The DTOID Show: The gingers are coming!

post from Destructoid on 31 August 2011 11:06:20 PM. © Destructoid

The DTOID Show: The gingers are coming! screenshot

Well guys, PAX is officially over. Before I go submerge myself in a tub of ice cream and quietly sob myself to sleep, why don't we run down some juicy post-PAX news tidbits?

First and most importantly, it looks like ginger FemShep will be gracing the box art of Mass Effect 3. (As if anyone else could've won!) Also, Nintendo's 3DS Ambassador games are now available for download on the eShop, The Baconing is now available via PSN and XBLA, and Persona 4 is officially coming to the PS Vita but Max has no jokes about it because he hates JRPGs.

If you haven't seen all of the whopping 27 episodes we released during PAX, go give 'em a gander!

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Preview: Burnout Crash!

post from Destructoid on 31 August 2011 10:05:37 PM. © Destructoid

Preview: Burnout Crash! screenshot

When we first heard about a new Burnout game, we had in our minds a brand new speed and ripped metal jaunt through some serene countryside and traffic-jammed cities. What we got is a game that is trying to capture the essence of the mechanical carnage and place it in a more accessible environment.

We had the opportunity the other day to get a little more hands on time with the party mode of Burnout Crash! and the premise is beginning to make more sense. You can look at this game like the way we play a pinball game. You have a bunch of set pieces and your job is to connect those pieces using combos and multipliers to get the highest score possible.

Burnout Crash! (PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade [Previewed]
Developer: Criterion Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts
To be released: September 20, 2011

This version of Burnout revolves around the crashes in a colorful arcade setting. You take control of your choice of car and take off into the intersection. When you get there you can either crash into a car to get your combo off and running or just smash into a building. There are a few game modes available for you to choose from as well, and yes, they all involve crashing.

There are three single-player modes in this game and all of them are playable with Kinect. Road Trip is like a survival mode to see how many points you can get until you get a game over. Rush Hour is the time attack mode where you have to crash a certain amount of points within a set time limit. The third mode is Pile-Up which is a puzzle-centric mode.

We played Road Trip for the majority of the single-player time. It feels like a really finely tuned pinball game like the developers said. As you continue to build up points you will get special features released. In one case, a thunderstorm approached and destroyed the demolished cars on the screen for a greater bonus. When you reach the end of a round one of six disasters will happen on your town to destroy everything. The amount of cars that you kept from escaping the screen will directly influence how powerful the disaster will be. The disasters such as Alien invasion or a Tsunami are a sight to see as they eradicate everything on the screen. The levels are bright and colorful and each one is full of surprises and hidden things for you to help grow your bonus score.

The party mode of the game using Kinect was one of the most interesting modes of the game. Using various poses and pretending to drive a car into an intersection proved to be very fun and some of the actions that you have to perform tend to be quite comical. For example, we had to gesture like we were laying an egg in order to get the crash to happen. Steering the car was quite simple as well, you simply put out your hands like you are holding a real steering wheel. To move the car around the screen the Kinect camera can detect how far away you are and translate it to the movement of the car on the screen.

In terms of playing with your friends who will also play online, you get to issue challenges to people on your friends list to see who is the better person at causing all of the destruction. As you issue a challenge, your friend will have the opportunity to try their hand at it and see if they can beat your score. If they do manage to beat your score, they will be able to keep a golden cup by their ID until you can beat their score. The game will also recommend friends for you through the use of EA's new service, Origin.

The most noticeable piece of this game was its extensive use of sound. The entire time as a crash happened there was a sound that I instantly associate with slot machines. If you got a bonus or a big combo a little bit of a pop song would come in. The use of these sounds really connect with the user in an enjoyable way so that the player feels rewarded each time that they do something spectacular, like crash a special gold car or one of the red sports cars that appear within the game.

Like others have said before, people are kind of on the fence about the game. But the Burnout Crash! is was fun and addictive to me. The concerns that have been addressed make sense because when you have a brand like Burnout, there are certain expectations that the public wants. One of those expectations is speed, another is the crashes and finally, races. This title might be a piece of the Burnout pie, but we all like pie.

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Crimson Alliance, introducing Moonshade

post from Destructoid on 31 August 2011 10:05:37 PM. © Destructoid

Crimson Alliance, introducing Moonshade screenshot

Here is the last character preview for Certain Affinity's Crimson Alliance, which comes out in a week, on September 7. This video features the assassin Moonshade, who does what assassins do. There are clouds of smoke, ranged attacks and stabbing. We've already seen the wizard and mercenary.

I like these top-down games, and this doesn't look bad, though I am a little worried about them getting rid of the 'boring' dialogue and inventory. I am a fan of dialogue. It will be on Xbox Live Arcade, and if you bought all the games from Summer of Arcade, you will be getting this one for free. Free stuff is never a bad thing

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Renegade Kid wants support for Dementium 3D

post from Gaming Nexus on 31 August 2011 09:42:00 PM. © Gaming Nexus

by: Sean Colleli
NEWS - Did any of you play the two Dementium games on DS? They were great, really solid horror titles, probably the only time a portable game has scared the hell out of me. Well now their developer, Renegade Kid, wants fans to let Southpeak Interactive know that they'd support a third installment for the 3DS. Just send Southpeak an email, politely asking them to back Renegade Kid on Dementium 3D.

Along with n-Space, Renegade Kid was probably the most technologically savvy third party developer working on the DS, creating the aforementioned Dementium titles and the highly underrated FPS Moon. These are the people we want making games for the 3DS, loyal readers. These are the people that will make the handheld really take off.

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http://www.gamingnexus.com/FullNews/Renegade-Kid-wants-support-for-Dementium-3D/I
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Peggle comes to the iPad

post from Gaming Nexus on 31 August 2011 09:33:00 PM. © Gaming Nexus

by: Sean Colleli
NEWS - It was bound to happen. With Plants vz. Zombies selling a hojillion copies on the iPad, it was only a matter of time before PopCap brought a special version of Peggle to Apple's tablet. I'm still pretty tepid about the iPad--it can't run flash, its abilities are limited compared to android tablets and it's worsening the casual gaming cheap-out that started on the Wii and eventually killed the DS. That said I'm glad PopCap is putting more of their software on the platform. They might make simple casual games, but they are good, quality games, and quality is what matters most in turning the casual market around.

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http://www.gamingnexus.com/FullNews/Peggle-comes-to-the-iPad/Item23989.aspx

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New Heroes of Ruin screens

post from Gaming Nexus on 31 August 2011 09:29:00 PM. © Gaming Nexus

by: Sean Colleli
NEWS - Developer n-Space is hard at work on their first 3DS title, Heroes of Ruin. They have a fresh batch of screenshots for their dedicated fans, and n-Space's technical prowess is just as evident as it was in their many DS titles. Heroes of Ruin is slated for a Q1 2012 release but n-Space still has one more title in development to announce for the 3DS.

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http://www.gamingnexus.com/FullNews/New-Heroes-of-Ruin-screens/Item23988.aspx

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These were our ten favorite games of PAX Prime
2011

post from Destructoid on 31 August 2011 09:05:49 PM. © Destructoid

These were our ten favorite games of PAX Prime 2011 screenshot

PAX Prime was so big this year that it was made up of two floors full of games (three if you want to count HaloFest.) In fact, PAX this year felt a lot like E3 with the big crazy booths and the big games on display.

Like every convention we attend, we picked our top ten picks of the show. These were voted on by the Destructoid staff as the ten games everyone needed to see:

Congrats to the winners! Did you get a chance to play or see any of these games at PAX Prime? What did you think of them?

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Leaked: Modern Warfare 3 Hardened Edition details

Leaked: Modern Warfare 3 Hardened Edition details screenshot

Ahead of its unveiling this weekend at the Call of Duty XP event, the Hardened Edition of Modern Warfare 3 has leaked. Wired obtained a photo detailing the contents of this retail package from an anonymous source. Sorry, boys, but there is no plastic head in this one.

Unique disc art (that you obsessive types will only see once, I imagine)
One-year membership for Call of Duty Elite
"Founder status" on Elite, including: exclusive in-game emblem, player card, camouflage, clan XP boost, and other unnamed benefits
Steelbook case (doubles as a weapon against robbers)
"Animated Timeline Theme" for PlayStation Network only
Special Ops Juggernaut Avatar outfit for Xbox Live only
Limited-edition collectible field journal

Not as extravagant as I would have predicted. I'm curious to see what the price tag will be, especially given that full year of free Elite service.

Leaker Spills Details on Modern Warfare 3 'Hardened Edition' [Wired]

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Live show: Mash Tactics visits Gaijin Games'
studio

Live show: Mash Tactics visits Gaijin Games' studio screenshot

_{[Mash Tactics}_{airs Monday through Friday at 4pm Pacific. Join Jon Carnage and Pico Mause as they host a wacky and interactive show on Destructoid's Twitch.tv channel. Join us for your chance to win prizes, talk to industry guests, and experience jaw-dropping stunts.]}

Today on Mash Tactics, we will be showing you gameplay footage of Bit.Trip Complete live from the Gaijin Games studios in San Francisco, CA. Stop by for your chance to talk one on one with the creators and masterminds behind the Bit.Trip series.

Are you on the edge of deciding whether or not to pick up a game? Stop by Destructoid's Twitch.tv channel from 4pm Pacific to get a taste of new titles. Follow Mash Tactics on Facebook to vote for which games you would like to see on an upcoming show.

CLICK HERE for sexy time.

Watch live video from Destructoid on Justin.tv

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My Kingdom for the Princess III

post from Hidden Object Games and Free Downloadable Games at Fenomen-Games.com on 31 August 2011 08:00:00 PM. © Hidden Object Games and Free Downloadable Games at Fenomen-Games.com

Wait no more! The adventures of My Kingdom for the Princess continue. It's been twenty five years since Arthur and the beautiful Princess Helen last made their way home. They settled down, became a royal couple, and enjoyed their time. But time passed, their children grew up, and now it's time for one of their three sons to succeed them. It's time to defeat traitors and rebuild the kingdom in this fun Strategy game!

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http://www.fenomen-games.com/my-kingdom-the-princess-iii.htm