Dragon Age Rumored to Get "Awakening" Expansion in March
We know that EA and BioWare have a long-term plan for Dragon Age: Origins. Even at launch the developer stated that two years worth of of DLC are in the works, and we’ll be receiving our first major bit of it next week. But a rumor is circulating today that the plans may be even more ambitious than we realized, with a full packaged expansion planned for March.
Big Download Blog reports on a page from Eurogamer.cz, the Czech gaming site. According to the translated text, the expansion is titled “The Awakening,” and will come out on March 19. The suggested price is around 2/3 the price of the original game, which would probably translate to $30-40 U.S. dollars. It’s also said to be a full packaged product that would be found in stores, and while only the PC version is mentioned, we expect BioWare would similarly support the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions. The original game is reported to be required, and it will raise the level cap while also creating an entirely new, shorter campaign with a new character. The report states that EA will make the announcement official in early January, so we may see it any day now.
We don’t usually see such specificity in a rumor, so it’s hard not to think Eurogamer is on to something. Origins was always meant to be the start of a lucrative RPG franchise — it’s even present in the title. Still, until we hear official word from EA, we’re going to categorize this strictly as a rumor. We’ll keep you posted when, and if, we get more details.
2009 Sleepers: The Best Games You Didn’t Play
Once you’re done with Mario and Modern Warfare, hunt down this baker’s dozen
of overlooked greats.
Even with all the fall 2009 releases that were delayed into 2010, it’s still been a heck of a year for games. Blockbusters everywhere! You couldn’t walk to the bus without tripping over one, it seems. And with all that obsessing over the big-name hits, a huge number of worthy also-rans have gone almost completely overlooked by gamers at large. Well, that just doesn’t sit right with us. Sure, we like the triple-A titles as much as the next batch of game-obsessed nerds, but we love the little guys, too. So, we’ve put together a baker’s dozen of overlooked or sleeper games that you might have missed amidst all the furor. At the very least, they’ll give you something to do before March hits and we’re drowning in goodness again.
Dev: WayForward | Pub: Majesco | Platform: Wii
Less a remake than a total overhaul of an inspired but uneven NES classic, WayForward’s take on A Boy and His Blob is visually stunning — and almost as difficult. By getting rid of the concept of limited lives and building in a generous checkpoint system, the developer was able to create a platformer that consists of hundreds of challenging little puzzles strung together in a package that manages not to frustrate despite its difficulty… well, except the bosses, which tend to inspire infuriated hair-pulling. A curious blend of storybook charm and old-school videogame challenge, it’s a true Wii gem.
Dev: Capybara | Platform: iPhone/PS3
Critter Crunch is basically Magical Drop mixed with Space Invaders and dressed up with a cute rendition of the food chain, which means it’s a fast-paced puzzler that arguably teaches kids about nature. (Red in tooth and claw and all that.) Really, though, it’s just a fun, addictive game that perfectly fits the iPhone platform (and isn’t too shabby on PSN, either). The object-matching puzzle genre is pretty well tapped out by now, but Critter Crunch is the most memorable entry to hit this crowded field in quite some time — and at $1.99 on iPhone and $6.99 on PSN, the price is just right.
Trauma Team characters detailed by Atlus, a real doctor
Atlus has introduced the full compliment of the six staffers that make up its upcoming Trauma Team. I asked my wife, an actual doctor, to provide me with some insight on each specialty.
My take: Playing as this guy sounds like the other Trauma Center games, except I think they all had names and CR-SO1 is not a name. I’m assuming that, as in previous games and in real surgery, he’ll be able to draw a magical sign that slows down time.
Dr. McElroy’s take: There is no magical healing gel and we never make the sign of the pentagram over our patients, especially not in this part of West Virginia.
Continue reading Trauma Team characters detailed by Atlus, a real doctor
Trauma Team characters detailed by Atlus, a real doctor originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mega Man X: Official Complete Works (Paperback) newly tagged "wii"
Mega Man X: Official Complete Works (Paperback)
By Capcom
Customer Rating:
First tagged “wii” by GameFAN HCGamer “Hardcore Gamer”
Customer tags: video games(2), axl, rockman, art, mega man 9, mega man 10, nes, future, rock man, metal, mega man x, megaman
The Games of 2010: Our Most Anticipated Titles (Part III)
With 2010 about to kick off, the G4tv.com and X-Play teams took a look at the games set to release (or are likely to) in the next year. What follows is a list of the top 5 most anticipated games for each editor. How will it compare to your personal list? Which games will live up to the hype? Which games are you looking forward to? Leave your list in the comments section.
Andrew Pfister — Senior Games Editor
We haven’t had a sequel to a proper Mario game come out on the same system since the NES days, and when we did, we got the great Super Mario Bros. 2 and the life-altering Super Mario Bros. 3. That’s why I’m excited for Mario Galaxy 2: the core concept has already been proven, and now the developers are free to dream up more spherical worlds and twists on classic Mario elements. If you couldn’t tell, Mario games are my happy place.
I’ve long wanted an MMO set in the American frontier, but until that happens, I’ll happily play in Red Dead Redemption’s offline sandbox. Rockstar San Diego is injecting a healthy dose of GTA into RDR, which hopefully means plenty of interesting characters, creative side missions, and exploration. I’ll be rewatching Deadwood in anticipation of its release, cursing furiously.
Super Metroid is the greatest game ever made. This is an undisputable fact. And while the Metroid Prime series was very well done and kept the Metroid spirit alive over the past two generations, the combination of Team Ninja and original Metroid co-creator Yoshio Sakamoto working on Other M has me expecting an incredible mix of old and new Metroid. Do not disappoint me, people of Japan.
Team Ico’s games are equally simple and grand, quiet and epic. The Last Guardian seems to be no exception. As a dog person, the trailer strikes a personal chord…even though I have a bad feeling that something depressing is going to happen to the “Last” Guardian in the end. I also find myself with the sudden urge to watch The Iron Giant again.
I love me some backstory. Maybe even more than what comes next, I always want to know what came before…which is why I’m looking forward to Reach so much. All we have to work with at the moment is an epic battle for a planet, loads of Spartans running around doing their Spartan thing, and a guaranteed unfortunate outcome. That’s good enough for me. (For now.)
Jake Gaskill — Feed Writer
I’ve been saying Rockstar should make GTA: Old West since GTA III, and to finally see it come to fruition in such stunning fashion has me wishing I could make tomorrow April 27 already. (If I pull it off, you’re welcome!)
There’s a giant bird/hyena creature that helps a boy on an epic adventure in a vast and richly crafted world, and it’s developed by the team behind ICO and Shadow of the Colossus; do I really need to justify this pick? …That’s what I thought.
For all its horrors and living nightmares, Andrew Ryan’s Rapture is a place I want to live in as much and for as long as possible. From what I’ve seen of the game so far, it’s shaping up to be everything the original was and perhaps a bit more. Plus, it has one of the smartest approaches to multiplayer in recent memory. Would you kindl…Let me just stop you right there, and say, yep; I will eagerly await your arrival.
I loved the first Mafia, and sunk countless hours simply hanging out in Lost Heaven, because I’m a huge sucker for 1950’s-era gangster tales, and the world was so beautifully conceived that I just didn’t want to leave it. The sequel looks to take the series to impressive new heights, and I can’t wait to take the ride.
While the idea of Quantic Dream’s thriller being more of an actor simulator than a game concerns me, this will definitely be one of those experiences that will divide a lot of people, and generate quite a lot of interesting discussions about the medium and its artistic potential. Oh, and it will let me apply eyeliner to make myself sexier…virtually speaking, of course.
JP Shub — Supervising Producer, X-Play
Rock Band Network
What better way to discover new music than to jam it out on your plastic guitar? Seriously, I am really interested to see what impact this has on breaking new artists and can’t wait to upload my own band’s tracks on the network.
The first game blew me away and I expect nothing less than sci-fi satisfaction from this follow up.
Who isn’t excited for this?
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Metal Gear Solid 4 was one of my all time favorite gaming experiences and I am excited to hop back into Kojima’s latest off the wall warzone.
As a longtime fan of the franchise I am anxious to see how they have evolved it. Hopefully the power of the current consoles will go to more than just pretty cut-scenes!
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Dragon Age Rumored to Get "Awakening" Expansion in March
We know that EA and BioWare have a long-term plan for Dragon Age: Origins. Even at launch the developer stated that two years worth of of DLC are in the works, and we’ll be receiving our first major bit of it next week. But a rumor is circulating today that the plans may be even more ambitious than we realized, with a full packaged expansion planned for March.
Big Download Blog reports on a page from Eurogamer.cz, the Czech gaming site. According to the translated text, the expansion is titled “The Awakening,” and will come out on March 19. The suggested price is around 2/3 the price of the original game, which would probably translate to $30-40 U.S. dollars. It’s also said to be a full packaged product that would be found in stores, and while only the PC version is mentioned, we expect BioWare would similarly support the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions. The original game is reported to be required, and it will raise the level cap while also creating an entirely new, shorter campaign with a new character. The report states that EA will make the announcement official in early January, so we may see it any day now.
We don’t usually see such specificity in a rumor, so it’s hard not to think Eurogamer is on to something. Origins was always meant to be the start of a lucrative RPG franchise — it’s even present in the title. Still, until we hear official word from EA, we’re going to categorize this strictly as a rumor. We’ll keep you posted when, and if, we get more details.
2009 Sleepers: The Best Games You Didn’t Play
Once you’re done with Mario and Modern Warfare, hunt down this baker’s dozen
of overlooked greats.
Even with all the fall 2009 releases that were delayed into 2010, it’s still been a heck of a year for games. Blockbusters everywhere! You couldn’t walk to the bus without tripping over one, it seems. And with all that obsessing over the big-name hits, a huge number of worthy also-rans have gone almost completely overlooked by gamers at large. Well, that just doesn’t sit right with us. Sure, we like the triple-A titles as much as the next batch of game-obsessed nerds, but we love the little guys, too. So, we’ve put together a baker’s dozen of overlooked or sleeper games that you might have missed amidst all the furor. At the very least, they’ll give you something to do before March hits and we’re drowning in goodness again.
Dev: WayForward | Pub: Majesco | Platform: Wii
Less a remake than a total overhaul of an inspired but uneven NES classic, WayForward’s take on A Boy and His Blob is visually stunning — and almost as difficult. By getting rid of the concept of limited lives and building in a generous checkpoint system, the developer was able to create a platformer that consists of hundreds of challenging little puzzles strung together in a package that manages not to frustrate despite its difficulty… well, except the bosses, which tend to inspire infuriated hair-pulling. A curious blend of storybook charm and old-school videogame challenge, it’s a true Wii gem.
Dev: Capybara | Platform: iPhone/PS3
Critter Crunch is basically Magical Drop mixed with Space Invaders and dressed up with a cute rendition of the food chain, which means it’s a fast-paced puzzler that arguably teaches kids about nature. (Red in tooth and claw and all that.) Really, though, it’s just a fun, addictive game that perfectly fits the iPhone platform (and isn’t too shabby on PSN, either). The object-matching puzzle genre is pretty well tapped out by now, but Critter Crunch is the most memorable entry to hit this crowded field in quite some time — and at $1.99 on iPhone and $6.99 on PSN, the price is just right.
Mega Man X: Official Complete Works (Paperback) newly tagged "wii"
Mega Man X: Official Complete Works (Paperback)
By Capcom
Customer Rating:
First tagged “wii” by GameFAN HCGamer “Hardcore Gamer”
Customer tags: video games(2), axl, rockman, art, mega man 9, mega man 10, nes, future, rock man, metal, mega man x, megaman
Rumor: Shenmue’s Nozomi cut from Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing
Nozomi, the erstwhile love interest of Shenmue’s Ryo Hazuki, has lived a virtual life of ignominy. All she wanted in life was to form a meaningful connection before leaving the town of Yokosuka to live in Canada, but she had the misfortune to fall for the most oblivious teenage boy in the world, who simply failed to notice her overt advances.
And now news has come out that she was ruled out for inclusion in Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing. “She was going to ride on the back of Ryo’s bike,” executive producer Steve Lycett allegedly said in a Sonic Stadium forum post, “but there was the small issue of where does she go when the Forklift appears.”
Because, while having the martial arts student on a quest for vengeance in the mascot racing game is a perfectly sensible move, it would simply have been silly for his friend to disappear when his motorcycle was replaced by a forklift in the middle of a race.
In an earlier post, Lycett mentioned that Saturn mascot Segata Sanshiro was also considered for inclusion, but rejected. We would suggest that if Segata didn’t work in this game, Sumo Digital should start over, and keep trying until it arrives at a game design that includes Segata Sanshiro.
Of course, it should be noted that Lycett also coyly downplayed rumors of Banjo and Kazooie’s inclusion in the Xbox 360 version of the game, so anything he says should be met with a measure of skepticism.
[Via Kombo]
Rumor: Shenmue’s Nozomi cut from Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Gaijin Games offers first screen of Bit.Trip Runner
A single screen from the next Bit.Trip game from Gaijin Games has been revealed, and judging from the look of it, Bit.Trip Runner is going to be significantly less abstract than the previous entries in the retro-themed musical WiiWare game series. In fact, it looks like a side-scrolling platformer, which would make sense, given the name.
But, of course, Gaijin made a Pong-esque game with 15-minute long chiptune-based levels, so we shouldn’t assume the obvious when it comes to the adventures of Commander Video. This could be controlled with the Your Shape camera, for all we know.
[Via Destructoid, GSW]
Gaijin Games offers first screen of Bit.Trip Runner originally appeared on Joystiq Nintendo on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Top 10 Best Selling Games
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