E3 09: Tons of new info on Zelda: Spirit Tracks

I ws excited aboutThe Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracksthe moment it was announced at this year’s GDC, but after getting my hands on tons of new details, art, and screens for it, I’m pretty much beside myself. There’s nothing I love more than theWind Wakerstyle (well, other than the original Legend of Zelda style, that is), and this game looks GOOD. Really looking forward to getting my hands on this one at the show this year!...

July 27, 2025 · 3 min · 490 words · Ryan Allen

E3: A super chill chat about Mutant Mudds on eShop

Yesterday afternoon, I sat down with Renegade Kid co-founder Jools Watsham for one of the most laid-back, informal meetings ever. Actually, it was much less of a meeting and more of a fireside chat, only replace “fire” with “giantGears of War 3poster.” It was a nice change from the typical E3 hustle and bustle. Renegade Kid was the developer of the twoDementiumgames,Moon, and the recently releasedATV Wild Ride, all available on the DS....

July 27, 2025 · 3 min · 450 words · Samantha Simon

EA promises its games won’t be ‘crappy’ anymore

John Riccitiello, the outspoken and (doubtlessly) charming CEO of Electronic Arts, hasbeen talking quality, and boasted of the “best title plan of any company in the industry.” He also promised that the exploitation of “crappy” licenses is not the EA way. He means it this time! “Frankly I think that a lot of the intellectual property we create are better than the licenses. That doesn’t mean there isn’t room for great licenses....

July 27, 2025 · 2 min · 223 words · Marie Nielsen

Earthworm Jim HD looks shiny in this latest footage

I only just woke up, and already I’m breaking out the “shiny” puns; I am an evil person. This new video ofEarthworm Jim HDfrom Gameloft took me by surprise — mostly because I had forgotten that this revamp was on the way. And that it looked so good. Of course, there are always people who demand pixel perfection. To them I say, go dig up your SNES/Genesis cart and leave us alone!...

July 27, 2025 · 1 min · 111 words · Christopher Reed

Eidos announces Pony Friends for DS; children scream in delight everywhere

What is it with me and the cutesy DS announcements? Firstkittensand now PONIES? I’m being typecast, goddammit. This is not the stuff areal game journois made of. I’M AWOMANAND I DEMAND REAL WORK! goes back to the kitchen Anyway, Eidos has announcedPony Friendsfor those of you who were never able to stop playing with My Little Pony (and may God strike you dead with lightning if you actually relate to that sentence)....

July 27, 2025 · 2 min · 320 words · Angela Lucas

Expanded Universes: I’m Going to Take the Fan Fiction World by Storm

The world of fan fiction has always been something of a mystery to me. My old roommate used to spend hours pouring through these non-canonical side stories to his favorite games and anime series, but I never saw the point. What do I care what some overly compulsive super-fan thinks would happen if Ash for theEvil Deadfilms had wandered into Raccoon City, or would have happened if Shinji and Rei would have hooked up at the end ofEvangelioninstead of whatever the hell was supposed to have happened at the end of that mindf*ck....

July 27, 2025 · 7 min · 1341 words · James Williams

Expanding upon realism in ArmA II: Operation Arrowhead

Back in June 2009, Bohemia Interactive from the Czech Republic releasedArmA II. An intense realistic shooter,ArmA IIwas a generally well received PC title that was criticized for being too hardcore and difficult to play. After all, the game was designed by the same studio that makes military training simulators for nations across the globe, the US as well. Unfortunately, that level of reality was too much for many players. However, the hardcore fanbase has remained, and Bohemia Interactive has worked hard in supporting gamers with new updates and downloads, as well as offering support behind the modding community....

July 27, 2025 · 6 min · 1086 words · Christopher Gallagher

Exploring the ‘Physical Action/Reaction’ of Heavy Rain

After spending hours with a preview build of Quantic Dream’sHeavy Rain, I’ve found that it’s certainly a difficult title to talk about. One of the most anticipated PlayStation 3 exclusives for 2010, I’m still not entirely sure it’s even a game… at least not in the traditional sense. David Cage, the founder and co-CEO of Quantic Dream, agrees, saying that the gameplay is “difficult to describe because it is based on very different paradigms compared to most games....

July 27, 2025 · 8 min · 1639 words · Lauren Smith

Extreme ‘Martyrdom’: An explosive Modern Warfare 2 glitch

I normally abide by the “if it’s in the game, it’s totally fair” way of thinking, but not when it comes to things of this nature. An exploit forModern Warfare 2‘s multiplayer has been found, and it’s looking like a major pain in the ass. If you thought the “Martyrdom” perk was annoying, you haven’t seen anything yet. Essentially, the glitch allows you to explode upon death using a launcher, with the most popular choice being the javelin....

July 27, 2025 · 1 min · 192 words · Autumn Brown

Facebook getting Oregon Trail, Carmen Sandiego next month

I’m still resisting the urge to use Facebook, but it’s gotten slightly harder thanks in no small part to The Learning Company. Next month, new versions ofThe Oregon Trail(February 2) andWhere in the World is Carmen Sandiego?(February 9) are coming to — where else? — Facebook. Both titles were developed in collaboration with Blue Fang Games, and aesthetically they look more or less exactly like you’d expect them to. While we wait a couple of weeks for these games to go live, feel free to glance over the attached screenshots and videos....

July 27, 2025 · 1 min · 92 words · Ronald Ross

Fake game Friday: The Manicurist

This week’sfake gamecomes from forumiteAdamska. It’s calledThe Manicurist, and it looks torevolutionizethe way gamers virtually clip their nails. Always dreamed of clipping nails all day, every day, but eventually ran out of cuticle space to harvest?The Manicurist— which is, of course, Wii exclusive — may be the game you’ve been waiting for. Hit the jump for the lowdown on Adamska’s mad idea. Says he: The ManicuristNintendo Wii (cause all the innovative games go there)Players: 1 – 4ESRB: Teen for bloody fingers and toes...

July 27, 2025 · 2 min · 320 words · Janice Silva

Fanboy Friday: New Orphus edition

Ahh, the 4th of July weekend. A Friday off from my day job, fireworks, parties, and fanboys. It’s been a relatively slow news week for the video game industry, but, fanboys will still find something to whine about. If it’s not a game announcement or a statement from an industry figurehead, it’s review scores. While not as extreme as last week’s raging overThe Conduit, some people are really mad about IGN givingOverlord IIa 6, which struck me as odd since theOverlordgames have never really been super popular....

July 27, 2025 · 7 min · 1370 words · Richard Garza

Fatal Inertia whizzes more screens past us

My chat with KOEI earlier today yielded more than justreworked Destructoid posts. I made sure to get my hands on the latest screenshots for the company’s newest game not to involve medieval Chinese soldiers,Fatal Inertia. The game isdelayed on the PlayStation 3, ironically due to problems with Epic’s Unreal Engine 3, but the Xbox 360 version is still due for a September release. These are the latest in-development shots from the 360 iteration....

July 27, 2025 · 1 min · 153 words · Nicholas Johnson DVM