Nintendo is jumping on the mainstream bandwagon and bringing their DS players. So far the DS rendition of Black Ops is still in the works and still in development. I myself haven’t had too much time playing any first person shooters on hand helds, but for the time that I did I felt that the controllers felt a little clunky and stuff. The DS version will have 6 player multiplayer, most likely pushing the DS hardware to it’s limits. Before we pass judgment on this game being a hand held FPS, lets wait till we get our hands on it. So stay tuned for future updates!
Call of Duty: Black Ops Coming to DS
Japan Gets Metal Gear Arcade
Japan as we all already know gets all the good toys, gadgets, and games. One game that I am jealous about is the new Metal Gear Arcade cabinet. Konami is releasing Metal Gear Arcade for three days in Adores, Shibuya, and Kahoku, Ishikawa for three days. The cabinets will be coin operated, have 3D head tracking units, and a gun controller with the shape of a P90 sub machine gun so its very compact. For now these cabinets are just a test run to see how well everything will run so they will only be released to the public for three days, July 30th to August 1st. If anyone lives in Japan and is in the area where the games will be hosted, please send us a comment and let us know how it plays.
Limbo Review
There are few games anywhere close to what Limbo is, a game with no dialog, no explanation, and nameless characters, however it manages to captivate players unlike any game before it. Almost all aspects of Limbo are unique in their own sense, here is a game that should be experienced by anyone who enjoys a mysterious adventure, relentless puzzle solving and an overall fun time.
Limbo starts with a nameless boy who is the game’s protagonist, he wakes up in the middle of the forest and begins to explore the shadowy land of the game. Minutes after beginning you realize that the world of Limbo is full of traps, obstacles, and enemies, and with no way of fighting back the player must use the enviornment to their advantage. The only two actions the boy can take is jump and grab, that might seem very limiting on paper but in action that’s all players will need aside from their problem solving abilities.
The main draw of Limbo is the fact that the entire game is one puzzle after another, these range from relatively easy to seemingly impossible. One thing that you can expect from Limbo is that you will get killed countless times yet it’s not frustrating, rather it makes players think about what they did wrong and how they can overcome the obstacle. Depending on your familiarity with puzzles you could find yourself stuck on one for sometime, tinkering with objects and experimenting with them, but when you do figure it out a sense of “AH-HA!” comes over you as if you deciphered some hidden code. The feeling of self accomplishment you get from the difficult puzzles is at a level far from those of a typical game.
Graphics in Limbo are purposely kept at a minimum which adds even more to the atmosphere, because of the black and white scheme that’s used players can focus more on the subtle effects the environment has to offer. The sounds in Limbo are even more subtle than the graphics, through out much of the game there is no music what so ever, however the few parts that it comes up in is used masterfully. During particularly tense moments in the game the music will begin to creep up but it never overpowers the situation, it adds just enough tension to push you to the edge of your seat as you make that jump over a pit or a buzz saw knowing you’re chances of making it are little.
If there is anything bad to say about Limbo it would be the length, players will be able get through the game in about 3 to 5 hours which is on the short side, considering there is nothing left to do once the game is done. Also there was little climax towards the end, in a game filled with tense puzzles the ones leading up to the finish line weren’t particularity exciting. The one other thing to mention about Limbo is that it’s very open ended as to the events of the game, there is little if anything explained so if you’re the type that absolutely needs a definite story and explanation you’re not going to get it here. However the vague story is what gives Limbo it’s heart, you’re free to interpret the events and even discuss with others you’re own theories. Limbo is a game that should be played by everyone, you will unlikely play anything like it for years, and it’s clear that the developers put in a lot of heart into the game and for that Limbo is a must buy.
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“Thriller” Zombie is 86’d
Plants vs. Zombies has updated it’s iPhone application recently and with the update some things were taken out. The Michael Jackson “Thriller” zombie has been put down and left for dead. The dancing zombie within the game has changed just in case if legal actions were to take place, talk about being pre-emptive.
Just some stats of PopCap in case you didn’t know:
Year founded: 2000
Number of employees: Over 200
Number of PopCap Games: 35
Number of awards our games have won: 24… and counting!
Chuzzles that Noni, the office dog, eats in a day: 4.5 (average)
Current Robotron high-score: 126787520940003019575 4043350
38 Studios Moves
What will 38 Studios and I have in common? We both will be from Rhode Island. Correct folks, Curt Schilling Pitcher of the Boston Red Sox and founder, has decided to move 38 Studios from Maynard, Massachusetts to Rhode Island. There are of course some stipulations to the move. $75 Million dollars in loan will be given to 38 Studios with the move, and the studio is obligated to bring 450 direct jobs to Rhode Island by the end of 2012 or will face penalties. If you don’t know who the guys at 38 Studios are they’re the guys who’ll be bringing Kingdom of Amalur: Reckoning.
Street Fighter X Tekken: What We Know So Far
‘Tis the season for a beating and I’m here to tell you of a new fighting masterpiece that are currently works in progress. The two teams responsible for the development of Both Super Street Fighter 4 AND Tekken (Capcom and Namco Bandai) are in collaboration to create a game so EPIC that the world itself might not be ready: Street Fighter X Tekken. From videos taken at this year’s comic-con and news gathered on the internet with possible rumors, here is a list of everything we know so far for Street Fighter X Tekken:
• Capcom is working on Street Fighter X Capcom utilizing the Super Street Fighter IV engine, while introducing the Tekken fighters in the same type of art style…sticking as close to their original looks in Tekken as possible (almost identical).
• The game will possibly need a two year development cycle according to producers so an early 2012 release is eminent.
• The stages for the game seems to be a mixture of two worlds.
• From the Street Fighter/Capcom side, we see a large head piece figure which turns out to be a “Servebot” and other mechanical structures from games such as Mega Man: Legends and Marvel vs. Capcom. The servebot head seems to be more of a mask/helmet for a person who occasionally stands up in it.
• From the Tekken/Namco Bandai side, it seems to be a darker, grungier battlefield. You’re fighting on what looks to be a ruined or wrecked highway with an extended level range (from the side of screen to the other).
• We know Ryu, Chun-li, Kazuya and Nina are in the games from the vids and screens shown. Dan has a short cameo in the teaser so we’re not sure if he’ll be in the final product.
• While the fighting itself comes directly from the SSF4 engine, the tag system like Tekken utilizes will be in the game, along with abilities taking advantage of it.
• Opponents can be bounced off of walls and floors and call in the players partner for tag team combos.
• As far as combos go, they’ve been kept at the same pace as in SSF4.
• Lastly, Tag Specials have been re-introduced back into the Street Fighter universe which are similar to Rival Schools style(there haven’t been tag specials since Street Fighter: EX 3).
• Each Tag special should be unique to every fighter and will no doubt take more then one super bar to use.
If you readers are anything like us here at LvLone.com, you’ve just peed yourself…a little bit,
and wait… that’s not all! A second game is also in production, Tekken X Street fighter! A counterpart to Street Fighter X Tekken, TXSF is most likely going to be a fireball-less brawler. Not much is known about TXSF, but an estimated release date to both games is 2 years from now on both the PS33 and the Xbox 360…so those of you who were worried about “2012”, fear not…it’s not the end of the world, only the introduction of a new one.
Check back for updates of Street Fighter X Tekken as it comes in and also check out our Marvel vs Capcom 3: What We Know So Far post for the latest on that.
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Halo Reach gets Limited Edition Xbox 360 Bundle
If the special and limited edition versions of Halo Reach aren’t enough for you, well then Microsoft has you covered. They are releasing an Xbox 360 limited edition “Halo: Reach” bundle which is available for pre-order now. This is the newly designed console which includes built in wifi and will also have a 250gb hard drive.
The Xbox 360 Limited Edition “Halo: Reach” Bundle features an exclusive silver design and comes with two custom Xbox 360 Wireless Controllers with artwork inspired by the game, a Standard Edition copy of “Halo: Reach,” a token for the Limited Edition Elite armor set, an episode of “Halo Legends” and a “Halo: Reach”-themed Xbox 360 wired headset. As an added touch, the specially designed console in the Xbox 360 Limited Edition “Halo: Reach” Bundle not only captures the look and feel of the game, but also features custom sound effects from the “Halo” universe.
This bundle will be available on September 14, 2010 for $399 so get to pre-ordering today!
Kane and Lynch 2 Demo
The Kane and Lynch 2 demo has finally gone live publicly for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and Steam. Experience 48 hours of hell with two of gaming’s most notorious criminals in Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days. Kane and Lynch face the consequences when a simple job gone wrong sets off a desperate and frantic struggle to escape the entire Shanghai underworld. Ground-breaking art direction, relentless action gameplay and innovative multiplayer redefine the action shooter experience and positions Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days as the standout shooter of 2010.
Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days will release on August 17, 2010 in North America, August 20 throughout Europe and other PAL territories and August 26 in Japan.
Young Thor – Review
Young Thor is everything but mini, a 2.5D side scrolling beat’em up while leveling up for the PSP or the PS3 is just the tip of the iceberg for this game. I was actually surprised at the game for being such a small download, but packed with so much inside. Being that the game is a Playstation Mini, I thought it would be a quick play through with a moderate story to be told, but boy was I wrong. Frima Studios has put together a surprisingly fun game for a low price.
Norse mythology as if you didn’t know, is the basis of Young Thor, and for another no brainer the game is about, drum roll please… A Thor before he gets into all the trouble and great stories that follow as an adult. Throughout the game you learn bits and pieces of Norse mythology through unlockable content, things like the name of Thors hammer (Mjollnir), and the different articles of armor and equipment and what the names of each piece. Although the game follows a specific story line of Thor, one where he must save the three Norns from Hell, the daughter of Loki. The game doesn’t quite follow comic book lore where Loki is Thor’s half brother, nor is Loki young, since Hel is Loki’s daughter and all.
The RPG element in this game is very simple. Hammer down, hammer hard, and hammer quickly through seven different types of enemies to gain experience and level up, and the max level cap being 99. The game has only five different levels but between those levels you can replay the same level with a twist. Replaying the same level, such as 1-2, increases the difficulty and may even have hidden pieces of equipment for Thor to pick up. Other things that will help out with the harder levels are different rune power ups that are obtainable throughout the level. Levels are easy enough for little kids to play but that’s only if you don’t go beyond level 1-2. The artwork is very kid oriented, friendly but not too scary, colorful, and well cartoonish which isn’t a bad thing.
There are however a few glitches in the game that I ran into. Enemies either dying but still attacking, interactive on screen button pressing not disappearing, and enemies not reacting to a stun attack, but for a title being only $4.99 on PSN I’m not too surprised. It’s not great that there are glitches in the game but for such a low budget game glitches can be inevitable. Young Thor has been an enjoyable game to play. It has a lot of different levels of difficulty and a lot of areas to explore for each level. At times it can be frustrating trying to get through a level, but grinding like in all RPG’s will be a must to complete the game. Leveling up to level 99 most likely will not be required but, it could be fun doing it. If you’re looking for a mini game away from a FPS this may be one of the good ones to get.
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Comic-Con: Street Fighter X Tekken is Real!
Over the weekend Capcom delivered earth shattering news that it will be bringing in another vs series to the masses. This time teaming up with NamcoBandai for not one game but two! The first that was announced is Street Fighter X Tekken and as the name suggests it will be the Street Fighters camp vs the Tekken series. This version will be created by Capcom utilizing the Street Fighter IV engine and will be tagged based. Characters from the Tekken series will be re-imagined in this engine to fit the style for a completely new experience. From what has been said or lack there of it would seem the game is a ways off but will be for Xbox 360 and PS3 consoles. With the release of Super Street Fighter IV, the announcement of Marvel vs Capcom 3 for 2011 and now this, Capcom is coming in at full swing with the fighting game genre. We’ll have more info as it comes in but check out this teaser trailer and screenshots dropped in from Capcom.
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