[preview][img-l=1]2[/img-l]CAG's shipwreck & mrs. shipwreck preview the new releases for the week of May 7th, 2009. This week we cover what we've been playing, the new releases, and what's in that bin over there.
Don't forget to enter our contest for Avalon Code for the DS courtesy of XSEED Games.
Special thanks to GoDaddy.com for providing CAG Foreplay listeners with a code for domain names for only $7.49 a year. Just enter code "GAMER1" when you check out to get your savings.
[podcast]65[/podcast]
Download - 69 minutes, 32MB
[/preview]
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].
Multi-Platform
[IMG-L=5137]6940[/IMG-L]Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian Dev. Majesco Pub. Majesco Systems: DS, Wii, 360 MSRP: $29.99, $39.99
While I’m looking forward to this movie coming out, the game based on the movie usually isn’t what hardcore (or even medium-core) gamers are looking for. This is a puzzle/adventure title with 14 different levels, various collectable items, and mild humor. It’s probably a purchase best for families/gamers with kids. - mrs. ship
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free Shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free Shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping)
[IMG-L=5137]6869[/IMG-L]Velvet Assassin (Last Week) Dev. Replay Studios Pub. SouthPeak Systems: PC, 360 MSRP: $49.99, $59.99
Based upon an actual female MI6 agent during World War II, Velvet Assassin is a stealth-action game in the vain of Splinter Cell. The entire game takes place through flashbacks as our heroine is in a hospital bed heavily sedated on morphine. Fortunately, this has it's perks as you can enter "Morphine Mode" which allows you to slow down your surroundings and changes your attire from hip looking spy garb to lacy lingerie. Both of these attributes are of course handy when you want to get up close to a Nazi and knife him in the groin. Hopefully, the game turns into the next great "sneak and stabber" as Sam Fisher has been M.I.A. for awhile now... and does not look nearly as good in a teddie. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $56.99 (Free Shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free Shipping)
[IMG-L=5137]6871[/IMG-L]X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Last Week) Dev. Raven Software Pub. Activision Systems: You Name It MSRP: $29.99-$59.99
If you've watched television in the last month, chances are that you may have seen a few thousand commercials letting you know that there is a new X-Men movie coming out. That of course means that another Wolverine game loosely based upon that material is headed to every electronic device known to man. What's new this time around? Well, there's blood and dismemberment. Turns out that having swords for knuckles can actually cut people... badly. You can also see the flesh rip from Hugh Jackman's perfectly sculpted physique as he takes damage and then marvel as it regenerates to "Sexiest Man Alive" stature. There's probably some good fun to have with this stylistic brawler, as Raven Software generally makes enjoyable games, but I think this is more of a renter than a purchase. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $59.99 (Free Shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free Shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $59.99 (Free Shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free Shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free Shipping)
Wii
[IMG-L=5137]6935[/IMG-L]The Destiny of Zorro Dev. Pronto Games Pub. 505 Games Systems: Wii MSRP: $39.99
Okay Zorro fans (you must exist somewhere), here's your chance to play a third-person action game with Wii-mote sword controls. Do enough Zorro-like things, and you build up your "Z-meter" which allows you to perform powerful attacks by tracing a "Z" on the screen. ZZZZ.... - ship
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free Shipping)
[IMG-L=5137]6864[/IMG-L]Fantasy Aquarium World Dev. Destineer Pub. Destineer Systems: Wii MSRP: $19.99
It's a virtual aquarium game that doesn't feature a snarky, man-faced fish. You can trade aquariums with your friends online though. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free Shipping on Orders over $25)
[IMG-L=5137]6865[/IMG-L]Klonoa Dev. Paon Corporation Pub. Namco Bandai Systems: Wii MSRP: $29.99
This title is a remake of the Klonoa released on the Playstation. Hopefully the camera angles aren’t awkward; otherwise you’d better get out the Excedrin. Yes, I know. I’m a 2.5-D hater. But as a platformer, Klonoa was pretty solid. The original two-button controls are expanded with new motion-controls, but the gameplay is still fairly simplistic. I have to be honest; my main exposure to Klonoa is with the PS2 title (Klonoa 2) which I didn’t love. Or like. But, this is a solid port for a fair price. - mrs. ship
Purchase At Amazon $28.99 (Free Shipping)
[IMG-L=5137]6936[/IMG-L]New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat Dev. Nintendo Pub. Nintendo Systems: Wii MSRP: $29.99
This GameCube platformer was novel because it controlled completely with the bongo controller and helped us all justify owning the multiple bongo controllers we have sitting in our basements. Well, Nintendo has taken out the support for that controller and the game now controls like a traditional platformer. Of course there are Wii-Motion based special moves as well, and the game has actually been updated with new enemies and a new boss fight, so this is almost like a "Director's Cut" version of Jungle Beat. I'd still like the option to play with the bongos though. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $27.99 (Free Shipping)
[IMG-L=5137]6861[/IMG-L]Burger Island (Last Week) Dev. eGames Pub. Destineer Systems: Wii MSRP: $29.99
This online, flash-based title is being ported to the Wii and the DS. It’s similar to Cake Mania but with (gasp!) burgers. The burger joint is on an island, hence the “island” part of the title. Since I didn’t feel like bogging down my otherwise sluggish work PC to try this one out, you’ll have to see for yourself. If you love these type of business simulation titles, this one should be a decent buy. - mrs. ship
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping)
[IMG-L=5137]6867[/IMG-L]Party Pigs: Farmyard Games Dev. Data Design Interactive Pub. Destineer Systems: Wii MSRP: $19.99
Destineer just isn’t going to stop until we have a mini-game compilation title for every known species on the planet. Party Pigs: Farmyard Games features track and field events with porcine participants. Heck, maybe they’ll even expand to extinct species too. Dodo Party Extravaganza sounds like a great time to me. - mrs. ship
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free Shipping on Orders over $25)
[IMG-L=5137]6866[/IMG-L]My Horse & Me: Riding for Gold (Last Week) Dev. Atari Pub. Atari Systems: Wii MSRP: $29.99
I personally think that this title should be “Riding for Cash” or “Riding to Not Be Glue”, but hey that’s me. - mrs. ship
Purchase At Amazon $27.99 (Free Shipping)
DS
[IMG-L=5137]6937[/IMG-L]Imagine: Music Fest Dev. UbiSoft Pub. UbiSoft Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
Imagine if Hannah Montana AND Miley Cyrus AND Jonas Brothers AND the Cheetah Girls all performed at once. None of them, of course, are in this game. That's why you have to use your imagination. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping)
[IMG-L=5137]6938[/IMG-L]Jagged Alliance Dev. Strategy First/Cyrpon Studios Pub. Atari Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
A remake of the 1994 PC game, Jagged Alliance is a tactical strategy game based around mercenaries on a tropical island. I've never played the series, but it looks like something I would enjoy and something that would translate well to the DS. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping)
[IMG-L=5137]6942[/IMG-L]Puzzle Kingdoms Dev. Infinite Interactive Pub. Zoo Games Systems: DS MSRP: $19.99
This puzzle/board game title has some RTS aspects to it, and is the next game from the makers of Puzzle Quest. There’s a new puzzle system, and Wii-mote control for the Wii (you can read that as a positive or negative depending on your personal gaming preference). Even though I haven’t had a chance to check this one out yet, I know that it’s a must buy in the Shipwreck household and I’ll most likely be addicted soon. - mrs. ship
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free Shipping on Orders over $25)
[IMG-L=5137]6863[/IMG-L]Elite Forces: Unit 77 (Last Week) Dev. Abylight Pub. Deep Silver/Gammick Entertainment Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
Elite Forces: Unit 77 is a squad-based three-quarters view shooter that apparently has a lot of similarities to Operation: Vietnam. Since I've never played that game either, I'm not sure what else to tell you other than it received okay reviews when it was released earlier this year in Europe. Oh, and that guy on the cover kind of looks like Flint. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping)
[IMG-L=5137]6868[/IMG-L]Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier (Last Week) Dev. Monolith Soft Pub. Atlus Systems: DS MSRP: $34.99
Venturing away from the tactical roots of it's Game Boy Advance predecessors, Endless Frontier instead goes for a timing based combo system that turns the battles in this RPG into an almost turn-based fighting game. You control a team of four and of course have access to various giant robots as you progress through the game. There's also a small bit of series cross-over included as characters from both Namco X Capcom (not the Namco or the Capcom characters) and Xenosaga (KOS-MOS) make appearances. Atlus has thrown in some extras as well in the form of a soundtrack CD and you can receive some bonus items by inserting the GBA games into your DS. All in all, this looks like a fun, non-traditional RPG. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $31.99 (Free Shipping)
PlayStation 3
[IMG-L=5137]6939[/IMG-L]Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust Dev. Team 17 Pub. Funsta Systems: PS3 MSRP: $29.99
Larry Lovage (yes, Larry Laffer's nephew from Magna Cum Laude) returns as the lead character in Box Office Bust, but the venue has been switched from a college campus to a movie studio. Full of double-entendres and innuendos, this adventure game plays similarly to the last game although the mini-games seem to be a bit more fleshed out this time around. That said, reviews of the Xbox 360 version have been absolutely atrocious. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping)
PlayStation 2
[IMG-L=5137]6859[/IMG-L]Backyard Baseball '10 (Last Week) Dev. Humongous Entertainment Pub. Atari Systems: PS2 MSRP: $19.99
David Ortiz thinks your kids might enjoy this whimsical take on baseball. He also might eat them. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free Shipping)
PSP
[IMG-L=5137]6862[/IMG-L]Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce (Last Week) Dev. Omega Force Pub. Koei Systems: PSP MSRP: $39.99
Okay, Dynasty Warriors fans, I hope you either hate life (you probably do) or have three other PSP toting friends who are equally excited about Koei's latest offering because this game is built around co-op. As in, "local only, everybody buy this $40 game, and come over to my house" co-op. No, not my house, the theoretical house in which somewhere in North America there will really be four people playing this game together. Sure you can play it on your own, but it's going to be as difficult as me actually being able to differentiate between any of the characters in a Dynasty Warriors game. They have added some new features like aerial-combat for those of you that insist on Lu Bu-ing it up for the umpteenth time. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free Shipping)
On The DL
Animal Crossing Calculator Dev. Nintendo Pub. Nintendo Systems: DSiWare MSRP: $2
Wait, do you have to pay for these? - mrs. ship
Animal Crossing Clock Dev. Nintendo Pub. Nintendo Systems: DSiWare MSRP: $2
Yes. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6944[/IMG-L]Penguins & Friends: Hey! That's My Fish! Dev. Gammick Entertainment Pub. Nintendo Systems: WiiWare MSRP: $8
Don't immediately pass this one up if you are a fan of board games because this is a cheap way to get in on some "Hey! That's My Fish!" action. The retail version of this easy to learn hex-based strategy game will put you at least $40 out of pocket, so if you are a fan of Catan or Carcassone on XBLA, you might actually want to add a game named "Penguins & Friends" to your collection this week. Too bad there's no online play though. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6947[/IMG-L]Tower Toppler Dev. Triffix Entertainment Pub. Hewson Systems: Wii Virtual Console (C64) MSRP: $5
Play as a space frog trying to ascend to the top of medieval looking space towers in this Commodore 64 platformer. Very impressive looking for its time, Tower Toppler is unique in that the platforming is performed along the outside of the tower and moving left or right rotates the tower. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6941[/IMG-L]Patapon 2 Dev. SCEJ Pub. Sony Systems: PSP MSRP: $19.99
Couldn't get enough of the little chanting buggers in the first game? Well, here's more of them and it's only being released in North America as a downloadable game. While I liked the charm of the original, I just don't think I need any more Patapon. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free Shipping on Orders over $25)
[IMG-L=5137]6977[/IMG-L]Puzzle Quest: Galactrix Dev. Infinite Interactive Pub. D3 Publisher Systems: PS3 MSRP: $19.99
Puzzle Quest in Space apparently was not out on the PS3 yet. Who knew? - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6943[/IMG-L]Arkanoid Live Dev. Taito Pub. Taito Systems: XBLA MSRP: $10
Okay, it's time. How do we have all these hi-tech consoles and yet nobody has a paddle controller? Forget all this motion control nonsense, we want to paddle. Oh, and the XBLA version of Arkanoid (previously on DS and PSP) hits this week. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6945[/IMG-L]Space Invaders Extreme Dev. Backbone Entertainment Pub. Taito Systems: XBLA MSRP: $10
Also released previously on the DS and PSP, the Xbox 360 finally gets the well received (and brightly colored) re-imagining of alien invasion. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6946[/IMG-L]Zombie Wranglers Dev. Frozen Codebase Pub. Sierra Online Systems: XBLA MSRP: $10
A humorous co-op game where up to four people can battle cartoony zombies and other monsters. Ultimately, you must suck up the baddies into your supernatural vacuum cleaner. I think I saw one of those at Target the other day... probably a Dyson. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6872[/IMG-L]Clubhouse Games Express: Card Classics (Last Week) Dev. Nintendo Pub. Nintendo Systems: DSiWare MSRP: $5
Nintendo cuts five of the card games from the retail version of Clubhouse Games and deals them out for $5. Blackjack, Five Card Draw, Last Card, Last Card Plus, and President are included. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6873[/IMG-L]Paper Airplane Chase (Last Week) Dev. Nintendo Pub. Nintendo Systems: DSiWare MSRP: $2
Guide a paper airplane through a randomly-generated course in this update of a WarioWare micro-game. Maybe my first DSiWare purchase? - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6874[/IMG-L]Cocoto Platform Jumper (Last Week) Dev. Neko Entertainment Pub. Neko Entertainment Systems: WiiWare MSRP: $7
Another of the Cocoto series of PlayStation 2 budget releases becomes even more budget priced on the Wii. How do they keep prices so low? By eliminating the middle man. You know, the guy that would have tried to come up with a better name than "Platform Jumper". - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6875[/IMG-L]Nobunaga's Ambition (Last Week) Dev. Koei Pub. Koei Systems: Wii Virtual Console (SNES) MSRP: $8
Koei's feudal Japan turn-based strategy game gathers enough resources to invade the Virtual Console. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6860[/IMG-L]Banjo-Tooie (Last Week) Dev. Rare/4J Studios Pub. Microsoft Systems: XBLA MSRP: $15
Bird and bear and backpack go on their second adventure of obsessive note collecting in this port of the Nintendo 64 classic. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6870[/IMG-L]Cyber Troopers Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram (Last Week) Dev. SEGA Pub. SEGA Systems: XBLA MSRP: $15
Arcade-style robot fighting at its finest, this version of Virtual-On is an up-rezzed version of the Dreamcast classic with mano-a-mano online play. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6877[/IMG-L]Sorry! (Last Week) Dev. EA Bright Light Pub. Electronic Arts Systems: XBLA MSRP: $10
The latest sub-game for Hasbro Family Game Night is "Sorry!". You might remember it as the board game that taught you how to be a sarcastic prick to your friends and loved ones. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6879[/IMG-L]Max Payne (Last Week) Dev. Remedy Entertainment Pub. Rockstar Games Systems: Xbox Originals MSRP: $15
If you haven't played the Max Payne series of games yet, you should really do yourself a favor and see why this was one of the best third-person shooters that the last generation had to offer. You could also do yourself another favor and just pick up a used copy for $5. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6880[/IMG-L]Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne (Last Week) Dev. Remedy Entertainment Pub. Rockstar Games Systems: Xbox Originals MSRP: $15
This game was sooo good and sold sooo terribly when it originally came out. I still don't regret paying full price for it the day it came out though. Like the first game, you can pick this up for $5 used now. - 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.
Don't forget to enter our contest for Avalon Code for the DS courtesy of XSEED Games.
Special thanks to GoDaddy.com for providing CAG Foreplay listeners with a code for domain names for only $7.49 a year. Just enter code "GAMER1" when you check out to get your savings.
[podcast]65[/podcast]
Download - 69 minutes, 32MB
[/preview]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].
Multi-Platform
[IMG-L=5137]6940[/IMG-L]Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian Dev. Majesco Pub. Majesco Systems: DS, Wii, 360 MSRP: $29.99, $39.99
While I’m looking forward to this movie coming out, the game based on the movie usually isn’t what hardcore (or even medium-core) gamers are looking for. This is a puzzle/adventure title with 14 different levels, various collectable items, and mild humor. It’s probably a purchase best for families/gamers with kids. - mrs. ship
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free Shipping) Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free Shipping) Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping)[IMG-L=5137]6869[/IMG-L]Velvet Assassin (Last Week) Dev. Replay Studios Pub. SouthPeak Systems: PC, 360 MSRP: $49.99, $59.99
Based upon an actual female MI6 agent during World War II, Velvet Assassin is a stealth-action game in the vain of Splinter Cell. The entire game takes place through flashbacks as our heroine is in a hospital bed heavily sedated on morphine. Fortunately, this has it's perks as you can enter "Morphine Mode" which allows you to slow down your surroundings and changes your attire from hip looking spy garb to lacy lingerie. Both of these attributes are of course handy when you want to get up close to a Nazi and knife him in the groin. Hopefully, the game turns into the next great "sneak and stabber" as Sam Fisher has been M.I.A. for awhile now... and does not look nearly as good in a teddie. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $56.99 (Free Shipping) Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free Shipping)[IMG-L=5137]6871[/IMG-L]X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Last Week) Dev. Raven Software Pub. Activision Systems: You Name It MSRP: $29.99-$59.99
If you've watched television in the last month, chances are that you may have seen a few thousand commercials letting you know that there is a new X-Men movie coming out. That of course means that another Wolverine game loosely based upon that material is headed to every electronic device known to man. What's new this time around? Well, there's blood and dismemberment. Turns out that having swords for knuckles can actually cut people... badly. You can also see the flesh rip from Hugh Jackman's perfectly sculpted physique as he takes damage and then marvel as it regenerates to "Sexiest Man Alive" stature. There's probably some good fun to have with this stylistic brawler, as Raven Software generally makes enjoyable games, but I think this is more of a renter than a purchase. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $59.99 (Free Shipping) Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping) Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free Shipping) Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping) Purchase At Amazon $59.99 (Free Shipping) Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free Shipping) Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free Shipping)Wii
[IMG-L=5137]6935[/IMG-L]The Destiny of Zorro Dev. Pronto Games Pub. 505 Games Systems: Wii MSRP: $39.99
Okay Zorro fans (you must exist somewhere), here's your chance to play a third-person action game with Wii-mote sword controls. Do enough Zorro-like things, and you build up your "Z-meter" which allows you to perform powerful attacks by tracing a "Z" on the screen. ZZZZ.... - ship
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free Shipping)[IMG-L=5137]6864[/IMG-L]Fantasy Aquarium World Dev. Destineer Pub. Destineer Systems: Wii MSRP: $19.99
It's a virtual aquarium game that doesn't feature a snarky, man-faced fish. You can trade aquariums with your friends online though. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free Shipping on Orders over $25)[IMG-L=5137]6865[/IMG-L]Klonoa Dev. Paon Corporation Pub. Namco Bandai Systems: Wii MSRP: $29.99
This title is a remake of the Klonoa released on the Playstation. Hopefully the camera angles aren’t awkward; otherwise you’d better get out the Excedrin. Yes, I know. I’m a 2.5-D hater. But as a platformer, Klonoa was pretty solid. The original two-button controls are expanded with new motion-controls, but the gameplay is still fairly simplistic. I have to be honest; my main exposure to Klonoa is with the PS2 title (Klonoa 2) which I didn’t love. Or like. But, this is a solid port for a fair price. - mrs. ship
Purchase At Amazon $28.99 (Free Shipping)[IMG-L=5137]6936[/IMG-L]New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat Dev. Nintendo Pub. Nintendo Systems: Wii MSRP: $29.99
This GameCube platformer was novel because it controlled completely with the bongo controller and helped us all justify owning the multiple bongo controllers we have sitting in our basements. Well, Nintendo has taken out the support for that controller and the game now controls like a traditional platformer. Of course there are Wii-Motion based special moves as well, and the game has actually been updated with new enemies and a new boss fight, so this is almost like a "Director's Cut" version of Jungle Beat. I'd still like the option to play with the bongos though. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $27.99 (Free Shipping)[IMG-L=5137]6861[/IMG-L]Burger Island (Last Week) Dev. eGames Pub. Destineer Systems: Wii MSRP: $29.99
This online, flash-based title is being ported to the Wii and the DS. It’s similar to Cake Mania but with (gasp!) burgers. The burger joint is on an island, hence the “island” part of the title. Since I didn’t feel like bogging down my otherwise sluggish work PC to try this one out, you’ll have to see for yourself. If you love these type of business simulation titles, this one should be a decent buy. - mrs. ship
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping)[IMG-L=5137]6867[/IMG-L]Party Pigs: Farmyard Games Dev. Data Design Interactive Pub. Destineer Systems: Wii MSRP: $19.99
Destineer just isn’t going to stop until we have a mini-game compilation title for every known species on the planet. Party Pigs: Farmyard Games features track and field events with porcine participants. Heck, maybe they’ll even expand to extinct species too. Dodo Party Extravaganza sounds like a great time to me. - mrs. ship
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free Shipping on Orders over $25)[IMG-L=5137]6866[/IMG-L]My Horse & Me: Riding for Gold (Last Week) Dev. Atari Pub. Atari Systems: Wii MSRP: $29.99
I personally think that this title should be “Riding for Cash” or “Riding to Not Be Glue”, but hey that’s me. - mrs. ship
Purchase At Amazon $27.99 (Free Shipping)DS
[IMG-L=5137]6937[/IMG-L]Imagine: Music Fest Dev. UbiSoft Pub. UbiSoft Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
Imagine if Hannah Montana AND Miley Cyrus AND Jonas Brothers AND the Cheetah Girls all performed at once. None of them, of course, are in this game. That's why you have to use your imagination. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping)[IMG-L=5137]6938[/IMG-L]Jagged Alliance Dev. Strategy First/Cyrpon Studios Pub. Atari Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
A remake of the 1994 PC game, Jagged Alliance is a tactical strategy game based around mercenaries on a tropical island. I've never played the series, but it looks like something I would enjoy and something that would translate well to the DS. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping)[IMG-L=5137]6942[/IMG-L]Puzzle Kingdoms Dev. Infinite Interactive Pub. Zoo Games Systems: DS MSRP: $19.99
This puzzle/board game title has some RTS aspects to it, and is the next game from the makers of Puzzle Quest. There’s a new puzzle system, and Wii-mote control for the Wii (you can read that as a positive or negative depending on your personal gaming preference). Even though I haven’t had a chance to check this one out yet, I know that it’s a must buy in the Shipwreck household and I’ll most likely be addicted soon. - mrs. ship
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free Shipping on Orders over $25)[IMG-L=5137]6863[/IMG-L]Elite Forces: Unit 77 (Last Week) Dev. Abylight Pub. Deep Silver/Gammick Entertainment Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
Elite Forces: Unit 77 is a squad-based three-quarters view shooter that apparently has a lot of similarities to Operation: Vietnam. Since I've never played that game either, I'm not sure what else to tell you other than it received okay reviews when it was released earlier this year in Europe. Oh, and that guy on the cover kind of looks like Flint. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping)[IMG-L=5137]6868[/IMG-L]Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier (Last Week) Dev. Monolith Soft Pub. Atlus Systems: DS MSRP: $34.99
Venturing away from the tactical roots of it's Game Boy Advance predecessors, Endless Frontier instead goes for a timing based combo system that turns the battles in this RPG into an almost turn-based fighting game. You control a team of four and of course have access to various giant robots as you progress through the game. There's also a small bit of series cross-over included as characters from both Namco X Capcom (not the Namco or the Capcom characters) and Xenosaga (KOS-MOS) make appearances. Atlus has thrown in some extras as well in the form of a soundtrack CD and you can receive some bonus items by inserting the GBA games into your DS. All in all, this looks like a fun, non-traditional RPG. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $31.99 (Free Shipping)PlayStation 3
[IMG-L=5137]6939[/IMG-L]Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust Dev. Team 17 Pub. Funsta Systems: PS3 MSRP: $29.99
Larry Lovage (yes, Larry Laffer's nephew from Magna Cum Laude) returns as the lead character in Box Office Bust, but the venue has been switched from a college campus to a movie studio. Full of double-entendres and innuendos, this adventure game plays similarly to the last game although the mini-games seem to be a bit more fleshed out this time around. That said, reviews of the Xbox 360 version have been absolutely atrocious. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping)PlayStation 2
[IMG-L=5137]6859[/IMG-L]Backyard Baseball '10 (Last Week) Dev. Humongous Entertainment Pub. Atari Systems: PS2 MSRP: $19.99
David Ortiz thinks your kids might enjoy this whimsical take on baseball. He also might eat them. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free Shipping)PSP
[IMG-L=5137]6862[/IMG-L]Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce (Last Week) Dev. Omega Force Pub. Koei Systems: PSP MSRP: $39.99
Okay, Dynasty Warriors fans, I hope you either hate life (you probably do) or have three other PSP toting friends who are equally excited about Koei's latest offering because this game is built around co-op. As in, "local only, everybody buy this $40 game, and come over to my house" co-op. No, not my house, the theoretical house in which somewhere in North America there will really be four people playing this game together. Sure you can play it on your own, but it's going to be as difficult as me actually being able to differentiate between any of the characters in a Dynasty Warriors game. They have added some new features like aerial-combat for those of you that insist on Lu Bu-ing it up for the umpteenth time. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free Shipping)On The DL
Animal Crossing Calculator Dev. Nintendo Pub. Nintendo Systems: DSiWare MSRP: $2
Wait, do you have to pay for these? - mrs. ship
Animal Crossing Clock Dev. Nintendo Pub. Nintendo Systems: DSiWare MSRP: $2
Yes. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6944[/IMG-L]Penguins & Friends: Hey! That's My Fish! Dev. Gammick Entertainment Pub. Nintendo Systems: WiiWare MSRP: $8
Don't immediately pass this one up if you are a fan of board games because this is a cheap way to get in on some "Hey! That's My Fish!" action. The retail version of this easy to learn hex-based strategy game will put you at least $40 out of pocket, so if you are a fan of Catan or Carcassone on XBLA, you might actually want to add a game named "Penguins & Friends" to your collection this week. Too bad there's no online play though. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6947[/IMG-L]Tower Toppler Dev. Triffix Entertainment Pub. Hewson Systems: Wii Virtual Console (C64) MSRP: $5
Play as a space frog trying to ascend to the top of medieval looking space towers in this Commodore 64 platformer. Very impressive looking for its time, Tower Toppler is unique in that the platforming is performed along the outside of the tower and moving left or right rotates the tower. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6941[/IMG-L]Patapon 2 Dev. SCEJ Pub. Sony Systems: PSP MSRP: $19.99
Couldn't get enough of the little chanting buggers in the first game? Well, here's more of them and it's only being released in North America as a downloadable game. While I liked the charm of the original, I just don't think I need any more Patapon. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free Shipping on Orders over $25)[IMG-L=5137]6977[/IMG-L]Puzzle Quest: Galactrix Dev. Infinite Interactive Pub. D3 Publisher Systems: PS3 MSRP: $19.99
Puzzle Quest in Space apparently was not out on the PS3 yet. Who knew? - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6943[/IMG-L]Arkanoid Live Dev. Taito Pub. Taito Systems: XBLA MSRP: $10
Okay, it's time. How do we have all these hi-tech consoles and yet nobody has a paddle controller? Forget all this motion control nonsense, we want to paddle. Oh, and the XBLA version of Arkanoid (previously on DS and PSP) hits this week. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6945[/IMG-L]Space Invaders Extreme Dev. Backbone Entertainment Pub. Taito Systems: XBLA MSRP: $10
Also released previously on the DS and PSP, the Xbox 360 finally gets the well received (and brightly colored) re-imagining of alien invasion. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6946[/IMG-L]Zombie Wranglers Dev. Frozen Codebase Pub. Sierra Online Systems: XBLA MSRP: $10
A humorous co-op game where up to four people can battle cartoony zombies and other monsters. Ultimately, you must suck up the baddies into your supernatural vacuum cleaner. I think I saw one of those at Target the other day... probably a Dyson. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6872[/IMG-L]Clubhouse Games Express: Card Classics (Last Week) Dev. Nintendo Pub. Nintendo Systems: DSiWare MSRP: $5
Nintendo cuts five of the card games from the retail version of Clubhouse Games and deals them out for $5. Blackjack, Five Card Draw, Last Card, Last Card Plus, and President are included. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6873[/IMG-L]Paper Airplane Chase (Last Week) Dev. Nintendo Pub. Nintendo Systems: DSiWare MSRP: $2
Guide a paper airplane through a randomly-generated course in this update of a WarioWare micro-game. Maybe my first DSiWare purchase? - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6874[/IMG-L]Cocoto Platform Jumper (Last Week) Dev. Neko Entertainment Pub. Neko Entertainment Systems: WiiWare MSRP: $7
Another of the Cocoto series of PlayStation 2 budget releases becomes even more budget priced on the Wii. How do they keep prices so low? By eliminating the middle man. You know, the guy that would have tried to come up with a better name than "Platform Jumper". - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6875[/IMG-L]Nobunaga's Ambition (Last Week) Dev. Koei Pub. Koei Systems: Wii Virtual Console (SNES) MSRP: $8
Koei's feudal Japan turn-based strategy game gathers enough resources to invade the Virtual Console. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6860[/IMG-L]Banjo-Tooie (Last Week) Dev. Rare/4J Studios Pub. Microsoft Systems: XBLA MSRP: $15
Bird and bear and backpack go on their second adventure of obsessive note collecting in this port of the Nintendo 64 classic. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6870[/IMG-L]Cyber Troopers Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram (Last Week) Dev. SEGA Pub. SEGA Systems: XBLA MSRP: $15
Arcade-style robot fighting at its finest, this version of Virtual-On is an up-rezzed version of the Dreamcast classic with mano-a-mano online play. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6877[/IMG-L]Sorry! (Last Week) Dev. EA Bright Light Pub. Electronic Arts Systems: XBLA MSRP: $10
The latest sub-game for Hasbro Family Game Night is "Sorry!". You might remember it as the board game that taught you how to be a sarcastic prick to your friends and loved ones. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6879[/IMG-L]Max Payne (Last Week) Dev. Remedy Entertainment Pub. Rockstar Games Systems: Xbox Originals MSRP: $15
If you haven't played the Max Payne series of games yet, you should really do yourself a favor and see why this was one of the best third-person shooters that the last generation had to offer. You could also do yourself another favor and just pick up a used copy for $5. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6880[/IMG-L]Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne (Last Week) Dev. Remedy Entertainment Pub. Rockstar Games Systems: Xbox Originals MSRP: $15
This game was sooo good and sold sooo terribly when it originally came out. I still don't regret paying full price for it the day it came out though. Like the first game, you can pick this up for $5 used now. - 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.
although Ship might want to kill her.
