CAG's shipwreck & mrs. shipwreck preview the new releases for the week of February 12th, 2008. Looking for something for your sweetheart this week? Well, look no further as we preview brainteasing adventure games, pigs shooting zombies, turn-based battles and a big heart-shaped box of mediocrity.
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Multi-Platform
Conflict: Denied Ops Dev. Pivotal Games Pub. Eidos Systems: PC, 360, PS3 MSRP: $39.99, $49.99
This one's almost like a buddy movie, so imagine Lethal Weapon, except Mel Gibson's character can only use sniper rifles and Danny Glover's character can only use machine guns. Now, you could switch between Mel and Danny if you are playing by yourself, but let's say your friend Joe Pesci would like to play with you as well. Well, Joe could jump in and control either Mel or Danny online or through splitscreen. Now imagine Chris Rock came along and removed any Lethal Weapon references and replaced them with a pretty mediocre CIA operative storyline and really inept enemies. Damn you Chris Rock! - ship
Best Deal:
Circuit City is offering free underwear with your purchase of Conflict: Denied Ops.
Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $47.47 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Circuit City $49.99 (Free Conflict: Denied Ops Boxer Underwear with purchase)
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $47.47 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Circuit City $49.99 (Free Conflict: Denied Ops Boxer Underwear with purchase)
Dungeon Explorer: Warrior of Ancient Arts Dev. Hudson Soft Pub. Konami Systems: DS, PSP MSRP: $29.99
Same name, different games. While the Gauntlet style dungeon crawl gameplay is consistent between the two, the DS version actually takes place centuries following the PSP version. The PSP version has you battling demons and monsters, while the DS version has you battling a legion of undead and automatons. Either way, beat down thousands of n'er-do-wells (and their places of residence) with up to two other human players as you master different fighting styles, upgrade your weapons, and need food badly. - ship
Best Deal:
Amazon is offering Dungeon Explorer: Warrior of Ancient Arts for $27 shipped.
Purchase At Amazon $26.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $27.64 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $26.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $27.64 (99 cent shipping)
Go Diego Go: Safari Rescue Dev. 2K Games Pub. 2K Play Systems: PS2, Wii MSRP: $29.99, $39.99
(Deja Preview) If you aren’t familiar with Diego, he’s the character created because fathers just couldn’t stomach their little boys being so enthralled with Dora and her mountain of pink merchandise. Well, at least that’s my guess. Anyway, some magician has messed up all the African animals by doing things like removing the stripes from zebras and giving giraffes short necks. It's up to you to help Diego put everything back to normal with the aid of a magic drum. You might even get to learn that the Spanish word for "giraffe" is "jirafa" in the process! - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Go Diego Go: Safari Rescue.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $28.84 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $39.79 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $38.46 (99 cent shipping)
Jumper Dev. Red Tribe - Collision Studios Pub. Brash Entertainment Systems: PS2, Wii, 360 MSRP: $39.99-$59.99
This multi-platform title is based on the movie directed by Doug Liman. Yes, Doug Liman of the Bourne trilogy and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The movie premise is simple. A group of genetically-enhanced individuals (the jumpers) are able to teleport at anytime to anyplace. Of course, there's an anti-teleportation group (the paladins) out to destroy the jumpers. One jumper in particular, Griffin, has a parents-were-killed-so-I'm-out-for-revenge backstory that's fitting for a videogame, so that's where the game focus is. How does the game play? It's essentially an arena combat title, with the levels being different exotic locales. The coolest thing about the play itself is the teleportation. Each enemy will have a small circle around his feet, with the circle being divided into quarters. The quarters are green if the enemy is vulnerable in that spot (say, to his left or from behind) but are red if he is not vulnerable. Those quarters correspond to the four action buttons on your controller, allowing for easy teleportation and thus killing from behind. The triggers allow teleportation between different enemies. The cutscenes have been altered into really cool kills, so that usually after the end of a battle, Griffin teleports the last enemy to some crazy spot and the gamer gets to watch all the unique ways in which to both mess with the enemy's mind and kill him. Fun. Most of the gameplay information is 360-related, there's not much available as to how this title will play on the Wii or PS2. - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
Deep Discount is offering the Xbox 360 version of Jumper for $54 shipped. EB/GameStop are offering an exclusive graphic novel with your purchase.
Purchase At Amazon $59.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Deep Discount $53.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At EB Games $59.99 (Free Jumper Graphic Novel with purchase)
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Deep Discount $38.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At EB Games $39.99 (Free Jumper Graphic Novel with purchase)
Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Deep Discount $48.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At EB Games $49.99 (Free Jumper Graphic Novel with purchase)
DS
Barnyard Blast Dev. Sanuk Games Pub. Destination Software Systems: DS MSRP: $19.99
Now here's a rather unique title that pays homage to both retro horror games like Castlevania and Ghosts n' Goblins and scrolling shooters like Metal Slug and Alien Hominid. You are Robert Belmart, "Swine of the Night", on a mission to save your piglet son, Cliffy Belmart, after he was caught tee-peeing the local ancient castle of darkness. Apparently, creatures of the night don't take kindly to that, so you must brandish your whip, shotgun, and various other weapons to take them out in this scrolling, platforming shooter. If it all comes together, I'll be happier than a pig in a blanket... mowing down zombies. - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Barnyard Blast.
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)
New Zealand Story: Revolution Dev. Taito Pub. Ignition Entertainment Systems: DS MSRP: $19.99
Think back to 1988. Now think harder - do you remember an arcade platform title called Kiwi Kraze, featuring a small kiwi (the bird) named Tiki trying to save his friends. Of course you do! Now fast forward twenty years to this very moment, and prepare to play The New Zealand Story Revolution - a remix of the classic title now available for the DS. By remix, I mean the same graphics with a slightly newer look, and the same gameplay with some new elements like double jump and a charge attack. Other than that, little has changed for Tiki in 20 years. Of course, with these updates, it's obvious that the touch screen is an afterthought in the gameplay, and the dated controls (which weren't crisp in 1988) should have been tweaked. So, is this retro title cool like the NES controller backpack of mine, or cool like the avocado green TV that ship had as a child? That's for you to decide. - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for New Zealand Story: Revolution.
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)
Professor Layton and the Curious Village Dev. Level 5 Pub. Nintendo Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
Professor Layton is essentially the DS version of Sherlock Holmes, complete with Luke, a young "Watson" by his side. The duo arrives in St. Mystere to resolve an inheritance dispute between a few of the village's residents. Of course, in this town, nothing is as it seems. Enter the puzzle-solving, stylus-wielding gameplay. First off, the drawing style on this title will make you wonder if some creative force at Atlus has defected over to Level-5. The soft, hand-drawn characters are decidedly un-Nintendo, but are charming and appealing. While the art style may look like Touch Detective, the gameplay revolves around individual puzzles (mazes, riddles, and logic mini-games) and not so much pointing and clicking. The puzzles are strung together with well-done cut scenes. For $30, I'm so excited about this title, I might have to go out and buy it on release day. As an added bonus, this game is the first in a trilogy, so there will be more good gameplay to come. - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Professor Layton and the Curious Village.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Deep Discount $28.99 (Free shipping)
Wii
Balloon Pop Dev. UFO Pub. UFO Systems: Wii MSRP: $19.99
In this quirky new puzzle Wii title, an evil genius (there's always an evil genius) has taken the seasons hostage in little balloons. The gameplay revolves around shooting the balloons to open the elements contained within them. Put together enough elements and save the world. I'm imagining this title to be similar to Snood. Now that I've watched the gameplay video, I see that it's actually exactly like Super Collapse, except it boasts a weird dancing mushroom and Katamari-like animation. All in all, it doesn’t look like a bad choice with a $30 pricetag. - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Balloon Pop.
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)
London Taxi: Rush Hour Dev. Pub. Bold Games Systems: Wii MSRP: $19.99
Not to be confused with the next Chris Tucker/Jackie Chan collaboration, but to be confused with a certain taxi that is crazy, London Taxi: Rush Hour blatantly rips off the classic pick up a passenger, have driving hijinx, drop them off formula. (Didn't EA get sued for this year's ago?) Well, this port of a 2006 PC game has you delivering customers to famous London locations (look kids, there's Big Ben) and it has been updated with tilty driving controls. I do not, however, see or hear any mention of Bad Religion or the Offspring. Look kids, there's Big Ben. - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for London Taxi: Rush Hour.
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25))
Xbox 360
Dark Messiah of Might & Magic Elements Dev. Annency Studio Pub. Ubi Soft Systems: 360 MSRP: $59.99
This first-person action RPG title came out for the PC in 2006, and is getting a fresh start on the console front with all-around better AI, graphics, and combat. Just kidding. This title is pretty much the PC title ported over to the 360 with four new levels. Of course, there's also downloadable content available for you to spend your cash on. Since the DLC was available for purchase on our 360 on Friday BEFORE the title came out, you get a great sense of being ripped off as a bonus with the purchase of the game. The gameplay has the typical four character classes: warrior, rogue, wizard, and archer and isn't a bad game, but the demo available on XBLA isn't anything spectacular. With all the great new games that have been released in the past year, the bar has been raised and this title falls under it. - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
Family Video saves you a couple of bucks on Dark Messiah of Might & Magic Elements. EB/GameStop is offering an exclusive downloadable map with your purchase.
Purchase At Amazon $59.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $57.68 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At EB Games $59.99 (Free in-game downloadable exclusive map)
Lost Odyssey Dev. Mistwalker Pub. Microsoft Systems: 360 MSRP: $59.99
Lost Odyssey is another RPG from Sakaguchi that takes advantage of the Xbox 360's graphical prowess while staying pretty rooted in traditional turn-based gameplay. You play as Kaim, an amnesiac who is cursed to live 1000 years and along with your party of four other similar immortals, you must defeat the evil that is spreading across the land. All pretty standard stuff, but the production value is very high, so if you don't mind random battles and sifting through menus, Lost Odyssey could remind you how engaging traditional Japanese role-playing games can be. - ship
Best Deal:
Deep Discount is offering Lost Odyssey for $54 shipped.
Purchase At Amazon $59.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Deep Discount $53.99 (Free shipping)
PS2
Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Mermaids Dev. 2K Games Pub. 2K Play Systems: PS2 MSRP: $29.99
(Deja Preview) Well, for the love of... how about some spoiler tags on that title next time 2K Games? A chubby, Latina child turns into a mermaid and, with the help of her pants-less monkey, saves the day by teaching full-blooded mermaids rudimentary Spanish and problem solving skills. - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Mermaids.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $28.84 (99 cent shipping)
Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon: Special Edition Dev. ArtePiazza Pub. Natsume Systems: PS2 MSRP: $29.99
This title was released for the PSP last year with little fanfare. In fact, our local EB/Gamestop had only one copy (the one that I pre-ordered). While the title bears the name of Harvest Moon, it's not a brightly-colored, sprite-filled game like the others. Instead, there are robots, ATVs, caves to explore, and a mechanical farming system that milks your cows and ships your crops. The caves are filled with enemies to fight, so the largest thing that makes this title different is the presence of combat. The monotony of watering said crops remains intact, however, which makes it a Harvest Moon game at heart. If you've never played Harvest Moon before and have no idea what I'm talking about, this isn't the title to start with. If you love Harvest Moon but missed this title, you should play it, but be warned - it is different. The "special edition" part is a mystery - all I can tell is that some of the screenshots are more up-close than I remember, but this game doesn't come with anything special. Does being a PS2 game make a title a special edition? - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon: Special Edition.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Deep Discount $28.99 (Free shipping)
Iridium Runners Dev. Pub. Southpeak Interactive Systems: PS2 MSRP: $14.99
A futuristic racing game built around people running and collecting power-ups. Anybody? - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Iridium Runners.
Purchase At Amazon $14.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)
Purchase At Family Video $14.99 (99 cent shipping)
PSP
Chessmaster: The Art of Learning Dev. Ubi Soft Pub. Ubi Soft Systems: PSP MSRP: $29.99
(Deja Preview) Not many chess games can peak my interest, but throw in a mini-game named "Fork my Fruit" and I'll raise an eyebrow. Filled with plenty of chess variations (including "Losing Chess"), move analysis, classic matches, two-player support, and the previously mentioned mini-games, this looks like a chess game with all the bells and whistles. - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Chessmaster: The Art of Learning.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Deep Discount $28.99 (Free shipping)
Wipeout Pulse Dev. SCE Studios Liverpool Pub. Sony Systems: PSP MSRP: $29.99
This floaty, anti-gravity racing title has been out in Europe and Australia since December, so there is lots of feedback from gamers available. Being the second PSP Wipeout title, there are new tracks, vehicles, and weaponry as compared to the original. The truly "new" aspect of this title is the addition of a magnetic strip to parts of the courses, which allows for loops and vertical drops. There's also an elimination mode: in order to win, you must destroy all of your competitors. So, what do all those aforementioned gamers think of this title? The overall consensus is that while Pulse isn’t anything new, it's still a great game. - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
Family Video will save you a couple of bucks on Wipeout Pulse.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $27.64 (99 cent shipping)
PC
The Experiment Dev. Pub. Dreamcatcher Interactive Systems: PC MSRP: $29.99
An action-adventure game for those of you who like staring at women through security cameras. Someone has trapped you and a female research scientist aboard a grounded ship; you are stuck in a control room and she is stuck in the labs. With no form of communicating with her, you must use the surveillance controls to help both of you escape and solve the mystery of who is holding you hostage. Kind of creepy. - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for The Experiment.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Penumbra: Black Plague Dev. Frictional Games Pub. Paradox Systems: PC MSRP: $19.99
In an effort to be more PC-gamer friendly, I did more research into this title than I typically would. First, it's an action title based around an adventurer name Philip who is trapped in an underground cavern in Greenland. The gameplay is full of puzzles, searching for clues, and psychological terrors (which is code for blood and guts based on the screen shots). This is the sequel to Penumbra: Overture, and is the final title in the franchise. All the previews that I read regarding this title said it was the better game of the two for several reasons. First, the puzzles make sense (one reviewer mentioned something about a cell phone strapped to a cat not being so intuitive). Second, there are no dog patrols. Third, the physics are better. If you're a PC gamer who played the first title, these things will hopefully add up to more enjoyment while playing the second. If you missed the first title, I would give this title a chance. Based on what I’ve read, it looks and sounds like a quality game. Even if it won't run on my Mac. – mrs. ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Penumbra: Black Plague.
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)
Sam & Max Episode 203: Night of the Raving Dead Dev. TellTale Games Pub. TellTale Games Systems: PC MSRP: $8.95, $34.95
Apparently, this adventure title is one of a franchise that occurs in episodes, and the #203 refers to season 2, episode 3. This is largely because the characters are from a comic book created in 1987. Okay, now I’m caught up. Sam and Max are private investigators fighting zombies in the newest addition to the franchise. Of course, there are promises of new locales, better controls, and unique mini-games. Known for bizarre storylines and comic game play, this one would interest me. - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Sam and Max. You can download the individual episode for $8.95 or the complete second season for $35.
Purchase At TellTale Games $34.95
SpaceForce Captains Dev. Provox Games Pub. Dreamcatcher Interactive Systems: PC MSRP: $29.99
Conquer the universe by taking turns. - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for SpaceForce Captains.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
On The DL with the Shipwrecks
Harvest Moon Systems: Wii (SNES) MSRP: $8
You farm, you talk to the townsfolk, you forage in the forest, and you sleep. The next day begins and you repeat, repeat, repeat! I know, it sounds boring, but the Harvest Moon titles are strangely addicting with their repetitive gameplay. The SNES title is the game that started them all, so it's the most simplistic. There are so many titles that have been re-released with a different main character or on a different system that I can't keep them all straight. There was one title that I hated (A Wonderful Life), while I loved Magical Melody. If you truly want more information about the Harvest Moon series, go to Wikipedia and check it out. I love these games, but they're not for everyone. If you're curious about the title and want to check it out, the WVC version is cheap and a good starting step, you just have to get past the dated graphics. - mrs. ship
Lords of Thunder Systems: Wii (TG16-CD) MSRP: $8
One of the most highly regarded SHMUPs on the TurboGrafx-16 scrolls right onto the Virtual Console this week. Upgrade your weapons and armor and listen to some really bitchin' guitar as you frantically shoot everything in sight. - ship
Commanders: Attack of the Genos Systems: 360 MSRP: $10
A turn-based strategy game set in an alternate-reality 1930's where the human genome has been cracked and human-like creatures called "Genos" are surely not up to any good. Manage your various kinds of troops and battle across the single-player mode or with up to three other people over Live. - ship
Discs of Tron Systems: 360 MSRP: $5
Wow, Tron has certainly been pimping himself out here lately. Fling your frisbees at Sark in the classic game and now you can even play against and with other players locally. Think of it as kind of like pong, but vertical, and you don't want to get hit by the ball. Of course there is an update graphics mode as well. - ship
Black Systems: 360 MSRP: $15
For all those people waiting for a first-person shooter to be released on the Xbox 360, Criterion's Xbox first-person shooter seems like a logical choice to fill the void left by the lack of first-person shooters on the Xbox 360. - ship
Ninja Gaiden Black Systems: 360 MSRP: $15
Ninja Gaiden 2 and Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword are just around the bend, so you better brush up on getting your ass handed to you. - ship
Sid Meier's Pirates! Systems: 360 MSRP: $15
The pirate on the cover is wearing the poofy shirt from Seinfeld and has quite a lot of chest hair. Originally a Commodore 64 title, it was ported to several systems including the Apple II, Atari, and of course, the NES. The gameplay includes several pirate-y things like attacking ships, looking for treasure, and trade. The graphics are similar to the original Oregon Trail, and there is a similar historical accuracy that smells of edutainment. All this and more is now available on your 360! - mrs. ship
Oops, we accidentally previewed the original Pirates! instead of the Xbox version. Fittingly enough, it's basically the same general game, but with more up-to-date graphics. Take that Oregon Trail! - 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.
You can now subscribe to Foreplay on iTunes by clicking this link: CAG Foreplay on iTunes
You can also contact us with any questions or comments at [email protected] or [email protected].
Special thanks to www.GoDaddy.com for providing CAG Foreplay listeners with a code for domain names for just $6.95 a year. Just enter code "GAMER1" when you check out to get your savings.
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[digg]http://digg.com/podcasts/CAG_Foreplay[/digg]Multi-Platform
Conflict: Denied Ops Dev. Pivotal Games Pub. Eidos Systems: PC, 360, PS3 MSRP: $39.99, $49.99
This one's almost like a buddy movie, so imagine Lethal Weapon, except Mel Gibson's character can only use sniper rifles and Danny Glover's character can only use machine guns. Now, you could switch between Mel and Danny if you are playing by yourself, but let's say your friend Joe Pesci would like to play with you as well. Well, Joe could jump in and control either Mel or Danny online or through splitscreen. Now imagine Chris Rock came along and removed any Lethal Weapon references and replaced them with a pretty mediocre CIA operative storyline and really inept enemies. Damn you Chris Rock! - ship
Best Deal:
Circuit City is offering free underwear with your purchase of Conflict: Denied Ops.
Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free shipping) Purchase At Family Video $47.47 (99 cent shipping) Purchase At Circuit City $49.99 (Free Conflict: Denied Ops Boxer Underwear with purchase) Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free shipping) Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free shipping) Purchase At Family Video $47.47 (99 cent shipping) Purchase At Circuit City $49.99 (Free Conflict: Denied Ops Boxer Underwear with purchase)Dungeon Explorer: Warrior of Ancient Arts Dev. Hudson Soft Pub. Konami Systems: DS, PSP MSRP: $29.99
Same name, different games. While the Gauntlet style dungeon crawl gameplay is consistent between the two, the DS version actually takes place centuries following the PSP version. The PSP version has you battling demons and monsters, while the DS version has you battling a legion of undead and automatons. Either way, beat down thousands of n'er-do-wells (and their places of residence) with up to two other human players as you master different fighting styles, upgrade your weapons, and need food badly. - ship
Best Deal:
Amazon is offering Dungeon Explorer: Warrior of Ancient Arts for $27 shipped.
Purchase At Amazon $26.99 (Free shipping) Purchase At Family Video $27.64 (99 cent shipping) Purchase At Amazon $26.99 (Free shipping) Purchase At Family Video $27.64 (99 cent shipping)Go Diego Go: Safari Rescue Dev. 2K Games Pub. 2K Play Systems: PS2, Wii MSRP: $29.99, $39.99
(Deja Preview) If you aren’t familiar with Diego, he’s the character created because fathers just couldn’t stomach their little boys being so enthralled with Dora and her mountain of pink merchandise. Well, at least that’s my guess. Anyway, some magician has messed up all the African animals by doing things like removing the stripes from zebras and giving giraffes short necks. It's up to you to help Diego put everything back to normal with the aid of a magic drum. You might even get to learn that the Spanish word for "giraffe" is "jirafa" in the process! - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Go Diego Go: Safari Rescue.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping) Purchase At Family Video $28.84 (99 cent shipping) Purchase At Amazon $39.79 (Free shipping) Purchase At Family Video $38.46 (99 cent shipping)Jumper Dev. Red Tribe - Collision Studios Pub. Brash Entertainment Systems: PS2, Wii, 360 MSRP: $39.99-$59.99
This multi-platform title is based on the movie directed by Doug Liman. Yes, Doug Liman of the Bourne trilogy and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The movie premise is simple. A group of genetically-enhanced individuals (the jumpers) are able to teleport at anytime to anyplace. Of course, there's an anti-teleportation group (the paladins) out to destroy the jumpers. One jumper in particular, Griffin, has a parents-were-killed-so-I'm-out-for-revenge backstory that's fitting for a videogame, so that's where the game focus is. How does the game play? It's essentially an arena combat title, with the levels being different exotic locales. The coolest thing about the play itself is the teleportation. Each enemy will have a small circle around his feet, with the circle being divided into quarters. The quarters are green if the enemy is vulnerable in that spot (say, to his left or from behind) but are red if he is not vulnerable. Those quarters correspond to the four action buttons on your controller, allowing for easy teleportation and thus killing from behind. The triggers allow teleportation between different enemies. The cutscenes have been altered into really cool kills, so that usually after the end of a battle, Griffin teleports the last enemy to some crazy spot and the gamer gets to watch all the unique ways in which to both mess with the enemy's mind and kill him. Fun. Most of the gameplay information is 360-related, there's not much available as to how this title will play on the Wii or PS2. - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
Deep Discount is offering the Xbox 360 version of Jumper for $54 shipped. EB/GameStop are offering an exclusive graphic novel with your purchase.
Purchase At Amazon $59.99 (Free shipping) Purchase At Deep Discount $53.99 (Free shipping) Purchase At EB Games $59.99 (Free Jumper Graphic Novel with purchase) Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free shipping) Purchase At Deep Discount $38.99 (Free shipping) Purchase At EB Games $39.99 (Free Jumper Graphic Novel with purchase) Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free shipping) Purchase At Deep Discount $48.99 (Free shipping) Purchase At EB Games $49.99 (Free Jumper Graphic Novel with purchase)DS
Barnyard Blast Dev. Sanuk Games Pub. Destination Software Systems: DS MSRP: $19.99
Now here's a rather unique title that pays homage to both retro horror games like Castlevania and Ghosts n' Goblins and scrolling shooters like Metal Slug and Alien Hominid. You are Robert Belmart, "Swine of the Night", on a mission to save your piglet son, Cliffy Belmart, after he was caught tee-peeing the local ancient castle of darkness. Apparently, creatures of the night don't take kindly to that, so you must brandish your whip, shotgun, and various other weapons to take them out in this scrolling, platforming shooter. If it all comes together, I'll be happier than a pig in a blanket... mowing down zombies. - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Barnyard Blast.
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)New Zealand Story: Revolution Dev. Taito Pub. Ignition Entertainment Systems: DS MSRP: $19.99
Think back to 1988. Now think harder - do you remember an arcade platform title called Kiwi Kraze, featuring a small kiwi (the bird) named Tiki trying to save his friends. Of course you do! Now fast forward twenty years to this very moment, and prepare to play The New Zealand Story Revolution - a remix of the classic title now available for the DS. By remix, I mean the same graphics with a slightly newer look, and the same gameplay with some new elements like double jump and a charge attack. Other than that, little has changed for Tiki in 20 years. Of course, with these updates, it's obvious that the touch screen is an afterthought in the gameplay, and the dated controls (which weren't crisp in 1988) should have been tweaked. So, is this retro title cool like the NES controller backpack of mine, or cool like the avocado green TV that ship had as a child? That's for you to decide. - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for New Zealand Story: Revolution.
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)Professor Layton and the Curious Village Dev. Level 5 Pub. Nintendo Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
Professor Layton is essentially the DS version of Sherlock Holmes, complete with Luke, a young "Watson" by his side. The duo arrives in St. Mystere to resolve an inheritance dispute between a few of the village's residents. Of course, in this town, nothing is as it seems. Enter the puzzle-solving, stylus-wielding gameplay. First off, the drawing style on this title will make you wonder if some creative force at Atlus has defected over to Level-5. The soft, hand-drawn characters are decidedly un-Nintendo, but are charming and appealing. While the art style may look like Touch Detective, the gameplay revolves around individual puzzles (mazes, riddles, and logic mini-games) and not so much pointing and clicking. The puzzles are strung together with well-done cut scenes. For $30, I'm so excited about this title, I might have to go out and buy it on release day. As an added bonus, this game is the first in a trilogy, so there will be more good gameplay to come. - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Professor Layton and the Curious Village.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping) Purchase At Deep Discount $28.99 (Free shipping)Wii
Balloon Pop Dev. UFO Pub. UFO Systems: Wii MSRP: $19.99
In this quirky new puzzle Wii title, an evil genius (there's always an evil genius) has taken the seasons hostage in little balloons. The gameplay revolves around shooting the balloons to open the elements contained within them. Put together enough elements and save the world. I'm imagining this title to be similar to Snood. Now that I've watched the gameplay video, I see that it's actually exactly like Super Collapse, except it boasts a weird dancing mushroom and Katamari-like animation. All in all, it doesn’t look like a bad choice with a $30 pricetag. - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Balloon Pop.
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)London Taxi: Rush Hour Dev. Pub. Bold Games Systems: Wii MSRP: $19.99
Not to be confused with the next Chris Tucker/Jackie Chan collaboration, but to be confused with a certain taxi that is crazy, London Taxi: Rush Hour blatantly rips off the classic pick up a passenger, have driving hijinx, drop them off formula. (Didn't EA get sued for this year's ago?) Well, this port of a 2006 PC game has you delivering customers to famous London locations (look kids, there's Big Ben) and it has been updated with tilty driving controls. I do not, however, see or hear any mention of Bad Religion or the Offspring. Look kids, there's Big Ben. - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for London Taxi: Rush Hour.
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25))Xbox 360
Dark Messiah of Might & Magic Elements Dev. Annency Studio Pub. Ubi Soft Systems: 360 MSRP: $59.99
This first-person action RPG title came out for the PC in 2006, and is getting a fresh start on the console front with all-around better AI, graphics, and combat. Just kidding. This title is pretty much the PC title ported over to the 360 with four new levels. Of course, there's also downloadable content available for you to spend your cash on. Since the DLC was available for purchase on our 360 on Friday BEFORE the title came out, you get a great sense of being ripped off as a bonus with the purchase of the game. The gameplay has the typical four character classes: warrior, rogue, wizard, and archer and isn't a bad game, but the demo available on XBLA isn't anything spectacular. With all the great new games that have been released in the past year, the bar has been raised and this title falls under it. - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
Family Video saves you a couple of bucks on Dark Messiah of Might & Magic Elements. EB/GameStop is offering an exclusive downloadable map with your purchase.
Purchase At Amazon $59.99 (Free shipping) Purchase At Family Video $57.68 (99 cent shipping) Purchase At EB Games $59.99 (Free in-game downloadable exclusive map)Lost Odyssey Dev. Mistwalker Pub. Microsoft Systems: 360 MSRP: $59.99
Lost Odyssey is another RPG from Sakaguchi that takes advantage of the Xbox 360's graphical prowess while staying pretty rooted in traditional turn-based gameplay. You play as Kaim, an amnesiac who is cursed to live 1000 years and along with your party of four other similar immortals, you must defeat the evil that is spreading across the land. All pretty standard stuff, but the production value is very high, so if you don't mind random battles and sifting through menus, Lost Odyssey could remind you how engaging traditional Japanese role-playing games can be. - ship
Best Deal:
Deep Discount is offering Lost Odyssey for $54 shipped.
Purchase At Amazon $59.99 (Free shipping) Purchase At Deep Discount $53.99 (Free shipping)PS2
Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Mermaids Dev. 2K Games Pub. 2K Play Systems: PS2 MSRP: $29.99
(Deja Preview) Well, for the love of... how about some spoiler tags on that title next time 2K Games? A chubby, Latina child turns into a mermaid and, with the help of her pants-less monkey, saves the day by teaching full-blooded mermaids rudimentary Spanish and problem solving skills. - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Mermaids.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping) Purchase At Family Video $28.84 (99 cent shipping)Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon: Special Edition Dev. ArtePiazza Pub. Natsume Systems: PS2 MSRP: $29.99
This title was released for the PSP last year with little fanfare. In fact, our local EB/Gamestop had only one copy (the one that I pre-ordered). While the title bears the name of Harvest Moon, it's not a brightly-colored, sprite-filled game like the others. Instead, there are robots, ATVs, caves to explore, and a mechanical farming system that milks your cows and ships your crops. The caves are filled with enemies to fight, so the largest thing that makes this title different is the presence of combat. The monotony of watering said crops remains intact, however, which makes it a Harvest Moon game at heart. If you've never played Harvest Moon before and have no idea what I'm talking about, this isn't the title to start with. If you love Harvest Moon but missed this title, you should play it, but be warned - it is different. The "special edition" part is a mystery - all I can tell is that some of the screenshots are more up-close than I remember, but this game doesn't come with anything special. Does being a PS2 game make a title a special edition? - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon: Special Edition.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping) Purchase At Deep Discount $28.99 (Free shipping)Iridium Runners Dev. Pub. Southpeak Interactive Systems: PS2 MSRP: $14.99
A futuristic racing game built around people running and collecting power-ups. Anybody? - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Iridium Runners.
Purchase At Amazon $14.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25) Purchase At Family Video $14.99 (99 cent shipping)PSP
Chessmaster: The Art of Learning Dev. Ubi Soft Pub. Ubi Soft Systems: PSP MSRP: $29.99
(Deja Preview) Not many chess games can peak my interest, but throw in a mini-game named "Fork my Fruit" and I'll raise an eyebrow. Filled with plenty of chess variations (including "Losing Chess"), move analysis, classic matches, two-player support, and the previously mentioned mini-games, this looks like a chess game with all the bells and whistles. - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Chessmaster: The Art of Learning.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping) Purchase At Deep Discount $28.99 (Free shipping)Wipeout Pulse Dev. SCE Studios Liverpool Pub. Sony Systems: PSP MSRP: $29.99
This floaty, anti-gravity racing title has been out in Europe and Australia since December, so there is lots of feedback from gamers available. Being the second PSP Wipeout title, there are new tracks, vehicles, and weaponry as compared to the original. The truly "new" aspect of this title is the addition of a magnetic strip to parts of the courses, which allows for loops and vertical drops. There's also an elimination mode: in order to win, you must destroy all of your competitors. So, what do all those aforementioned gamers think of this title? The overall consensus is that while Pulse isn’t anything new, it's still a great game. - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
Family Video will save you a couple of bucks on Wipeout Pulse.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping) Purchase At Family Video $27.64 (99 cent shipping)PC
The Experiment Dev. Pub. Dreamcatcher Interactive Systems: PC MSRP: $29.99
An action-adventure game for those of you who like staring at women through security cameras. Someone has trapped you and a female research scientist aboard a grounded ship; you are stuck in a control room and she is stuck in the labs. With no form of communicating with her, you must use the surveillance controls to help both of you escape and solve the mystery of who is holding you hostage. Kind of creepy. - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for The Experiment.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)Penumbra: Black Plague Dev. Frictional Games Pub. Paradox Systems: PC MSRP: $19.99
In an effort to be more PC-gamer friendly, I did more research into this title than I typically would. First, it's an action title based around an adventurer name Philip who is trapped in an underground cavern in Greenland. The gameplay is full of puzzles, searching for clues, and psychological terrors (which is code for blood and guts based on the screen shots). This is the sequel to Penumbra: Overture, and is the final title in the franchise. All the previews that I read regarding this title said it was the better game of the two for several reasons. First, the puzzles make sense (one reviewer mentioned something about a cell phone strapped to a cat not being so intuitive). Second, there are no dog patrols. Third, the physics are better. If you're a PC gamer who played the first title, these things will hopefully add up to more enjoyment while playing the second. If you missed the first title, I would give this title a chance. Based on what I’ve read, it looks and sounds like a quality game. Even if it won't run on my Mac. – mrs. ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Penumbra: Black Plague.
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)Sam & Max Episode 203: Night of the Raving Dead Dev. TellTale Games Pub. TellTale Games Systems: PC MSRP: $8.95, $34.95
Apparently, this adventure title is one of a franchise that occurs in episodes, and the #203 refers to season 2, episode 3. This is largely because the characters are from a comic book created in 1987. Okay, now I’m caught up. Sam and Max are private investigators fighting zombies in the newest addition to the franchise. Of course, there are promises of new locales, better controls, and unique mini-games. Known for bizarre storylines and comic game play, this one would interest me. - mrs. ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Sam and Max. You can download the individual episode for $8.95 or the complete second season for $35.
Purchase At TellTale Games $34.95SpaceForce Captains Dev. Provox Games Pub. Dreamcatcher Interactive Systems: PC MSRP: $29.99
Conquer the universe by taking turns. - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for SpaceForce Captains.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)On The DL with the Shipwrecks
Harvest Moon Systems: Wii (SNES) MSRP: $8
You farm, you talk to the townsfolk, you forage in the forest, and you sleep. The next day begins and you repeat, repeat, repeat! I know, it sounds boring, but the Harvest Moon titles are strangely addicting with their repetitive gameplay. The SNES title is the game that started them all, so it's the most simplistic. There are so many titles that have been re-released with a different main character or on a different system that I can't keep them all straight. There was one title that I hated (A Wonderful Life), while I loved Magical Melody. If you truly want more information about the Harvest Moon series, go to Wikipedia and check it out. I love these games, but they're not for everyone. If you're curious about the title and want to check it out, the WVC version is cheap and a good starting step, you just have to get past the dated graphics. - mrs. ship
Lords of Thunder Systems: Wii (TG16-CD) MSRP: $8
One of the most highly regarded SHMUPs on the TurboGrafx-16 scrolls right onto the Virtual Console this week. Upgrade your weapons and armor and listen to some really bitchin' guitar as you frantically shoot everything in sight. - ship
Commanders: Attack of the Genos Systems: 360 MSRP: $10
A turn-based strategy game set in an alternate-reality 1930's where the human genome has been cracked and human-like creatures called "Genos" are surely not up to any good. Manage your various kinds of troops and battle across the single-player mode or with up to three other people over Live. - ship
Discs of Tron Systems: 360 MSRP: $5
Wow, Tron has certainly been pimping himself out here lately. Fling your frisbees at Sark in the classic game and now you can even play against and with other players locally. Think of it as kind of like pong, but vertical, and you don't want to get hit by the ball. Of course there is an update graphics mode as well. - ship
Black Systems: 360 MSRP: $15
For all those people waiting for a first-person shooter to be released on the Xbox 360, Criterion's Xbox first-person shooter seems like a logical choice to fill the void left by the lack of first-person shooters on the Xbox 360. - ship
Ninja Gaiden Black Systems: 360 MSRP: $15
Ninja Gaiden 2 and Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword are just around the bend, so you better brush up on getting your ass handed to you. - ship
Sid Meier's Pirates! Systems: 360 MSRP: $15
The pirate on the cover is wearing the poofy shirt from Seinfeld and has quite a lot of chest hair. Originally a Commodore 64 title, it was ported to several systems including the Apple II, Atari, and of course, the NES. The gameplay includes several pirate-y things like attacking ships, looking for treasure, and trade. The graphics are similar to the original Oregon Trail, and there is a similar historical accuracy that smells of edutainment. All this and more is now available on your 360! - mrs. ship
Oops, we accidentally previewed the original Pirates! instead of the Xbox version. Fittingly enough, it's basically the same general game, but with more up-to-date graphics. Take that Oregon Trail! - 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.
and the pic is awesome.
