CAG's shipwreck & mrs. shipwreck preview the new releases for the week of June 5th, 2007. This week we cover a handful of potentially worthwhile releases including a western shooter, a familiar puzzler, and a revamped classic. Plus we're back in audio form with Podcast #2.
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Call of Juarez Dev. Techland Pub. Ubi Soft Systems: PC, 360 MSRP: $39.99, $59.99
Chaps Ahoy! That'd definitely be what I'd name a cowboy pirate game. Sadly, this game is lacking in the pirate department, so I guess "Call of Juarez" will do fine. This first-person shooter has you playing as both the "my family was killed and they think it was me, but I will get my revenge guy" and the "he killed his family so I'm going to track him down and kill him guy". For simplicity's sake, we'll shorten them to Billy Candle and Reverend Ray McCall respectively. During Billy's levels you'll rely on being sneaky, while the good Reverend goes the shoot people while reciting Bible verses route. Naturally, there's everything you'd expect in a Western game: horse riding, hookers, bar fights, really ignorant enemies, crate stacking puzzles, and of course slow-motion bullet-time duels. This could actually be decent... certainly no "Chaps Ahoy!", but we have to play something while we wait. - ship
Best Deal:
Family Video is selling the Xbox 360 version of Call of Juarez for $55 shipped. There don't seem to be any specific deals for the PC version.
Purchase At Family Video $53.99 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free shipping)
Dragon Ball Z: Harukanaru Densetsu Dev. BEC Pub. Atari Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
Dragon! Dragon! It's a card game!
Dragon Ball Z!
Dragon! Dragon! It's a card game!
RPG!
Dragon! Dragon! Not a fight game!
Dragon Ball Z!
Dragon! Dragon! Still a card game!
Balls indeed!
- ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Dragon Ball Z: Harukanaru Densetsu.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Nintendo DS Lite Browser Dev. Nintendo Pub. Nintendo Systems: PSP MSRP: $29.99
Unlike the previously released Japanese version, the US version of the DS Lite Web Browser, Opera, also offers Javascript and Flash support. What it doesn't do is work on your original DS unless you buy a specific non-lite version from the Nintendo website. It also comes with the DS Lite Memory Expansion Pak (is it really that much cooler when you leave out the "c"???), but there is little information as to what this pak does. - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for the DS Web Browser.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Planet Puzzle League Dev. Intelligent Systems Pub. Nintendo Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
With the same style game-play as two other great puzzle games (Tetris Attack and Pokemon Puzzle League), this action-puzzle game is sure to be a good one. The highly-simplified goal of the game is to line up three blocks with the same symbol/color. This causes the blocks to disappear from the game board and potentially creates combo moves when the remaining blocks fall. If you've never played a game like this before, you've either recently been released from jail or were frozen for 1,000 years like Fry on Futurama (with the later being the decidedly more cool excuse). This game is the first of the franchise on the DS, so there will be some changes from the GBA version. First, the DS is held book-style, and second, you move the blocks around with the stylus and touch pad. Offering a large extravaganza of game play modes including puzzle (my personal favorite), Time Attack, Endless, Clear, Garbage Mode, etc... this is sure to be a solid game worth your $30. Just bring along your iPod to drown out the standard puzzle game music. - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Planet Puzzle League.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Shrek the Third Dev. Amaze Entertainment Pub. Activision Systems: PSP MSRP: $39.99
In order to provide an accurate preview of ShreK the Third, I spent some time playing the demo available on the 360. First off, let the intro video play after you hit start. The graphics look awesome, as they should coming from Dreamworks (Ship and I are pretty sure the intro is actually footage from the movie). However, the camera angles will make this game largely unplayable, given that I had a headache four seconds into playing. For the majority of the demo, the gamer is playing a 3D platform game while viewing the character from the front or the side. It's like playing a driving game while looking at the driver through the front windshield! I often had no idea where I was jumping to, nor where the enemies were unless they were right next to my player. Occasionally the camera will swing behind Shrek, but for the most part, I found myself spontaneously reaching for the trigger buttons to move the camera to no avail. On the positive side, there are several quest goals for each level, ranging from beating the level without dying to finding all of the coins/novelty items. The graphics are good but the level layout is very simple and one-tracked, and the frame rate is inconsistent. The never-ending commentary from the likes of Donkey, Shrek, and Puss in Boots, was funny and entertaining even at the demo level. All in all, I would place this addition to the Shrek franchise more toward the first Shrek game (crappy) and less like the second (decent). Play the demo before you spend your money. - mrs. ship
More like Shrek the
Turd. Sigh... it had to be done. - ship
Best Deal:
EB/Gamestop is offering a $10 mail-in rebate with the purchase of Shrek the Third. Family Video is offering the game for $37 shipped.
Purchase At EB Games $39.99 (Free $10 gift card)
Purchase At Family Video $35.99 (99 cent shipping)
Tomb Raider: Anniversary Dev. Crystal Dynamics Pub. Eidos Systems: PC, PS2 MSRP: $29.99
Revisit Lara's first adventure without all of the step, step, turn, step, step, turn, turn, step, "NO, why the
are you jumping off that cliff", "you deserve that broken neck" gameplay. Most importantly, the new controls greatly cut down on the patience needed to trap the camera in a corner just so you could get a good shot of Lara's rack. Ah, good times. With updated graphics, expanded levels, and the Tomb Raider Legend engine, Anniversary's worth a closer look. Just don't poke your eye out. - ship
Best Deal:
Best Buy is offering the PS2 version of Tomb Raider: Anniversary for $20 this week. Amazon saves you a couple of bucks on both versions.
Purchase At Amazon $27.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $27.99 (Free shipping)
See speedy1961's Best Buy Ad $19.99
On The DL with the Shipwrecks
Dead Moon Systems: Wii MSRP: $6
For most CAGs, these TurboGrafx-16 ports are largely new games because very few people owned this system originally. Dead Moon is a 2D scrolling shooter with upgradeable weapons. As someone who's never played this type of game before, it looks similar to Aegis Wing (released for the XBLA) but with old-school flare. Shipwreck says people will be mad at me for making this comparison. The game looks good, was entertaining to play, and is only $6. So, if this style game appeals to you, then you should buy it even if I think it does look and play like Aegis Wing. As a bonus, you should watch the opening scene for some truly great Engrish. - mrs. ship
Milon's Secret Castle Systems: Wii MSRP: $5
This NES title was one I had never heard of prior to this week, and after playing the game I know why. It's a platformer involving a small elf-like man killing various creatures with fire balls. There's a currency of some sort to collect, and the soundtrack consists of various types of carousel music. It's enough to drive you crazy. Shipwreck says "It should have stayed a secret." - mrs. ship
ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron Systems: Wii MSRP: $8
Originally released for the Genesis, this side-scrolling platformer is the weakest in the TJ&E franchise. The goal is to capture humans that have invaded Funkotron. It costs $3 more than the other old-school sequel available this week, so if you're a true Cheap Ass Gamer, this isn't the ToeJam and Earl you're looking for. - mrs. ship
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link Systems: Wii MSRP: $5
This is where you should start humming Bette Midler's Wind Beneath My Wings for full effect... It must have been cold there in my shadow... Being the side-scrolling-bastard younger brother of the best NES game in history can't be easy. But then again, neither was actually playing Zelda II. I died a lot attempting this game, and admittedly never beat it. I mean let's face it, most of us hated this game purely because it was different than the first, but it was hard too. But I have to give credit where credit is due. Many of the new elements (the side quests, NPC interaction, and better sword fighting) introduced in Link were seen again and again in later Zelda games. And some of the pure-RPG elements, like earning experience points during game play to upgrade your attack, were never seen again. All in all, this game is an awesome buy at $5, will provide some seriously nostalgic entertainment, and is a great RPG title. - mrs. ship
Feedback:
Did we miss a good sale on a game? Did we miss previewing a game completely? Well, the only way that everyone can know a better deal is out there is to let us know about it. Post deals you've found or games that we missed in the thread so that CAGs can make sure they are getting the absolute best prices on new releases.
110,000,000! 110,000,000!
