Continue reading »]]> Nintendo UK has released a massive release date list of Wii and DS titles for Europe today. Eurogamer notes that this list features the first GameCube-to-Wii ports, dubbed “New Play Control!” titles, which include Pikmin and Mario Power Tennis. This new label sees classic GameCube titles revamped to utilize new Wii-specific control schemes. See below for the complete, huge list of upcoming European releases.

Wii Release Dates

DS Release Dates

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Continue reading »]]> Like Hull City in this season’s Premiership, Real Football 2009 (Real Soccer 2009 in the US) is something of a surprise package. And just like Hull, it may look rather rough around the edges but it offers a solid defense plus fast-paced, attacking football with occasional flourishes that allow it hold its own against the big boys.

That it plays such a good game is largely down to a control system that will be instantly recognizable to anyone who’s played FIFA or Pro Evo on another console. Gameloft haven’t done anything radical, they’ve simply transferred a tried and tested button set-up to DS, and familiarity breeds contentment.

On the downside, holding the DS like a joypad for any length of time does become seriously uncomfortable. There is the option to use stylus controls for shooting, tackling and passing, but we couldn’t get them to work with any degree of efficiency.

There are plenty of competitions to tackle, with regional and worldwide international cups and European domestic leagues, although a lack of any management-focused mode is something of a downer, whatever the competition, it’s only really a succession of games.

Most of the player names are correct, but the squad lists are out of date and there’s no option to edit your team. Likewise, there’s the full license for La Liga but not the Premiership. Oh, and there’s no commentary aside from occasional yelps declaring you’ve been awarded a set piece. This is never going to be a serious rival to games on the bigger consoles but it’s a fine effort for a handheld.

Continue reading »]]> Telltale Games’ frighteningly amoral tag team of freelance police are ready to protect and serve (for a reasonable fee) once again. As part of a bevy of announcements, Atari announced this week that it would be bringing the second season of the downloadable, episodic adventure series Sam & Max to stores around the world next year.

Season 2 sees the cuddly yet violent detectives investigate a giant robot attack on their beloved city, perform an exorcism on Santa Claus, and even visit Hell, a heavily bureaucratic limited-liability company. As part of the international release, Sam & Max Season 2 will introduce full French and German translations to the episodes, as well as Spanish and Italian subtitles.

Season 1 of Sam & Max also made it to stores for the Wii and PC, courtesy of Dreamcatcher, The Adventure Company, and JoWood Group. For those who don’t insist on a hard copy, all of Telltale’s Sam & Max episodes are downloadable for the PC from the developer’s Web site and from the GameTap subscription service.

Sam & Max aren’t the only cute critter additions to Atari’s lineup. According to a report in Variety, the publisher has picked up the just-released Tale of Despereaux games from the recently defunct Brash Entertainment. The Hollywood trade paper claims that Atari has snagged Brash’s rights to the PC, PlayStation 2, DS, and Wii editions of the movie adaptation, while leaving the Xbox 360 version on the shelf.

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Continue reading »]]> The venerable Atari brand has fallen on hard times recently, although signs are starting to suggest the possibility of a comeback. Sony alumn Phil Harrison recently took the reins of the beleaguered publisher, hoping to help turn business around. The recently-released Alone in the Dark Inferno on PS3 is the first step in a company makeover aimed at restoring the high level of quality we expect from this 30-year-old brand.

The company today announced its lineup of games due this coming spring 2009. There are a variety of console and handheld titles on the menu, suggesting that Atari will retain a broad publishing focus going forward. We are particularly interested to see how The Chronicles of Riddick and Ghostbusters turn out, after Atari snapped these franchises up in the fallout of the Vivendi-Activision merger.

Atari 2009 Spring Game Releases:

• Ghostbusters: The Video Game — 360, PS3
• Ready 2 Rumble: Revolution — Wii
• Heroes Over Europe — 360, PS3, PC
• My Horse and Me: Riding for Gold — DS, Wii, 360
• Codename Panzers: Cold War — PC
• The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena — 360, PS3
• Sacred 2: The Fallen Angel — PC
• The Chase: Felix Meets Felicity — DS

Continue reading »]]> Last month we learned exactly how the connectivity between the Wii and DS would work in the upcoming Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time, but if the latest rumor from Quartermann in the the January issue of EGM is to be believed, Square Enix will not stop there with the new technology. Our favorite gossip master has heard that the RPG giant will be bringing Dragon Quest IX: Protectors of the Starry Sky to the Wii as well as the DS.

While Dragon Quest IX being announced for the DS rather than a home console was a big enough surprise in the first place, fans of the long-running series were even more shocked to discover that this latest entry will sport faster-paced gameplay and a surprising MMO-lite option to play with up to four friends. Assuming this multiplayer mode works similarly to the DS-and-Wii-linking Echoes of Time, it makes sense that Square would bring DQIX to the console as well.

The only question that remains is whether or not the Wii port will receive a graphical upgrade – the Wii and DS versions of the new Crystal Chronicles are going to be identical, after all. Hopefully Square will confirm this news soon and give us more details.

In the mean time, check out 1UP’s most recent preview of Dragon Quest IX for information on how the multiplayer team-ups will work and what else sets this apart from previous games in the franchise. And stay tuned for more Quartermann rumors throughout the week!

Continue reading »]]> NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe gets working on its combos in preparation for the next installment in the ultimate fighting franchise TEKKEN 6, scheduled for release in Europe through its distribution partnership with Infogrames Entertainment in autumn 2009 for the Xbox360 and PLAYSTATION3.

Developed by NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc., TEKKEN 6 brings the blockbuster fighting series onto multiple platforms for the first time in the history of the TEKKEN franchise. TEKKEN sets the standard for fighting games with its stunning realism and uncompromising quality, and TEKKEN 6 promises to propel the series to greater heights with major gameplay enhancements and the largest character roster ever seen in the TEKKEN series.

Rendered in vivid High-Definition detail, TEKKEN 6 heralds the dawn of a new era as a new King of the Iron Fist Tournament opens for business, with intense gameplay modes, new features and environments that guarantee blistering fight action, lightning-paced brawls and bone-crunching punch-ups.

TEKKEN 6 sees the return of many familiar faces while also introducing a host of new characters resulting in the largest line-up the series has ever seen. Each fighter is equipped with their own deadly techniques, moves and attack combinations to make TEKKEN 6 the most challenging King of the Iron Fist Tournament yet. A character customization feature will further intensify the fighting action and multiplayer gameplay modes let players take their fighters online to compete for world domination.

Boasting an illustrious fourteen-year legacy, TEKKEN is among the most popular and well-known gaming brands in the world with the entire franchise selling more than thirty-three million units to date. TEKKEN 6 is a must-have for any fan of console arcade fighting.

Continue reading »]]> Earlier today, Square Enix unveiled their release line-up for 2009 which included 28 titles. Unfortunately, only 7 of these titles are related to the world of Final Fantasy.

It’s great that they are releasing all three Fabula Nova Crystallis titles in the same year, but they have seemingly merged Japanese, North American and European release dates all into one, so it’s difficult to tell if any will see the light of day outside of Japan this year.

There is also no news on Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers and even though Square Enix recently announced that the game hadn’t been cancelled, it seems to be stuck in development hell.

The 7 Final Fantasy Games:

• Final Fantasy XIII (Playstation 3)
• Final Fantasy Versus XIII (Playstation 3)
• Final Fantasy Agito XIII (Playstation Portable)
• Dissidia: Final Fantasy (Playstation Portable)
• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time (Wii, DS)
• Final Fantasy IV: The After (Mobile)
• Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Complete (Blu-ray)

Continue reading »]]> Even though the new “Call of Duty: World At War” is succeeding with consumers and critics by sticking to the successful adrenaline-fueled formula of its franchise predecessor, new downloadable content coming to the game in 2009 will represent a break from 2007’s “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.”

How much of a break from the “Modern Warfare” DLC will it be?

In a phone interview with MTV Multiplayer just before Thanksgiving, “World at War” executive producer Daniel Suarez confirmed that the game’s development team is working on downloadable content that will exceed the single multi-player map-pack offered for “Modern Warfare” earlier this year. “We want to do at least — the hope is — potentially two, maybe three packs out before we’re all said and done.”

Suarez said announcements of the downloadable content would be coming at the beginning of the New Year. While he declined to provide a release schedule, he offered this surprise: “It’s not going to be what we’ve done traditionally. I’ll leave it a little bit mysterious.”

What was “traditional” for “Call of Duty” would have to be what was done for “Modern Warfare.” That consisted of four multiplayer maps released five months after the base game launched. What could the new approach be? Downloadable content for the single-player campaign instead of just multiplayer map packs? New armament? New music? A map editor? “Call of Duty” fans should start guessing.

But here’s one option fans shouldn’t consider: the content won’t involve a cross-over with “Modern Warfare.” I asked if the development team on “World at War” was exploring an option to bring the weapons and maps of these two most recent “Call of Duty” games into one meshed, generation-spanning experience. Suarez said nothing like that is in the works.

Continue reading »]]> UK gamers will finally be able to buy Manhunt 2 for Playstation 2, PSP, and Wii on 31 October.

Originally released in the US over a year ago, the game was refused a certificate by the British Board of Film Certification in June 2007.

Following multiple appeals and changes to the game, it was granted a certificate in March.

The goriest scenes were blurred out in the American version of the game but have been removed altogether in the UK.

In the game, players assume the role of a mental asylum patient who must escape by any means including attacks with improvised weapons in an effort to discover why he has been imprisoned.

The BBFC initially banned the game for its “unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone” and also rejected an initial edited version of the game.

After extensive negotiations between Rockstar, the BBFC and the Video Appeals Committee, an 18 certificate was issued in March.

BBC NEWS | Technology | Release date set for Manhunt 2

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Word is spreading throughout the Internets that LucasArts and BioWare are at long last prepared to pull the curtain and speak more about the long-awaited co-project between the two companies.

The event, which many suspect will be the official announcement of the Knights of the Old Republic MMO, begins on October 21, 2008. Invitations were already dispatched and now the package is all but unwrapped.

You know what the best part is? None of you are invited (and neither are we).

Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello confirmed the existence of a KotOR MMO, while first reports about the October announcement were spotted last week. Whichever way you spin it, there’s no doubt this will be one of the biggest announcements this year (right up there with Diablo III).

KotOR MMO Announcement on Oct. 21?