Get 'em while they're hot: PSN sales

post from Gaming Nexus on 04 August 2010 10:54:00 PM. © Gaming Nexus

by: Chad Smith
NEWS - Sony has decided that it's a good day for a sale. Actually, it's a good week for one. They have thus announced the Summer Sale 2010 which discounts PSN titles including PS3 and PSP games (and the in-betweens called Minis). Log onto the PSN to purchase the titles, but I'll provide a nice list here for your convenience.

PS3

Fat Princess - $7.49 (regularly $14.99)
Pixel Junk Shooter - $4.99 (regularly $9.99)
Groovin' Blocks - $4.99 (regularly $9.99)
Madden NFL Arcade - $7.49 (regularly $14.99)
Wakeboarding HD - $7.49 (regularly $14.99)

PSP

The Eye of Judgment Legends - $14.99 (regularly $29.99)
Echoshift - $7.49 (regularly $14.99)
Patchwork Heroes - $4.99 (regularly $9.99)
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars - $14.99 (regularly $29.99)
Lunar Silver Star Harmony - $14.99 (regularly $29.99)

Mini

Tetris - $4.99 (regularly $9.99)
Dracula - $2.49 (regularly $4.99)
Monsters (Probably) Stole My Princess - $2.49 (regularly $4.99)
Zombie Tycoon - $2.49 (regularly $4.99)
Bloons - $1.49 (regularly $2.99)

The sale ends August 9, 2010 so get moving if you see something you like.

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http://www.gamingnexus.com/FullNews/Get-em-while-theyre-hot-PSN-sales/Item18933.a
spx

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Travel to Darkening Deeps via the Rift

post from Gaming Nexus on 04 August 2010 10:47:00 PM. © Gaming Nexus

by: Chad Smith
NEWS - How many zones do you think we'll get to see before Rift: Planes of Telara? Start counting because this is the second in as many weeks. Welcome to Darkening Deeps, a depressing place of caves and spiders. Also, death and massive fires. Enjoy your stay!

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http://www.gamingnexus.com/FullNews/Travel-to-Darkening-Deeps-via-the-Rift/Item18
932.aspx

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Fable III to chickens of Albion: "Your days are
numbered"

post from Gaming Nexus on 04 August 2010 10:44:00 PM. © Gaming Nexus

by: Chad Smith
NEWS - Microsoft released the opening cinematic for Fable III today. It's all about the desperate struggle of one chicken to stay alive. Seriously. We chase a chicken while a familiar voice decides to wax philosophical about the changes in Albion. Take a look at all three minutes for yourself. I loved the original in the series but really disliked the sequel. Needless to say, I have reserved expectations for Fable III.

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-numbered/Item18931.aspx

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Raging Demon's Wrath.....Not So Wrathful

post from The BBPS on 04 August 2010 10:38:01 PM. © The BBPS

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I can only imagine the nerd rage that occurred over this.

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http://www.thebbps.com/articles/content/raging-demons-wrathnot-so-wrathful.html

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Pokemon Black/White wont be overrun with old
Pokemon

post from Destructoid on 04 August 2010 10:07:04 PM. © Destructoid

Pokemon Black/White wont be overrun with old Pokemon screenshot

One of the biggest complaints about Pokemon games are that their all the same. Of course, we know that's no more true than saying all Street Fighter games are the same, or that all Call of Duty games are the same. Just like with those two series, the surface details may be similar amongst the various Pokemon games, but the mechanics, the graphics, and most importantly, the weapons and characters (or in other words, the Pokemon) are different depending on which game you're playing.

That said, it is frustrating to occasionally bump into Gen-1 Pokemon like Geodude, Rattata, and Oddish in your shiny new Pokemon game. When you buy any new game, it's usually to see the new stuff that it has to offer. It's nice to see old favorites eventually, but not the second that you boot up a new purchase.

Seems like the developers of the next Pokemon agree with that. According to a blog entry by the game's developer, you wont bump into any Pokemon from previous games until you've cleared Pokemon Black/White. This has people who have played the game saying that "It's like playing something completely new, similar to when I played Red & Green". You don't hear that about a Pokemon game very often.

Personally, I still haven't picked up Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver. I know they're great games, but I'm just not up for catching the same Gen-2 Pokemon that I've already caught 2 or 3 times already. Looks like Pokemon Black/White will be more up my alley then those recently released remakes.

What about you? You bummed that you wont be catching a Pikachu right away in Pokemon Black/White?

Black and White only has new Pokemon until the end- [Andriasang, via Gonintendo]

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Legendary Pokemon tale becoming a reality

post from Destructoid on 04 August 2010 10:07:04 PM. © Destructoid

Legendary Pokemon tale becoming a reality screenshot

First, read about Pokemon Black (not to be confused with the impending Black/White releases) in this post by Tiny Cartridge. It's a longish read by Internet standards, but highly worth your time.

...

Done? Good!

Yes, I know you want to believe this bootleg game exists; I desperately do too. It sounds too brilliant to be real, though. Honestly! The good news is that thanks to a dedicated group of individuals, we don't have to worry about such thoughts.

"Project Creepy Black," a now in-the-works hack of Pokemon FireRed, aims to provide the same meaning and mechanics as those presented in the aforementioned story. More than any other fan project out there, I want this one to actually get finished. Best of luck to you, team.

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Check out the multiplayer experience of DJ Hero 2

post from Destructoid on 04 August 2010 10:07:04 PM. © Destructoid

Multiplayer is going to be a big addition to DJ Hero 2. After all, the game is coming in a SKU with two turntables, and FreeStyleGames and Activision really want to make this a proper party game. I mentioned them a bit in my preview, but I suspect the creative director of FreeStyleGames, Jamie Jackson, could explain it better. Check it out!

Want more? Follow the jump for a clip of DJ Qbert Spinning MSTRKRFT 'Bounce' (FSG Remix), as well as screenshots from DJ Hero 2.

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Someone Made An Actual, Practical Arcade Racer

post from The BBPS on 04 August 2010 09:46:01 PM. © The BBPS

It's like OutRun, only sub the graphics with an actual RC car. Add a camera, a custom built cardboard track, and a moving seat, and you've got a "real" arcade racer. Total waste of time? Probably. Totally Awesome? NO DOUBT!

via Neatogeek

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http://www.thebbps.com/articles/content/someone-made-an-actual-practical-arcade-r
acer.html

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Solatorobo for DS has dog-men and robots

Solatorobo for DS has dog-men and robots screenshot

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DS game Sola to Robo ~ Sore Kara CODA e~ (that's Sola and Robo) is being shown off in this first promotional trailer, straight from Japan. The CyberConnect2 developed RPG will be released in October in Japan, but the art and animation shown off in this video will get you ready. Ready for dog people, that is.

Some of the character designs are cool, but I'm not going to say that I like them enough for you to place me in the yiffer category. Furry or not, there's some really great visuals in this trailer. Oh, and robots beating down other robots too. It reminds of Steamboat Chronicles in a way, and it is said to be a spiritual sequel to Tail Concerto.

I think it looks pretty good. What about you?

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Hands on: DJ Hero 2

Hands on: DJ Hero 2 screenshot

Back when the first DJ Hero released, music games were at a cultural high, selling hundreds of thousands of units, and games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band proved that peripheral-based music games could not only work, but be very profitable. However, when DJ Hero actually made it to store shelves, people were turned off by the high price tag and limited gameplay. For all intents and purposes, the general attitude was that the game was a flop.

Except it wasn't. Just last month it was reported that DJ Hero had 1.2 million units sold. It makes sense. The game has been available on sale for months now, making it a much more appealing game to people sick of the fake rock lifestyle Guitar Hero and Rock Band create. With 1.2 million units out in people's hands, it would be nice to see them using that turntable for more than just the one title and a couple of downloadable music packs.

And so struts in DJ Hero 2. Announced officially in June, the game is nearing the launch this October. Activision offered us a few hours time with the game, so follow the jump for our hands-on.

DJ Hero 2 (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, )
Developer: FreeStyleGames
Publisher: Activision
To be released: October 2010

DJ Hero 2 follow the traditional music game sequel method of tossing in new songs on the disc. With artists ranging from Lady Gaga to Deadmau5, there is a broad spectrum of musicians whose work will be represented in the game. Supporting this is the single player Empire Mode, in which the play works to be the leader of a music empire through mixing. Yep, it is nothing more than a single player progression, but hopefully it'll be more interesting than the somewhat bland single player mode from the first title.

Also changed is the basic user interface. The overall layout and menu design is worlds better than the messy and confusing layout of the original game, now with a new clean white interface and better looking characters. In addition, it looks like attention to the character models and animation has improved, with much more realistic dancing and mixing going on in the back ground.

Gameplay-wise, there are a few more customization tricks for players. Remember the awful freestyle sample drops? It was an opportunity for players to use sounds clips to toss in the middle of the song and freestyle. Unfortunately, they never sounded or worked very good. However, for DJ Hero 2 FreeStyleGames has made freestyling better, as you can perform your own spins, scratches and samples in a more harmonious and professional manner during these freestyle moments. Even more, players are going to be using the rewind ability much more often, and in multiplayer as well. It's a whole lot of little balancing that makes the musical experience better.

Multiplayer seems to have received the most attention. People who have access to two turntables will be able to play newer and different modes. Quickplay, Pro-Faceoff, Accumulator, Checkpoints and Streak are all multiplayer modes for competitive players. I was shown the Accumulator mode, in which players have to streaks of perfect timing before banking it into the score slot. With only a certain amount of banks, players have to be aware of their score, their combo, and when to slam on the Euphoria button. Pro-Faceoff is a traditional battle mode in which players play against each other, for the high score.

For Party Play, there is a drop-in, drop-out options while the music just keeps playing. Streak is much like Accumulator, in which players try to pull off better streak combos through songs. Checkpoints is a point based mode, where each song will be broken up into different segments and each segment can be won. Players with the most points wins the song. Considering Activision is selling a $149.99 two-turntable combo for DJ Hero 2, it's clear this game is all about playing on the couch together with some friends. [Edit: Activision will be offering two SKUs for DJ Hero 2 in addition to that bundle, at $59.99 for the standalone title, and $99.99 for the game and turntable.] Also making a return is the mic support for those who want to sing along. What has been improved is that now whenever they jump in, they will be scored on pitch and range. It's a nice addition, sure, and having three players able to play together is always a good thing.

People who liked the original DJ Hero are going to find a lot to enjoy about this one. There are some new features, sure, but it doesn't look like it's going to change things up that much. The music mashups are as delightful and surreal as ever, and the game has enough changes to mean this is a much more polished experience over all.