New Skyward Sword vids pimping zombies and fish
dragons

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In the latest Talking to Women about Videogames (post coming on Tuesday), I had the audacity to say that Mass Effect was the last great single player-only series in gaming. That was silly. It was arguably even sillier when a few Youtube commenters corrected me, stating that Skyrim (a game they have presumably not yet played) is the real last great single player experience in gaming. 

That got me wondering; where were the Zelda fans at to defend their favorite series? Isn't anyone out there ready to declare that Skyward Sword (another game they have presumably not yet played) is the really realest last great single player experience in gaming?

All I know is, the game looks like it has everything it needs to be one of the best Zelda games ever made. The graphics look amazing by any standard, the swimming looks similar to the excellent Zora Link-stuff from Majora's Mask, there are switches to whip, water spouts to ride, spiked walls to dash from, and... purple zombie Bokoblins? All great in theory. We'll see for ourselves next month if Nintendo pulls it off in practice. 

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - Lake Floria and Ancient Cistern subtitled trailers [GoNintendo]

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Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3's batsh*t crazy new
modes

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Still mad that Ulitimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 is coming out less than a year after you paid full price for the prequel? Get over it. Your 'tude might lead you to miss out on the most crazy-crazy-crazy-all-the-time experience in fighting game history. 

Heroes and Heralds mode is free, post-launch DLC that will allow you to collect cards based on other Marvel and Capcom characters, giving your fighters new properties and abilities. Unlike Street Fighter X Tekken's newly announced Gems Mode, which Capcom's Seth Killian says is "actually trying to (be) balance(d)", Heroes and Heralds mode is place where you can "just throw balance and sanity to the wind completely". With new combos, invisibility, super armor, projectile invincibility, and parries (complete with Daigo moment), I can see why he might say that.

It also sounds like Galactus will be getting a mode where you can finally play as the god-like planet eater. My question is, who will possibly be able to put up a fair fight against that dude? I'd like to say Gold Lightan or PTX, but I think we all know there is really only one right answer to that question.  

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Rainbow Moon postponed, but shiny new screenshots

It looks like tactical RPG fans on PlayStation 3 will have to wait a little while longer for this one. Rainbow Moon, developed by SideQuest Studios, has been pushed back to the first quarter of 2012. But to help tide you over until next year, SideQuest has shared some of its most recent work on Rainbow Moon.

The story follows the adventures of Baldren in his quest to seal up a dimensional gate that opened up after he was warped to Rainbow Moon. Now stranded in unfamiliar territory, and with hordes of monsters turning this world into a nightmare, Baldren must gather his strength, find new allies, and find a way back home.

Rainbow Moon looks to be another in a long line of bright and colorful turn-based strategy RPGs. The developers are also boasting a story that lasts over 30 hours, but has yet to share any details on the gameplay systems. We'll have to wait and see what kind of splash SideQuest Studios can make with its first entry in the RPG genre.

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Guild 01 trailer kills bird feet DEAD

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While it's a shame that this interview-focused trailer hasn't been translated into English yet, it's still great to get an up-close look at both the games of Guild 01 and the developers who are making them. This is the first time that I know of an "all star game jam" to come to the major consoles, and the concept alone has me excited. Seeing Suda51 (No More Heroes, Lollipop Chainsaw) Yoshiyuki Hirai (comedy group America Zarigani), Yasumi Matsuno (Tactics Ogre, Final Fantasy XII) and Yoot Saito (Seaman) all gushing about their projects gives me goosebumps, even if those goosebumps are in un-subtitled Japanese. It's also exciting that Guild 01 is planned to be the first in a series. I'm hoping they get Swery 65 (Deadly Premonition), Takeyasu Sawaki (Okami, El Shaddai), Keiji Inafune (Mega Man, Dead Rising) and Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya (Cave Story, Ika-Chan) for the next go-round.

So which of these games do you think looks the best so far? For me, it's a tie between Suda's Kaiho Shojo and Matsuno's Crimson Shroud. Then again, those are the two games that are yet to show off any gameplay, so its sort of a moot point. I'm just psyched to see those Dungeons and Dragons dice rolling, and that bird foot getting shanked.

Birds are jerks (except for the cool ones). 

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Guardians of Beyond: Witchville Collector's
Edition

Save Witchville before it's too late in Guardians of Beyond: Witchville, a thrilling Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game! After all of the inhabitants suddenly become ghosts, you are brought in to investigate. Solve the mystery as quickly as you can or become a ghost yourself! Explore haunted locations, meet unexpected people, use dangerous witchcraft, and save the town!


Read The Full Article:
http://www.fenomen-games.com/guardians-beyond-witchville.htm

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EB Expo 2011: Interview with Battlefield 3's DICE

Battlefield 3 is on shelves in less than two weeks and he seems surprisingly relaxed. The same goes for his colleague. Both of them have been on the road for two straight weeks. First Moscow, then Sydney, and now here on the Gold Coast for the EB Games Expo. Today, they fly home to Sweden via four different planes. Presumably to lay in wait for the game's release and get some well-earned rest.

DICE creative director Lars Gustavsson, and DICE community manager Daniel Matros pull up a couple of chairs and give me some of their valuable time. The EB Expo is loud and hectic but we manage to have some peace and quiet to discuss what Battlefield 3 will be at launch and where it's going in the future. 

For any developer, the launch of a game is both exciting and stressful. But in the case of Battlefield 3, the pressure raises up several hundred notches. Not far from where we're sitting, a line stretches far back into the show floor filled with people from all walks of life. They're waiting to play a few minutes of the game at the EA booth and the line is three hours long.

The presence of so many people wanting to get their hands on their game, even for a moment, is something that is omnipresent for DICE.

Lars explains the current vibe at the studio, saying "There's a lot of nervousness going around. People saying 'Did you see that? Did you see what they said over there?' I think everyone is extremely jumpy. I wouldn't say it's fear but it's your baby and you just want it to go extremely well."

Daniel is also aware of the the whole gaming world's excitement for the title. "This is the absolute biggest project we have ever taken on. We've always wanted to make Battlefield 3 ever since Battlefield 2 released and we all feel some form of pressure in one way or another."

"The most important thing though," he continues, "is how we handle that pressure. We have to keep our heads in the game and keep working and working. Even though the game will be fantastic at launch, it will be even more fantastic when it's released because that's when the real job starts."

Last week, the beta ended for Battlefield 3 and received a lot of mixed reactions. Implementing any feedback from the beta into the final game has been a mixture of expectations and surprises for DICE. Lars is confident about both.

"You always need to look at what type of game you have. We can't release whatever we have just because we have a [launch] date. I think it's been extreme dedication and focus on the team to make sure we have a great game when the date comes. I would say we have exceeded my expectations in what we managed to accomplish with this game."

"It wasn't like when things surfaced in the beta we were caught by surprise and started fixing the main game. The main game was more or less done," explains Lars. "It was more validating what we knew. We just checked our lists of already implemented fixes and said 'Yeah, yeah we know about that one' or 'Oh yeah, that old one.' But then, there were things we found. The pace of scoring, that people were scoring so quick took us by surprise. A lot of good findings that will make it a better experience."

Despite a long history of dedicated fans, Battlefield 3 stands as DICE's most high-profile release to date. Pre-orders for the game have broken previous records set by Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and every time a further piece of information is released about the game, people sit up and take notice. Which brings new challenges; new players who have never touched a Battlefield before will be jumping into this one in record numbers.

Lars begins to talk about how that will be a relatively painless process. "Everything can ease you in from single-player and going into co-op with a friend and really getting the core of the gameplay. But then of course we have our matchmaking and a very gradual introduction of all of the gameplay and the unlock system. The easiest to get into would be Team Deathmatch and then find your way into the more advanced modes. I think there really is something there for everyone."

Unsurprisingly, Daniel agrees. "It really fits our Battlefield formula and the style of play we have which is easy to learn and hard to master. The hardcore players of course will adapt early because they're used to the jets, they're used to the tanks. Players that haven't played Battlefield before, it's very easy to step in."

As the interview progresses and the long, long line near us shuffles forward, I notice something I did not expect: enthusiasm.

Both Lars and Daniel have been working and traveling for far beyond what normal human beings should be capable of, so I expected at least a slight weariness in them. But it is the complete opposite. Both of them are beaming and eager to tell me about every inch of the game.

The main part of which, will be the multiplayer. Once it launches, hardcore players will rank up and unlock weapons quicker than most mortals. Post-launch, the game will continue to support and feed into such gameplay styles.

"What we've seen over our history of the big community we have it's that players stick to Battlefield even if the game is two years old," states Daniel. "We still have tournaments in Battlefield 2 and still a lot of players in Bad Company 2. In six months, I think people will have finally gotten the gist of what Battlefield 3 is. Because by then, they've unlocked a lot of stuff and been playing through the maps so may times that they know the sweet spots. So what we're going to see is the community coming together as one to play the maps the way they're supposed to be played."

The last word goes to Lars, who is confident of Battlefield 3's long-lasting endurance: "We have an operations team that has been working since before the beginning of the year with potential post-launch content and plans. If you know DICE from earlier titles, we keep going along the life cycle of a title. So six months from now, it's just the beginning of a long relationship."

The interview wraps up and we shake hands. As I leave, both men are eager to reach their next appointment and then finish for the day so they can return home. That said, the feeling of pride is almost tangible. Both Lars and Daniel are noticeably proud of the work they are doing.

In less than two weeks, maybe they can have a night off.

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Project Zomboid Derailed By Burglary

Project Zomboid developer The Indie Stone has been screwed by fate - and criminals - yet again. A break-in at the company's UK studio has claimed two laptops, and the majority of the Project Zomboid code.

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Payday's silent killer, the Cloaker

_{[This is the second in a series of five guest blogs from OVERKILL Software creative director Simon Vicklund about the forces that stand between you and incalculable wealth in Payday: The Heist, coming soon to PlayStation Network. Stay tuned to Destructoid as we continue this series up to the release of Payday on October 18th]}

Hi again! It's Simon Viklund of the OVERKILL crew who is back to educate you on the many different virtual law enforcers that will stand between you and the virtual cash/diamonds/gold bars you're supposed to steal in our upcoming PS3/PC co-op FPS game Payday: The Heist!

Yesterday we started talking about the special units of the game, focusing on the Shield. As mentioned then, whenever you spot a special unit you can use the "shout-out" commando to tag it. This outlines the unit so that you and your teammates can cooperate more easily in order to take him out.

Today we're focusing on this guy: The Cloaker - a special unit that often uses alternative entry points in order to appear out of nowhere, and he moves quickly and silently. He has a silenced SMG that he uses with a surgeon's precision from a distance, and he'll sprint towards you if he gets the opportunity and incapacitate you through one swift strike with his electric baton. And then he'll stand around and beat you a little more just for good measure!

Whether you've successfully taken out a Cloaker or you're lying on the ground getting beaten by one while your teamates who come running to your rescue, every combat ready robber should be on the lookout - because Cloakers often move in groups of three: If you've got one pinned down or killed, chances are there are more Cloakers lurking in the vicinity.

The Cloaker is the kind of enemy that tests your diligence to maintain a fully loaded weapon, because if you empty half a clip into the Cloaker and then need to reload, he's gonna use that time window to run up to you and knock you out cold! He is a hard-handed teacher, but eventually the Cloaker will have taught you to keep doing tactical reloads, and not run out on your own when you've been informed that Cloakers are on the scene!

We've been told that the Cloaker - because of the green light emitted by his night vision goggles - bears a striking resemblance to the protagonist in a certain 3rd person sneaking game... We can only say that we're intrigued by the idea that those who are heroes in other games are the bad guys in ours!

Payday: The Heist is a downloadable co-op FPS game for PSN (PS3) and Steam (PC), and it comes out this month. Check out www.overkillsoftware.com, www.payday-theheist.com and our Twitter account "overkill_tm" for news!

Return tomorrow to read about the next special unit, called the "Bulldozer".

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We raised over $6,000 for the childrens!

[Update: We raised $6,387.16 for the Extra Life children's hospital charity marathon. More details, highlights and a list off all the winners will be coming soon. For now, SLEEP! Thanks to everyone that donated, watched and helped spread the word!]

Destructoid's Extra Life 24-hour gaming marathon is here!

Streaming from Topware Interactive in the Bay Area, come watch as your favorite staff members on the West Coast play games for 24 hours straight while we ask for your donations to benefit Children's Miracle Network hospitals. By donating, not only are you helping children but you also have a chance to win prizes from our $10,000 pile of goodies. Check below for our stream, and click the link below to head to our Donate Page!

Destructoid Extra Life Donation Page

Watch live video from Destructoid.com Live Shows! on www.twitch.tv

We're giving away a ton of games for any donation amount. We also have some high tier donation levels that will net you some super rare games. 

For a minimum of $50 donation, you'll be entered to win: 

Street Fighter IV Chun Li Statue (one of only 700 made), Tekken: The Movie, Marvel Vs Capcom 3 (360), Street Fight Alpha: The Movie, Street Fighter D-Pad, Marvel Vs Capcom 3 Shirt, Chun Li Shirt, Street Fighter IV iPhone 4 Case, Street Fighter IV Headband, Marvel Vs Capcom 3 Booklet, Dogtags, 2 Capcom Sticker Pages, and 5 Udon Street Fighter Comic Books and a Capcom cigar. 

For a minimum of $50 donation, you'll be entered to win:

Limited Edition Aliens: Infestation Lenticular art, Aliens: Infestation (DS), Aliens: Infestation buttons. 

For a minimum of $100 donation, you'll be entered to win: 

Final Fantasy (PSP), Final Fantasy II (PSP), Dissidia Final Fantasy (PSP), Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core (PSP), Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions (PSP), Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection (PSP), Final Fantasy Tactics (PS1), Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobos Dungeon (Wii), Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers (Wii), Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time (Wii), Final fantasy XIII (PS3), Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates (DS), Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light (DS), Final Fantasy IV (DS), Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift (DS), Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings (DS), Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales (DS), Final Fantasy III (DS), Tactics Ogre tarot cards, and Dragon Quest Slime toy. 

For a minimum of $100 donation, you'll be entered to win: 

Black label versions of 

Here's our upcoming schedule!

Destructoid Presents: Extra Life 24-hour gaming schedule on October 15 (all times PST and subject to change) 
 
12:00PM -- Square games: Square has given us tons of games to give away, so we are going to spend some time playing these games, and giving them away!

2:00PM -- Warhammer: Space Marine: Space Marine was a really fun game in which you can jet pack around with a huge hammer. What's there not to like about this game?
 
4:00PM -- Pokemon Snap with Tara Long: How much does Tara Long love Pokemon? Enough to play an hour of a game where you take pictures of them while Max Scoville cheers her on! 

5:00PM -- Fighting game exhibition with Jesse Cortez: This segment is dedicated to fighting games! Come play some exhibition matches against our resident fighting game expert Jesse Cortez and enter some online tournaments for Capcom goodies!

7:00 PM -- BioShock 2:  We take a trip down memory lane with one of the best game franchises in recent years. Join in as we play BioShock and harvest some ADAM!

9:00PM -- Dancing with the Stars: We are almost halfway through our marathon at this point, and what better way to keep the energy going than by DANCING! Come watch as your favorite Dtoid staffers come shake their groove things to the games Just Dance 3 . Donate to pick the songs we dance to!

11:00PM -- Retro games: We plan on playing a few retro style games such as Cho Aniki, courtesy of Monkeypaw games. Come check out this bizarre shooter with us!

12:00AM -- Scary games with Max Scoville: Tara Long gets her revenge on Max by making him play his favorite type of game, HORROR GAMES!

2:00AM --  BRAAAAAAINS: The sun has gone down, so what better way to celebrate than by playing games inspired by zombies! We will play Call of Duty: Black Ops zombie mode and other zombie games.

4:00AM -- Rise of Nightmares: Not content to play horror games sitting down, we take a stand to play Sega's recent Kinect release, Rise of Nightmares

6:00AM -- Deus Ex: Human Revolution  -- Deus Ex has highly been praised for being an amazing game, and therefore we will check out the newest game with you on the stream. Watch as we augment our way to the end of the marathon!

8:00AM -- Moment of Zen: For the last leg of the marathon, we will celebrate art of pinball by playing Zen Pinball and giving away some game codes! Come tune in to the end of the marathon to give last minute donations and help us reach our goal!

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Burgled: Project Zomboid hit with another major
set back

It seems as though developer The Indie Stone just can't catch a break these days. During the past year, they have been locked out of their Paypal funds, had to take their game offline due to major issues of piracy and, just yesterday, their office was broken into. Not much else is known about the incident, other then 2 work laptops were stolen and developer Chris (Lemmy) Simpson's credit card.

As soon as news of the robbery appeared on Twitter, the "fan" reaction on Reddit has gone from unsympathetic to crass and cold-hearted. Still recovering from this huge loss of work and from the invasion of his home, Simpson went on a bit of a rant on Twitter. He lashed out at a number of commenters on Reddit and Twitter, as well as other developers.

Earlier today, Simpson posted an apology on his blog, trying to atone for his comments last night. In the apology, he also states that he no longer wants to be a part of the, "public face of Project Zomboid." As part of this, he has closed his Twitter account along with discontinuing his blog on The Indie Stone website.

This incident couldn't have occurred at a worse time for the Project Zomboid team, as work on the next update was nearly complete. In the statement from The Indie Stone, they reassure all customers that no personal information was contained on those computers and that even though this is another bump in the road for Project Zomboid they will, "come back stronger." If there is one developer that can roll with the punches, it's The Indie Stone.

What really shocked me was the overwhelming number of commenters bothered by the fact that Project Zomboid team didn't regularly back up their data...but not bothered in the slightest about the fact the home shared by two developers were broken into. I understand the importance of disciplining oneself to create backups of all of their digital content; but just because you always remember to save an extra copy of your Word documents on your USB key, it doesn't mean that you can't spare a little sympathy for 2 guys that just had something they worked tremendously hard on taken away.

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