CAG's mrs. shipwreck & shipwreck preview the new releases for the week of April 17th, 2007. This week we cover quite a varied selection of games that all share a common bond: mediocrity.
We all want to wish rocksolidaudio the best of luck in his new gig at 1Up and I thank him for being the yin to my yang for CAG Foreplay for the few months that we've been running this feature. We may see his work here again in the future, but in the meantime, mrs. shipwreck will become the yin. Quite frankly, she's a lot prettier to look at and makes this whole Foreplay thing a lot less awkward.
Bust-A-Move: Bash! Dev. Taito Pub. Majesco Systems: Wii MSRP: $39.99
This is the first Wii release for the Bust-A-Move franchise, and this game utilizes the Wii remote to introduce a new mode of game play, Shooting mode. The five modes total up to over 500 levels of Bust-A-Move fun with new playable characters and two new in-game options: “hyper” (which speeds up play) and “slip” (which allows the player to make up for poor aim). Any Wii-owning fan of this franchise will be pleased, as this game has enough additions to make it fresh without straying too far from its roots. – mrs. ship
Best Deal:
Amazon will save you a couple bucks on Bust-A-Move: Bash! and offers your free shipping and no tax.
Purchase At Amazon $37.99 (Free shipping)
Classic Action Devilish Dev. Starfish Pub. UFO Interactive Systems: DS MSRP: $19.99
Nothing says pinball like Classic Action: Devilish. Seriously, nothing in this title suggests that this is a pinball game, but that’s what it is. An update of a retro game of the same title, it’s a Breakout-type, brick and paddle “pinball” game. The best thing about it appears to be the controls: the game play involves both screens on the DS and uses the shoulder buttons to rotate the on-screen paddles. The Teen rating might surprise you, but this game also features large-breasted female characters and evil-looking bosses. According to the UFO Interactive Website, “If you’re a fan of action pinball, this title is definitely for you!” – mrs. ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals on Classic Action Devilish.
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)
Eureka Seven Vol. 2: The New Vision Dev. BEC Pub. Namco Bandai Systems: PS2 MSRP: $39.99
The sequel to the prequel of the anime series it is based upon. I give you my subtle one-thousand words. - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals on Eureka Seven Vol. 2.
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free shipping)
Pocket Pool Dev. Eidos Interactive Pub. Eidos Interactive Systems: PSP MSRP: $29.99
Hehe... they named it Pocket Pool. And there's boobs on the cover. Hustle the honeys and skillfully use your cue stick to unlock more jubblies in this tasteful billiards simulation. Because there aren't portable versions of The Guy Game and BMX XXX,Horndog Studios Eidos Interactive satiates your carnal desires on the go with Pocket Pool. - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals on Pocket Pool.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Raiden III Dev. MOSS Studio Pub. UFO Interactive Systems: PS2 MSRP: $29.99
The third installment of the classic vertical shooter series took its sweet time coming to U.S. shores, but SHMUP fans that didn't import this long ago have something to buy this week. Besides the new 3D graphics, this is pretty standard space shooter fare with lots of powerups, weapons, and TV screens full of fluorescent bullets. If you have a SHMUP friend, co-op play allows for some additional firepower with a unique beam attack that is only available when two twitch gamers get together. For most of us though, this is bargain bin fodder that is a difficult sale as a $30 retail game. - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals on Raiden III.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
The Red Star Dev. Acclaim Pub. XS Games Systems: PS2 MSRP: $19.99
What's this? A second shooter that's been on release lists for years? Well, after many delays, the comic book based "The Red Star" is actually seeing store shelves. What you get for your wait is an isometric shooter with three playable characters set in an alternate future USSR. Meant to be best enjoyed with a co-op buddy, you can expect flurries of gunfire and even a built-in hand-to-hand combat system. This game reminds me of a Dreamcast game by the name of Expendable that I enjoyed quite a bit, and for the $20 price tag, it may be a bit more palatable than Raiden III. - ship
Best Deal:
Amazon is selling The Red Star for $5 off the retail price.
Purchase At Amazon $14.82 (Free shipping on orders over $25)
Sudokuro: Sudoku and Kakuro Games Dev. Crave Entertainment Pub. Crave Entertainment Systems: DS MSRP: $19.99
It should be mathematically impossible for a new Sudoku game to come out every week. Honestly, I've crunched the numbers and it was tough to even get Carol Vorderman and Toon-Doku into the grid. Well, this one has 1,500 games of Sudoku and 5,000 games of Kakuro, so hopefully that will be enough to get you through until whatever next week's Sudoku game is. - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Sudokuro.
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)
Tokyo Xtreme Racer Drift 2 Dev. Crave Entertainment Pub. Crave Entertainment Systems: PS2 MSRP: $19.99
Crave Entertainment says it best… “The mountains of Japan are calling…” Based on current online reviews of this game, it would best not to answer. This 1-2 player racing game has 180 modifiable cars, four Japanese mountains on which to race, changing weather conditions, and ….wait for it… an “engaging story”. Now if that doesn’t peak your interest, I don’t know what will. Overall, the game is fairly predictable but lacks in the control department and is rumored to be rather boring. So, if you’re going to buy this game, I suggest waiting until the price drops even lower than $20. – mrs. ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Tokyo Xtreme Racer Drift 2.
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)
Valhalla Knights Dev. Marvelous Interactive Pub. XSEED Systems: PSP MSRP: $39.99
From what I can tell, this dungeon crawler has very little to do with Norse Mythology, but instead consists of a Lord of the Rings-ish cast of characters. You've got your humans, elves, dwarves, and hobbits, but to kick it up a notch, you've also got robots that are piloted by androids. That sounds both dangerous and redundant to me, but I guess it is helpful somehow. Unlike most action RPGs, you don't simply control one character, but instead have a party of six that you switch between in real-time combat. In case that's not complex enough, there's also a job system that ranges from priests to knights to ninjas. Mix in the high enemy difficulty and this seems like a game that could be a worthwhile endeavor for hardcore RPG fans and an absolute chore for anyone else. - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Valhalla Knights.
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $37.25 (99 cent shipping)
On The DL with the Shipwrecks
3D Ultra MiniGolf Adventures Systems: 360 MSRP: $10
Couldn't think of a better name for it, huh? Okay, well let's go with that then. So it's a putt-putt game that is in three-dimensions, extreme, and contains exciting experiences. It also contains a course editor, but I guess that it's not good enough to be featured in the game's title. Here's hoping this can tear me away from my copy of Zany Golf on the Genesis. - ship
Bonk's Revenge Systems: Wii MSRP: $6
TurboGrafx-16's flagship platforming series returns and Bonk's ready to bonk everything in sight; he's not picky. This version allows you to transform Bonk into different forms such as Butthead Bonk. I'm not kidding. - ship
Gyruss Systems: 360 MSRP: $5
Tube shooter fans rejoice. The classic shooter has been given the standard XBLA treatment with updated graphics and online functions. I always walked right by this one in the arcade. - ship
Punch Out!!! Systems: Wii MSRP: $5
Mr. Dream, I knew Mike Tyson, and you, sir, are no Mike Tyson. Sure, all the rest of the cast is here and it's still a great game, but I'd rather Tyson kick my ass than Mr. Dream. - ship
Super Rub-A-Dub Systems: PS3 MSRP: $?
This downloadable release for the Playstation Network puts the PS3’s tilt control to full use. The object of this tech-demo, which has been available in Europe for about a week now, is to guide a large duck around the screen, collecting smaller ducks within tiny bubbles. The trailer features a stellar soundtrack consisting of quacking sounds and cartoon bubble-popping noises set to a magical harp melody. The game seems similar in objective and gameplay to Super Monkey Ball on the Wii or Marble Blast Ultra on the 360. PS3 owners should be glad that the Playstation Network is finally expanding its content. – mrs. ship
Virtua Fighter 2 Systems: Wii MSRP: $8
It's unbelievable that this game made it out the door in 1996, and a crime against humanity that it has seen the light of day again 11 years later. This game was a horrible joke played on unsuspecting Genesis owners hoping to bring the arcade action home (oh, the tears). And furthermore, this is another "classic" that could be had for 71 cents on the Sega Genesis Collection, but even that is too much. What a turd. - 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.
We all want to wish rocksolidaudio the best of luck in his new gig at 1Up and I thank him for being the yin to my yang for CAG Foreplay for the few months that we've been running this feature. We may see his work here again in the future, but in the meantime, mrs. shipwreck will become the yin. Quite frankly, she's a lot prettier to look at and makes this whole Foreplay thing a lot less awkward.
Bust-A-Move: Bash! Dev. Taito Pub. Majesco Systems: Wii MSRP: $39.99
This is the first Wii release for the Bust-A-Move franchise, and this game utilizes the Wii remote to introduce a new mode of game play, Shooting mode. The five modes total up to over 500 levels of Bust-A-Move fun with new playable characters and two new in-game options: “hyper” (which speeds up play) and “slip” (which allows the player to make up for poor aim). Any Wii-owning fan of this franchise will be pleased, as this game has enough additions to make it fresh without straying too far from its roots. – mrs. ship
Best Deal:
Amazon will save you a couple bucks on Bust-A-Move: Bash! and offers your free shipping and no tax.
Purchase At Amazon $37.99 (Free shipping)Classic Action Devilish Dev. Starfish Pub. UFO Interactive Systems: DS MSRP: $19.99
Nothing says pinball like Classic Action: Devilish. Seriously, nothing in this title suggests that this is a pinball game, but that’s what it is. An update of a retro game of the same title, it’s a Breakout-type, brick and paddle “pinball” game. The best thing about it appears to be the controls: the game play involves both screens on the DS and uses the shoulder buttons to rotate the on-screen paddles. The Teen rating might surprise you, but this game also features large-breasted female characters and evil-looking bosses. According to the UFO Interactive Website, “If you’re a fan of action pinball, this title is definitely for you!” – mrs. ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals on Classic Action Devilish.
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)Eureka Seven Vol. 2: The New Vision Dev. BEC Pub. Namco Bandai Systems: PS2 MSRP: $39.99
The sequel to the prequel of the anime series it is based upon. I give you my subtle one-thousand words. - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals on Eureka Seven Vol. 2.
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free shipping)Pocket Pool Dev. Eidos Interactive Pub. Eidos Interactive Systems: PSP MSRP: $29.99
Hehe... they named it Pocket Pool. And there's boobs on the cover. Hustle the honeys and skillfully use your cue stick to unlock more jubblies in this tasteful billiards simulation. Because there aren't portable versions of The Guy Game and BMX XXX,
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals on Pocket Pool.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)Raiden III Dev. MOSS Studio Pub. UFO Interactive Systems: PS2 MSRP: $29.99
The third installment of the classic vertical shooter series took its sweet time coming to U.S. shores, but SHMUP fans that didn't import this long ago have something to buy this week. Besides the new 3D graphics, this is pretty standard space shooter fare with lots of powerups, weapons, and TV screens full of fluorescent bullets. If you have a SHMUP friend, co-op play allows for some additional firepower with a unique beam attack that is only available when two twitch gamers get together. For most of us though, this is bargain bin fodder that is a difficult sale as a $30 retail game. - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals on Raiden III.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)The Red Star Dev. Acclaim Pub. XS Games Systems: PS2 MSRP: $19.99
What's this? A second shooter that's been on release lists for years? Well, after many delays, the comic book based "The Red Star" is actually seeing store shelves. What you get for your wait is an isometric shooter with three playable characters set in an alternate future USSR. Meant to be best enjoyed with a co-op buddy, you can expect flurries of gunfire and even a built-in hand-to-hand combat system. This game reminds me of a Dreamcast game by the name of Expendable that I enjoyed quite a bit, and for the $20 price tag, it may be a bit more palatable than Raiden III. - ship
Best Deal:
Amazon is selling The Red Star for $5 off the retail price.
Purchase At Amazon $14.82 (Free shipping on orders over $25)Sudokuro: Sudoku and Kakuro Games Dev. Crave Entertainment Pub. Crave Entertainment Systems: DS MSRP: $19.99
It should be mathematically impossible for a new Sudoku game to come out every week. Honestly, I've crunched the numbers and it was tough to even get Carol Vorderman and Toon-Doku into the grid. Well, this one has 1,500 games of Sudoku and 5,000 games of Kakuro, so hopefully that will be enough to get you through until whatever next week's Sudoku game is. - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Sudokuro.
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)Tokyo Xtreme Racer Drift 2 Dev. Crave Entertainment Pub. Crave Entertainment Systems: PS2 MSRP: $19.99
Crave Entertainment says it best… “The mountains of Japan are calling…” Based on current online reviews of this game, it would best not to answer. This 1-2 player racing game has 180 modifiable cars, four Japanese mountains on which to race, changing weather conditions, and ….wait for it… an “engaging story”. Now if that doesn’t peak your interest, I don’t know what will. Overall, the game is fairly predictable but lacks in the control department and is rumored to be rather boring. So, if you’re going to buy this game, I suggest waiting until the price drops even lower than $20. – mrs. ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Tokyo Xtreme Racer Drift 2.
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)Valhalla Knights Dev. Marvelous Interactive Pub. XSEED Systems: PSP MSRP: $39.99
From what I can tell, this dungeon crawler has very little to do with Norse Mythology, but instead consists of a Lord of the Rings-ish cast of characters. You've got your humans, elves, dwarves, and hobbits, but to kick it up a notch, you've also got robots that are piloted by androids. That sounds both dangerous and redundant to me, but I guess it is helpful somehow. Unlike most action RPGs, you don't simply control one character, but instead have a party of six that you switch between in real-time combat. In case that's not complex enough, there's also a job system that ranges from priests to knights to ninjas. Mix in the high enemy difficulty and this seems like a game that could be a worthwhile endeavor for hardcore RPG fans and an absolute chore for anyone else. - ship
Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Valhalla Knights.
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free shipping) Purchase At Family Video $37.25 (99 cent shipping)On The DL with the Shipwrecks
3D Ultra MiniGolf Adventures Systems: 360 MSRP: $10
Couldn't think of a better name for it, huh? Okay, well let's go with that then. So it's a putt-putt game that is in three-dimensions, extreme, and contains exciting experiences. It also contains a course editor, but I guess that it's not good enough to be featured in the game's title. Here's hoping this can tear me away from my copy of Zany Golf on the Genesis. - ship
Bonk's Revenge Systems: Wii MSRP: $6
TurboGrafx-16's flagship platforming series returns and Bonk's ready to bonk everything in sight; he's not picky. This version allows you to transform Bonk into different forms such as Butthead Bonk. I'm not kidding. - ship
Gyruss Systems: 360 MSRP: $5
Tube shooter fans rejoice. The classic shooter has been given the standard XBLA treatment with updated graphics and online functions. I always walked right by this one in the arcade. - ship
Punch Out!!! Systems: Wii MSRP: $5
Mr. Dream, I knew Mike Tyson, and you, sir, are no Mike Tyson. Sure, all the rest of the cast is here and it's still a great game, but I'd rather Tyson kick my ass than Mr. Dream. - ship
Super Rub-A-Dub Systems: PS3 MSRP: $?
This downloadable release for the Playstation Network puts the PS3’s tilt control to full use. The object of this tech-demo, which has been available in Europe for about a week now, is to guide a large duck around the screen, collecting smaller ducks within tiny bubbles. The trailer features a stellar soundtrack consisting of quacking sounds and cartoon bubble-popping noises set to a magical harp melody. The game seems similar in objective and gameplay to Super Monkey Ball on the Wii or Marble Blast Ultra on the 360. PS3 owners should be glad that the Playstation Network is finally expanding its content. – mrs. ship
Virtua Fighter 2 Systems: Wii MSRP: $8
It's unbelievable that this game made it out the door in 1996, and a crime against humanity that it has seen the light of day again 11 years later. This game was a horrible joke played on unsuspecting Genesis owners hoping to bring the arcade action home (oh, the tears). And furthermore, this is another "classic" that could be had for 71 cents on the Sega Genesis Collection, but even that is too much. What a turd. - 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.
