Sep 02
There was no shortage of great games this month (except on PC), but August belonged to football. Even if you weren’t tossing the virtual pigskin around during the last couple weeks, you had plenty to get excited about. Well, on the last day of the month, at least…. Game of the Month on August 2010 is a coveted award, and it’s not given out lightly. That’s why you’ll see some gaps on the list below. There were some decent games for the blank platforms in August, but nothing blew our minds. We’re positive that next month will be a different story.
PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Madden NFL 11 |
| The perennial all-star reigned supreme once again in August, bringing a slew of gameplay refinements and changes that helped deliver some of the best videogame football of this generation. Even though we weren’t huge fans of GameFlow’s automated playcalling mechanic or the lack of feature additions, that doesn’t mean that this year’s Madden didn’t pack plenty of punch in the gameplay department. Not only that, but the new Online Team Play provided some of the best virtual football experiences we’ve ever had. There’s something incredibly rewarding about getting two friends to play on your team with you and run up the score on some poor fools across the country. It’s a feeling that only Madden NFL 11 can provide. |
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written by cimaul
\\ tags: game, games, Nintendo, PC, PS3, wii, XBOX360
Aug 02
EA Sports is once again refocusing and, in a sense, reinventing its FIFA series on Wii. This year’s they’re offering two basic flavors of soccer. The first is on the pitch and is more of a simulation of the genuine article than last year’s game. The second brings the action off of the traditional field of play and puts it indoors with a small number of players on the “field” and throws power ups back into the mix but with a different mechanic than what was seen in last year’s game.
During my demo at EA’s Redwood Shores campus, the developer on-hand said that while users enjoyed FIFA 10’s skill shot, the cool factor of blasting the ball into the net in slow-motion got stale after a relatively short time. In order to spice things up a bit for the new indoor brand of soccer, EA Sports is adding several power ups that can be earned across three different levels that build as you play. You’ll see things like the shoulder charge, a shockwave ability, super speed, extreme curl (on your next cross or shot) and the only way you’ll be able to slide tackle is through the use of a power-up (though I hope they change it up and make slide tackling a part of the core defense).
Of course if you’re looking for more of a simulation flavor to your indoor soccer you can always turn the power ups off. Still, that won’t stop moves like smashing shots off of your opponent’s crotch, thus sending them crumpling to the ground, from happening. You’ll also see cool moves like being able to kick the ball off of the wall and back to yourself to get by a defender (ala FIFA Street) are possible in this year’s game. Continue reading »
written by cimaul
\\ tags: game, wii
Aug 01
This month saw the release of a major sports title and one of the most anticipated PC games of all time. But if you’re not into football or strategy games, you’re still in luck, because the console download services delivered in a big way, too. Round that selection out with a hotly anticipated handheld RPG, and you’re in for a hot July. These are the games we couldn’t get enough of over the past 30 days. They are Games of the Month July 2010 :
PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
NCAA Football 11
College pigskin is back, and it’s never looked better. Thanks to the new locomotion system, the players on your alma mater’s starting lineup are going to break tackles, take hits and lower the boom with a sense of realism you’ve never seen in a collegiate videogame. Need more? How about awesome on-the-field video replays as you pick your next play? An ESPN integration that makes it seem like you’re watching the network when you’re playing your game? An online dynasty where you can recruit and manage your team from your real life mobile phone? Yeah, NCAA Football 11 has all that, and it’s rather awesome.
PC
StarCraft II
We’re still working on getting the review together, but from what we’ve already seen there’s no doubt that Blizzard’s real-time strategy sequel is the best game on the platform this month. It’s been over a decade since the original was released, but the reworked campaign is among the best real-time strategy story modes in recent memory, and it’s complemented by one of the most robust multiplayer suites around. Even if your personal computer isn’t super powerful, this game should be on its hard drive. Continue reading »
written by cimaul
\\ tags: game, Nintendo, PC, Playstation 3, wii, Xbox 360
Jul 07
One of Ubisoft’s smaller but more delightful announcements at E3 last month was Rayman Origins, a return of their original mascot in a gorgeous new 2D episodic platformer. And now we know a little bit more about the game thanks to an FAQ Ubisoft released just prior to the holiday weekend kicking off.
According to the FAQ, the first episode of Rayman Origins will be released over Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network this Christmas, with the rest of the episodes (how many in total hasn’t been announced) naturally following in 2011. Interestingly, although the game was only listed for the 360 and PS3 when it was revealed at E3, the FAQ also states that versions for the Wii, 3DS, PC, and iPad are all “to be considered.”
Rayman Origins is being created on Ubisoft’s UBIart Framework, a collection of tools designed to make it easier for small teams to make games. Continue reading »
written by cimaul
\\ tags: game, PC, PS3, wii, Xbox 360
Jun 28
Treasure has been making some of the most intense action games around since the early ’90s when it first wowed us with Gunstar Heroes on the SEGA Genesis. Silhouette Mirage, Bangai-O, Ikaruga… these guys know how to deliver hardcore thrills. Now they’ve brought their signature run-and-gun-for-your-life gameplay to the Wii with Sin & Punishment: Star Successor. A sequel to a cult Nintendo 64 game that was only released in Japan (although it is now available on the Virtual Console in the United States), this is a strange choice for Nintendo to publish stateside. Shooter fans will be glad the company did, though, because this is one of the best Wii games of the year.
The story here has something to do with protecting a girl who isn’t quite human from several bad guys who can transform into gigantic monsters. But you’re not playing this game for a gripping story. You want to shoot stuff and blow stuff up, and you’ll get to do plenty of that.There is something new to see around every corner in Star Successor. From start to finish, this is a wild ride that never gives you a moment to catch your breath. The boss fights remind me of Japanese monster movies and are some of the most impressive battles in recent memory. My only visual gripe is with the look of our two heroes. They remind me of those freaky puppets from the Dark Crystal with their pointy noses and wide eyes. Their voices don’t quite match their childlike appearance. Continue reading »
written by cimaul
\\ tags: wii
Jun 25
Remember how earlier this year we ran a story saying that Final Fantasy V and VI might never see the light of day on the Nintendo DS because of technical issues? Well, all hope might not be lost for handheld remakes of these two awesome classics — Siliconera spoke with Square Enix’s Shinji Hashimoto at E3 about the possibility of bringing these titles to the Nintendo 3DS instead, and he didn’t rule it out.
“No decision has been made,” he answered. But added that “Rather than creating [Final Fantasy] V or VI for the current DS we want to take a look to see how 3DS does, how it evolves, and then make a decision.”
All signs point to the 3DS being yet another major success for Nintendo, and the hardware is certainly capable of doing both games justice — let’s hope Square Enix seriously considers making this a reality! (Quoted from 1up)
written by cimaul
\\ tags: Nintendo
Jun 24
There’s no question in my mind that Nintendo’s showing at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo was the company’s best in years. After experiencing a dozen E3s and Nintendo press conferences first hand, I believe I’m comfortable in saying that the company finally gave us what we wanted: a competent line-up of games and a brand new console that we’re genuinely and almost universally excited for.
While the other companies were fighting over dominance in the motion control category, Nintendo returned to the glory days and showed exactly what makes the company masters of the market. There are the best of Nintendo on E3 2010 : Continue reading »
written by cimaul
\\ tags: Nintendo
