Noteworthy Releases:

PS3:

-Demon’s Souls; Release Date: 10/06/09 (Scoring roughly 90 on metacritic a PS3 exclusive in the action RPG genre) - Preview Post: http://www.megatonik.com/2009/08/under-marketed-end-of-the-year-video-game-gem/

Read more

Holding on to my own copy of Katamari Forever as of two days ago, I was quite astonished to have it what seems to be ‘early’.

Read more

As I have been following this title for awhile it was somewhat confusing to me to see that Gamestop is now shipping this title (http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=73359) where as many others including IGN and Amazon denote the release date as the 8th. I have acquired myself a copy from Gamestop as of today and can attest to its’ availability at my locale.

Gamestop slip up?   Shipped early/some sort of deal Gamestop made without my knowledge?    I’m just happy to say that if you head to Gamestop you should be able to purchase Muramasa today.

August 13th, roughly two weeks after the similar Xbox Live release (Fuel for the console wars).   While I waited it out simply to use the more responsive D-Pad on the PS3 controllers…this sort of staggered release is rather bogus, especially for a download title.   According to JC Fletcher (as the link he posted to the evidence as of this post is no longer available) what  PSN users are going to receive in compensation is an exclusive boxed retail package which “will release on August 13 for $19.99 ($5 more than the cost of the game) and include a redemption code (obviously), a DVD case, a disc containing exclusive wallpapers and other media, an 8-page manual, one month of free access to Marvel Digital Comics, and 2,000 Capcom Unity points, which are used on the Capcom site to participate in auctions.”   I have been hearing this information floating around ever since Gamestop originally listed it in thier computers.

See the original post here: http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/24/gamestop-lists-ps3-only-retail-box-for-marvel-vs-capcom-2/

Update via my co-worker T Collins: “The Retail box only has the game code and 1 month of Marvel Digital comics. Everything else was taken out. But they lowered the price to 14.99″

- More information and images from the Capcom site after the jump -

Read more

Demon’s Souls

After reading about how old-school punishing this game is….I was deeply intrigued especially when I read an article (http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3172516) detailing a 3 point gap (9 to 6) between two of Famitsu’s reviewers where the quotes that Nick Des Barres points out - the reviewer on the low end simply complains about inaccessibility and difficulty where as the other reviewer finds it to hearken straight from the retro days and to be extremely rewarding…”The basis of this game is trial and error… the lack of checkpoints in the stages is punishing,” wrote Leona Ebihara, while Sugashi Kawada said, “Since death means the end in this game, I might compare it to an expert chess problem.”   After reading that I find myself greatly amused as it has become so commonplace in games these days for ‘death’ to not mean ‘game over’ or ‘the end’ to a point where you can even say that “death means the end in this game” as death is no longer an end in games.

Read more

Hello again, dearest internet.

As you’ve no doubt heard by now, a new DS Zelda title was announced during Iwata’s keynote speech at the GDC yesterday. It is tentatively subtitled “Spirit Tracks.” There are going to be trains. Because, you know, Hyrule is so widely known for its intricate mesh of railroads that sprawl across Hyrule Field.
Read more

Aside from the rather stellar adaptation of Resident Evil 4 for Wii, last Tuesday there was an influx of a couple more Gamecube titles released on the Wii with Pikmin and Mario Power Tennis. Obviously Nintendo continues its profiteering with a trend of re-releasing titles. Of course, none of that holds a candle to the cash cow Nintendo is reaping in with distributed ‘shovel-ware’ and brand marketing muscle ‘casual appeal’ of the Wii.

Read more

Omigodomigomigodomigod! *ahem*…So, anybody a Mass Effect fan? I mean, I dabble. Played through it once or twice…then 18 more times. Oh lordy, I’ve got the sickness!

It happens every year. Valentine’s rolls around and there you are, wondering if anybody’s thinking about you but too shy to actually ask. So instead, you spend the whole day in your underwear surfing the internet and watching Cartoon Network. But deep down inside, you feel hollow and alone, wishing you could have the companionship of that special someone and hoping against hope that a valentine will miraculously find its way into your mailbox.

Well, I’m here to help. I bring you: the Gamer’s guide to dealing with crippling loneliness on Valentine’s day:
Read more