgers and Brady have remarkable poise in tense situations, yet rookies and those known for being rattled easy like Jay Cutler will begin making dumb mistakes if you don’t change your game plan up quick.

Dynamic Player Progression is a big part of this year’s Madden feeling much more realistic than previous editions ; as does the presentation – mostly. This year, EA has put an obvious emphasis on recreating the same camera angles and production aspects you’d see on TV and in stadiums around the league. The first few times you see these new angles, you’ll be impressed, but when they happen every single game, they get old rather quickly. The stadium specific introductions are well done, though shortened; really, teams only introduce two to three starters per game.

The biggest question though? Why stop there? Being the only licensed NFL game on the market and the only game that can use the ESPN license could be a huge deal, but the Madden series continuously throws the opportunity away. Where are the ESPN video packages? ESPN branding is almost nonexistent in this year’s game.  On top of that, why not take advantage of being the only actual NFL game on the market? Why not use the ESPN logos, tickers and graphics for games? I understand it would be hard to get the licenses for packages for each of the networks that carry NFL games, but how hard could it be to give me actual ESPN Monday Night Football presentation to make these games feel that much better. Hell, why not show me NFL network video packages?

Another disappointing aspect of the presentation of this year’s game is undoubtedly the commentary. Last year I applauded the addition of Gus Johnson, but somehow this year it just feels like it’s too much. Yes, it’s great when a remarkable, game changing play takes place and he shows true emotion, but Mr. Johnson is very excitable and makes every play, even short five yard passes seem like the best thing to ever happen to the game. Oh, and Chris Collinsworth? You may want to look into why they’re turning you into the game’s comedic value – I’ve had to listen on multiple occasions how you told me how great Greg Jennings’ arm strength is, and how he can riffle passes into tough spots. Yeah, Jennings is a receiver. I’m calling it – next year I want Joe Buck.

All of that aside, Madden’s core football gameplay is incredibly satisfying. Perhaps that’s as a result of the game’s hardest difficulty being ramped up to include smarter AI and better play recognition. The defense will pick up on tendencies and exploit them, and you better have a good adjustment plan.  New defensive animations and tackling systems makes that side of the ball a ton more satisfying to play. I honestly couldn’t get enough of wrecking guys with guys like Clay Matthews and BJ Raji.  With all of its downfalls, you can take solace in the fact that yes, Madden NFL 12 is still great fun to play.

Blast Factor: Madden NFL 12 may not be the best of the series, but it is a satisfying and fun football experience. The dynamic player performance system is an interesting addition the established formula, and should change how you at least play franchise mode. If Madden NFL 12 were an NFL team, they’d be the team that misses the playoffs, but only slightly.

You really can’t say Sega and Next Level games didn’t try. For Captain America: Super Soldier, the game loosely based on this summer’s big
budget adaptation of Marvel’s long running comic series, they took obvious inspiration from Batman: Akrham Asylum; widely regarded as
the best comic book video game of all time.  Unfortunately, they only borrowed the game’s ideas, and failed to capture what made the caped crusader’s latest adventure so memorable. That being said, it’s not all bad, and it may not be saying much, but Captain America: Super Soldier reaches heights that other Marvel games could only dream of.

Much like most video games based on comics book movies, the adventure in Captain America: Super Soldier takes place within the universe of the movie but doesn’t follow the events precisely.  This isn’t an origin story so you won’t have to take Steve Rogers from scrawny Brooklyn kid to National Hero, instead much like Arkham Asylum, the entirety of the game takes place in one location, a castle high in the Bavarian mountains.  It’s a sprawling complex, and it’s also home to scientist Armin Zola and his ruthless creations. Your job of course is to go in to the castle, stop Zola and destroy pretty much everything in the process.

What separates a game like Captain America from one like Arkham Asylum is simply how engrossing it is, and this is the game’s first misstep; as much of the game’s six hour campaign is incredibly dull and forgettable. Go into an area, punch a bunch of guys in their face, whip out the shield and move on. Of course, there are some moments that break up this monotony, but they’re few and far between.  Of course, the combat is not only responsive, but surprisingly rewarding, but even it’s not enough to break up Captain America’s monotony of bleak browns and grays.

That lack of detail also spills out into just how the game is designed. While playing the game, you feel the sprawling castle should be explored, but thanks to the tedious and dull level design it’s never quite as satisfying as it should be. It’s almost as if the developers realized this halfway through as they included a sewer system that goes underneath pretty much the entire castle to streamline travel and give you an option other than retracing your steps constantly through the castle. For what it’s worth, there’s a ton of collectibles you can find throughout Captain America, but none of them are things you’ll want. Beer steins? Whatever. Why not give me collectible comic book covers I can view, or movie art, or something other than random crap?

Captain America does its best to imitate a free-roam game, but is really a linear experience in every sense of the term. There are platforming sections that give the illusion that you’re free to explore and free to go about the game your own way, but in reality you’re still just moving from narrow corridor to narrow corridor. This has a definite effect on just how you’ll play through the game as you’re bound to get frustrated as you feel like you should get to that item, but it’s always just out of reach.

Captain America did nail one of the aspects from Batman: Arkham Asylum, the fact that you’ll never really get a quality boss fight with the one you’ve been waiting to take out for the entire game. Oh, there are some pretty frequent boss fights with some of Cap’s most famous recurring enemies like Iron Cross and Madame Viper, but you’ll never get that face with Red Skull you’ve been waiting the whole game for. You play through the entire game, slogging through tedious boss fight after tedious boss fight, waiting to get to the epic battle, but it never comes – it’s really all quite cheap.

There’s also something to be said for just how clean Captain America really is. Strangely, you’re playing as the same character who punched Adolf Hitler in the face on the cover of one the comics, but there’s absolutely no mention of Hitler, the Third Reich or the Nazi party. Instead, the soldiers with the goofy German accent are Hydra soldiers. I understand that putting such touchy topics in a game that kids will undoubtedly play, but these same topics are discussed in the movie, why hide it? Why make the game so squeaky clean?

The Blast Factor: Clocking in at just about 5-6 hours with no multiplayer, Captain America is slim on content and features, but that doesn’t mean it should be avoided at all costs. At the very least, it’s leaps and bounds ahead of Thor, Iron Man and other Marvel movie tie ins and that came before it, even if that’s not saying much. Still though, one of Marvel’s biggest names deserves better; there’s always The Avengers.

Want to know a secret? I’ve never seen a single moment of a Harry Potter movie, nor have I read a page of any of the books. Nothing against the franchise, I just never did. In fact, the only real concrete memory I have of the series is the god awful first Deathly Hallows game.  Is this really what people wait in line for?

The good news is that pretty much everything has been refined from The Deathly Hallows: Part 1, the bad news? It’s still pretty bad. Though there’s been obvious effort to tweak and tune the mechanics from the last game, they still don’t work and can be incredibly frustrating. With painfully bad voiceovers and a dull, short campaign, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II is not a good gaming send off for a franchise that defined a generation.

Much like its predecessor Deathly Hallows: part II plays like Gears of War in a Harry Potter mask. If that sounds weird…well that’s because it is. You’ll take cover and use your wand as your main weapon.  Different spells have different effects and can be used to take on different tasks – when they arise. That last part is key as the majority of the game is an incredibly repetitive affair.  Walk in to an area, cast a few spells, defeat bad guys and repeat until the game is over.  From time to time you’ll get new spells that will make the game feel a bit different (especially towards the end of the game), but for the bulk of the game, it all feels the same.

The most disappointing part of the game happens when you figure out just how paint by numbers the game is. Take the cover system for example; in a game like Gears of War, there’s multiple options for cover in an effort to be strategic, but in Deathly Hallows, it’s obvious that the developers put the cover points in where you’re supposed to take cover.  It gets to the point where you’ll see cover and instinctively know that death eaters are going to pop up right in front of it. This type of handholding becomes a bit more accepting when you take into account the game’s target audience; but it’s no excuse for the lazy level design.

One of the game's many different spells

For what it’s worth though, the game is full of great ideas – they’re just not implemented well. When you learn new spells, it’s a great deal of fun to experiment with them, but that feeling goes away when you realize that they all pretty much have the same effect. There’s a cool spell towards the end of the game that allows you to teleport between cover points, but it comes so late in the game that you never get the chance to truly explore what it can do. Perhaps Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II is most disappointing because it could have been much, much better.

The voice work in the game is done by impersonators, rather than the actual actors, and a few of them, like Harry, are rather impressive, but others are laughably bad. Characters like Voldermort come off as mere cartoon caricatures of their on screen personas. Visually, the game is a mixed bag. The screen is presented sans hub, which offers a nice and clean presentation, but the environments are so diluted and animations are so stiff that it doesn’t really matter. The first game had an embarrassing number of glitches that made the title’s faults stick out that much more, though most of those glitches are now gone, the graphical issues somehow still stick out.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II will only take most gamers about 3-5 hours to complete, which is incredibly short when you take into account the game’s $50 price tag.  There’s no extra modes, no multiplayer and thus no real reason to go back through a second time. With this being the last game of the series, why not offer collectibles or hidden nods to past stories for the fans? Sadly, Deathly Hallows: Part II is as bare bones as a game can get.

The Blast Factor: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II is miles ahead of the first game, but sadly, that’s not saying much. It’s a bare bones, flawed and unimaginative title that sadly never delivers on its novel ideas. So long Mr. Potter, sorry you never got a decent gaming experience.

When talking about the 3DS and it’s upcoming lineup, Nintendo revealed that everything from Madden to Dead or Alive and even Pilot Wings would be coming to handheld. But where was Nintendo’s most famous mascot? For the love of god, where was Mario?!

It’s okay, keep cool, Mario, in all his traditional platforming glory is indeed on its way to the 3DS. “In the interests of adopting new technology for the Super Mario Bros. tradition, I am now making a new Super Mario Bros. game for the Nintendo 3DS system,” legendary designer and Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto revealed in the latest installment of Iwata Asks. “I want to show everyone as soon as possible what the new Super Mario Bros. will be like on the Nintendo 3DS,” he added. We’re going to go out on a limb and guess the new game will involve Mario and a daring royal rescue. You sly devil you.

The announcement should come as a surprise to pretty much no one, as the New Super Mario bros line has been a major cash crop for the company since being released on the DS and the Wii. Stick with Blastmagazine.com for more on the game and the 3DS.

Perhaps more than any other intellectual property, the Harry Potter series has defined this generation. Whether you’re a fan or not, there’s no denying that the works of J.K Rowling have had a lasting effect on the culture and personality of this country much like that of the original Star Wars trilogy over thirty years ago.

It’s a bit insulting then when things like this happen. Not only is the video game adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 the uninspired, licensed dribble you expected – it’s a downright terrible experience. From game crippling bugs and laughable mechanics, to some of the most annoying sound bites you’ve played in quite some time, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is what’s wrong with the video game industry.

The reason the Harry Potter franchise works so well is because at its heart, it’s the coming of age story of three kids as they confront life, death, love and even their own mortality under the veil of the story of a wizard. The video game? Not so much. If there were to be a message here, it would have to be that if you’re annoying enough, all of your problems are sure to run away. The game features literally none of the heart, emotion or fanfare that has made the series so popular in the first place.

Following the book and movie very, very loosely, the first chapter of the final tale of Hogwarts finds Harry, Ron and Hermione tasked with getting rid of the evil Lord Voldemort, but to do this, they’re first going to have to destroy the rest of the horcruxes, or objects imprinted with the evil spirit of Voldermort. What exactly does that mean for you? A whole lot of nothing since the game does pretty much nothing in an effort to move the plot forward in favor of cheap sequence after cheap sequence.

So just how does Deathly Hallows play? It’s easiest to think of it as adventure game, mixed with the cover system of Gears of War – just really a really terrible one. Much like everything else here, the cover system is downright terrible, and you’ll often find yourself sticking to the wrong side of your proposed cover, or not at all. As fun as casting a ton of spells on hundreds of Death Eaters seems like it should be, it grows old after about the fourth or fifth second, as Harry’s constant yells of “STUPEFY….SPTUPEFY…” are yelled every few seconds. It’s made worse by the fact that pretty much every spell you do is a variation of said attack.

Hint, this guys bad -- but still not as bad as this game.

There’s a stealth element to Deathly Hallows, via the Invisibility Cloak. Again – a great idea in theory, but it fails miserably in practice. First, you’ll occasionally run into a bug that sends Harry to the left or right by about ten feet to the left or right, which really makes it hard to accomplish the whole sneaking through without touching anyone thing. Oh, and you have to stand still to charge it – what fun. The strangest part about the invisibility cloak is the fact that it never seems to play by a single set of rules. There are literally entire sections of the game, including the final boss battle that can be passed if you just stand in the right place at the right time.

On the Xbox 360 version of the game, there’s a bit of Kinect support, but it too is thoroughly disappointing. When we first got the game in, I thought it would be a good demonstration of what the new peripheral could do in combination with a new controller. It is not. The Kinect suite of the game is a mini game acting completely independent from the main content on the disc. Acting as an on rails shooter you’ll flick your wrist to cast spells on a series of enemies. All too quickly though you’ll realize that you’re not really aiming at anything, and the feature seems even thinner. Kinect could have been a huge part of Harry: Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but much like everything else in the game, that potential is wasted.

The game’s biggest crime? The fact that EA expects you to shell out $49.99 for this game, and then again when the second game comes out. Movies can do this, as a ticket to each half will run you $10 tops, but to ask consumers to pay $100 for one single experience is just plain ludacris.

The Blast Factor: The videogame adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 fails in almost every way imaginable. It’s not fun to play, it’s buggy and worst of all, it’s full price for half of an adventure. Harry Potter fan? You’ll be disappointed. Looking for a late way into the series, check out the books or movies instead, just avoid this game at all costs.

In previous console editions of The Sims, the series trademarked “play with life” formula was watered down with story modes that no one really wanted to play. With the Sims 3, the console editions have finally caught up with the PC counterparts. Or should that be the other way around? After all, The Sims 3 features new desire system that plays out like a story line, much like the earlier console titles.

Regardless, The Sims 3 is simply a must buy for fans of the series without a decent enough PC. Featuring all of the original release’s amenities including a brilliant character creation mode and an addicting gameplay system, The Sims 3 console edition may not be perfect, but it is one hell of a good time.

In case you’ve been living under a rock – The Sims series can best be described as a “life simulator.” You design your characters, known as Sims (see how that works?), design their world and then play Deity and run – or destroy their lives. You’re tasks will range from the everyday mundane duties of taking out the trash and eating to major life accomplishments like getting married and of course – death. You’ll assist them in making friends, getting a job and even controlling their bladder – in short, living life.

What truly sets The Sims 3 apart from those that came before it is just how fluid the game is. In previous games you could move freely within your household and the immediate area surrounding it with little to no lag – but if you wanted to go anywhere like a business or a friend’s house that was a bit away you’d be greeted with a lengthy load screen that seriously took gamers out of the experience.  The world of The Sims 3 is one massive map – free of load screens and disruptions.

While this new mechanic may seem basic, it adds an incredible level of depth to the gameplay mechanics.  A major aspect of the franchise has always been creating relationships with other Sims. This used to be done by inviting other Sims over to your house or to do activities around your world. In the past, this involved making a call, inviting that sim and waiting. Sure, you can still do that in The Sims 3 but the beauty is that you don’t have to – you can just zoom out on your map, pick where you want to go (and occasionally invite someone) and you’re off.

The true brilliance of The Sims 3’s new open world is the added level of exploration it provides. Of course, the focus is still on your lot but for once – you don’t feel confined. You can walk around, check out the sights of the neighborhood, peruse a business or two or even introduce yourself to a new Sim or two (just don’t be surprised if they’re a little freaked out by a stranger approaching them).

These social interactions are made all the more entertaining by the incredible depth of the customization available in The Sims 3. As before, you’ll be able to choose your Sims appearance and personality traits, but in The Sims 3 there’s just so much more to do. You choose up to five personality traits for your sim that will greatly influence just how you play the game.  You can be everything from an easy-going, friendly free-spirit, to an excitable, neurotic and everything in between.  There’s a ton of different options here and they truly do have an effect on gameplay; for instance a more social sim will be happier interacting with others while a neurotic will be content making sure the dishes are clean over and over.

One key addition to The Sims franchise is the ability to set goals for specific characters. These goals can range from being successful to having a happy family life and anywhere in between. You’ll have to make choices (like going to the bookstore and reading up on hobbies and chosen careers) to work towards these goals. These goals are optional – but you’re going to want to obtain them if you want your sim to be happy. In a series that has taken some flak for having no real goals – these new goals add an entirely new level of gameplay to the franchise.

Your character’s appearance has also received an upgrade. Sliders are used to customize a sim’s height, weight and age and you’ll be able to customize your own clothing and accessories. To say the level of customization is deep would be an understatement – you can make 100 Sims and still not make any that look the same.  While this is impressive, it’s quite evident that the developers are holding some features for future expansion packs. If the game is so advanced, why do we lose the ability to live with Pets, take your Sims to College or to an island if we could do it in a previous game?

The Blast Factor: The Sims 3 is a fantastically deep yet incredibly accessible addition to an already accomplished series. From the robust creation engine to the customizable personality traits – there’s something for just about everyone here. While it won’t do much to change the minds of the series’ doubters, The Sims 3 is an incredible experience that combines its core gaming element with a strong sense of community to form an almost social networking medium.  Those looking for a game they can really dig in and devote some time to will need to look no further than The Sims 3.

If the seemingly 14 different permutations of the television drama CSI aren’t enough to satiate your crime solvin’ fix, Ubisoft and CBS Consumer Products will attempt to give you your fill with two CSI related games this fall.

The first game, CSI: Fatal Conspiracy features five new connected cases written by the same writers from the television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Gamers will experience an authentic crime-solving videogame with real CSI characters, heart-pounding interrogations and enhanced graphics. A unique story structure that unveils the truth piece by piece brings a new level of suspense and intrigue to the top-selling franchise.

Developed by Telltale Games, CSI: Fatal Conspiracy will continue the crime-solving gameplay of Ubisoft’s CSI video game series and bring it to a whole new standard, and it will be available in October for the Wii, Xbox 360, Windows PC and PS3.

The second game, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Unsolved! will be exclusive to the Nintendo DS and DSi. According to the press release, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Unsolved! will make the most of the DS touch screen for an improved pick-up-and-play experience. Players will get to join forces with their favorite CSI characters from the show and solve five original murder mysteries, such as the death of a young pop star on stage or the discovery of a mummified body in the desert.

For more on these games, check out the official websites.
Here and here.

LOS ANGELES — "Technology is a tool… what matters is the experience," was what Reggie Fils-Aime promised from Nintendo this morning and he truly delivered. He promised that there would be "something for everyone" and being a girl and new to the gaming world I feel like there was something for me. I am very excited for these new products to be on the market so I can play with them and experience them for myself.

There was much more that was announced at this press conference, but there were some of the new products that truly stood out to us.

One of the first new games Nintendo is planning on releasing is a new Zelda game titled Skyward Sward. This game has become more new gamer friendly because of the Wii Motion Plus. The Wii remote becomes your sward while the shield is controlled by your nunchuck and the whole thing is controlled more by your actions than by pressing buttons. There are a bunch of new features that were explained during the presentation such as where your items are stored. You can find your items by pressing down the B button which displays your pocket. The game is filled with great graphics and beautiful scenery. They are still in the development process and it will take through the rest of this year, and the game is expected sometime next year.

Fils-Aime then introduced and gave a glimpse at a few new games that Nintendo will be coming out with. The first of which was Mario Sports Mix. This game involves all the old Mario characters and includes sports games like volleyball, hockey, and basketball. This game is expected to come out in 2011.

Next was the game that Fils-Aime called a Bridge game, the games that get people into gaming, he described these as the games like Mario Kart, Wii Play, Wii Fit etc… and now Wii Party. This is going to be a fun multiplayer game with two modes, party game mode and house party mode. It’s filled with over 70 mini games and a handful of party games. One of the games in the presentation looked to be a spin-off on the game spoons.

Just Dance was released last year, and Just Dance 2 is coming in the fall. In this version there will be more dance moves, dancing duets a just sweat mode, and a dance crew face off. The best thing about this version is that the amount of players able to play has doubled and the game can now accommodate up to eight players.

Disney is planning on releasing a new Wii game this holiday season called Epic Mickey. This game is filled with many of the forgotten and or retired characters and locations, such as Smee (Capitan Hook’s "right hand man" from Peter Pan) and places like the Swiss Family Robinson tree house and the Tiki Room. In this game you have to make the choices and what you chose will affect the characters and the locations. You are given paint thinner to erase things and paint to create. As the presenter explained there will be consequences and rewards for the choices you make.

Other announcements introduced a new Kirby game called Kirby’s Epic Yarn, where all the characters are made of yarn and the scenery is all stitched together. It’s a very cute and different art style and is planned to be released this fall. In partnership with Retro Studios, Nintendo is planning on releasing a new Donkey Kong game called Donkey Kong Country Returns. This game is due out this holiday season as well.

As Fils-Aime remarked about the future of gaming he said its "not raising the bar but making the bar extend far into the distance" This was when they announced their latest technological advance the Nintendo 3DS. This is a huge technological advance and is the first to not require the use of 3D glasses. This new device has two screens similar to the DS with a 3.5 inch display on top. There is a 3D depth slider to adjust the graphics and has a slide pad, motion sensor and gyro sensor. This new device has two camera lenses on the outside and will be able to shoot 3D photos! The device will also be compatible with 3D movies.

These 3D affects added to games will allow for a much better experience in height, width and depth, and you will be able to judge distance better. Connections with other DS systems will happen automatically and no matter what game is being played. Nintendo is working with many third party groups and will be releasing things like DJ Hero, Kingdom Hearts, and games from EA Sports. Looking through the demo it looks promising, but may be straining on the eyes at full level. Also from the quick glance you need to look at the game straight on and not otherwise the 3D affects seem to disappear.

Ladies, it’s time to steal your man’s DS, or get your pink one out like I did!  Not only is the DS a game system, but now it’s a helpful planning tool for mealtimes. In March, Nintendo partnered with America’s Test Kitchen located just outside of Boston (and home to Cooks Illustrated and Cook’s Country Magazine)  and released a new game called America’s Test Kitchen, Let’s Get Cooking. Having 300 recipes in a small DS cartridge is a space saver for anyone with a small kitchen like myself.  This is great for families as well, as it is filled age appropriate tasks for all your kitchen "helpers"!

The game is filled with all sorts of great features including a big section of definitions, helpful hints and techniques for everything that would be needed in any of the recipes. Unfortunately, it consists of mostly very basic recipes and techniques. I looked for a recipe for Chocolate Ganache and could not find it, yet I consider that to be a basic recipe for many confections. It also has videos of real chefs showing you how to perform basic techniques such as dicing a potato and cleaning a cutting board thoroughly.  I was pleasantly surprised when I opened up the recipes and saw real, excellent quality pictures of the food instead of computerized graphics. There is a wonderful option that allows you to exclude ingredients and seasonings you or a family member may be allergic to, or dislike. When you check the ingredient, it will mark it in the recipes so that when you are flipping through you will see a red X marking recipes you will wish to avoid.

When you first look at your recipe it gives you all the same information as a cookbook, how long it will take to prepare, how many calories it has, how many servings it makes, and it even gives you a place to make notes of your own so you can effectively bookmark favorites. You can select recipes by the pictures or you can search by recipes with certain ingredients, by difficulty and even by calories. Another nice touch to this program is that you can make a grocery list right in the program for the recipe you select. In the notepad feature I am planning on developing a pantry inventory list for staples, so that I can track items used and replenish them easily on shopping trips.

There is a "save" feature so that when you peruse the recipe section, you can basically "bookmark" recipes that you are interested in trying at a future date. All you need to do it enter the "Try It" section and you will find your recipes. You can even plan meals on specific dates using the calendaring feature. This would make budgetary meal planning much easier for a busy family.

Overall, I would choose to purchase this instead of a cookbook as I have space issues in my kitchen. It’s also very organized and has good ideas for special occasions and has full meals suggested for upcoming holidays.  For example, Father’s Day is coming up, so what better way to celebrate Dad than with an appetizer of Tomato and Mozzarella Tart, Grilled Steak, Twice Baked Potatoes, Spinach with Garlic and Lemon?  Then to top the meal off, a yummy perennial summertime favorite, Strawberry Shortcake.

I tried out  a few of the recipes and the directions are clear and are as fast as you set the speed, as well as being quite tasty. I personally recommend the Ranch Potato Salad.  So get your family together or try the recipes for yourself.  I hope to see a new, more advanced version of the program in the future.

Capcom today announced a firm release date for the upcoming DS compilation Mega Man Zero Collection penciling it in for a June 8 North American release.

The Collection includes the four Game Boy Advance Mega Man releases on one tiny, little cartridge, for the going rate of $29.99, which math tells us is about $7.50 for each.

Still a little too confusing? Capcom unleashed this trailer (embedded below) to help explain things. Phew!

505 Games have announced what looks to be an absolutely miserable Nintendo DS title revolving around the “Mean Girls” universe for Nintendo DS today and Lindsay Lohan didn’t make the cover cut.

The game will feature a slew of themed mini-games and environments from the iconic film but the game’s product description is a real winner. Find it below.

“Rumors. Lies. Intrigue. It’s High School. Based on the hit Paramount movie. Follow the misadventures of Cady from Jingle Bell Rock to the School Prom. Go up against plasFcs, jocks, art freaks and mathletes, as you work to play the cliques against each other and become the high school prom queen!”

Who’s on the cover? None of than the plastic posse. Notice Lindsay Lohan isn’t there. But that makes sense, as her character was never a true plastic. No matter, Rachel McAdams is clearly better looking anyway.

Mean Girls, the DS game

If you can get past the fact this game is arriving six years too late, head over to the game’s GameStop page and reserve yourself a copy. It’s due out for DS on the first of June.

Mega video game retailer GameStop, today announced its plans to open thousands of its stores across the nation early for the launch of Nintendo’s larger portable, the DSiXL.

But by early, we don’t mean midnight.

That’s right, more than 3,200 GameStop locations will open their doors at 9 a.m.

Wait, what?

Yeah, 9 a.m. A full two hours before the story normally opens.

Why do this? GameStop says it’ll “allow customers to be among the first to get their hands on the highly-anticipated handheld.”

Oh, okay. So everyone who buys their DSiXLs at GameStop will have a one hour gloating window over Best Buy and the like. Joy?

The Shin Megami Tensei series has seen many forms and focused on many sub-genres over the years. The previous (and first) entry on the Nintendo DS was last year’s underrated Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor, a tactical RPG that utilized demon summoning and turn-based combat. This year, Atlus has released another SMT title: Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey.

The latest will feel very familiar to those hardcore RPG enthusiasts who played one of Atlus’ other series, Etrian Odyssey. That’s because Strange Journey is a dungeon crawler with a first-person viewpoint. It’s not as tough as Etrian Odyssey, thanks to far more save points as well as healing stations, and, in comparison, an abundance of money, but that doesn’t mean this is an easy game. It’s an SMT game, which means it comes with the kind of tough battles that requires a thorough understanding of the battle system.

At its most basic, Strange Journey is a dungeon crawler with turn-based battles. While seemingly random, battles occur after a set number of steps–you can see when one is imminent on your HUD thanks to a color gauge. You control one character that you can name, as well as up to three demons at a time in your party. You recruit these demons through conversations and negotiations — you have to answer a few of their questions in a way that will make them like you, and then give them money, items, or health in order to convince them it’s worth joining your party. Questions are sometimes tough to gauge, but you can figure it out easily — don’t make it sound like you want to kidnap barely legal fairies for  pedophilic pleasure, and you shouldn’t have any troubles recruiting those types of classes. Make big, tough demons respect you by showing how tough you are (or admitting how strong they are) and they’ll join up–you get the idea.

You fight by plugging attacks, skills or item commands into the menu for your entire team, and then a round plays out. You can summon new demons to the fight as well in order to replace either fallen ones or those you just don’t want in the battle anymore. If you don’t feel like fighting, you can select auto fight with the X button, which can be stopped in between rounds. This happens quickly, so make sure you do it if you know you’re going to win anyways. You wouldn’t want to lose a match against some tough demon because you were too lazy to go through a menu.

The first time you encounter demons, they appear as blue static on your screen. Once you have fought them and collected information on them–their name, weaknesses, etc.–they will show up in their true forms. You continue to collect information on them after this–after battles, you may notice that your Analyze level for a particular demon went up. You can reference that information to know their weaknesses or what they are strong against, which is useful knowledge not only for fighting, but when you’re building your own party for a region or boss.

You can carry up to 12 demons at a time, though that number is smaller at the start. Capturing demons won’t be enough though–you need to fuse demons together in order to make more powerful ones. You can’t fuse a demon more powerful, level-wise, than your main character, but there are still some excellent combinations to be had at all times in the game. After you have leveled a demon a certain amount, they will give you their “source”, which is basically some of their skills that you can apply to a demon fusion in order to customize a bit. There is also special fusion, which requires three demons rather than two, but this makes some of your better fighting companions who have much better skill-sets and base abilities than your standard fusion.

The story and presentation in Strange Journey are also worth discussing. Graphically and artistically, this game is appealing. Environments are varied, despite the fact they are mostly just walls and alleyways for you to traverse in a maze-like fashion, and character animations (and designs) are splendid, as is normally the case in SMT titles. Conversations are menu-based using statis animations, but you don’t do a whole lot of talking unless you are in between missions or a new story element pops up while you’re out in the field.

As for  the story, you are part of an elite strike team sent to accompany scientists and researchers to the Schwarzvelt, an odd distortion of time and space that appeared in Antarctica and is threatening to swallow the planet. In addition to completely satisfying the quantum physics nerd in me with constant references to advanced sciences and theories, the story remains entertaining throughout thanks to the dialogue that permeats the experience–the main conflict is between humans and demons, and although demons are considered evil and terrible (as well as dangerous) their behavior and the world they live in is simply a reflection of human activities and the selfish desires of humanity. Sure, the demons are bloodthirsty, and many of them want nothing besides your death (or at least a sandwich made from your corpse), but their existence is tied directly to humanity’s treatment of the planet during the absence of the demons. For once, you can stop to think about what a JRPG is trying to tell you on a philosophical level–and that level is something besides, “As long as you have friends, no goal is outside your reach!”(and a cliche cast of friends, at that).

Strange Journey is a lengthy experience as well–you don’t necessarily have to level grind to succeed, but you will have to spend time searching out demons and leveling up sufficiently. No worries though–dungeons are long enough, and with plenty of goals in them, so you won’t have to do much running around outside of what is required of you from the story and side missions you can take on. You may fly through the early portions of the game as the game teaches you about recruiting demons, fusing them and the like, but as time goes on and you need to make sure your party is loaded with enough firepower to take on the demon clan’s heavy hitters, things get a bit more difficult and time consuming.

Luckily there is plenty to do outside of just fighting while you roam the mazes. Forma can be found using an application in your suit–forma is basically a material that is used in the ship’s laboratory to make items, weapons, accessories, and additional apps. Once you have the app for locating forma, an indicator will go off on your map once you are within range–it’s worth finding every piece of forma you come across, because chances are good the ship’s labs can turn it into something you can use. This helps keep your searches for battles and demons from feeling grindy, which is welcome in a game like this that requires so much fighting.

Blast Factor: Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is a blast from the past in a lot of ways, but it’s a welcome one. The DS gets another lengthy RPG title to add to its collection, but it’s one time with. There’s an entertaining story, one that’s a little deeper than you would think from a handheld RPG, as well as the joy of fusing and creating new demons–and of course, it’s a challenge to complete, which is welcome news to those who follow the SMT games, or even those who can’t wait for Etrian Odyssey III.

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is available exclusively on the Nintendo DS. A copy of this game was given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes.

Objection! Take that! Hold it! Another Ace Attorney game? Why, yes indeed!

The newest addition to Capcom’s courtroom drama adventure series, Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, gives gamers more of the same intriguing mysteries and logic solving gameplay. Made for the Nintendo DS, the game features Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth this time around, famous for being the unrelenting rival of the original Ace, Phoenix Wright. Unlike its predecessors, Ace Attorney features some new elements that spice up the series nicely, but the linear gameplay that fans are used to remains generally the same. You’ll miss Phoenix and the short-lived Apollo Justice at first, but Miles Edgeworth quickly gains your heart as you lead him through one strange case after another.

The main thing fans will notice in this game is the glaring absence of the courtroom. In its place, players explore crime scenes and use Miles Edgeworth’s logic ability to discover the truth. It’s actually just what the game title claims; an investigation-type game. There are many familiar faces that fans will recognize, and some really great new strange people to press in interrogations. Also, in addition to the amusing character motifs that are an Ace Attorney series staple, Capcom also uses 2D sprites that the player can mover during investigating crime scenes, which is actually a very nice addition. Gamers get to control Edgeworth through five different cases, each with a different crime with an intertwining common denominator that ties them together at the end.

Each episode works the same way; introduction, investigate, interrogate, repeat, solve. During the course of the episode, Edgeworth must make logic connections, present evidence to support his claims, and press and question witnesses and suspects. Some players may find the logic a little holey, and it most certainly is a trial-and-error process. Edgeworth is penalized for each wrong decision he presents, represented by a logic meter at the top of the screen. If the bar drains to empty, Edgeworth gets thrown off the case and the game is over. Often, much like the other games in the series, there are multiple pieces of information or evidence that would make sense to present, so the game gets frustrating at times as Edgeworth is continuously made a fool of as you choose the wrong thing. There are certainly times where the player will know right off the bat what to present and the logic is obvious, but sometimes the choice won’t even make sense until after you present it and the characters explain why it’s correct.

After playing through four other Ace Attorney games, unfortunately for Miles, this one seems a bit stale. Although the added elements certainly are fun at first, for the most part, the game is pretty much the same as the others. Quirky characters and interesting cases are still present, and the writing truly saves the game and makes you want to continue playing. However, the frustrating trial-and-error process might turn some people off, especially those who are new to the series. Naturally, we wouldn’t ask for it to be easy; discovery and figuring things out is what the game is all about, of course! But the fact remains that there are definitely some far-fetched conclusions that will throw even the most experienced Ace Attorney into a fit of rage as they continuously connect things incorrectly.

Blast factor: Capcom preserves the things that make the series great, and at least attempts to bring new life with the investigation aspects and logic meter. Needless to say, the things that make the original Ace Attorney frustrating are glaringly present in their latest offering as well. This is not to say that you won’t have a great time holding y and screaming "Objection!" as loud as you can into your DS in a crowd of people, but that players should be prepared to get a little flustered. Ace Attorney is a wonderful series, with a different style than any other games I’ve played. Give it a chance, and I’m sure most will not be disappointed.

A recent customer survey from mega video rental service Netflix, points to the possibility of streaming access coming to Nintendo’s DS portable system in the future.

This would be awesome.

“Imagine that Netflix offers its subscribers the ability to instantly watch movies and & TV episodes on their Nintendo DS,” said the survey. “The selection available to instantly watch includes some new releases, lots of classics and TV episodes.”

“There are no advertisements or trailers, and movies start in as little as 30 seconds. You can fast-forward, rewind, and pause or watch again. The movies & TV episodes you instantly watch are included in your Netflix membership at no additional fee.”

The same thing happened with Netflix for Wii. It was teased in a customer survey and now it’s here.

Interested in watching Netflix on your DS? I already have it on my Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, but hey, more is better, right?

Source: Kotaku

Hot off this morning’s Warner Bros. Batman news, the company today announced a new Batman game for Nintendo platforms Wii and DS.

Based on the animated series, Warner Bros. will bring “Batman: The Brave and Bold The Video Game” to Wii and DS this year. Gamers will be able to play as DC Universe characters Batman, the Green Lantern, Robin, Blue Beetle and Aquaman in the cooperative game.

Batman.

What’s more, the game will feature Wii and DS connectivity. If you own both you’ll be able to unlock the Bat-Mite as a playable character and using the DS as a controller will be able to control the little guy in the Wii game.

Sure, it’s no “Arkham Asylum 2,” but Wii and DS gamers with Batman on the brain have at least something to look forward to.

No screenshots or video is available for the game just yet, but when it surfaces, we’ll be on it.

Source: Destructoid

Atlus U.S.A., Inc has just launched the official website for their new sci-fi RPG, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey for the Nintendo DS.

The website will list details on the game’s story, cast, and systems. The site also contains a mission breifing to set the stage. For the uninitiated, the “What is SMT?” section tells newcomers the history of the series. A downloads section will let them take something away once they’ve been initiated into the series.

“The official website for Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is the only source of information anyone needs to consult for breaking news on the situation in the Schwarzwelt,” proclaimed Aram Jabbari, the Joint Project’s ad hoc minister of information, shutting a door behind him through which flashing red lights could be seen. “Please remain calm and bookmark the website for regular updates from trusted experts on the subject.

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is scheduled for release on March 23 with an MSRP of $34.99. Every copy will be a boxed set with a bonus CD with music from the game!

Check out the website and pre-order your copy today.

Capcom’s new court advenutre Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney will be releases on WiiWare next Monday, Jan 11, 2010. Players will collect evidence, weed through inconsistent testimonies and overcome corrupt agendas so that justice prevails!

You’ll present evidence with a wave of the Wii remote or press suspicious testimonies with a wiggle. The game is single player and covers a fairly basic plot.The story kicks off with Phoenix Wright defending his childhood friend Larry Butz from a murder charge. But this is only the beginning drama for the tenacious legal eagle as Wright faces unexpected tragedies that will test the limits of his incredible deductive prowess.

And that’s not all! When you buy the game on your Wii, you will be able to download the bonus episode which was in the original DS version of the game for 100 Wii Points in May.

But that’s not the only news we have from Capcom. Ace Attorney INVESTIGATIONS: Miles Edgeworth will be released on Feb 16. A Demo will be released on the DS in a few weeks.

If you want more information on the Ace Attorney games, check out their website here.

Big news for Nintendo fans today, as Satoru Iwata, Nintendo president, issued a statement today promising a new Wii Zelda title for 2010 and provided the first details on the high-end successor to the DS.

Iwata said the new high-spec DS will feature “highly detailed graphics, and it will be necessary to have a sensor with the ability to read the movements of people playing”.

Rumors of this new revision have already been swirling, as this summer brought news of this new DS supporting NVIDIA’s Tegra Tech, which seems validated by Iwata’s statements today.

As for the first Wii Zelda sequel, the man only said it would arrive sometime in 2010, which leaves the company open to many possible release dates.

The new Zelda

One thing’s for sure, at this year’s E3 Convention, Nintendo is likely to spill the beans on everything hinted at today.

Seen on IGN and IGN

The Holiday season is full of gift-giving, family, love and Scribblenauts?

You betcha. And what better way to celebrate the season than to buy this glorious hand-drawn image from the world of Scribblenauts?  Max, in his rooster hat riding a train with Santa in the b*tch seat? Yeah, that just happened.

Drawn by 5th Cell artist Edison Yan, the print is fantastic in so many ways, and works just fine as a desktop background.

Click to make huge and almost too cute to handle.

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/happy-holidays-from-scribblenauts/feed/ 0 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/nintendo-announces-black-friday-dsi-deal/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/nintendo-announces-black-friday-dsi-deal/#comments Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:12:09 +0000 Eddie Makuch http://blastmagazine.com/?p=34102

It’s Thanksgiving week. The week Americans enjoy the spoils of plentiful bounty, watch football, and drink beer, but when those festivities end, what’s next?

Thankfully, the next day, Friday, Nov. 27, is Black Friday, the official beginning to the Holiday 2009 shopping season, and there will indeed be deals to be had everywhere, including from Nintendo.

That’s right, the Japanese game-maker is offering its DSi portable gaming system, with $20 worth of pre-installed software, for the regular $170 price point.

There will be two flavors available for your shopping sake; the White, and Metallic Blue versions, and both have varying goodies installed on them, so choose wisely!

Here’s the differences.

Metallic Blue

• Mario vs. Donkey Kong^â„¢: Minis March Again: Can Mario and his Mini Marios rescue Pauline from Donkey Kong’s clutches yet again?
• Dr. Mario^â„¢ Express: Mario once again dons his stethoscope to battle the forces of illness in this downloadable version of the classic puzzle game.
• WarioWare^â„¢: Snapped!: Wario^â„¢ returns with more manic action made especially for the Nintendo DSi system. WarioWare: Snapped! uses the built-in Nintendo DSi Camera to make players the star of the show by placing them right into fast-paced mini-games.
• Mario^â„¢ Calculator: Mario and Luigi^â„¢ take a break from their normal adventures to dedicate their heroic talents to working with numbers.
• Mario^â„¢ Clock: Mario Clock includes both analog and digital clocks that use the system’s internal clock or allow you to offset the time however you like.

White

• Brain Age^â„¢ Express: Arts & Letters: Test your spelling in Word Attack, enjoy literary classics in Reading Aloud and tune your musical skills in Piano Player.
• Brain Age^â„¢ Express: Sudoku: Solve a variety of puzzles at three different skill levels using the touch screen and an intuitive interface.
• Brain Age^â„¢ Express: Math: Players can enjoy a mix of new and familiar exercises, including Change Maker, Triangle Math, Sum Totaled and Multi Tasker.
• Clubhouse Games^â„¢ Express: Card Classics: Play familiar favorites like Blackjack and Five Card Draw, or test your ability in the fast-paced Last Card, Last Card Plus and President.
• Photo Clock: Experience all the enjoyment of a photo album while ensuring you won’t lose track of the time.

If someone on your chrismahanakwanza list wants to get into DS gaming, doesn’t look you’ll see a better deal than this! Happy shopping folks.

A new Nintendo DS product called Easy Piano is being distributed by Valcon Games. The product is an add on which gives the DS a mini keyboard (13-note, full octave external keyboard to be precise). The peripheral allows kids to learn the piano or simply have a Piano based “Guitar Hero”-like game. This is a great way to introduce children who are young to music! It will be released in 2010, so we’ll be sure to keep you posted when we have more info!

Pokƒ©mon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of the Sky was my first foray into one of the spin-offs of the popular series. I haven’t played any of the proceeding games, and I was told that Explorers of the Sky is the equivalent of Pokemon Yellow from when I used to play Pokƒ©mon. After digging a bit further, I found that this game is very similar to the previous ones, just with more side adventures and different start up Pokƒ©mon.

Here’s the plot: You’re human. Until you’re turned into a Pokƒ©mon. Your character is determined by a personality test which assigns you to one of several Pokƒ©mon who are members of a “Guild.”‚ Now you have to explore a bunch of dungeons, battling opponents and collecting various items in the hopes that you will revert to your human form. You’re also given a partner who helps you travel through the dungeons. Sound riveting? It would be, if the‚ execution didn’t come off so poorly.

My opinion of this game prior to playing was slightly optimistic, but I knew upon turning it on that something was off. Instead of the new sleeker graphics which come with most new DS games, I was greeted with graphics reminiscent of the Game Boy or Game Boy Advance. This wouldn’t have been a problem if I wasn’t accustomed to better graphics. Nevertheless, the “vintage” look was a minor issue compared to the‚ gameplay.

This is nothing like the Pokƒ©mon we had growing up, since the Mystery Dungeon series is a completely different type of game. The type of gameplay involved here is a basic dungeon crawler. You travel through dungeons and fight enemies, pick up items and move on to the next dungeon. You move in a basic grid system until you get to the exit leading to the next dungeon. However, these dungeons are not structured but randomly generated. After several rounds it became clear that the simple gameplay was meant to keep the player immersed in the game, but it failed at that because the dungeons are boring as hell. It’s easy to navigate the dungeons, defeat the enemies and move on. Sometimes the random dungeon generates with the exit next to your character, which forces you to look around a waste time looking around instead of simply walking out. (Fun Tip: If this happens to you, just go to the next level).

A redeeming feature of this game is the character side-stories. In the side-stories, you learn the motivations of each of the Pokƒ©mon you’re associated with and are presented with a more branched out plot than your own story. However, this isn’t much of a consolation, since you are still required to continue playing through the dungeons in order to gain access to the side stories. The repetitive soundtrack also starts to get on your nerves after a couple of dozen dungeons. Overall, this review seems overly negative, but I should point out that while I think the game is a cheap attempt at cashing in on the Pokƒ©mon brand (I’m half sure that if this was a game about creatures it would be quite‚ forgettable) it succeeds with the audience it is appealing to.

For this review, I decided to shake things up a bit. After I had played through Explorers of the Sky, I tossed it off to my younger brother and let him play it. As a 10 year old Pokƒ©mon lover, he couldn’t get enough of the game. He took everything the game threw at him and enjoyed every last minute of it. There was nothing wrong with it to him. The kid, who played REAL Pokƒ©mon games, had absolutely no problem with the game. Instead he’d get very excited when side stories arrived and loved the experience overall. I asked him if he felt there was anything wrong with the game, and he said no.

Blast Factor: Dungeon crawler fans, this is my disclaimer: This game probably isn’t for you. But I’m giving it a decent score based on intention, not execution. This game is designed for little children who have just started gaming. It requires no real effort, but it is entertaining to little children who just want to have a good time. This has a dual purpose: 1.) to try and attract new children into the Pokƒ©mon mythos through a different type of game and 2.) expand on the brand. 5 games in, the Mystery Dungeon still has alot of kinks. But we also have to acknowledge that the kids who play this game will be introduced to dungeon crawler games and hopefully be interested enough to expand into the real Pokƒ©mon games and legitimately challenging dungeon crawlers. So if you’re a bit older, I recommend looking elsewhere but if you’re looking for a gift, by all means pick this up for the kids.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of the Sky is available exclusively on the Nintendo DS and DSi, and retails for $34.99. A copy of this game was given to us by the publisher for review purposes.

EA has announced that Need for Speed NITRO will be released two weeks early. Now gamers can purchase the game on November 3rd. As an Added Bonus, EA has also announced the soundtrack listing as well. So get your Wii and DS ready for this racing game because it’s probably gonna be pretty good.

Here’s the soundtrack:

Artist – Song

Alex Metric -What Now

Bloody Beetroots feat. Cool Kids – Awesome

Crookers feat. Wiley and Thomas Jules – Business Man

Crystal Method feat. LMFAO – Sine Language

Danko Jones – Code Of The Road

Dizzee Rascal and Armand Van Helden – Bonkers

Drumagik – Make It Rock

Earl Greyhound – Oye Vaya

edIT feat. Wale and Tre’ – Freaxxx

Evil 9 – All The Cash (Alex Metric Remix) Feat. El-P – Hold The Line

Hollywood Holt – Can’t Stop

k-os – FUN!

Lady Sovereign – I Got You Dancing

Major Lazer feat. Mr.Lex & Santigold – Hold The Line

Matt & Kim – Daylight (Troublemaker Remix)

Mickey Factz – Yeah Yeah

Pint Shot Riot – Not Thinking Straight

Placebo – Breathe Under Water

Rise Against – Kotov Syndrome

Roots Manuva – Buff Nuff

Rye Rye – Hardcore Girls

Street Sweeper Social Club – Fight! Smash! Win!

Taking Back Sunday – Lonely Lonely

The Enemy UK – No Time For Tears

The Gay Blades – O Shot (Dmerit Remix)

Two Fingers feat. Sway – Jewels And Gems

NVIDIA, a graphics chip maker reportedly won a contract to provide its new chip, Tegra, to Nintendo for a new iteration of the DS, to be announced late 2010.

Inside sources tell information technology news outlet BSN, that Tegra, the chip used in such mobile machines as the Zune HD and smartphones, will make the new DS run.

If true, this partnership would mark the first time Nintendo and NVIDIA ever teamed up. And the way both firms dominate mobile eletronics business, we can’t even imagine what would happen if they worked together. World domination anyone?

Nintendo, who released the Nintendo DSi mere months ago, aren’t likely ready to announce a new portable soon, but late 2010, that’s not soon is it?

Source: Kotaku

Hey all,

It’s Monday, so that means another Nintendo Download! This week’s selection is relatively short (only 3 new titles), but I’m sure you’ll love what’s been released. This week’s titles include Pinball Pulse: The Ancients Beckon, Gravitronix, and Final Fight 2. Pinball Pulse: The Ancients Beckon is pinball with a plot. You fight your way through a quest of mythic proportions, interacting with gods and goddesses in order to fulfill your quest to become a pinball champion. Gravitronix is a strategy game where you go head to head with your opponents throwing and dodging projectile attacks in order to best them and become the king of the Gravitronix arena. The gem in the release is SNES’s Final Fight 2 on the Virtual Console. Return to Metro City as Haggar in order to take on the Mad Gear Gang and rescue their hostages. One of those classic must play games, finally available on the Virtual Console. For more details, just check out the press release below!
Nintendo DSiWare

Pinball Pulse: The Ancients Beckon¢â€ž¢
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) “" Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points¢â€ž¢
Description: Pinball takes on mythological proportions in this Nintendo DSiWare exclusive. Choose from two modes of play (Regular Game or Daily Game) and begin your journey to becoming a pinball champion. Conquer mythic quests, collect gifts from the 12 Olympians, and push your skills to the limit by facing Medusa, the Sirens and more. Your portable pinball table will give you a quick adrenaline rush as you watch the steel ball fly through ramps and carom off bumpers all over the playing field. Rack up combo points, open specific game modes and enlist the Oracle for some help. Will you accept Zeus’s challenge?

Virtual Console

Final Fight¢â€ž¢ 2
Original platform: Super NES¢â€ž¢
Publisher: Capcom USA
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) “" Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points¢â€ž¢
Description: It’s been several years since peace settled in Metro City. With Cody and Jessica on vacation and Guy resuming his training out of town, everything seems to be in order. But Haggar is feeling uneasy after learning that Mad Gear was not completely destroyed. Once again, the Mad Gear Gang has emerged, and this time they want revenge. They’ve kidnapped Guy’s master, Genryusai, and Genryusai’s daughter, Rena. Now Haggar must travel the globe in search of Genryusai and Rena. Hopefully, with the help of Maki and Carlos, the reign of the Mad Gear Gang will be destroyed.

WiiWare

Gravitronix
Publisher: Medaverse Studios
Players: 1-8
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: It’s time to claim your rightful place as the champion of the Gravitronix arena, but get ready to deal with up to seven other players who are all shooting for the same title. Vanquish your opponents with four different projectiles and the powerful beams of your gravity platform. Intercept attacks and take careful aim at exposed vulnerabilities. Deflect incoming projectiles or capture and charge them with energy for devastating explosive attacks. Team up with a friend and battle through campaign mode, or recruit up to eight players on a single Wii¢â€ž¢ system in versus mode for an all-out battle. Customize your matches with a variety of different options, such as flooding the arena with projectiles or making the game insanely fast. No matter how you like to play, grab your friends and have a blast.

Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSi¢â€ž¢ Shop and the Wii¢â€ž¢ Shop Channel at 9 a.m.

Nostalgia is one of the new titles hitting the DS this October, so it’s interesting to delve into the game a bit before the release. Set in an alternate 19th century, gamers get to travel the world in a hot air balloon, looking for treasure while fighting the forces of evil. It sounds like an interesting take on RPGs and will allow players to travel to Cairo, St. Petersburg, Tokyo, Easter Island and New York.

Nostalgia is one of the new titles hitting the DS this October, so it’s interesting to delve into the game a bit before the release. Set in an alternate 19th century, gamers get to travel the world in a hot air balloon, looking for treasure while fighting the forces of evil. It sounds like an interesting take on RPGs and will allow players to travel to Cairo, St. Petersburg, Tokyo, Easter Island and New York. ‚ Now, I can go on and try to describe the game to you, but that would be pointless since we have screencaps and a trailer for you! Check them out below.

Nostalgia will be released October 27th. For more information, visit the website. Comment below with your thoughts on the trailer.

Innovation. It’s a great thing. At least Namco Bandai thinks so. The studio behind “Tales of Graces” for the Nintendo Wii added a new feature allowing gamers to download a mini-game to their DS.

According to IGN, who broke the story, the mini-game is titled Kamenin Merchant, and has players team up in groups of four to explore randomly generated dungeons. Additionally any item you earn in the mini-game can be transferred back into Graces to unlock goodies. And on top of that, the further you progress in Graces, the more levels you’ll earn for the mini-game.

The mini-game will work with both the DS and the DSi and you’ll be able to save your progress by transferring back to Graces, and saving there.

Additionally, Namco Bandai is planning to release Kamenin Merchant by itself through DSiWare, though details are currently vague.

Tales of Graces is due out in Japan in December, with no current North American release frame, but, enjoy these screens of the mini-game and a new character, Prince Richard.

Ignition Entertainment today finally pegged a release date for their upcoming worldwide adventure role-playing-game Nostlagia for the Nintendo DS.

Set your watches, cell-phones and grab a red pen for your calendar. The game hits shelves four days before Halloween or October 27 for those who prefer an exact date.

The game itself is packed with dungeon combat, airship battles, and elusive treasure hunts and was built by developers who brought Final Fantasy III and IV to the DS.

We previewed the game at PAX in Seattle this year. Missed our thoughts? Have a look right over here.

Today in the Land of the Rising Sun at the Tokyo Game Show, Capcom unleashed a brand new trailer for their upcoming Nintendo DS project, Okamiden, and it looks very nice.

The game is a sequel to the PS2 and Wii “Okami” and features a full-on 3D world with cel-shaded graphics, and will hit the DS and DSi “sometime” in 2010.

Two titles from the Tokyo Game Show will be coming to North America in 2010. The games are Sengoku BASARA Samurai Heroes and Ghost Trick.

Sengoku BASARA Samurai Heroes is set during a tumultuous period in Japanese history. Take on hundreds of opponents, as a samurai while fighting to save the land . With unlockable characters you can command and lead armies in order to re-write history.‚  You‚  could even end up in control of all of 16th century Japan. The game will be released on PS3 and Wii, with an additional online co-op planned for the PS3.

Ghost Trick is a mystery puzzle game with a supernatural twist. Players take on the role of an amnesiac ghost who must use his powers to protect several people while uncovering clues as to how he died. Players can possess items, float through the air and even rewind time to save lives during missions. The plot alone is enough to put this on my DS watchlist.

I’m going to keep an eye on these games to see if they are worth buying. Comment below with opinions or buzz from Japan!

In Igntion’s “Nostalgia” project for the Nintendo DS you’ll travel the world, solve puzzles, fight bad-guys, treasure-hunt, all the while doing so from the comfort of the utimate hot-air balloon.

Air-combat on the DS is a greatly untapped game-mechanic, and if Ignition can pull it off, the way this trailer shows, might just make a name for itself.

In Nostalgia you play in an alternate 19th century as Eddie, the son a legendary English adventurer, and with a cast of fellow enthusiasts, you’ll travel the world, to locations well known, including London, Tokyo, New York and Cairo, all the while seeking a land undiscovered.

Too mysterious for you? Watch this trailer and see if it helps.

Gamers looking for their Zelda fix can finally meet up with Link again this December 7, when The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks makes its way to retail in North America.

Nintendo first revealed the portable Zelda project at the Game Developers Conference this year, and for those who just cannot wait, here’s the official boxart for the title, courtesy of Nintendo. No word on whether or not an accompanying DS/DSi system bundle, a la Phantom Hourglass, will happen, but here’s to hoping it does!

With Spirit Tracks now officially locked into a release date, will it’s big brother Wii version follow suit, as this rumor says. Oh we hope so!

Nintendo unveiled their full future release schedule today and after Zelda, these titles caught our eyes.

Pokĩmon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky(October 12), Style Savvy (November 2), and FFCC: Crystal Bearers Wii (December 26).

The classic children’s book, Where the Wild Things Are is making its jump to the big screen this fall. However, it will also be making the jump to video game systems. Follow the Wild Things as Max, the “King of the Wild Things” as he explores the island and faces puzzles and obstacles on his journey to learn about the hostile land and save his missing friends. The game looks like it will be good for people off all ages (but especially the kids) and will be available for Xbox 360, PS3, Wii and Nintendo DS.

Excited? Feel free to comment below!

Mad Catz, a leading third party videogame accessory provider, has obtained non-exclusive rights to develop and market a range of accessories for the Wii, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo DSi. The agreement allows Mad Catz to selectively use popular Nintendo characters which include Donkey Kong, Zelda, Link, Mario Luigi, Wario and Samus, among others. This means that pretty soon, we’ll be seeing some new accessories to spice up our Nintendo gaming lifestyles. Gamers rejoice!

How do you feel about this news? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section

EA announced that Spore’s two Nintendo exclusive sequels shall be released on October 6th, 2009. Spore Hero will be released exclusively for Wii, while Spore Hero Arena will be released on the Nintendo DS.

While the two games are separate, they take place within the same universe. Spore Hero will focus on a hero trying to prevent the annihilation of their homeworld. As the journey continues you can battle and solve puzzles to unlock over 250 new creature parts with unique abilities. This allows you to change the way creatures play and fight in the world, and upgrade your hero until you are the strongest around.

Spore Hero Arena focuses on a lone warrior trying to prevent the destruction of planets in his galaxy. As he hops from planet to planet, he can collect new parts and upgrade while unlocking special abilities.

Spore Hero will be available on Wii for $49.99. Spore Hero Arena will be available for $29.99.

It’s month two of Editor’s Choice here at Blast Magazine, but thanks to a few dual-console releases, we have just four games to highlight for you. We’re still experimenting with the format for this series a bit, so feel free to weigh in. This time around we have a game for each major home console, a DS title, and the downloadable title of the month. I’m still debating whether I should have a digital download award for each system, given how prevalent that distribution is now, but for now, let’s go with a universal one. Remember, games are picked from the month they were reviewed, so even though a game may have come out in the last few days of June doesn’t mean it isn’t eligible. For those wondering where Little King’s Story is, that’s a victim of Comic-Con scheduling, and we’ll have a review for it soon–that of course means it’s eligible for August’s picks.

Wii

Wii Sports Resort: “Even with the few mini-games, Wii Sports Resort packs enough quality into the title to make it a must-own Wii title. It makes great use of the new Wii MotionPlus accessory, and shows us what is possible now that Nintendo has the motion controls we initially believed would be included with the system in place. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is just a simple cash-in using the well-known Wii Sports name though, as Resort is a more than worthy successor, the far superior title, and one that should stay in your collection for both its single and multiplayer qualities.”

Playstation 3 & Xbox 360

BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger: “There’s very little to find fault with in BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger. Sure, the story is nearly incomprehensible, but beyond that this is simply a great fighting game. There’s tons of replayability, amazingly diverse characters, smooth and refined controls, and gorgeous graphics. If you like fighting games at all, BlazBlue is a must buy.”

Nintendo DS/DSi

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor: Devil Survivor is yet another near-mandatory RPG for the DS.‚  While the story’s tone and characters aren’t for everybody, if you liked any of the previous SMT games, then this really is mandatory.

Downloadable

Battlefield 1943: Battlefield 1943 is a great experiment by EA, as it tries to blend classic features from one of their top series along with some of the newer innovations and advancements it has seen. For just $15, you get a first-person shooter with excellent controls, wonderful environments, and tons of variety and depth despite its bite-sized nature. DICE wanted to create a game you can go back to in between all of your larger game purchases, and with Battlefield 1943, it’s safe to say they succeeded with their goal.

For those who loved Battlefield 1943 or are on the fence about buying it, we will soon have an interview with DICE’s Gordon Van Dyke available.

With its latest entry in the Guitar Hero series, Modern Hits for the DS, Vicarious Visions is proving it is interested in more than just churning out bastardized versions of its top sellers to make a buck. A special guitar controller accessory and good song selection help to minimize repetition and song quality issues in an otherwise great game. Let’s start with the controller, since the idea of Guitar Hero on the DS might be confusing to some despite the previous installments. A four-button attachment plugs into the GBA slot of your DS, and you strum across the touch screen with a (provided) guitar pick. (Unfortunately, if you did splurge on a DSi, you are out of luck for now.) You hold the console vertically as you play (i.e. clockwise from the normal DS layout), which is helped by the guitar accessory, which acts as a handle of sorts. Like the console versions, you hold down the respective colored button as you strum (slash) across the touch screen with the pick. Whammies / extends are played by holding and rubbing the pick on the touch screen.

Although the complexity is somewhat diminished “" the console controller features five buttons vs. four on the DS “" the difficulty is retained because the note pace is increased. I hover between 95 and 99 percent on normal on the console versions of Rock Band and Guitar Hero, and I had a similar mark on Modern Hits. The most diabolical songs will require you to quickly scratch out 10 notes, followed by a normal rhythm for a couple notes, followed by some quick-switching chords, and then back to a flurry of notes. To sound like Led Zeppelin, the scoring system remains the same in Modern Hits. You get a base score for hitting each note, and playing strings of notes without error multiples your score. Certain notes contain energy power for your guitar, and if you collect enough, you can unleash it and double your multiplier for a span of time. In a clever usage of the DS’s microphone, yelling at it starts the power-up, which is far easier than the console versions’ requirement of hitting a button or holding your guitar at a 90-degree angle while still trying to play notes. The higher your score, the more stars you receive for completing a stage.

The limitations of a handheld version of Guitar Hero are smoothed over pretty craftily by the programmers at Vicarious Visions and the content selection. While the graphics and animation are severely downgraded “" there isn’t much real estate on the DS screen anyway “" the sound quality is shockingly good. I thought it was slightly above the standard set by most cell phones. The content is also smartly confined to modern music, so the scratchiness to some of the songs actually helps. “Reptilia” and The Strokes in general just sound better with a bit of roughness. The same goes with most of the game’s roster: The Fratellis, Wolfmother, Weezer, Coldplay, The Kaiser Chiefs, Sum 41, Lenny Kravitz, Modest Mouse. That’s a solid range within the “modern rock” sphere, from strictly indy to pop rock and pop punk. I didn’t notice a distracting lack of sound quality at any point, and because all modern music is used, every song is the original master as opposed to a cover band version.

The only issue I had with Modern Hits was one of repetition. To unlock new songs, you typically have to beat the two or three songs at a venue, and then complete one, two or three “fan requests” at a venue. Fan requests are similar to the random challenges in the Rock Band games. For example, you might have to finish the bass part of a Strokes’ song above a certain percentage, or win a guitar duel. While this in itself isn’t bad, being forced to replay songs you’ve already beaten is somewhat annoying. I preferred the progression systems in World Tour (earn cash to unlock new venues) and Smash Hits (earn a certain amount of stars between all the game’s songs) to the one in Modern Hits, which forces a lot of backtracking. Still, this is a relatively minor quibble in the scheme of things.

Blast Factor: If the idea of playing Guitar Hero on your DS sounds great to you, then Modern Hits will be great to you. While it doesn’t really offer anything new from the console versions, Modern Hits doesn’t lose much in the transition thanks to some great song choices and its well-designed controlled adapter.

Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits is available exclusively for the Nintendo DS, and is has a suggested price of $39.99

Netherlands-based publisher Iceberg Interactive today announced that they’ve huffed and puffed and now can say that they’ve secured the rights to publish Bee Smart for the Nintendo DS, DSi, and PC.

Developed by White Bear Studios (another group with an awesome name), Bee Smart is a brain training game of sorts geared towards the “younger audience.”

Through a series of unique puzzles presented with friendly looking bees (call me crazy but bees scared me when I was a kid), children will solve said puzzles with emphasis placed on memory training and hand-eye coordination.

Here’s some training for you kids. Stay away from bees. They sting, you cry. No fun.

Look for Bee Smart on DS, DSi, and PC September 2009.