Posts

If there were ever an unlikely “Game of the Show” for E3 2007 (for me), it’s the PlayStation Network title,Everyday Shooter. The baby of designer/artist/programmer Jonathan Mak, and the winner of the Independent Games Festival,Everyday Shooteris a brilliant, soothing homage to Tetsuya Mizuguchi games likeEvery Extend Extra, as well as arcade classics likeRobotron, and other twin-stick shooters. The gameplay itself is simple — you move your “ship” with the left analog stick, and fire with the right....

During Nintendo’sWii Uannouncement, it was announced thatBatman: Arkham Citywill be coming to Nintendo’s new console. We didn’t have details or even screens beyond that, but I must say I sure wasn’t expecting that as far as E3 announcements go. It’ll be interesting to see if the new controller adds a new twist to theArkham Cityexperience when the game comes out. Is this a game you’ll be looking forward to playing on Nintendo’s new console?...

WhenLittleBigPlanet 2shipped, it included some token support for PlayStation Move in the form of Sackboy’s Prehistoric Moves. While cute, the self-contained levels didn’t leverage full support of the peripheral. That’s changing this fall, when an update this fall adds full Playstation Move support. Now, players will be able to design and share levels incorporating PlayStation Move. Of course, other players will likely need their own Move controller to play the levels, but for those who own the controller, it’s pretty awesome....

Destructoid Show co-host Tara Long was able to get her grubby little paws on Sony’s new handheld, thePlayStation Vita(that’sVEE-tuh, folks), and she’s here to tell you about the games she tried out.LittleBigPlanetis cute;Little Deviantsmakes great use of the front touchscreen and rear touch panel;Sound Shapesis a music-based platformer that also has a level creator; andUncharted: Golden Abysslets you draw out paths on the touchscreen for Nathan Drake to climb along....

You ought to know by now that I love the ESRB’s videogame ratings. FromStreet Fighter IVtoMass Effect 2, the North American ratings board never fails to entertain. Naturally, a game as foul-mouthed and violent asBulletstormbrings with it some beautifully detached and clinicalESRB description. As usual, the ESRB’s summary only makes the game sound even more awesome than before. Check it out: This is a first-person shooter in which players assume the role of a space pirate who must escape a planet populated by mutant cannibals....

Oh shista, it’s Crysta! Crysta sounds like a bad porn name, but it’s also what Square Enix is calling their new currency for the upcoming online game,Final Fantasy XIV. It’s also the name of the subject of thisfan page. Wow. You’ll convert your IRL money into this Crysta, whichEurogamersays will go for the rate of 100 Crysta to £1 or €1, depending on your location. Your money will bewastedchanged in blocks of 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 5000 or 10,000, and they say that there will be a cap on how much Crysta your account can hold at one time....

Warner Bros. released another trailer forTerminator Salvationthis afternoon, featuring what should be fairly familiar sights if you’ve been following the game: an elaborate cover system, split-screen functionality, and plenty of pew-pew laser riddled robots. Of course, the big reveal in this mash-up are theSalvation’sflying foes. These guys look more like metal mosquitoes than they do vicious robotic oppressors, but I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt for now. If what we’ve seen of the game is any indication, it appears as though we may have a solid, no-frills movie shooter on our hands....

At first, the iCade was a fake thing, an April Fools Day thing. A joystick and mini arcade cabinet for an iPad? How silly! But some people (thousands, says ThinkGeek) thought the idea was cool enough to actually be a real product. Now it is, andit’s available at ThinkGeek. A Ben Franklin (or $99.99) gets you desktop-sized retro cab with retro buttons and joystick. It’s ready for your iPad or iPad 2 and your arcade game apps....

Freddie Wong makes some great YouTube videos, and has been doing aLOTof videogame-basedshorts. His newest, “Lightbulb Assassin,” speaks to the truth behind every mission I’ve ever played inSplinter Cell.

Inlast week’s debatewe moved from theValkyrie Profileseries to the newerValkyria ChroniclesRPG series. Even though almost nobody had a single bad thing to say about the PSP sequel, the response was overwhelming for the first. Here are the results: This week we’re discussing a series that spans two decades and several consoles and handheld devices. TheManaseries — known asSeiken Densetsuin Japan — has had its strong points and weak points depending on who you talk to, so I’m eager to see which games get the most praise this week....

I’m in the mood for some nineties one-hit-wonder obscurity, so today I am inflictingSpacemanby Bablyon Zoo upon you. They got a bit popular in Britain after appearing in a Levi’s advert. They were pretty much gone as soon as they arrived. The lead singer was called Jas Mann, which is just ridiculously brilliant. Speaking of lead singers, we played videogames this week, and now we’re going to tell you which ones....

Destructoid has gotten word from an inside source (and confirmation – thanks Liqideos) that GameStop/EB Games will no longer be taking HD DVDs or Xbox 360 HD DVD players as of tomorrow. Ever since Warner announced it wasswitching to Blu-rayexclusively, the bad news hasn’t stoppedpiling onfor the HD DVD camp. If any of you HD DVD owners out there are thinking about jumping ship, I suggest you do so immediately....

Are you gettingNo More Heroes: Heroes’ Paradisefrom GameStop? If youpre-orderedit you’re also getting a Beam Katana and a motorcycle. No, not a real Beam Katana, though your PlayStation Move controller will make it feel like one. No, these are downloadable bonus items that you’ll get with your pre-order. GameStop says that you’ll get an “exclusive badass motorcycle,” and not just a regular one. Neato. You’ll get it and the katana via an email if you buy online, or via a code printed on your receipt if you buy the game in-store....