A series that has become unanimous with pop culture, the Simpsons continues to be the longest running animated series on television. Back in 1991, anyone visiting arcades may remember a video game based on the timeless series. This Konami classic provided perfectly themed brawling for up to 4 players in a variety of stages. Flash forward two decades and someone has been kind enough to us to bring this cabinet gem to the modern day arcade.

For those who missed the game on the first run, “The Simpsons Arcade” has the four main members of the family chasing Mr. Smithers and Burns in order to save Maggie. In perfect arcade harmony, there are only two buttons to press, attack and jump. Each of the members of the Simpsons family have different variations on these movements, leading each player to pick favorites depending on their play style. Gameplay rarely strays from the classic brawling we have come to expect from these games, sometimes mixing in a minigame for a good time.

The only negative to point out here is that you do not get much for the $10 entry price. Once you beat the main story either by yourself or with three other friends there is little else to do. You unlock the Japanese version of the game and there are harder difficulty levels, but it still consists of playing the same 6 levels over and over again. There is a cool feature in which the game will ask you how you want to deal with your deaths (free play or limited by quarters) adding a little hardcore arcade value for those looking for it, but in the end you can’t help but feel a little ripped off.

While the game presents some heavy nostalgia, in other ways it has you looking strangely back at your gaming habits. When I first played this as a kid I remember barely making it to the second level, even when my friends were playing with me. Now I managed to beat it in one sitting. I’m not sure if this shows how much I’ve grown as a gamer or exposes the internal flaws of arcade games being built to be a short term commitment. Nonetheless, the game features the original voice cast, has some well-done animations and it has been untouched from the original, which is precisely what anyone picking this up wants.

Blast Factor: Respecting its roots, “The Simpsons Arcade” is built to strike directly at your nostalgic bone and deliver on the classic arcade joy. However, expect to sink in more than a few quarters to relive these memories.

The Simpsons Arcade is available now for Xbox Live and PSN. A code for the Xbox 360 version of the game was provided by the publisher for the purposes of this review

Konami’s classic X-Men arcade is finally on its way to consoles. The announcement was made at this week’s New York Comic Con and will come packed with new features.

The updated X-Men arcade will feature six player drop-in, drop out support along remastered visuals and the ability to create custom VS matchups.

No release date has been announced for the anticipated port, but it’s expected to hit before this Christmas.

Check out the announcement trailer below!

Video Game legends rarely need a rebirth, but Castelvania, the long running vampire slasher that debuted on theFamily Disk Computer System in September of 1986 had it a brick wall.  Once standing among the medium’s elite, groan worthy installments and terrible spin-offs led many gamers to believe that the series was finished. Something had to be done if the Belmont clan was to be saved.

That something apparently was Hideo Kojima. The legendary developer and producer of the Metal Gear Solid franchise has been handed the reins to the struggling franchise and presents us with a much darker and much more grown up telling of the Castlevania saga. Ironically, n the process of finding this new identity however, the game looses any sense of individuality. This, coupled with a series of frustrating design issues and technical snafus limit the potential of what could have been a downright thrilling rebirth.

In Lords of Shadow, players take control of Gabriel Belmont, rather than series mainstay Simon during a time dubbed as “the end of days.” Belmont is on a quest to resurrect his wife, and sets out to find a mystical item that can bring the dead back to life. AS you’ve probably guessed, the journey won’t be an easy one — you’ll have to travel through a forbidden land where the Necromantic Wars took place years ago, and as a result, are completely over run by zombies, werewolves and of course, vampires. The plot, as convoluted as it may sound plays out rather nicely in an impressive universe. The game features impressive voice acting and narration by one Patrick “Jean Luc Picard/Avery Bullock” Stewart. Shortly into the game though you’ll realize that the game’s alluring universe never truly gets explored to the extent it deserves. Sure, there’s a few notes and a bit information doled out during cutscenes, but you can’t help but feel like you want more.

Lords of Shadow’s main draw for most players should be in the game’s impressive, God of War like combat system. You know how Kratos has his chaos blades? Gabriel has his whip – and the effects are stunningly similar.  You’ll have access to two different attack types – one short but powerful and the other long but weaker to dish out dizzying combos on unsuspecting baddies. It’s definitely not a bad thing that the combat mechanics are so similar to that of Sony’s Greek mythology trilogy, but where Castlevania really sets itself apart is with is the weaponry selection later on in the game.  As you progress through Gabriel’s quest, you’ll gain access to weapons like silver daggers, holy water and even fairies that are each better used in certain situations than others. This of course brings an undeniably fun and rewarding strategy aspect to the world. At least it saves you from the sorry ass magic that seems to have been thrown in at the last second.

If the game’s strong suit is its combat sequences, it’s other half, the puzzle aspects are its weakest. Though there are a few quality ones sprinkled throughout the game, most of Castlevania’s puzzle elements are absurdly easy and serve merely as ways to break up the game’s action sequences. Even worse yet is the fact that if for some reason you can’t figure out a puzzle, you can “buy” the solution with hints. Cheap much?

Technically speaking, Lords of Shadow is a mixed bag, it’s detailed visuals mix well with superbly done animations, but there are still a few frustrating and clumsy elements here. Key among them is the fixed camera, which seems like it was programmed to make even the simplest solutions all the more difficult. Many portions of the game require Gabriel to traverse tight passages or deal with surrounding enemies, and more often than not, you’ll be faced with a camera that likes to position itself at the worst possible angle – often taking the focus off of your goal, forcing you to take on a lot of damage. It was also apparent that the game wasn’t playing by any set of predetermined rules very early on, as attacks often don’t land with the same damage as before – like the obstacle that wasn’t destroyed by my strong attack unlike the one previous to it that was.

The Blast Factor: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow clocks in at roughly 15 hours of gameplay if you go searching for everything you can. Though it’s easily a great restart for the franchise, the game pales in comparison to those it tries to emulate. As one of the longest franchises in modern gaming, I longed for Castelvania: Lords of Shadow to be fresh, to be new, but sadly, that’s not the case.

LOS ANGELES — Konami started their press conference talking about Def Jam Rapstar and the company’s multi-year deal with Def Jam.

The game is interesting in the connection between the game, your computer and your mobile phone. They claim they are going for a "constantly connected game." The game will allow the player to make video’s and then upload the videos to their site. Then their friends can watch the video’s and vote on them. They get updates on their phone from the votes. They are claiming that 1 million views on their website really make you a rapper. Konami’s logic leaves out the question of people liking a free video, vs paying for a CD. I’m interested to see whether anyone will become a real rap star after making it big on their site, will be interesting to watch for.

Russel Simmons is promoting the game. He believes that this is an area that has been ignored. He also talked about the benefits of hiph op, even claiming, that one "benefit of hip hop, we have president Obama."

Their next title was Lucha Libre AAA: H©roes del Ring. They will be releasing a wrestling game based on the Mexican Wresting style known as Lucha.

There will be a new Saw game, called Saw 2 Flesh and Blood, where they will use the same style as the original, having victims, like a doctor in a free clinic stealing the drugs. This game will use not only Togen Bell’s voice, but his likeness for a character also. The main character this time will be the son of Detective Tap, though they added an interesting part that not all freed subjects will greet you with open arms, "unless they stab you in the back."

Ninety Nine Nights 2 will come out June 29 with an online leader board and the ability to kill even more enemies with one attack than before. They are labeling it as an "extreme hack and slash title." Though they are enhancing the gameplay so that you can’t simply repeat the same move forever.

A new 2D side scrolling game will be coming to the US. It’s called Otomedius and it’s excellent. This is aimed at both the hard core shoot-em-out genre, or for new players to this space. This game is similar to Gradius, and Parodius.

Later, Konami introduced a slightly different game, Dance Masters for the Microsoft Kinect. Up to two players can be on the screen at once. You can move your body freely. The game instructs the players on how to move by putting silhouettes on the screen for how the player should be standing at the next spot in the music. The game allows the player to save the dance scene and show it off to their friends, or use it to have backup dancers for their next time.

The next titles weren’t discussed just mentioned. From Hudson, a Bey Blade game, coinciding with the re-launching of the TV series. Decca Sports 3, and for the Kinect, Decca Sports Freedom.

There will be a new Silent Hill game, this time the main character is a Criminal on the run, that wondered into Silent Hill.

Kojima Productions introduced one of the new Metal Gear Solid games, called Raijin. This one will all be about swords and cutting. The game allows you to cut in precious ways. They show this off by having the character cut up a watermelon into slices. They also made the game allow the player to take parts, or absorb energy from your enemies. They made this with some strategy by making the player decide on what to take from the enemies. The options to take from the enemies are parts, energy, or information. They also improved the Stealth on the game from the Stealth used by previous heroes. There is no hiding on the ground, it’s a Hunting Stealth. The Story takes place between MGS2, and MGS4, and will describe how Riding got to become person he is together.

They next showed off info on the two new Castlevania games. The first, Harmony of Despair, is interesting and a little different. There is a big screen composed of many individual screens for the action. The game uses the HD TV’s to have 10million dots on the screen. Each individual screen is more like the familiar 2D platforms, but the enemies can follow you from screen to screen. The game allows the player to jump from screen to screen, but the enemies can follow you also. They are working it to add more features if it sells well. Starting with five playable characters, but add more and add more stages if it sells. This is scheduled for release on XBLA this summer.

The last video they showed was for Castlevania Lords of Shadow. That is scheduled for release this fall, on PS3, and Xbox 360. Not much more information was given on this game than the video.

One of the most exciting titles headed to the PSP this year has got to be Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. The first gameplay trailer was posted by konami on youtube yesterday. There is some pretty rad stuff shown in this trailer, especially the Dark Knight-esque parachute used to airlift incapacitated enemies out of the combat zone called the Fulton Recovery Device. You also have an invisibility blanket, a scanner for disabled bodies and a slew of tranq darts.

The storyline for Peace Walker bridges the gap between MGS3 and MGS, if that makes sense. The chronology goes MGS3, Portable Ops, MG, MG2, MGSolid, MGSolid2, MGSolid4.

The point is that this time you play as Big Boss, and there’s like an army of Snake clones that can play the game with you via online co-op (up to 4). You’ll play through what happens between MGS3 Snake Eater, and the original Metal Gear.  This one is personally directed by Kojima as well.

After watching the trailer, you’re likely to move this one to your must-buy list. No matter how corny it gets, there’s just always something special about Metal Gear. Peace Walker is available May 25th in the US…

I have always looked forward to becoming an adult, because the crown jewel of adulthood is the ability to stay up all night eating ice cream and playing video games. And that’s just what I did (along with three intrepid friends) to review Silent Hill: Shattered Memories for the Nintendo Wii.

Like many gamers I hold the Silent Hill series in high regard…kinda. The games have clearly suffered from adaptation decay since the acclaimed Silent Hill 2, moving away from carefully plotted psychological horror and slowly turning into a series of lengthy Pyramidhead cameos.  Hearing that the new one was supposed to be good was like hearing that someone had made a new Neverending Story worth seeing: so simultaneously implausible yet tempting that I had to see it.

Your flashlight is your best friend. Use it well.

You play as Harry Mason, a protagonist veteran players will find familiar. After crashing his car in a snowstorm in his hometown of Silent Hill, Harry wakes up to find his young daughter Cheryl missing from the wreckage. As he wanders through the eerily unpopulated town searching for her, it becomes clear that all is not well—especially clear when nightmare-fuel monsters start chasing you.

Now the most striking feature of the game (and the feature that gives it incredible replay value) is the personalized psychological tests you’re given throughout the game. They determine every aspect of your experience: how the monsters look, how the NPCs behave and treat you, what levels you’re given to explore…your whole game is literally customized to you. I had the good fortune of playing with a friend who had already completed one game, and a character who was polite and well-dressed for him was rude and dressed like a floozy for me.  And this was only the beginning: we solved different puzzles, went into different rooms, and basically played a completely different game. The intricacy is astonishing, and although the options are somewhat limited, it makes the game completely compelling for multiple play-throughs.

Some may call him Dirty Harry, but it's not because of his guns.

In this installment, it’s the small things that packed the biggest terrifying punch.  When your in-game psychiatrist hands you a coloring book image of a house and asks you to color it in, my friend Joe squiggled a pink house with a green car and a family dressed in red.  When the action picks up again, Harry is standing in front of his house: pink, with a green car in the driveway. But when he rings the doorbell he finds not his daughter, but a happy couple dressed in red… A happy couple who’ve lived there for twenty years and have never heard of him.

Harry is a refreshing protagonist in his completely normal reaction to danger. When horrible shambling monsters slither out of the darkness and start running, screaming, toward him, he RUNS like HELL. Yep, this game has no weapons. No guns, no baseball bats, no fists…Your choices are to run, hide, or die, and I strongly suggest running. I’ve overheard some griping about this feature, but when given the fight or flight options, gamers will always tend to pick a fight.  Forcing them to run for their lives not only provides for a new challenge, but also enhances the feeling of complete helplessness and panic you should be feeling. (And besides, when was the last time you REALLY enjoyed a complex control system on the Wii? That’s what I thought.)

Speaking of controls…Like most gamers, I can be easily frustrated by the Wii. Often the Wiimote would refuse to recognize this simple formula:

Frantic shaking = Oh god, oh god, get this monster off me

…but overall the controls are very effective. One sequence in particular comes to mind: you’re trying to escape from a car that’s slowly sinking underwater.  You need to jump into the front seat, roll down the windows to depressurize the cabin, lift the tab to unlock the door, then push it open.  The game won’t give you any handy clues either—like Harry, you’re on your own.

The functions of the game are so well integrated into the world that they are almost hidden.  Your only real tool is your cell phone, which allows you to navigate using a GSP, take pictures to expose paranormal activity, and receive text messages and voice mails that will guide you to the game’s conclusion. Silent Hill the Video Game takes a backseat to Silent Hill the Emotional Journey, and the lack of showmanship is (in this case) a hallmark of an extremely well-designed game. The design team was intuitive enough to know when dungeons were getting repetitive, chase sequences getting dull, and they never pushed anything to the point of boredom. At about 6-8 hours, it’s a perfect length for a game designed to be replayed.

Blast Factor: I’m shocked; I’m amazed; Shattered Memories is a really great game! It may not be quite as scary as previous installments, and it fits very nebulously into the series’ continuity, but who cares? Ambiguity, atmosphere, character, and psychology are unique elements that need to be nurtured in the gaming industry. If you’re looking for style and action and guns, play Bayonetta; Shattered Memories shows a refreshing new approach and is a fantastic addition sure to breathe life into this decaying (but redeemable) franchise.

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is available on the Wii, Playstation 2 and Playstation Portable, and retails for $49.99. A copy of this game was purchased for reviewing purposes.

Konami is running the nostalgia-train full steam ahead as of late. The publisher’s released renewed versions of Contra, Gradius, and the soon to be Castlevania, in the form of the Rebirth series, but today takes their efforts a step further with a very beloved franchise.

Konami today detailed their plans to release Rocket Knight Adventures on the XBLA and PSN, but unlike the Rebirth series, it’ll take on a full-on 3D graphical makeover while holding true its solid 2D roots.

Rocket Knight Adventures was born on the SEGA Genesis some 15 years ago, and has since seen multiple spin-offs, but this one, based on 1UP’s early preview, sounds fantastic and worthy of a spot on my hard drive.

The game is apparently in development by Climax Studios, the UK development team behind Silent Hill: Origins and Silent Hill: Shattered Memories for Konami.

Head on over to 1UP for the full written preview. It’s a great read.

Grab your flashlight because it’s almost time to visit Silent Hill again.

Yes, Konami Digital Entertainment, creators of the original Silent Hill, is looking to have players return to that dreadful place in the upcoming Silent Hill: Shattered Memories.

Due out in October, Shattered Memories will be a reimagining of the first Silent Hill.‚  With this in mind, though some general aspects of the game may seem familiar (man looking for his daughter in a mysterious town, etc), Shattered Memories should play like a completely different experience thanks to its development for the Wii console.

Helping nurture this “completely different experience” was the developers’ idea to customize each game for every player.‚  This is accomplished through a number of in-game mediums.‚  The first method used is a psychological survey in which a series of questions are asked about the player.‚  These questions can as impersonal as how easily the player makes friends, to something as forward as how much does the player enjoy role-playing during sex.‚  Each question plays a role in how the game plays out later.‚  For instance, when the player is asked if they have ever cheated on a partner and says “yes”, the game will feature more provocative clothing on some characters (ex: the female police officer will show more cleavage, etc).‚  When taking this survey during an exclusive demo in Konami’s offsite event at Comic-Con, I felt like it could have been legitimate.‚  Though it was short in length, the survey seemed to be personal enough to be a psychological analysis, but distanced enough to be tolerable in a mature video game.

The Shattered Memories gameplay also helps further customize a player’s experience.‚  Using the Wii Remote to control the flashlight, the in-game computer monitors how often a player will stop to admire certain paintings or points of interest in the environment.‚  The game will also keep track of how quickly or tentatively a player will “peek” through a doorway before entering a room.‚  All of these aspects (and possibly more that we don’t even know about) will be constantly watched by the game, making every play and replay of Shattered Memories unique.‚  Sadly, however, my demo was too short to be able to appreciate most of the customization features that were in store for me.

What’s great about Shattered Memories’s gamplay (besides the fact that it is constantly monitored), is the fact that it really helps promote the overall creepy feel to the game.‚  Developed as a third-person adventure game, Shattered Memories really captures the loneliness of the main character.‚  Armed with nothing but my (lack of wit) and a flashlight, I couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of helplessness during my entire hands-on experience.‚  Also, as mentioned in an earlier paragraph, players must “peek” through every door they want to enter to check if the room is safe.‚  Gamers will have the choice of either slowly opening each door to prevent unnecessary attacks, recklessly entering every room with little regard for their safety, or doing something in-between.‚  This peeking feature was especially affective with me because I take a very conservative approach when it comes to these types of games.‚  Well played, Konami.

Shattered Memories gameplay is also fairly simple.‚  Walking around is as simple as moving the joystick on the Wii Nunchuk, while shining the flashlight, as mentioned earlier, requires players to point the Wiimote at the screen.‚  With the simplicity of the controls and sophistication of the Wii’s technology, making a Silent Hill game for Nintendo’s current console seems like a no-brainer now.‚  Again, well played.

Overall, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories looks like it’s going to be a pretty solid game.‚  The gameplay was fun, the customization is fantastic and the title is a perfecft fit for the Wii.‚  Though I wasn’t able to enjoy all of the customization that Shattered Memories had to offer during my demo at Comic-Con, the details the devs gave me and the excitement they showed make me a believer of this feature.‚  I know how much fun the Wii can be, but now I’m excited to see how thoroughly it can scare the crap out of me with the release of Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, dropping this fall.

SAN DIEGO — Do you want to play a game?

Konami would sure like you to.

I was lucky enough to go to Konami’s offsite Comic-Con event and get some hands-on action with Saw.‚  Though I am usually a little skeptical about the quality of many movie inspired games, my demo with Saw made me think twice about disregarding Konami’s upcoming title.

For those who don’t know, the Saw series is a wildly successful collection of psychological thrillers based around the antics of the man known as Jigsaw.‚  This antagonist puts various everyday people in impossible situations by making characters often solve puzzles and put themselves (or others) to death or through incredible physical and emotional pain; the ultimate goal being for the characters to appreciate life and reflect on mistakes.

Konami’s Saw game hopes to become a seamless transition between the first and second movies as players take control of Detective David Tapp (Danny Glover’s character).‚  When the game is started, Tapp finds himself in one of Jigsaw’s traps.‚  From there, players must find a way out of the deadly game and escape to safety.

All things considered, it is no surprise that Konami decided to make Saw a very puzzle-intensive game.‚  In my short demo, I was able to solve more than a few riddles and tasks to prolong my life.‚  The clues in the game are dynamic in that they come in a variety of forms.‚  Sometimes a clue will be as blatant as some numbers written on a wall, while other times a hint will only be revealed when a player looks at a mirror in a certain angle.

Saw stays true to the movies that inspired it.‚  The developers worked very closely with the folks at Lions Gate Entertainment to bring gamers the most authentic and interesting Saw experience possible.‚  Players will be introduced with chronologically past and future characters while also escaping from classic traps and solving puzzles that are unique to the game.

One thing that makes Saw stand out when compared to other movie-inspired games is the way it looks.‚  From the shadowing to the cut scenes, Konami’s creation is impressive in a variety of ways.‚  One of the things that really impressed me from a visual standpoint was the look of the environments.‚  Each room that I got a chance to see established a sense of creepiness and helplessness, complete with rotting and bloodstained walls and that very recognizable cold tint that Saw fans have grown to love.

Unfortunately, not all visual aspects of Saw were so impressive.‚  What especially stood out to me as lacking were the character models and motion.‚  I was thoroughly unimpressed with how Tapp looked after I found myself so astounded by the environmental look of the game. Also, being a third-person game, character movement is an important part of the experience.‚  Sadly, Tapp’s walking seemed awkward.‚  Furthermore, although the traps in the game looked very good, the motions involving activating the solutions were lackluster as well.

Saw incorporates both mental and physical types of gameplay.‚  Not surprisingly, Saw, being focused on solving puzzles and riddles, involves a lot of cognitive exercise.‚  Taking clues from the walls or in the messages from Jigsaw will likely kick your brain into gear as you attempt escape from the latest situation Tapp finds himself in.‚  Physical challenges include the pressing of buttons or rotating of sticks.‚  An example of the physical gameplay is when Tapp needs to escape from the classic reverse bear trap.‚  In this challenge, players must unwind the clamps from the trap within a certain amount of time or else the trap will spring and inevitably kill Tapp.‚  To safely remove the trap, players must follow the on-screen instructions by rotating the joysticks in a certain sequence, resembling the unwinding actions that would be necessary in reality.

Overall, Saw seems like it has some potential.‚  With the already impressive visuals and‚  dynamic, creative puzzle-intensive gamplay, Konami’s movie-inspired title has kept me optimistic.‚  Keep an eye out in late to 2009 for Saw (which should be at a rentable game, at worst) when it drops.

Even with just one of the Big Three holding their press conference yesterday, there was plenty to talk about, with Microsoft the first to unveil Hideo Kojima’s new multiplatform Metal Gear title, as well as their potential solution for motion control/bringing down society with Skynet application, Project Natal. Here’s a roundup of our first day of coverage, for easy perusal:

• The first 10 songs in The Beatles Rock Band are…
• Tony Hawk shows off Tony Hawk: Ride
• Left 4 Dead 2, Crackdown 2 announced
• Modern Warfare 2 DLC details
• Microsoft owned Big Park and Epic Games show their goods
• Forza 3 arriving this October
• Halo: Reach announced, ODST shown, dated, detailed
• Twitter, Facebook, last.fm, updated Netflix on the way to Xbox Live
• Halo 3: ODST branded Xbox controller first look
• Meet the case of Left 4 Dead 2
• Alan Wake is indeed alive and arriving spring 2010
• Final Fantasy XIII coming to Xbox 360 in spring 2010
• Halo 3: ODST is a full-priced game
• Ubisoft will reveal Red Steel 2, Avatar
• Project Natal, what we know so far
• The Old Republic MMO features all voice acting, no text
• Electronic Arts media briefing chock full of games
• Metal Gear Solid: Rising trailer
• Electronic Arts to publish All Points Bulletin
• What Tecmo is bringing to the show
• No More Heroes 2 to support MotionPlus?

Raiden is getting his own adventure (as far as we know, it’s just him anyways) for the first time, allowing the Metal Gear Solid universe to live on, even if it’s post-Solid Snake. Hideo Kojima came out on stage during Microsoft’s press conference this morning to show off the teaser trailer, which featured the cybernetic ninja badass, Raiden.

Remember when people didn’t respect Raiden after Metal Gear Solid 2? Yeah, turning yourself into a cybernetic killing machine changes opinions fast. Check out the trailer below.

Six Days In Fallujah, the ultra-realistic video game depicting the real and recent battle has been dropped by Konami, a Japanese source close to the publisher stated today.

The shooter from North Carolina based Atomic Games‚  garnered an incredible amount of controversy since we first reported the story early this month and is the assumed reason for Konami’s abandonment.

“After seeing the reaction to the videogame in the United States and hearing opinions sent through phone calls and e-mail, we decided several days ago not to sell it. We had intended to convey the reality of the battles to players so that they could feel what it was like to be there” said an unnamed Konami P.R. representative.

It is uncertain whether or not Atomic Games is in the market for another publisher, but all signs point to the continuation of this drama.

Via GamePolitics

The United States’ hostile invasion of Iraq in 2003 was a momentous event, one that in hindsight might have been worthy of some further exploration before devoting a nation’s efforts to the cause.‚  Where ever your political/moral/ethical lines are drawn, the sheer violence and fear surrounding the invasion is undeniable, but would it make a great video game?

The Los Angeles Times today is reporting that “Six Days In Fallujah,” a modern military game that will recreate the horror of the war between U.S. Marines and the insurgency in the city is currently in the works and due out in 2010.

Atomic Games, familiar with military settings, is handling the development process with Konami signed on to publish the title.

Atomic Games President Peter Tamte told the L.A. Times:

“For us, the challenge was how do you present the horrors of war in a game that is also entertaining, but also gives people insight into a historical situation in a way that only a video game can provide? Our goal is to give people that insight, of what it’s like to be a Marine during that event, what it’s like to be a civilian in the city and what it’s like to be an insurgent…”

Concrete details on Six Days are nowhere to be found; however a Wikipedia entry citing the May issue of GamePro provides some unsubstantiated particulars.

The Wall Street Journal also entered the fray and met with designers at Atomic Games discerning that the studio was forced to build an entirely new engine to simulate total environmental destructibility and that the game will follow an over-the-shoulder perspective simulating that of an “embedded journalist.”

Combating political overtones and bias are also factors that Six Days must overcome as Anthony Crouts of Konami stated:

“We’re not trying to make social commentary. We’re not pro-war. We’re not trying to make people feel uncomfortable. We just want to bring a compelling entertainment experience, at the end of the day, it’s just a game.”

Head on over to the LA Times, Wall Street Journal and GamePolitics for full stories.

If the powerful storytelling and abundance of beautifully rendered characters and environments wasn’t good enough for you, Metal Gear Online added the addictive multiplayer online action so many fans of the series thirsted for.

Metal Gear Online, the ultimate squad based tactical shooter will receive its third expansion pack in March, Konami announced today.

Officially titled SCENE, the latest expansion will feature an immense amount of new content including special characters, new gear for your character, and above all three new maps.

Furthermore, in an effort to reach all users, SCENE will be available for purchase via PayPal as well as your trusty PSN Wallet.‚  As an avid eBay user I can attest to the ease by which PayPal operates and I must say this new in-game payment method seems logical and will hopefully be effectively implemented.

Konami will begin taking pre-orders for SCENE a week before launch, and those who pre-order will receive what Konami calls “hilarious cardboard man” headgear as a free gift.‚  My favorite part of character customization in any game is the ridiculous outfits I can deck my dude out in, remember those early Tony Hawk days cruising around in a sombrero and clown shoes? I know I do.

The three maps contained in SCENE will be:

• Outer Outlet – An Industrial Wasteland, made up of buildings and underground/above ground areas. Suitable for medium to long range attacks.
• Hazard House – An enormous three story mansion. Suitable for close to medium range combat.
• Ravaged Riverfront – Clock Tower, made up of underground, above ground, and under water areas. Suitable for medium to long range combat.

Hazard House and Ravaged Riverfront interest me most, indoor gun fights and underwater scenarios seem to have more potential than the overdone industrial wasteland setup.

The two new characters in SCENE will be Raiden and Vamp.‚  Both embody extraordinary physical abilities as well as devastating offensive power.‚  I say offensive power meet my p90, that’ll decide who has the real offensive power.

If March just can’t come fast enough for you, Konami will release an all new trailer detailing the expansion on February 26 via the PlayStation Store.

Until then. Snake? Snake? Snaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake!

About Konami:

KONAMI ANNOUNCES METAL GEAR ONLINE‘S THIRD EXPANSION PACK

02.18.09

Pre-Order Metal Gear Online SCENE Expansion to Receive the Special “Cardboard Man” Head Gear

Konami today announced SCENE Expansion, the latest Metal Gear Online expansion pack for the ultimate squad based, tactical shooter based on the Metal Gear Solid Universe. Available in March, SCENE is the third Metal Gear Online expansion pack and features a vast amount of new content – including new maps, special characters, new gear and more. In order to make SCENE as accessible as possible, players, for the first time ever, can now use PayPal along with the PlayStation‚® Network Wallet prepay system as a form of payment. Additionally, players who want to be the first to get their hands on the latest expansion for the popular, multiplayer shooter hit, can pre-order SCENE via MGOnline’s in-game shop and Konami’s shop ( https://mykonami.net/mgo/ ). All Metal Gear fans who pre-order SCENE will receive the hilarious classic “cardboard man” head gear as a special free gift. Players will be able to pre-order SCENE one week before launch.

Additionally, on February 26, Konami will debut an all-new trailer on the PlayStation‚® Store that will offer fans a sneak peak of this highly anticipated expansion.

Please find below further details on some of the new content in the expansion pack

• 3 New Maps
  • Outer Outlet – An Industrial Wasteland, made up of buildings and underground/above ground areas. Suitable for medium to long range attacks.
  • Hazard House – An enormous three story mansion. Suitable for close to medium range combat.
  • Ravaged Riverfront – Clock Tower, made up of underground, above ground, and under water areas. Suitable for medium to long range combat.
• 2 new special characters
  • Raiden and Vamp – two highly anticipated characters with extraordinary physical abilities and overwhelming offensive power.

Metal Gear Online is the online multi-player player experience that is included free in the retail version of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, developed exclusively for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system.

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. has announced that they are currently developing Elebits: The Adventures of Kai and Zero, the sequel to Elebits, exclusively for Nintendo DS. The game, slated to be released in the fall, allows players to find, capture and befriend the tiny creatures known as Elebits.

The Elebits serve as energy sources in the far-off world they inhabit, and hold magical powers and the ability to complete puzzles and quests the player will encounter along their journey. Using the Elebits’ unique powers, players can solve puzzles, reveal hidden paths, freeze flowing water, turn darkness into light, levitate rocks, and much more.

Players can compete against up to four of their friends using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

Konami is a leading developer, publisher and manufacturer of electronic entertainment properties. Konami’s titles include the popular franchises Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill, DanceDanceRevolution and Castlevania, among other top sellers.

Konami and Verizon Wireless jointly announced this week that Metal Gear Solid Mobile is now available for purchase exclusively for Verizon Wireless customers.

Metal Gear Solid is one of the most successful PlayStation titles ever, and the mobile version promises to bring 3D graphics and addictive action gameplay — or as much as you can get on the mobile platform.

“Metal Gear Solid Mobile features never-before-seen dramatic 3D art displays and camera work that greatly surpass the current standard of mobile games and allows players to shift the viewpoint from first to third person and to control a variety of weapons,” the companies said in a statement Wednesday. “The game also takes advantage of the camera functionality — for example, Verizon Wireless customers can use their camera phones to capture images and the game will incorporate the image colors into the players’ camouflage system.”

Kojima Productions developed the game with Ideaworks3D’s Airplay 3.5 SDK.

“Metal Gear Solid Mobile is an original game designed specifically for the mobile platform,” the developers said. “Players face the same extreme tension of solitary infiltration that fans of the classic tactical espionage action game have come to expect from the Metal Gear Solid series, previously released to the PlayStation and PlayStation 2.”

Verizon Wireless customers can purchase Metal Gear Solid Mobile for $4.99 per month or $10.00 unlimited in the Get Fun and Games shopping aisle in the Get It Now virtual store.

Verizon says the game will work on over 30 phones, including the Voyager by LG and the LG VX8700.

For more information about Metal Gear Solid Mobile, check out www.konamimobile.com.

This article originally appeared on Reviewcenter.com in 1998.

Konami’s Metal Gear Solid is the most intense stealth game for any system. Not only has it completely revolutionized stealth/action games, but it has raised the expectations of all games. In other words, this could be the best Playstation game ever!

As one of the first full length stealth games, Metal Gear Solid provides an exciting adventure through a nuclear warhead disposal site in Alaska. Along the way you sneak around with your character, Solid Snake, fighting only when necessary. This may sound boring, but your heart races throughout the entire game. Your ultimate goal is to destroy a top-secret weapon named Metal Gear. But before you can do that, you must fight a series of bosses — maybe even some family members.

Metal Gear is a nice change up from the typical 3rd person shooter games. The view in Metal Gear is normally an overview, however, pressing “triangle” makes you see in the first person.

Throughout the game, you encounter different kinds of fighting and torture. Two examples are a fight with a sniper rifle and resisting death on a torture machine!

When you are hooked-up to the torture machine, the enemy tells you press “O” repeatedly to regain your strength. Konami should have found a more tasteful way to relay a message to the player.

For an early PlayStation game, Metal Gear Solid has outstanding graphics and sound quality. Some of the movies are so realistic its like you’re watching television! I strongly recommend buying this game. You’ll begin to love the complicated twists-and-turns of the intricate plot as well as the intense and invigorating game play.

Quick hits:

Publisher: Konami
Developer: KCEJ (Konami Japan)
Platform: PlayStation
Genre: Action/Adventure
Players: 1
Launch Date: September 30, 1998

Playability: 5 out of 5 stars
User friendly: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Sound: 5 out of 5 stars
Graphics: 5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
Ratings were determined in 1998