CAG Foreplay #25: Mrs. Shipwreck Finds a Way (12/5/07)

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CAG's shipwreck & mrs. shipwreck preview the new releases for the week of December 5th, 2007. This week we cover... well... let's be honest, these aren't the games you are looking for. Well, maybe you are shopping for a small child, or possibly have a vendetta that needs settling, or simply enjoy a good kick to the groin. If that's the case, we've got plenty to talk about.

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CAG Foreplay Podcast show notes will be up later today. (Who am I kidding?)

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Multi-Platform

Alvin and the Chipmunks Dev. Sensory Sweep Studios Pub. Brash Interactive Systems: PC, DS, PS2, Wii MSRP: $19.99-$49.99
I was actually surprised to see that this wasn’t some cheap movie tie-in platforming game, but is instead a cheap movie tie-in Chipmunks rhythm game. That’s right, hit buttons to the beat of high-pitched versions of songs like “Shiny Happy People”, “All the Small Things”, and “It’s Tricky”. Sadly, no songs from the hit “Chipmunk Punk” album of my youth are included. Oh, and the Chipmunks are all hip and CG now and I want to punch them in the face (unlike the loveably annoying Chipmunks that walked a fine line in their prime). - ship

Best Deal:
There don’t seem to be any specific deals for Alvin and the Chipmunks.

:ds: Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
:ds: Purchase At Deep Discount $28.99 (Free shipping)
:pc: Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)
:ps2: Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free shipping)
:ps2: Purchase At Deep Discount $38.99 (Free shipping)
:wii: Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free shipping)
:wii: Purchase At Deep Discount $48.99 (Free shipping)


Golden Compass Dev. Shiny Entertainment Pub. SEGA Systems: Everything MSRP: $29.99-$59.99
As the holiday season gets closer, the summer-movie-turned-videogame river ebbs to a slow trickle. This week, it's the game based on the yet-to-be-released Narnia knock-off The Golden Compass. In this title, play as Lyra, the heroine, as she travels with her armored polar bear and her pet demon. This action title has expansive levels and good graphics, but it's a bit expensive for a game whose target audience can't drive themselves around. If this is a game you're interested in, my advice is to see the movie first and wait until the price drops. - mrs. ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Golden Compass.

:360: Purchase At Amazon $59.95 (Free shipping)
:360: Purchase At Family Video $57.68 (99 cent shipping)
:ds: Purchase At Amazon $29.95 (Free shipping)
:ds: Purchase At Deep Discount $28.99 (Free shipping)
:pc: Purchase At Family Video $27.64 (99 cent shipping)
:pc: Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
:ps2: Purchase At Amazon $39.95 (Free shipping)
:ps2: Purchase At Deep Discount $38.99 (Free shipping)
:ps3: Purchase At Amazon $59.95 (Free shipping)
:ps3: Purchase At Family Video $57.68 (99 cent shipping)
:psp: Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free shipping)
:psp: Purchase At Deep Discount $38.99 (Free shipping)
:wii: Purchase At Amazon $49.95 (Free shipping)
:wii: Purchase At Deep Discount $48.99 (Free shipping)


Xbox 360

Dance Dance Revolution Universe 2 Bundle Dev. Konami Pub. Konami Systems: 360 MSRP: $69.99
The seemingly forgotten player in the music rhythm genre, DDR releases a second edition for the Xbox 360 making sure that you can dance if you want to. A few minor changes have been made including the incorporation of Freestyle Mode which, aptly named, allows you to dance however you see fit. Also with each iteration, more and more licensed songs are appearing, and just in case you somehow haven't gotten your lifetime quota of Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out", Konami has swooped into to bludgeon it into your skull once more. And more timeless radio staples await you, so if you are looking to Walk Like an Egyptian or do the Safety Dance, DDR: Universe 2 has you covered. As for me, I'll be your friend left behind. - ship

Best Deal:
Family Video is offering the Dance Dance Revolution Universe 2 Bundle for $66 shipped.

:360: Purchase At Amazon $69.99 (Free shipping)
:360: Purchase At Family Video $64.89 (99 cent shipping)


Wii

Arctic Tale Dev. Atomic Planet Pub. Destination Software Systems: Wii MSRP: $29.99
Remember that movie, March of the Penguins? This game is based on that movie, except with Polar Bears and it's called Arctic Tale. Play as a polar bear cub or baby walrus trying to stay alive in the wild. Game-play includes your standard free-roaming environment, mini games, and travel zones. A cutting edge title that you'll want to sink your cash into? Probably not. - mrs. ship

Best Deal:
Amazon is offering Arctic Tale for $20.

:wii: Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)


Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 Dev. Namco Bandai - Spike Pub. Atari Systems: Wii MSRP: $49.99
Choose from a cast of over 150 characters and proceed to beat the crap out of the guy that’s not you. (If you do it the other way, you’re doing it wrong.) There’s probably some sort of overlying plot, but if you’re a Dragon Ball Z fan, you seem to be perfectly happy with plot development hinging on 30 minutes of two characters wailing on one another. It’s pure fan-service, but it does a very good job of capturing the look and the spirit of the show and fans should be perfectly happy controlling their favorite spikey-haired brawler. - ship

Best Deal:
There don’t seem to be any specific deals for Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3.

:wii: Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free shipping)
:wii: Purchase At Family Video $47.47 (99 cent shipping)


Godzilla Unleashed Dev. Pipeworks Software Pub. Atari Systems: Wii MSRP: $49.99
Godzilla (as made famous by bright red shirts worn in unboxing videos) plods his way onto the Wii a couple of weeks after laying a giant turd on the DS and PS2. This week's Wii version isn't particularly smelling any prettier, but maybe your waving arms will help to at least make it tolerable if you're a huge fan of Kaiju. - ship

Best Deal:
There don’t seem to be any specific deals for Godzilla Unleashed.

:wii: Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free shipping)
:wii: Purchase At Family Video $47.47 (99 cent shipping)


Jenga World TourDev. Atomic Planet Pub. Atari Systems: Wii MSRP: $29.99
If you thought having steady hands and moving with precision was hard enough in real life, wait until you're moving Jenga pieces with your Wii-mote. Of course, there are power-ups and game play twists involved too. This Wii title won't be out until December 7th, so you'll have to play the DS version until then. - mrs. ship

Best Deal:
There don’t seem to be any specific deals for Jenga World Tour.

:wii: Purchase At Amazon $29.79 (Free shipping)
:wii: Purchase At Deep Discount $28.99 (Free shipping)


Myth Makers: Super Kart GP Dev. Conspiracy Pub. Conspiracy Systems: Wii MSRP: $19.99
This title features crazy cartoon racing at its best. I don't know any of these characters, but it looks like they're having fun on the cover. - mrs. ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Myth Makers: Super Kart GP.

:wii: Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)


Ultimate Duck Hunting Dev. Mid Carolina Media Pub. Detn8 Games Systems: Wii MSRP: $39.99
Here's a port of a PC game from early 2006 that was panned for it's poor graphics, horrible AI, questionable physics, bare-bones depth, and, if you care, inaccuracies in the actual sport of duck hunting. (What do you mean you can't hold five rounds in an over-under shotgun?) I guess, Shitty Duck Hunting was already trademarked or something. New to the Wii version, you now have the ability to wave your hands to tell your dog where to go. Fabulous. I'm afraid I'd weep at the number of copies this game will ultimately sell if NPD actually reported sales from Wal-Mart. - ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Ultimate Duck Hunting.

:wii: Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free shipping)
:wii: Purchase At Deep Discount $38.99 (Free shipping)


DS

American Girl: Julie Finds a Way Dev. THQ Pub. THQ Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
When I was a kid, the American Girls were young girls from novels based in historic time periods. You know, like the Revolutionary war, the Civil War, and the '70's. Doesn't that just make you feel old? There's no information about this game other than it's a DS title and Julie is a tween in San Francisco in 1974. Sounds like your kind of game? Thank goodness this one's coming out before Christmas. - mrs. ship

Best Deal:
There don’t seem to be any specific deals for American Girl: Julie Finds a Way

:ds: Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
:ds: Purchase At Family Video $27.94 (99 cent shipping)


Draglade Dev. Dimps Corporation Pub. Atlus Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
I'm not sure I can properly prepare you for the plot/game play of this Atlus music title. It's centered around a futuristic past-time called grapping, which is creating music with the sound that two blades make as they hit one and other. This game combines music with fighting in an interesting combination. The unique gameplay, along with the anime-inspired graphics make for a pretty crazy title. When it comes to the unique, Atlus is the way to go. - mrs. ship

Best Deal:
Amazon is offering Draglade for $27 shipped.

:ds: Purchase At Amazon $26.99 (Free shipping)


Left Brain, Right Brain Dev. Majesco Pub. Majesco Systems: DS MSRP: $19.99
Now you can work the hemispheres of your brain separately. I mean, working the whole brain is soooooo old-school. The goal of this game is to make the gamer ambidextrous. Because it works both halves of the brain, Majesco says "it's like two games in one!" Yeah, I’m pretty sure both halves of my brain are thinking that's pretty lame. - mrs. ship

Best Deal:
There don’t seem to be any specific deals for Left Brain, Right Brain.

:ds: Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)
:ds: Purchase At Deep Discount $18.99 (Free shipping)


WordJong Dev. Magellan Pub. Destineer Systems: DS MSRP: $19.99
Imagine, if you will, a world where Mahjong tiles were actually covered with symbols of things that you recognized. These things would be letters and these letters could be linked together to form words. Now imagine a week of video game releases where this is quite possibly the most exciting game of the week. - ship

Best Deal:
There don’t seem to be any specific deals for WordJong.

:ds: Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)


Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2008 Dev. Konami Pub. Konami Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
It's that time of year again. Compile your decks from over 2000 cards (including daily downloadable cards) and duel to your heart's content. This year's model includes a new Duel World Mode and Tag Duels. If you know what those are, I hope you are happy to hear that… and good luck in this year's championship… we're all counting on you. - ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2008.

:ds: Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
:ds: Purchase At Family Video $27.64 (99 cent shipping)

PSP

Atari Classics Evolved Dev. Atari Pub. Atari Systems: PSP MSRP: $19.99
This PSP title is not your average retro compilation. Instead, your favorite titles including Pong, Asteroids, Centipede, Super Breakout, Missile Command, Lunar Lander, Asteroids Deluxe, Tempest, Battlezone, Milliede and Warlords are revamped. Of course, the classic games are included too, but be prepared for improved graphics and sounds in the "evolved" versions. Each evolved version also comes with four "achievements" to earn during the game play. Because these classic titles fit well onto the portable market, this game is worth your $20. - mrs. ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Atari Classics Evolved.

:psp: Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)
:psp: Purchase At Deep Discount $18.99 (Free shipping)


Beowulf: The Game Dev. Ubi Soft Pub. Ubi Soft Systems: PSP MSRP: $39.99
Sure the home console version is one of the lowest reviewed games on either the PS3 or the Xbox 360, but that was week's ago. I'm sure they've tightened up this PSP version nicely in that time. On a side note, has anyone else noticed that anytime a game actually has ": The Game" in the title it might as well be ": Don't Bother"? I just don't see the point, as we're not going to get it confused with the movie or the actual literary work. Might as well put something after the colon that is appealing to consumers. Maybe something like… "Beowulf: Fond of Oatmeal Raisin Cookies" - ship

Best Deal:
Amazon is offering Beowulf: The Game for $38 shipped.

:psp: Purchase At Amazon $37.99 (Free shipping)


Warriors of the Lost Empire Dev. UFO Interactive Pub. UFO Interactive Systems: PSP MSRP: $29.99
A hack-n-slash action-RPG that doesn't look too bad, Warriors of the Lost Empire is a dungeon-crawler in the vein of the Untold Legends ilk. Set in your typical fantasy world, you and a friend can choose one of the four familiar character classes and set off to swing at stuff until enough numbers have appeared on screen and the rat dies. And of course you can upgrade your character, forge new weapons and learn new spells. Rather than the stand overhead, iso-metric view, though, this game uses a closer camera that generally stays behind your character like you'd see in your typical third-person action game. This allows you to get a better view of what is going down, but also provides you with the challenge of controlling a camera in tight spaces on the PSP. It seems to be something worth looking into if you enjoy the genre. - ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Warriors of the Lost Empire.

:psp: Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping

PC

Universe at War: Earth Assault Dev. Petroglyph Pub. SEGA Systems: PC MSRP: $49.99
We normally don’t cover too many PC games, but the ads that I’ve been bombarded with lately on my Xbox 360 seem to think I should mention this one. It’s a real-time strategy game where aliens are trying to take over the earth. So it’s not just a clever title. - ship

Best Deal:
Family Video is offering Universe at War: Earth Assault for $48 shipped.

:pc: Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free shipping)
:pc: Purchase At Family Video $46.87 (99 cent shipping)



On The DL with the Shipwrecks

The Dynastic Hero Systems: Wii MSRP: $8
The TurboGrafx-CD version of Wonder Boy in Monster World with $2 worth of slight differences from the TurboGrafx-16 version already available on the Virtual Console. Changing the name alone probably costs you at least a couple of quarters. - ship

Eternal Champions Systems: Wii MSRP: $8
The fighting game that some of my childhood friends tried to convince themselves was better than Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat. I specifically remember not really hanging out at their houses much during that week. - ship

Zanac Systems: Wii MSRP: $5
A vertical SHMUP for the NES that seems OK. - 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.
 
wow I was not expecting this. good to see you guys getting back on the horse after a little break with the move. sure are a lot of great games this week. I can see quite a couple that look like a sure fire hit.
 
Ugh, I don't envy you guys covering this week's slag of licensed crap. Although Draglade is one of those odd sleeper-type titles.
 
Glad you like the Bravia, I found Sony's entry level 1080p line a little blurry when compared to the LG and Samsung lines and I can't explain why. Also I found it interesting you guys have a day one 360 that's still running. I think we are the only two owners in the continental US that haven't RRoD at least once with our launch systems.
 
I find it odd that Xbox Originals aren't included with Down with the Ships. Although I doubt anyone cares. At least until something rare comes out.
 
[quote name='KingBroly']I find it odd that Xbox Originals aren't included with Down with the Ships. Although I doubt anyone cares. At least until something rare comes out.[/quote]

I don't think anyone, other than publishers seeking "moar monet," are interested in them.
 
[quote name='shipwreck']The seemingly forgotten player in the music rhythm genre, DDR releases a second edition for the Xbox 360 making sure that you can dance if you want to....As for me, I'll be your friend left behind. - ship[/quote]


ship, you must be the person that stole all the hats back in the 80s :rofl:



Sounds like you go the Sony Bravia KDL46-V2500? I got the same one too! :) Make sure you set all the picture settings to "vivid" or else it just doesn't look that great cause the contrast kinda sucks. You can also try setting custom settings (if you can't calibrate it yourself) for your component Wii here or your component 360 here. General FAQ is here.

Galaxy actually looks okay on the Wii...but I haven't try anything else on there.



If you got the v3000, then you're by yourself. :cry: Try here.
 
Nintendo has serious quality control issues. Glad someone is calling them out on letting these crap titles come out. Tons of great jokes, Great show!
 
[quote name='geminas01']ship, you must be the person that stole all the hats back in the 80s :rofl:



Sounds like you go the Sony Bravia KDL46-V2500? I got the same one too! :) Make sure you set all the picture settings to "vivid" or else it just doesn't look that great cause the contrast kinda sucks. You can also try setting custom settings (if you can't calibrate it yourself) for your component Wii here or your component 360 here. General FAQ is here.

Galaxy actually looks okay on the Wii...but I haven't try anything else on there.



If you got the v3000, then you're by yourself. :cry: Try here.[/QUOTE]

We actually got the W series one so it's the KDL-46W3000. Thanks for the tips though. I'll get one of those calibration discs soon and start tweaking everything. Maybe I'll see if that one that came with Halo 3 Legendary is any good.

[quote name='KingBroly']I find it odd that Xbox Originals aren't included with Down with the Ships. Although I doubt anyone cares. At least until something rare comes out.[/QUOTE]

I touched on them briefly in the podcast, but I'm still deciding how I want to handle them in written form. It's not like I would ever have to research any of them, so I guess it wouldn't be a big time constraint in the future.
 
[quote name='shipwreck']We actually got the W series one so it's the KDL-46W3000. Thanks for the tips though. I'll get one of those calibration discs soon and start tweaking everything. Maybe I'll see if that one that came with Halo 3 Legendary is any good.[/quote]

Oh wow, W series, thats some seirous $$$ right there...can't touch that.
In which case you might want to check out this post instead. There aren't much on it, but maybe you'll learn something about your TV that you didn't know about.


But yeah, I wouldn't even know where to begin to get a calibration disc...which probably needs to be in blu-ray. I know there are some homebrew calibration images that you can burn on a DVD and be recognized by a HD-DVD player, but not sure for PS3. Supposedly all the Sony BluRay discs come with one if you enter 7669 on the remote at the menu screen. Doesn't come with instructions so you have to adjust accordingly. Nothing on the Planet Earth set though, so you might want to rent some special Sony movies next time at Blockbuster or something. Supposedly movies like Ratatouille also come with a calibration test. Terminator 2: Judgement Day also have a THX calibration, but its still not extensive enough
 
Nice Show!

If you guys have time it would be really cool if you could do some sort of video like Cheapy D did of his office for some part of your new home? Perhaps the new Bravia setup???
 
Congrats on the new HD tv. You should try to connect your 360 via component cables. On my Panasonic plasma, VGA didn't look nearly as nice as the component cables. The only downfall, is the 360 won't upscale DVDs to 1080.
 
[quote name='GamerChris']Congrats on the new HD tv. You should try to connect your 360 via component cables. On my Panasonic plasma, VGA didn't look nearly as nice as the component cables. The only downfall, is the 360 won't upscale DVDs to 1080.[/QUOTE]

Yep, I had it hooked up with component prior to switching to the VGA, but after just playing some Assassin's Creed, I'd have to say the VGA looks pretty damn good. Plus, we have the HD-DVD drive, so I'd like to get 1080P output from those.
 
man, Time Warner blows chunks. btw Shippy, that is one of the creepiest intro songs evar!
 
Jumping in SMG is necessary, as enemies won't give you coins if you use the spin attack.

Draglade looks freaking awesome.
 
Hey guys, just listened. About that American Girls game (by the way my 11 year-old daughter was really into these a few years ago but probably wouldn't go near this game): Mrs. Ship, if you think the 1974 American Girl story makes YOU feel old, imagine how I feel. I actually lived in that historic time and place itself! Well, I lived across the Bay, but I was there and 6 years old at the time. So I don't want no complaining from you young-uns about feeling old!
 
Just a question for Mrs Shipwreck what level are you playing puzzle quest on? I am playing on normal and find it pretty hard probably means I just suck at it but still a great game
 
I'm playing it on normal too. There are some battles that are inherently harder than others - for instance, when you try to seige a city. Those are rough. My suggestion is make sure you're purchasing parts to your citadel. You can capture enemies and learn their spells. I also wasn't doing too much with changing my spells when I leveled up, which helps. It is a great game!
 
Finally getting somewhere with PuzzleQuest started improving my spells with capturing enemies and learnigs theirs. Cheers Mrs Shipwreck have a nice new year
 
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