CAG's shipwreck & mrs. shipwreck preview the new releases for the week of June 26th, 2007. 28 games later: we live to tell the tale.
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The Adventures of Darwin Dev. D3 Pub. D3 Systems: PS2 MSRP: $19.99
Looking for an action/adventure game with RTS elements but already played Pikmin AND Pikmin 2? Sad that Pikmin 3 hasn't evolved into existence yet? This title might be just what you're looking for! Play as Darwin, the monkey, as he leads his tribe through the wilderness and into the evolutionary fast-lane. In order to evolve and save themselves from going the way of the dinosaurs, you must order Darwin and his fellow primates to find food, learn to use tools, and avoid being a meal for someone else. At $20, this title sounds refreshingly different AND easy on the wallet. - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for The Adventures of Darwin.
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)
The Bigs Dev. Blue Castle Games Pub. 2K Sports Systems: PS2, PSP, Wii, 360, PS3 MSRP: $39.99-$59.99
The Bigs finally releases this week which means we can stop being bombarded by the print ad campaign... hopefully. This actually looks to be pretty solid arcade style baseball that refines what was started last generation with Midway's Slugfest series. Sure, it's all still based around "turbo", but there's a nice sheen of polish on this one with slightly deeper yet still accessible game mechanics. - ship
Best Deal:
Target is offering a free $10 gift card with the purchase of The Bigs for Wii. Circuit City is offering a free $20 gift card if they don't have certain versions by 2PM on Tuesday.
Purchase At Amazon $59.99 (Free shipping)
See Speedy1961's Circuit City Ad $59.99 (Free $20 gift card if not in stock by Tuesday at 2PM)
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free shipping)
See Speedy1961's Circuit City Ad $39.99 (Free $20 gift card if not in stock by Tuesday at 2PM)
Purchase At Amazon $59.99 (Free shipping)
See Speedy1961's Circuit City Ad $59.99 (Free $20 gift card if not in stock by Tuesday at 2PM)
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $48.06 (99 cent shipping)
See speedy1961's Target Ad $49.99 (Free $10 gift card with purchase)
Chicken Shoot Dev. Destination Software Pub. Destination Software Systems: Wii MSRP: $29.99
Don't get me wrong. I'm all for shooting chickens with the wii-mote. But that's all this game is! That's it! And it's not a Wii Virtual Console Game for $6. Nope, developer and publisher Jack of All Games is hoping you'll fork over thirty of your hard earned dollars to shoot chickens in your living room. My advice: skip this one and hope Nintendo ports Barney Carnage sometime soon. Or just find an old copy of Duck Hunt and pop that into your NES. Or play the free online version. Ship says "Chicken Shoot? More like Chicken Sh@#!" - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Chicken Shoot.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $28.24 (99 cent shipping)
The Darkness Dev. Starbreeze Studios Pub. 2K Games Systems: 360, PS3 MSRP: $59.99
The team that brought you Chronicles of Riddick return with another first-person sci-fi game. Based upon the comic of the same name, The Darkness is a supernatural shooter that looks to continue Starbreeze's high level of quality. Because your character's super powers (i.e.
The Darkness) only work in
the dark, much of your game-play focuses on shooting out street lights to create more darkness. Great visuals, unique gameplay, compelling storyline, darkling minions, and, of course, tentacles make this a aptly-named title worth checking out. - ship
Best Deal:
Both Fry's and Circuit City are offering The Darkness for $50 and Target is offering a $10 gift card with purchase. EB/Gamestop is offering a free code for an unlockable 2K Sports Darkling.
Purchase At EB Games $59.99 (Free unlockable 2K Sports darkling)
See speedy1961's Target Ad $59.99 (Free $10 gift card with purchase)
Purchase At Circuit City $49.99
See fidodido's Fry's Ad $49.99
Purchase At EB Games $59.99 (Free unlockable 2K Sports darkling)
See speedy1961's Target Ad $59.99 (Free $10 gift card with purchase)
Purchase At Circuit City $49.99
See fidodido's Fry's Ad $49.99
Driver: Parallel Lines Dev. Reflections Pub. Ubi Soft Systems: PC, Wii MSRP: $19.99, $49.99
Having thoroughly ported everything they could think of from their own last gen catalog, Ubi Soft is now heisting Driver out of Atari's former library. Don't mind those clearanced out copies in the Xbox and PS2 section, this average game is surely worth $50 now that it's on the Wii. - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Driver: Parallel Lines.
Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)
Final Fantasy Dev. Square Enix Pub. Square Enix Systems: PSP MSRP: $39.99
This game is essentially Final Fantasy but with better graphics, returning to the style of the SNES. It contains cut scenes from Origins (PS1), the bonus dungeons from Dawn of Souls (GBA), and a single new dungeon. It's a quality title you know, love, and probably own four times over like we do. While it might not be the definitive edition (will there ever be?), it's definitely worth your $30 if you're a Final Fantasy Fan. - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
Family Video will save you a few dollars on Final Fantasy.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $26.99 (99 cent shipping)
Grim Grimoire Dev. Vanillaware Pub. NIS America Systems: PS2 MSRP: $39.99
In this quirky NIS title, play as Lillet Blan, a young magic school student forced to travel back in time to save her mystical school from closing. In this Groundhog Day meets Harry Potter 2D real-time strategy game, the graphics are sweet and the gameplay sweeter. The goal of the game is to collect grimoires, magical books that contain spells needed to fight the creatures taking over the school. There are several types of magic, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The battle system is complex and focuses on using each type of magic strategically. The only downside is the length of game-play. There's no way to save in the middle of a battle, so you'd better be prepared to stick each one out to the end. All in all, this game is one that you should consider picking up sooner rather than later.
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Grim Grimoire.
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free shipping)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Dev. Electronic Arts UK Pub. Electronic Arts Systems: Everything MSRP: $29.99-$59.99
Harry Potter: either you play his games or you don't. Who am I to judge?- ship
Best Deal:
Circuit City is offering $20 gift cards if they don't have certain versions of the game by Tuesday at 2PM. Best Buy is offering a free map/picture with the purchase of any version. See below for any other deals.
Purchase At Amazon $57.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $53.99 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $29.95 (Free shipping & free child's movie ticket)
See speedy1961's Circuit City Ad $29.99 (Free $20 gift card if not in stock by Tuesday at 2PM)
Purchase At Family Video $28.84 (99 cent shipping)
See speedy1961's Target Ad $26.99
Purchase At Amazon $37.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $34.99 (99 cent shipping)
See speedy1961's Circuit City Ad $39.99 (Free $20 gift card if not in stock by Tuesday at 2PM)
Purchase At Amazon $57.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $55.99 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $37.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $34.99 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $49.95 (Free shipping & free child's movie ticket)
See speedy1961's Circuit City Ad $49.99 (Free $20 gift card if not in stock by Tuesday at 2PM)
Horsez Dev. Ubi Soft Pub. Ubi Soft Systems: GBA MSRP: $29.99
So far, we've seen Dogz, Catz, and Hamsterz. I don't think we'll see one of these games based on an aquarium only because you can't conveniently put a "z" on the end of fish. Fishez? Fizish? When did Snoop Dogg start working at Ubi Soft? Seriously though, this game is also out for the DS (current reviews include the word vomitorium) and adding in the phrases "horrible menu system" and "awful graphics" to my preview for Pony Friends from a few weeks ago should suffice. - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific dealz for Horsez.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Hoshigami Remix: Ruining Blue Earth Dev. Arc System Works Pub. Aksys Games Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
Originally published by Atlus on the Playstation Single, Hoshigami is a tactical role-playing game in the vein of Final Fantasy Tactics. Plenty of improvements abound such as multiple difficulties, new localization, new music, new missions, and a new character. A new character, could it be R Kelly? - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Hoshigami Remix: Hot & Fresh out the Kitchen.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $27.64 (99 cent shipping)
Hot Wheels Ultimate Racing Dev. Destination Software Pub. Destination Software Systems: PSP MSRP: $19.99
(Back again from last week.) The thing is, I wrote a preview for this game months ago and Ship lost it. I remember there being lots of customization and upgrades. There were multiple levels of gameplay, I'm going with more than two but less than five. It's a PSP game, so the graphics should be good and it's portable. - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
Amazon is offering Hot Wheels Ultimate Racing for $18.
Purchase At Amazon $17.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)
Hour of Victory Dev. nFusion Pub. Midway Systems: 360 MSRP: $59.99
The demo description available on the 360 says this game is highly anticipated. My question is, by whom exactly? There are three playable characters: the brute, the sniper, and the stealth guy. The controls are similar to that of Halo, but reloading seems to lag the gameplay. The graphics aren't that bad, but not that great either. I'm no expert on World War II first-person shooters, but I think this game is to Call of Duty what Marshmallow Mateys are to Lucky Charms. And if you're going to pay full price anyway (in this case, $60!), you might as well buy the name-brand. - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
EB/Gamestop is offering a free headset with the purchase of Hour of Victory.
Purchase At Amazon $59.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $57.68 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At EB Games $59.99 (Free Hour of Victory headset)
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Dev. Capcom Pub. Capcom Systems: PC MSRP: $39.99
Capcom tests the PC waters this week with the Xbox 360 hit, Lost Planet. - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Lost Planet.
Purchase At Family Video $38.46 (99 cent shipping)
See fidodido's Fry's Ad $37.99
Nervous Brickdown Dev. Arkedo Studio Pub. Eidos Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
This DS puzzle game is essentially Breakout with a twist... wait for it... sometimes instead of a paddle, you're shooting blocks with a spaceship or a submarine. But with 135 truly different levels of gameplay, this title looks like fun. Each level has a distinct feature that makes it unique, whether it be the additional challenge of your screen scrolling vertically, or having to save small people from part of the level. Plus, this type of game lends itself to the DS much better than the TI-82 calculator I played it on in high school. However, the price is set at $30. Wait until it drops to $20 to pick this one up. - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Nervous Brickdown.
Purchase At Family Video $28.24 (99 cent shipping)
Overlord Dev. Triumph Studios Pub. Codemasters Systems: PC, 360 MSRP: $39.99, $59.99
Another game featuring minions this week (we need more of these), Overlord takes a humorous approach to just what goes into being an evil mastermind. Set in a medieval fantasy setting, command your underlings to do your bidding as you rise in power. Similar in humor to Bard's Tale with strategy elements a-la Pikmin, this game looks pretty entertaining. - ship
Best Deal:
Family Video will save you a couple of bucks on the Xbox 360 version of Overlord.
Purchase At Amazon $59.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $56.48 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $38.46 (99 cent shipping)
Pokemon Battle Revolution Dev. Genius Sonority Pub. Nintendo Systems: Wii MSRP: $49.99
This stadium-type battle game is the first Pokemon title on the Wii, and it comes with several perks. First, you can port your DS Pokemon from Diamond or Pearl. It's also the first Wii game to use Nintendo WiFi for online play. Now we'll all be able to answer the ultimate question: fire monkey or plant turtle? Before you get too excited, you should know that we've seen this title before. It's essentially every Pokemon Stadium game for the GC and N64 all over again. It's MOTS with benefits. - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
Both Fry's and Circuit City are offering Pokemon Battle Revolution for $40.
Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $43.99 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Circuit City $39.99
See fidodido's Fry's Ad $39.99
Ratatouille Dev. Heavy Iron Studios Pub. THQ Systems: Everything MSRP: $19.99-$49.99
I've now officially become the expert on games based on movies. The plot of this Pixar movie (and game) revolves around Remy, a rat who dreams of being a gourmet chef. It's a platformer (SHOCK!) and it's fairly mediocre (GASP!) At least it's an original story (Peter Pan 18, anyone?). - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
Various amounts can be saved on the different versions of Ratatouille at Family Video.
Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $43.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $25.99 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $26.99 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $34.99 (Free shipping)
:mac:
Purchase At Family Video $19.99 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $34.99 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $48.07 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $34.99 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $43.99 (99 cent shipping)
See speedy1961's Target Ad $16.99
Steel Horizon Dev. Konami Pub. Konami Systems: PSP MSRP: $39.99
A real-time
and turn-based strategy game centered around World War II naval battles. Yawn. - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Steel Horizon.
Purchase At Family Video $38.46 (Free shipping)
Super Collapse! 3 Dev. Mumbo Jumbo Pub. Mumbo Jumbo Systems: PSP MSRP: $19.99
Puzzle games are nothing new for the PSP, and this game has been around for sometime now on the PC as a downloadable title. The PC version features two game modes (Quest and Quick Play) and allows you to earn coins during gameplay to purchase upgrades. If you care at all about this release, check out the demo on your PC first. Many of these downloadable PC games are fun to play online when they're free and you're stuck in study hall or on a break at work, but do you really want to pay $20 for this title? I doubt it. - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Super Collapse! 3.
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas Dev. Ubi Soft Montreal Pub. Ubi Soft Systems: PS3 MSRP: $59.99
Playstation 3 owners finally get to see what the fuss is all about. It's Rainbow Six with 5 extra multiplayer maps to boot. Hopefully, that extra seven months in development wasn't just spent on the six-axis control of the snake cam. - ship
Best Deal:
Family Video is offering Rainbow Six Vegas for $56 shipped.
Purchase At Amazon $59.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $54.99 (99 cent shipping)
TouchMaster Dev. Midway San Diego Pub. Midway Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
This newest DS title hails from a bar near you and has previously been seen entertaining drunken, quarter-wielding pub hoppers. It's the newest attempt to make gaming appeal to non-gamers. This game doesn't stray far, if at all, from it's bar-top predecessor and features mini games such as solitaire, mahjongg, wordsearch, and trivia just to name a few. The graphics are simplistic and the DS screen is used only for tapping - no dragging- like you would on a touch-screen monitor. The most important question remains: will this game be any fun without the beer? - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for TouchMaster.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $27.64 (99 cent shipping)
Transformers: The Game Dev. Traveler's Tales Pub. Activision Systems: PS2, PSP, Wii, PS3, 360 MSRP: $39.99-$59.99
Ship and I are concerned enough about the quality of the Transformers movie, let alone this summer-game-that's-based-on-a-movie. If you don't know how these games usually fare, you're either a new fan of the CAG foreplay, or you liked the Shrek The Third and you're taste in games is horrible. Unlike the DS Transformers games that are being released, this game will ask you to choose between playing as an Autobot or a Decepticon. So, you in effect don't get as ripped off as the DS-owners do and there is at least replay value to this title. While the storyline in the game follows that of the movie, you get more insight into the behind the scenes information with the game. The gameplay is free-roaming, includes some awesome one-touch transformations, and is generally rumored to be pretty entertaining. However, just based on the amount of build-up prior to the movie being released, I'm willing to bet that you'll probably be able to pick this title up used in a pretty short timespan. - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
Family Video will save you a few bucks on the various versions of Transformers. Best Buy is offering a free Transformers action figure with the purchase of any version. Target is offering a free Robo-Vision decoder that unlocks first generation characters with the purchase of any version. Fry's is offering a free Wall Graffix with the purchase of various versions.
Purchase At Amazon $59.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $53.99 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $35.99 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $59.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $54.99 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $43.99 (99 cent shipping)
See speedy1961's Target Ad $19.99
Traxxpad Dev. Definitive Studios Pub. Eidos Systems: PSP MSRP: $39.99
Get your creative juices flowing with this music composition application that allows for exporting your masterpieces in mp3 format. Not really a game per se, but I'd still lose at it. - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Traxxpad.
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free shipping)
On The DL with the Shipwrecks
Carcassonne Systems: 360 MSRP: $10
Another strategy based board game makes the transition to XBLA. It would take entirely to long to describe here even if I fully understood the rules. - ship
China Warrior Systems: Wii MSRP: $6
Punch or kick, the choice is yours in this TurboGrafx-16 brawler. - ship
F-Zero X Systems: Wii MSRP: $10
Extreme futuristic racing to the extreme: N64 style. - ship
Street Fighter II' Turbo: Hyper Fighting Systems: Wii MSRP: $8
This is the SNES version of Street Fighter II that you'd want to own on the VC. - ship
General Deals:
Toys R Us is currently running a buy two get one free sale on all DS games. See DrDarkStryfe's thread for more details
here.
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.
