The year is coming to a close, but Square Enix has one potential hit left up its sleeve in the form of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers. Now, we are suckers for anything Crystal Chronicles related around here, from the original GameCube offering that gave players a chance to link up their Game Boy Advance to their GameCube to the wireless multiplayer of the DS titles to the distinctive WiiWare games that put new twists on old genres, all while utilizing a now familiar universe.

The Crystal Bearers aims to be even more of an experiment for Square Enix than the previous games in the Crystal Chronicles series, as it doesn’t rest on familiar concepts and play styles, but does so within the confines of a full retail game rather than a downloadable release. We had the opportunity to speak to Akitoshi Kazawu, who worked on The Crystal Bearers, about the series itself and what we can expect from the last big game of 2009.

BLAST: The whole Crystal Chronicles series is different from the more traditional Final Fantasy games, though they both use a similar universe. How did the series come about in the last console generation? What prompted making the series a Nintendo exclusive?

Akitoshi Kawazu: Over the years, FINAL FANTASY has transitioned from SNES to PlayStation platforms, and the top quality visuals best represented in the in-game movies have become a staple feature of the series. While this quality has been embraced by core gamers, it seems to have distanced beginners and younger players from the FINAL FANTASY brand.  In the earlier days, Nintendo’s then president, Mr. Yamauchi, had asked us to create a FINAL FANTASY game that could be enjoyed by any player, no matter what age or gender; the resulting project was the first FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES game for GameCube. We have followed up since with several titles for Nintendo platforms, but feel that we haven’t been able to develop a game that fulfills Mr. Yamauchi’s request 100 percent. We’re going to stick with Nintendo platforms until we have achieved this. I think it’s a really "Japanese way" of thought, so hopefully this explanation makes sense.

BLAST: While the first few games were all similar, in that they were multiplayer offerings that focused on exploration and item collection, the series has taken a different turn on the Wii. First there was My Life As A King, and then this year’s My Life As A Darklord—each of which is one of our favorite WiiWare titles for different reasons. Where did these ideas come from, and how did they develop into games? Do you see this same sort of genre-bending experimentation in the future of the Crystal Chronicles series, either on WiiWare or as full retail games?

AK: In my mind, WiiWare is a platform of its own, different from packaged software both in terms of technology and business-model. In the beginning, the idea was to make an RTS game for WiiWare utilizing the graphic resources of the GameCube version, to shorten the length of development.  We were successfully able to incorporate the FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES world into the resulting game system, and FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: My Life as a King turned out to be a great game. FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: My Life as a Darklord was a sequel that was always part of the plan. At first we had planned for the two games to have the same systems, but wanted to change things up a bit, and transitioned to a tower defense oriented system instead. Moving forward, I would like to create more games for WiiWare with systems that would be difficult to realize with a packaged title.

BLAST: The Crystal Bearers takes that evolving genres cue a step further, as it’s a single-player game with a deeper story and a focus on adventure. What prompted the switch to more of an epic quest, rather than a Wii-exclusive multiplayer offering?

AK: Development for this title began around the same time as FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Ring of Fates for DS.  The DS title got the multiplayer focus, as we felt the platform was more suitable for multiplayer action, and for FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: THE CRYSTAL BEARERS, we put more emphasis on the single player experience that Wii is known for.  With the GameCube version, we faced challenges in revolving a multiplayer action game around a single screen, so that was also one of the reasons why we chose this direction.

BLAST: Tell us a bit about the background of the game’s story, and what kind of adventure we are in store for this December.

AK: Annihilated in the Great War that took place ages ago, the Yuke tribe had completely disappeared, even from people’s memories. However, members of this supposedly extinct tribe appear and attack the passenger airship Alexis. Layle, the main character of this game, is hired as an escort to defend this airship. In this adventure you will play as Layle, discovering why the Yuke tribe is back, and what exactly it is that they want.

BLAST: The protagonist is very different from the create-a-hero setup in the other Crystal Chronicles titles, but he even comes off as more experienced than many heroes in the flagship Final Fantasy series. In a genre dominated by teenagers, children and inexperienced heroes, how did Layle come to be?

AK: FINAL FANTASY stories have always been about growth. The main character’s problems, struggles, joys, sense of accomplishment or sense of loss are all expressed throughout the course of the game. However, if the plot is set up with the same formula every time, we won’t be able to expand the breadth of storytelling. With this game, we wanted players to enjoy an entirely different type of story and main character. This hero is extremely "hero-like" in his actions. Layle is a hero that is constantly one step ahead of his enemies, and offers players an exhilarating experience.

BLAST: Gameplay wise, what’s different in the Crystal Bearers from past Crystal Chronicles titles? What stands out in The Crystal Bearers as your favorite addition to the series?

AK: The element that differs most from past titles is that players can interact with the game’s environment. Objects, people and creatures, among other things, are all part of this "touchable" environment. Everything will come back at you with a variety of reactions when you come into contact with them.

AK: Link with Force powers! That’s actually not too off-base. However, Layle is far more confident than Link, and is not as polite. Layle uses his powers instead of swords or bows and arrows, essentially to show off that he doesn’t need to rely on weapons. Layle’s powers bring about a huge variety of reactions. This is because you can use his powers on anyone, ranging from town’s people to guardsmen. These are things that Link couldn’t do, right?

BLAST: Did you run into any problems developing for a system with the Wii’s control system? Was there anything you wanted to work into the game that did not make it in due to these difficulties?

AK: There are certain aspects that we cut intentionally, but nothing that we were unable to achieve because of technical difficulties. For example, in the early stages of development Layle used to wield a sword, but because we were able to integrate Wii controls so well in the game, we decided not to include that feature. This way, Layle’s powers could be emphasized.

BLAST: Is there a possibility that The Crystal Bearers will develop into its own side series, as it differs so much from the traditional Crystal Chronicles and takes place so far ahead in the universe’s timeline? Is this something you would like to see happen?

AK: FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES is known for its multiplayer function and miniature character designs, and even though FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: THE CRYSTAL BEARERS shares the same world, it is a completely different gaming experience. We would like to continue with expanding the CRYSTAL CHRONICLES series, while also looking into a sequel specific to FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: THE CRYSTAL BEARERS.

BLAST: Lastly, tell our readers the one thing about The Crystal Bearers that they may not know to convince them to pick it up the day after Christmas.

AK: Step into the shoes of a daring hero, use his ability to control gravity at will, and interact with everything within the game world, from objects and people to creatures. That sums up FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: THE CRYSTAL BEARERS. Don’t miss out on this experience!

A study conducted by SquareTrade, a supplemental insurance plan purveyor, released its findings today, naming Microsoft’s Xbox 360 most likely to fail, with more reported issues than Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo’s Wii, in their respective order.

SquareTrade claims, based on its 16,000 constituents, that the Wii is 9 times more reliable than the Xbox and 4 times more trusty than the PS3.

Furthermore, in the first 2 years of ownership 2.7 percent of Wii owners reported system failures, 23.7 percent of Xbox 360 owners, and 10 percent of PlayStation 3 gamers suffered from faulty hardware.

About half of that 23.7 percent of broken Xbox’s were the apparent result of the dread Red Rings of Death, a horrid system failure issue that has become commonplace in video game discussion everywhere. Hell, I’ve suffered through the ordeal 4 times already.

Of note however is Microsoft’s newly extended system warranty, which covers new Xbox 360′s for three years from the RroD and other non-negligent issues, so, as PC World puts it, this situation “may result in an underreporting of failures by Xbox 360 owners to SquareTrade, relative to the other consoles.”

No matter how you slice the cake, Xbox 360s will always be synonomous with gross failure, and for this reason, the next console iteration Microsoft throws out there will likely be the most solid, trusty, and diligently crafted piece of electronic gaming fun they’ve ever created. Or not, we’ll see.

According to popular gaming blog site Kotaku, the Wii’s Internet Channel is now available free of charge, and for those of you who did pay for it, like yesterday when it was $5, the Japanese game maker is throwing you a bone in the form of a gratuitous Virtual Console title.

The channel debuted in early 2007 and until July of that year, the Opera-powered browser cost not a pretty penny. After that date however, Nintendo pegged the channel’s worth at $5.

That’s all being reversed today as the channel has gone free, at least until the end of October, and Nintendo is reimbursing your 5 lost dollars with a NES, SNES, or N64 VC title. As this is currently a developing story we’ll keep you informed when something more official finds its way to our ears.

UPDATE: Nintendo has confirmed to Blast that anyone who spent $5 for the channel will be able to download, at no cost, one NES game of their choice valued at 500 Wii Points from the Virtual Console.

While I scored the initial chapter and first half of the main storyline of Final Fantasy IV: The After Years as a 7.5 (that’s comparable to “Very Good”), I also felt that the game had some potential to improve. The additional chapters Square Enix would release between the initial release and the conclusion of the main story could make or break the experience, since they focused on the established characters outside of Cecil, Rosa, and Kain, and what had gone on in their life both before this sequel and during the timeframe the game is set in.

Square has put out three new episodes out, at 300 points a piece, in addition to Rydia’s sidestory, which debuted along with the main game. Yang, Palom, and Edge are now all playable in their own sidestories, which, based on Rydia and my playtime withYang’s quest, appear to be about three hours a piece. Pretty good for $3, especially since the data and statistics are saved once you complete a chapter for use in other ones.

While Rydia’s story let you play as a fully-grown Luca, Yang’s story lets you play with not only his amazing facial hair, but also his daughter, Ursula. She’s trying to establish herself as a worthwhile monk, despite being a princess; this is part of the storyline, but it fits very well. You’ll visit some locations that fans of the original will recognize, but also some new ones, and you’ll also get to fight with some of Fabul’s fabled monks–they will last in battle for more than 3.5 seconds, for the first time in Fabul’s recorded history!

I haven’t played through Edge or Palom’s quest yet, but I plan on going through both of them soon. I think these sidequests are helping me to warm up to a game I already liked quite a bit, so by the time the complete story ends, maybe we’ll see a higher score to reflect that on the game as a whole. Let’s hope Square and Matrix Software keep putting out quality chapters for us to enjoy.

Bit Boy released in Europe on Friday, so we asked its creators at Bplus to field a few questions from us. We’ve got some detailed info on the upcoming title for you, as well as a sneak peek at their next project for WiiWare.

BLAST: To start, why don’t you tell our readers a little about Bplus.

BPLUS: Bplus is an independent games developer based in Vienna in the heart of Europe. As being total Nintendo fans ourselves, we create our games exclusively for Nintendo systems. All of us have a total passion for what we do and we always put much love, work and sleepless nights into our projects.

BLAST: Bit Boy is a very retro title, which has been a popular theme in gaming as of late. Where did you get the inspiration for the game?

BP: Since the announcement of Virtual Console for Wii, we dreamed of retro-style successors of the games we loved so much. When we came up with the idea to do a retro game ourselves, we were suddenly in the difficult situation to decide in which graphical style the game should be realised. We know that every true gamer has a special place in his heart for the style of the games he started with “" and that’s what Bit Boy!! is all about. We wanted the game to spark true retro feelings in all gamers, regardless the age, so we decided to send our one-pixel hero Kubi on a time journey through the whole history of video games.

BLAST: In Bit Boy, your friends have been kidnapped by pixelated creatures from a bygone era. What can the hero Kubi do to save them? Does the game significantly change in gameplay style as well as presentation as you progress through history?

BP: On his journey, Kubi enters the levels of past generations, each of them in the corresponding graphical style. All worlds are full of dangerous monsters that hold Kubi’s friends captive. To rescue your friends, simply touch them and they will return to their own era with a relieved “Thank you!”. While in the 4-bit era only four of your friends need to be saved, there are already 32 of them in each level of the 32-bit generation. Bit Boy!! really is full of variety and every new level offers something new, a fresh and unique theme.

While Kubi is relatively helpless in the 4-bit era, from the 8-bit era on, Kubi can use special attacks to defeat monsters and later in the game he gains the ability to jump onto objects to hide himself from enemies. They change tactics in each level, so be sure to use the limited number of attacks wisely.

We intended that the Bit Generations themselves are not too long because we wanted to give EVERYONE, even new gamers that generally lose interest quickly, the chance to unlock all of them. If you cannot wait to see the next generations, you can really rush through the game, but that way you will never see your name on the top of the high score tables. Finding out the right tactics for a super-duper score can be really tough, you have to survive to collect all the fruit and defeat as many monsters as possible. As a nice reward, the top score of each bit generation is displayed on the title screen, so get your name there!

BLAST: Was there a lot of difference in how you had to approach each bit generation from a development standpoint? Also, did you have a particular favorite that you designed?

BP: Of course we had to create all these different, unique objects in all the various graphical styles, which was an enourmous task for us. On the programming side, one single engine works for all generations, simulating things such as display resolution, color palette, frame rate, controls and enemy behavior. As for favourite generations:

Bernd Geiblinger: I for one prefer the 16-Bit generation, clearly followed by the 64-Bit generation. I just love bright colours and I fell in love with the cuddly style. I am also a big fan of Super Bomberman and that is why the 16-Bit levels are mostly inspired by it and also by Zelda III “" A Link to the Past.

Daniel Bƒ¶sze: My favourite of all the generations is the 4-bit era. Even though I was very young when these games where around, I find it extremely fascinating how fun a game with such simple technology and graphics can be. I also like the 64-bit generation because when I was young, the games of that era had a kind of perfection I didn’t know before. This perfection was mirrored in such simple things as not having to blow into cartridges to play them or the marvelous sound that hasn’t been possible before.

BLAST: This is a little off topic, but we would like to hear about what kind of games all of you like to play when you’re not hard at work on making your own.

BP: To be honest, we didn’t have that much time to play recently because we were snowed under with work. Often, we play our own games when we finally have them at home on our own Wii consoles, mostly to have fun but also to learn what we can do better next time.

Bernd Geiblinger: I really love good platformers and I am totally into multiplayer games of all kinds because I really love to play together with friends in the same room.

Daniel Bƒ¶sze: I like to cook so the game I probably spent most time with is “Personal Trainer: Cooking” A game that also kept me in front of the screen was Sim City Creator for Wii.

BLAST: Bplus has done a lot of work on the WiiWare service. Do you have any future plans besides Bit Boy that you would be willing to talk about? Have you considered moving into DSiWare development?

BP: Our other Wii Project, Vektor Tank, is coming along pretty nicely; we already have released some juicy in-game screenshots a while ago. We put much work into Vektor Tank and constantly refine gameplay to make sure you’ll have an absolute blast when you get to play it. As for DSiWare, there are some ideas floating around, but nothing tangible right now.

Thanks to the folks at Bplus for taking our questions. You can see more of Bplus work and media at their official website.

Even though this does not immediately benefit those of us in North America, a European release for Bplus’ Bit Boy is a good sign, because it means we will probably see it sooner than later. Now we know that Bit.Trip CORE will be WiiWare game #100 on Monday, but there’s no reason that Bit Boy can’t make it’s way over the pond the week after that, or at least sometime relatively soon.

If you want to check out screens of Bit Boy, we posted a boatload of media last week, including a trailer from E3. This is starting to look like a great summer for WiiWare, one that should help us through the AAA-less months ahead. The aforementioned Bit.Trip CORE is out Monday, Furry Legend and NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits should release later this summer or during the later part of the year, and additional chapters for Final Fantasy IV: The After Years are also on the way. That’s a whole lot of game at low downloadable prices. Start saving up those Nintendo Points now, because we will have reviews for all of these titles after they release, and maybe even some conversations with the developers to help you get to know the games.

Blast had its first go-round with Tiger Woods 10 on the Wii with the new MotionPlus accessory back at E3, and let us tell you that it’s a lot easier to play video game golf when your character is Tiger Woods — maxed out on specs and equipment — then when you’re amateur wannabe John Guilfoil with his lack of power and stock equipment.

There’s something else to consider. The MotionPlus accessory, bundled with this year’s game, makes the title a lot more realistic. Every arm and wrist movement can drastically alter the course of the ball. A swing that would have cut it in Tiger Woods 09 is in the trees in 10. Then you realize it…

Golf is a lot harder than we’re been led to believe all these years.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, Grand Slam Tennis and Red Steel 2 are the first major third party tests of the MotionPlus for us, and it gets a thumbs up so far. Tiger Woods 10 is a far reach harder than Tiger Woods 09, which is good considering nearly everything else about the two games are exactly the same — endlessly upgrading your clubs, picking corny celebratory animations, regretting setting your majors to four agonizing rounds, etc. etc. etc.

One thing we don’t like in Woods 10 right off the bat (or the club…) is the sheer lack of Scottish play-by-play announcers. It’s one of the few things that makes televised golf enjoyable. And, I’m sorry ESPN, but Scott Van Pelt saying “useful shot that” just doesn’t do it for me.

There are, ethnicity aside, some very nice new features in 10 besides MotionPlus, including actual live weather conditions and a mini game called Disc Golf played with a Frisbee that is exclusive to the Wii version. But the best new feature is the online live tournaments. You can challenge friends, play in EA tournaments, and match up with the pros with online tournaments during actual PGA events.

There are plenty of real courses in the game and plenty of tournaments but this series is missing things like The Masters and the US Open and some of the other “real majors” in golf. Because of that, career mode is that much less invigorating. You’ll spend a few weeks as an amateur, playing boring tournaments against idiotic computer characters just to get to the PGA TOUR where there’s really no reward — no green jackets or “Superbowls” of golf. You just play, get money, buy stuff, and play more. It’s a real problem with sports games.

You will get addicted though, and we highly recommend getting a golfing buddy, either at your home or online, because it’s kinda depressing to make an eagle and just stand there with the cat licking himself.

Just keep your wrists straight and follow through with your swing. This isn’t Wii Sports. You don’t just flick your wrist and five it 300 yards. Once you get used to it, you’ll be fading and punch shooting your way through the Fedex Cup. One thing about a harder game is that you really feel like you’ve accomplished something when you finally get good at it.

There are 28 courses and Wii’s “All Play” mode just in case you really, really can’t get used to the new controls. If you’re in a bad mood, turn on All Play and select Pebble Beach. In our tests, I shot two double eagles, two aces, and five eagles. But the announcing still sucks. I made a double eagle on 18 from about 200 yards, and all Van Pelt had to say was that my putting had been fantastic today.

Blast Factor: It’s Nerf or nothing. Tiger Woods is the only sim golf game out there, much like EA’s Madden franchise. It’s not the old days of six brands of computer golf that you play with your mouse. You actually have to get off the couch this time and swing the club like you mean it. The good thing is that Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 is simply great. The verbose online options give you plenty to do, even for the most finicky video game golfer.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 is available on the Nintendo Wii bundled with MotionPlus for $59.99, or without for $49.99

We here at Blast are a bit smitten with Muramasa: The Demon Blade. Why? Well, we like to think we have taste, and we love style, and those of us who played it also loved Odin Sphere, which Muramasa is the spiritual successor to. The game is unarguably one of the most beautiful to grace this generation on any platform, despite appearing on Nintendo’s little white console. Vanillaware, the developer, makes some worthwhile, lengthy games with beautiful narratives, so there’s no reason not to be excited.

I haven’t had a chance to go hands-on with Muramasa, but we did spot Gamestop’s reveal for the preorder goodies. Check this out:

Click to enlarge that pic, (and you will want to). That’s a giant wall scroll for those who preorder. The other news that I thought was good was that Gamestop put a release date of September 1 down for Muramasa, but after speaking to Ignition, I’ve learned that the date is not a release date confirmation. They did say that the game should be out early that month though, so keep your fingers crossed that Gamestop is just psychic.

Starting with games we reviewed in June, Blast is going to bring you “Editor’s Choice” awards. For now, we will pick one game for each system–either retail or downloadable–and give it the distinction of being the best purchase you can make all month. That may change as the release schedule fattens up and more and more AAA titles come out at once, but for now, we’re in the summer, where there are fewer releases overall. The Editor’s Choice logo will be inserted into reviews at the end of the month, and will look like this (though much smaller):

The one question I have for you, the readers, is whether we should make a distinction between downloadable titles and retail games. Would you prefer to see them rated separately? Is together fine? Let us know in the comments or via e-mail.

Wii

Ghostbusters: The Video Game: “Ghostbusters: The Video Game is a lot of fun to play. The gameplay is tight, wrangling ghosts is satisfying, and listening to Bill Murray and company play their beloved characters once again”"and so effectively”"made me smile more often than not. Red Fly Studios did the game a favor by recognizing the Wii’s strengths and playing to them, and for that, you should thank them. Grab a friend, plug in two Nunchuks, and get to work saving New York City once again.”

DS

Mighty Flip Champs!: “Wayforward took a traditional genre in puzzle platformers and added an innovative mechanic to it with the dual-screen flipping, and ended up coming out with Mighty Flip Champs!, a special game that all DSi owners should try their hand at. The title is challenging, lengthy, well polished, and a total blast to play, even when it starts to fry your brain. Highly recommended.”

PS3

inFAMOUS: “inFAMOUS is far from perfect, but that doesn’t stop it from, at times, being a masterpiece sandbox game that will have you coming back for more, regardless of its problems. The good far outweighs the bad, but it’s the perfect candidate for a much improved sequel. What inFAMOUS does well is give you a fun game that will last longer than many titles, even if you just play through once; you’ll want to play it more than once though, given the amount of things you can do as you save or enslave Empire City.”

Xbox 360

Red Faction Guerilla: Wait, what’s this? We don’t have a review up for this game yet? No worries, it will be here before month’s end. Just trust us when we say we love it. That’s why it’s here!

Windows PC

Wallace & Gromit: Muzzled!: “Overall, Telltale has yet again told the tale of excellence in every facet of game design. From dynamic and alluring storytelling buffed by memorable characters, to the authentic feel of the familiar claymation style presentation, Muzzled! succeeds so very well.”

Resident Evil 5 launches on PS3 and Xbox 360 tomorrow, but where is the love for Nintendo and its crazy popular Wii console?‚  With Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles selling so dang well, a sequel must be in the works, right?

Right.‚  Capcom announced today its ambitious 2009 plans for the shiny white console including an Umbrella Chronicles sequel and revamped versions of two popular Resident Evil GameCube titles.

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, currently in development with a winter 2009 release time frame, is the sequel to Umbrella Chronicles its story is based on Resident Evil 2 and includes the popular characters, Leon S Kenney and Claire Redfield.‚  Darkside Chronicles will employ the same “rail shooter” game-play and its story will clear up any plot confusions from the original.

Two player co-op and a new evade system spruce up the game mechanics allowing for more depth in a somewhat tired arcade system.

“We are very excited to be bringing the sequel to Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles to the Wii as it’s the perfect fit for the platform,” said Mona Hamilton, vice president, marketing, Capcom Entertainment. “We are always looking for new ways to give Capcom fans a chance to experience our games. Umbrella Chronicles was a huge success for us, Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles includes a more in-depth co-op experience, and we are excited to bring this exclusive content to the Wii audience.”

Capcom follows Nintendo’s lead in revisiting and overhauling popular GameCube titles with the motion sensing awesomeness found only on the Wii.‚  The “Classic Line” of Resident Evil titles includes Resident Evil Zero and the legendary original Resident Evil each retrofitted with Wii remote support.

Darkside Chronicles hits retail this winter, while the two remakes find their blood drenched way to homes everywhere sometime in 2009 at $29.99 a pop.

See Wii enthusiasts.‚  Capcom has your back.

THQ has published games based on everything from the silly cartoon antics of SpongeBob, to the more serious yet ultimately just as funny Drake and Josh television series. ‚ Joystiq.com calls the publisher the “unparalleled master of licensed gaming adaptations.”‚  THQ’s presence is undeniable, and their target audience is thirsty for more.

THQ aims to quench that longing with “Up,” a game in development for every imaginable gaming platform, based on the hotly anticipated Disney Pixar feature film by the same name.

Up will follow the exotic adventures of main character Carl Fredricksen and his young sidekick Wilderness Explorer Russell as they trek through the undiscovered jungles of South America. Treacherous jungle terrain, dangerous creatures and the slippery slopes of the Amazonian Tepuis await you in this latest film to game title.

Up will feature both single player and co-op game-play with an additional multiplayer component containing four player aerial combat.

Development of Up is being handled by Heavy Iron Studios, creators of the video game renditions of Ratatouille and WALL-E, the former earning a “Best Animated Video Game award” from the International Animated Film Society.

I was lucky enough to view a portion of the film at Comic Con and without giving any spoilers, I really think the varying character personalities coupled with the extravagant locations will for make a great video game if executed properly.

This spring Up will release on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, Games for Windows, and Mac.

If you just cannot wait, a free playable demo is available on Up the video game’s official site here.

More information regarding Up the film can be found here.

Harmonix, Apple Corp. LTD, and MTV games today officially announced The Beatles: Rock Band, the highly anticipated and first band oriented expansion of the hit music and rhythm game, set to release globally 9/9/2009 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo Wii.

The expansive catalogue of songs in the title will take players on a journey through the legacy and evolution of the band’s legendary career ultimately leaving them with that top of the world feeling.‚  Screaming fans, packed stadiums, global success, rockin’ guitar solos, epic drum fills, and the smooth, smooth vocal tendencies of Lennon andMcCartney await you in this monumental music game.

Craving that authentic feeling?‚  John and George both played Fender Stratocasters back in the day, but the current plastic facsimiles look nothing like the real thing.‚  Fear not for The Beatles: Rock Band will offer a number of new hardware choices modeled after instruments used by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr throughout their career.‚  To dial the authenticity up to 11 you’ll have to play lefty as McCartney and work on that accent.

The Beatles Rock Band will be available on Sept. 9^th; $60 will get you the game alone, $100 for the new standalone guitars, and $250 for the limited premium bundle.

The Beatles: Rock Band will be compatible with all Rock Band instruments and “other current music-based video game peripherals,” which can only mean the Guitar Hero goods.

Like freebies? Apple Corp, MTV Games, and Harmonix are promising exclusive content to those who pre-order the title.‚  More details in the coming months.

Keep an eye on The Beatles: Rock Band official site for new and exciting information regarding this monumental title.

About Harmonix, Apple Corp, MTV Games:

APPLE CORPS LTD., MTV AND HARMONIX ANNOUNCE “THE BEATLES: ROCK BAND”, WORLDWIDE RELEASE SET FOR 9/9/09

5th March 2009

New York, NY – March 5, 2009 – Apple Corps, Ltd., Harmonix and MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), today announced the 9/9/09 worldwide release of The Beatles: Rock Band (http://www.thebeatlesrockband.com). The music-based video game, an unprecedented, experiential progression through and celebration of the music and artistry of The Beatles, will be available simultaneously worldwide in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other territories for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and Wii home videogame console from Nintendo.

The Beatles: Rock Band will allow fans to pick up the guitar, bass, mic or drums and experience The Beatles extraordinary catalogue of music through gameplay that takes players on a journey through the legacy and evolution of the band’s legendary career. In addition, The Beatles: Rock Band will offer a limited number of new hardware offerings modeled after instruments used by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr throughout their career.

The Beatles: Rock Band will be offered as standalone software and hardware as well as a limited edition bundle. The game will be compatible with all Rock Band instrument controllers and other current music-based video game peripherals.

Available on 9/9/09:

• The Beatles: Rock Band Software – Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, Wii: $59.99 MSRP
• The Beatles: Rock Band Standalone Guitars – Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, Wii: $99.99 MSRP
• The Beatles: Rock Band Limited Edition Premium Bundle: Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, Wii: $249.99 MSRP

Please note: Pricing outside of the US to be announced at a later date.

The Beatles: Rock Band marks the first time that Apple Corps, along with EMI Music, Harrisongs Ltd, and Sony/ATV Music Publishing, has agreed to present The Beatles music in an interactive video game format. The Beatles: Rock Band will be published by MTV Games and developed by Harmonix, the world’s premier music video game company and creators of the best-selling Rock Band. Electronic Arts will serve as distribution partner for the game. In addition, Giles Martin, co-producer of The Beatles innovative LOVE album project, is providing his expertise and serving as Music Producer for this groundbreaking Beatles project.

Exclusive content created by Apple Corps, MTV Games and Harmonix will be made available to fans over the next few months who participate in a pre-order campaign through major retailers. More details on The Beatles: Rock Band game and pre-order will be revealed in the coming months.

Please visit thebeatlesrockband.com.

Guitar Hero made its debut a mere four years ago, and in that short time has seen subsequent releases ranging from the hair-metal, ear-shattering tunes of Rocks the 80′s to the imminent launch of the face-melting tracks commonplace in Guitar Hero: Metallica. ‚ The Guitar Hero brand name is so engrained in our minds it is difficult to imagine a world without the plastic guitar phenomenon.‚  Every time I hear a song on the radio my first thoughts race to “this would be a kick-ass Guitar Hero song,” or “Damn, imagine playing that solo in Guitar Hero.”

The latest in Guitar Hero title was officially announced yesterday via an exclusive interview with IGN.com and Beenox studios, developers of the new game, Guitar Hero: Greatest Hits.

Speaking with IGN.com, Paul Gadbois, producer at Beenox stated the new game will feature 48 tracks compiled from every previous Guitar Hero iteration.

Greatest hits will feature all master recordings with updated note tracks that Beenox promises will retain their original essence with enhanced sound quality and accuracy plus new twists to riffs, new solo challenges and a lot more.

Beenox announced 7 songs that made the cut and even with this limited example, the spectrum of genres are well covered, hopefully a sign of things to come when the full list is unveiled.

“Them Bones” by Alice in Chains

“Killer Queen” by Queen

“Nothin’ But A Good Time” by Poison

Rage Against The Machine’s “Killing in the Name”

“I Wanna Rock” by Twisted Sister

Joan Jett and The Blackhearts’s “I Love Rock N Roll,”

Heart’s “Barracuda.”

Dragonforce’s “Through the Fire and Flames!”

New features include 8 new venues everywhere from The Rain Forest to the Polar Ice Caps and even The Grand Canyon, and a stupefying drum-only Expert Plus mode aided by the functionality of the double bass pedal equipped first in Guitar Hero: Metallica.

Sadly, Greatest Hits will not allow for the transfer of downloadable content or World Tour’s plentiful song list into its own setlist, Beenox says.

“Currently, downloadable songs for Guitar Hero World Tour will work with that title only”. And “The 48 songs in this game will all be instantly playable and are designed to be playable off the disc only.”

That’s too bad, I hate swapping discs, and you probably do to.‚  Isn’t there a game out there that lets you pay a licensing fee to transfer all your tracks? Oh yeah, Rock Band.

Overall, Greatest Hits looks to be another run of the mill title, enabling you the full band experience you were so deprived from earlier titles.‚  Other than that, Greatest Hits is just a bunch of songs you’ve already played with tweaks to the experience sweetening the deal.

So far only 7 tracks have been revealed, however, you can log onto the Guitar Hero official site and register to vote for which songs are unveiled next.

Greatest Hits is scheduled to release sometime in June for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 2, thankfully GH: Metallica lands on shelves in just a few weeks, March 29^th.

Read the full IGN interview here.

Guitar Hero World Tour will add to its growing collection of downloadable tracks this month with over a dozen hit tunes from Jimi Hendrix, Queen, and a host of European bands.

On March 5^th, the third European track pack will release featuring “Break it Out” by the Italian pop punk ‚ band Vanilla Sky, and “In the Shadows,” a track performed by one of Finland’s most successful bands, The Rasmus.‚  The third in the pack, “C’est Comme Ca,” is a top single from French pop rock Les Rita Mitsouko.‚  Clearly, the boys over at Activision have done some globe trekkin to find their latest digs, and from past European iterations I can’t help but be excited.

March 19^th brings the music of Dutch symphonic rock/metal band Within Temptation to the stage with “What have you done.”‚  Already famous for their work on Guitar Hero 3, German punk band Die Toten Hosen (that is so fun to say) will perform the full band experience of their 1988 hit “Hier Kommit Alex.”‚  Finally, rounding out Europe is Spanish rock band M-Clan with “Carolina.”

World Tour returns stateside with three Jimmy Hendrix classics, “Angel,” “Freedom,” and a 1969 live from Woodstock rendition of “Foxey Lady.” ‚ ‚ Hendrix, known for his chop busting, face melting solos, is sure to challenge even the hardened guitar hero fan.‚  All 3 songs will be available March 19^th.

Furthermore, Wii fans are also getting love with the songs from the first Jimi Hendrix Track Pack “If 6 was 9,” “Little Wing” and “Fire” also available on March 19th as downloadable singles.

Why stop there? Activision sees no reason to.‚  On March 26^th 3 iconic tracks from Rock and Roll hall of fame legends Queen will go live.‚  “We are the champions,” “Fat Bottom Girls,” and “C-lebrity” round out the trifecta.‚  I can’t wait for my vocal session. “And we’ll keep on fighting to the end.”

Also on the 26^th, James Bond fans everywhere can raise their axes in harmony to the tune of a new recording of the James Bond Theme.‚  I’m a bit skeptical over the *new* but I’m sure justice will be done to arguably the most memorable and recognizable audio tracks in all of film.

If there is one guarantee for virtual currency well spent, it would have to be extra songs for your favorite music game.‚  A quick Youtube search reveals everything you could ask for, and with songs available for purchase individually, the biggest mistake you could make would cost only a couple dollars.

Sure, Guitar Hero doesn’t churn out songs at the rate of Rock Band, but it also doesn’t feature tracks by Miranda Cosgrove and the Jonas Brothers.

The songs in the two European Track Packs, Queen Track Pack and the James Bond Track will be released as downloadable singles for Xbox 360 for 160 Microsoft Points, PLAYSTATION 3 system for $1.99 and Wii for 200 Wii Points each. The Jimi Hendrix tracks will be available as downloadable singles for Wii for 200 Wii Points.

If you like purchasing in bulk and saving some scratch, the two European track packs, Jimi Hendrix pack, and the Queen pack will be available for 440 MS points on Xbox 360 or $5.49 for PS3.

Bakugan, Toy of the Year winner and popular animated television show will debut on consoles and handheld in the fall of this year.‚  The toy and card game has been a smash hit with kids everywhere and Activision looks to extend Bakugan’s successes to the video game front.

Nelvana Enterprises and Activision today announced an agreement to develop and distribute the game, and given the current economic state, Activision must see some real potential in the undertaking.

Slated for a fall release, the Bakugan video game will debut on PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, DS and Wii.‚  Veteran Japanese game development studio NOW Productions, famous for their contributions to such titles as Dance Dance Revolution and Little League World Series 2008, will handle the development of the games.

David Oxford of Activision Publishing says: “Bakugan’s success in 2008 speaks for itself and we’re confident it will be even bigger in 2009, it is our goal to expand this proven property in a way that both fans and gamers will love.”

Labeled as the “toy craze of holiday 2008,” Bakugan tells the story of Dan and his friends as they battle their Bakugan Brawlers to save the planet of Vestroia and, ultimately, Earth from destruction.

The toy and card game, developed by Spin Master Ltd brings action to the popular genre of collectible trading card games with marble-like Bakugan spheres that transform into “battle brawling” action figures when rolled onto special game cards.‚  It is truly a sight to be seen, the game-play is unique and varied, and collecting the cards and figures reminds me of my Pokemon days.

NOW Productions has promised intense battles, the ability to create your own unique Brawler, cartoon quality graphics and the ever important multi-player aspect in the video game.

Game announcements are always exciting, especially so when the IP is an exploding cultural phenomenon so many have grown close to.‚  And when Activision signs on with their high hopes and fat wallet, things usually work out quite alright.