[preview][img-l=1]2[/img-l]CAG's shipwreck & mrs. shipwreck preview the new releases for the week of April 1st, 2009. This week we cover the last two weeks worth of releases because one week of mediocrity just wouldn't suffice.
Don't forget to enter our contests for Nintendo DSi swag courtesy of Nintendo and Ready 2 Rumble Revolution courtesy of Atari.
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]60[/podcast]
Download - 72 minutes, 33MB
[/preview]
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Multi-Platform
[IMG-L=5137]6016[/IMG-L]Don King Boxing Dev. 2K China Pub. 2K Sports Systems: DS, Wii MSRP: $19.99, $39.99
Don King released Prizefighter for the Hi-Def platforms last year and they've renamed it as Don King Boxing for the Nintendo platforms. Many of the same complaints are still around from the original release, mainly lackluster graphics and an uninteresting story mode. Toss into the ring Wii boxing controls and Wii Balance Board support and you've got another reason to be really excited about that Punch-Out!! remake. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free Shipping on Orders over $25)
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free Shipping)
[IMG-L=5137]6017[/IMG-L]Guitar Hero: Metallica Dev. Neversoft Pub. Activision Systems: Wii, 360, PS3 MSRP: $49.99, $59.99
Well, Metallica isn't exactly my cup of tea, so I don't have too much to say about this one. It features forty-nine songs in total with twenty-eight of those being from Mr. Hetfield and company and the remaining twenty-one songs come from bands that influenced Metallica. Looking over the list, I think Metallica did a pretty good job at picking songs by other bands that don't appeal to me as well. Fans of the band will probably enjoy the setlist and the ability to play double bass on the drums though (additional drum pedal required, obviously). - ship
Purchase At Amazon $56.99 (Free Shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $56.99 (Free Shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $46.99 (Free Shipping)
[IMG-L=5137]6018[/IMG-L]Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust Dev. Team 17 Pub. Codemasters Systems: PC, 360 MSRP: $19.99, $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. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free Shipping on Orders over $25)
[IMG-L=5137]5898[/IMG-L]Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars (Last Week) Dev. UbiSoft Pub. UbiSoft Systems: DS, Wii MSRP: $29.99, $49.99
A remake of the original Broken Sword point-and-click adventure with enough changes to tout "Director's Cut" on the box art. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $27.99 (Free Shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $46.99 (Free Shipping)
[IMG-L=5137]5903[/IMG-L]Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time (Last Week) Dev. Square Enix Pub. Square Enix Systems: DS, Wii MSRP: $39.99
I’m nervous about this title because I haven’t traditionally played a lot of RPG titles on my DS, and haven’t played any on the Wii. That being said, I was also the same gamer who refused to start up the PS3 until Ship told me to use the controller PS button since I forget where the mystery power button is on the actual console. So, moral of the story is, I’ll give FFCC:EOT a shot. - mrs. ship
Purchase At Amazon $36.99 (Free Shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $36.99 (Free Shipping)
[IMG-L=5137]5908[/IMG-L]Monsters vs. Aliens (Last Week) Dev. Activision Pub. Activision Systems: Everything MSRP: $29.99, $49.99
This multi-platform, platform title based on the upcoming Dreamworks movie is probably going to be geared toward families and the younger gamer. I haven’t played the demo that’s available on XBLA yet, but I will and I’ll let you know. I know, you’re on the edge of your seats. - mrs. ship
Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free Shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free Shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $46.99 (Free Shipping)
[IMG-L=5137]5924[/IMG-L]Samurai Shodown Anthology (Last Week) Dev. SNK Playmore Pub. SNK Playmore Systems: PS2, PSP MSRP: $14.99, $29.99
Shocasing seven different games for a price that might as well have already been slashed in-half, Samurai Shodown Anthology contains arcade ports of entries I through VI and V Special. I'm guessing these are much more faithful renditions than the version that was a permanent fixture in my roommate's 3DO my freshman year of college. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $14.99 (Free Shipping on Orders over $25)
Purchase At Amazon $27.99 (Free Shipping)
[IMG-L=5137]5917[/IMG-L]Stormrise (Last Week) Dev. Creative Assembly Pub. SEGA Systems: PC, 360, PS3 MSRP: $49.99, $59.99
At first glance, you may think Stormrise is just another futuristic third-person shooter, but that couldn't be further from the truth. What we have here is actually a real-time strategy game that is focused around you actually being on the battlefield, rather than the standard eye-in-the-sky view. The game centers around using the environment to gain vantage points, as everything relies on line of sight. Along with ditching the traditional RTS viewpoint, Stormrise also introduces "Whip Select" - a completely new way of selecting units and issuing commands through simple flicks of the right analog stick. When I was shown this game at E3, I came away impressed, but I'm still skeptical if the control scheme will be simple enough for me to wrap my dullard RTS mind around. I'm definitely looking forward to giving it a try though. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $47.99 (Free Shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $46.99 (Free Shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $47.99 (Free Shipping)
[IMG-L=5137]5921[/IMG-L]Wanted: Weapons of Fate (Last Week) Dev. GRIN Pub. Warner Bros. Interactive Systems: PC, 360, PS3 MSRP: $49.99, $59.99
When Mrs. Ship and I got done watching the movie "Wanted", I distinctly remember saying something along the lines of "Well, that was a disappointing ending". I also remember thinking that it would have made a better game than a movie. Well, after playing the demo for Weapons of Fate, I'm a bit torn. It seems like a decent action game based around Gears of War style cover and filling up adrenaline meters so that you can bend bullets and use bullet-time, but it somehow doesn't capture the over-the-top experience of the movie. The mechanics of the game are just too stiff and uninteresting, and trying to remind me of how badass I am simply by inserting stylish "sliding on my knees" animations between cover points... well, it's not working. I don't feel badass. I feel like all the enemies are just mocking me and wondering why I'm not shooting them. Laugh it up, Evil Henchmen Number 42, because once I get done interpretive dancing between these next seven pieces of cover we both know who I'm taking my frustration out on. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $42.99 (Free Shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $44.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $56.99 (Free Shipping)
[IMG-L=5137]5922[/IMG-L]Wheelman (Last Week) Dev. Tigon Pub. UbiSoft Systems: PC, 360, PS3 MSRP: $49.99, $59.99
Vin Diesel and fighting cars. Sure, why not. Get behind the wheel of any seemingly-indestructible vehicle and race, shoot, and shunt other cars that are decisively more destructible. Oh, and taking a cue from "Just Cause", you can also jump out of your car on the fly and carjack another vehicle because you are, afterall, Vin Diesel. The game structure is based around main missions and various side missions like races and retrieving specified cars. It's not spectacular, but there's fun to be had in short bursts. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $56.99 (Free Shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free Shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $56.99 (Free Shipping)
[IMG-L=5137]5923[/IMG-L]WWE Legends of Wrestlemania (Last Week) Dev. THQ Pub. THQ Systems: 360, PS3 MSRP: $59.99
I'm not a big wrestling game fan, but the roster of old wrestlers is intriguing. Even Junkyard Dog can't overcome clunky controls and in-match quick-time events though. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $56.99 (Free Shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $56.99 (Free Shipping)
Wii
[IMG-L=5137]6015[/IMG-L]Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Grooves Bundle Dev. Konami Pub. Konami Systems: Wii MSRP: $69.99
Dress up your Mii in Disney duds and shake that tail-feather to classic Disney songs like "A Spoonful of Sugar", "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah", and "Circle of Life". - ship
Purchase At Amazon $67.99 (Free Shipping)
[IMG-L=5137]6019[/IMG-L]Major Minor's Majestic March Dev. NanaOn-Sha Pub. Majesco Systems: Wii MSRP: $39.99
The guys behind the "Parappa the Rapper" series of games return with a game where you lead a marching band full of whimsical animals. You've got to wave your Wii-Mote in time to keep the band marching and to gain new members. Parappa fans should be warned though because even with the developer's track record, playing Major Minor's Majestic March is just not that compelling. Plus, when I played an early build of this, the controls were tiring and non-responsive. Maybe that's been addressed, but maybe you should wait for a more suitable price point to see. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free Shipping)
[IMG-L=5137]5905[/IMG-L]Gold's Gym Cardio Workout (Last Week) Dev. UbiSoft Pub. UbiSoft Systems: Wii MSRP: $29.99
Well, it's cheaper than that Gold's Gym membership that I rarely used a couple of years ago and it does have Wii Balance Board support... - ship
Purchase At Amazon $27.99 (Free Shipping)
[IMG-L=5137]5909[/IMG-L]Moto GP 08 (Last Week) Dev. Milestone Pub. Capcom Systems: Wii MSRP: $39.99
For those Wii owners who want something more serious than Mario Kart, yet still want tilty controls. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free Shipping)
DS
[IMG-L=5137]5904[/IMG-L]Gardening Mama Dev. Taito Pub. Majesco Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
It's like cooking with dirt. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $27.99 (Free Shipping)
[IMG-L=5137]6020[/IMG-L]Tokyo Beat Down Dev. Success Pub. Atlus Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
The streets are full of rage in this campy "beat'em up" with a 80's cop show vibe. Play as Lewis Cannon or one of the other members of "Beast Cops", an elite force of police that dispatch of common evil-doers by punching them repeatedly in the face until they fall on the ground and flash to death. You can also power slam them, knee them in the groin, or blast them in the face with any uzis or bazookas that may be laying around... until they flash to death. Seems to have a good sense of humor about it as well. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping)
[IMG-L=5137]5902[/IMG-L]Fashion Studio: Paris Collection (Last Week) Dev. UbiSoft Pub. UbiSoft Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
Fashion Plates for the DS age. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping)
[IMG-L=5137]5906[/IMG-L]Lux-Pain (Last Week) Dev. Killaware Pub. Ignition Entertainment Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
This adventure title is pretty out there and pretty emo. You take on the role of a young man you has the ability to remove evil worms from people's souls so they don't commit suicide or other heinous acts. It's extremely moody and has good voice acting and visuals, but it is a little light on gameplay and heavy on text. Think of this as more of an interactive graphic novel. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $27.99 (Free Shipping)
[IMG-L=5137]5911[/IMG-L]Pokemon Platinum Version (Last Week) Dev. Game Freak Pub. Nintendo Systems: DS MSRP: $34.99
Now that Nintendo has reached platinum, I’m not sure where we go from here. Anyhow, Pokemon Diamond was the first Pokemon title to catch my interest, so I’m really excited to hear that this remake is getting good reviews. The game itself is an upgrade of the Pearl/Diamond game, with added experiences and tweaks. The turn-based, role-playing part is still the same, of course. The problem that I have with the title is that I stopped playing Diamond when the random battles got too redundant and I got bored. So, why would I want to play with the same characters, in the same locations, with the same storyline? Sure, it may be “new and improved”, but is it new enough to spend an additional $40 on? I think not. I’m guessing this title will appeal to those who are new to the Pokemon franchise or who are hard-core fans who will buy it no matter what I say. - mrs. ship
Purchase At Amazon $34.99 (Free Shipping)
[IMG-L=5137]5920[/IMG-L]Touch Mechanic (Last Week) Dev. Kando Games Pub. Aspyr Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
A car game not about racing? That's right, Touch Mechanic employs you under the tutelage of Captain Bob as you learn the ropes of being a top car mechanic. Think of it as Trauma Center for automobiles. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping)
PlayStation 3
[IMG-L=5137]5899[/IMG-L]Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 (Last Week) Dev. EA LA Pub. Electronic Arts Systems: PS3 MSRP: $59.99
PlayStation 3 owners can finally get their hands on this quirky RTS. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $56.99 (Free Shipping)
PlayStation 2
[IMG-L=5137]5910[/IMG-L]Naruto Ultimate Ninja 4: Shippuden (Last Week) Dev. CyberConnect2 Pub. Namco Bandai Systems: PS2 MSRP: $39.99
Narutites know the drill by now. Run around, do some exploring, and then wage battle against other colorful ninjas. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $36.99 (Free Shipping)
PSP
[IMG-L=5137]5907[/IMG-L]Major League Baseball 2K9 (Last Week) Dev. 2K Sports Pub. 2K Sports Systems: PSP MSRP: $29.99
It's baseball in the year 2009. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping)
[IMG-L=5137]5918[/IMG-L]Tenchu: Shadow Assassins (Last Week) Dev. From Software Pub. UbiSoft Systems: PSP MSRP: $39.99
Released a short time ago on the Wii, Tenchu: Shadow Assassins returns to the series roots bringing plenty of stealthy sneaking and stabby stabbing. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free Shipping)
Xbox 360
[IMG-L=5137]5916[/IMG-L]Ski Doo: Snowmobile Challenge Dev. Coldwood Interactive Pub. Valcon Systems: 360 MSRP: $29.99
Ski Doo: Sales Challenge. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping)
[IMG-L=5137]5913[/IMG-L]PopCap Arcade Hits: Volume 2 (Last Week) Dev. PopCap Pub. PopCap Games Systems: 360 MSRP: $19.99
A compilation of Peggle Deluxe, Peggle Deluxe, and Peggle Deluxe. Oh, they apparently also included Heavy Weapon and Feeding Frenzy 2. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free Shipping on Orders over $25)
PC
[IMG-L=5137]5900[/IMG-L]Dark Sector (Last Week) Dev. Digital Extremes Pub. Aspyr Systems: PC MSRP: $19.99
(Deja Preview) Dark Sector dares to explore what you would get if you mixed Gears of War with Krull and then stuck them in an even more generic story and environment. Even so, if you are looking to put some bullets in people and then slice them up with your bladed boomerang, you'll probably have a decent enough time as the graphics look nice and the controls are well done.... Unfortunately, there is no co-op play of any kind, so that's going to cut into some of the replay value that Gears of War had going for it, but maybe some of the online multi-player modes will be fun. I must admit, this game appears to have turned out better than what I was anticipating. - ship (03/25/08)
Sweet. Dark Sector coming out for the price it should have since the beginning. No discernable changes besides the improved graphics and control inherent to PC's. - Treehouse Gamer
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free Shipping on Orders over $25)
[IMG-L=5137]5932[/IMG-L]Death Track: Resurrection (Last Week) Dev. Sky Fallen Pub. Aspyr / 1C Company Systems: PC MSRP: $19.99
Ever since the Mad Max movies graced the silver screen, modern man has often pondered: "Dude, wouldn't it be cool if we could drive around in cars and blow stuff up?" This formula has been replicated in our favorite digital entertainment medium countless times (I believe the formula is precisely 'Gas' + 'Boom' = 'Awesome'). Death Track: Resurrection is a budget title (see that console gamers? Budget for us means $20 -- not $40) following the same vein as Full Auto as opposed to Twisted Metal. Players strap into one of ten cars armed with missiles, LASERs, mines and more doing lap runs around tracks based on locales from around the world. Sound familiar? That's because, like I said before, man has been doing this for years with titles like the aforementioned Full Auto. The budget price is counterbalanced with an utter lack of variety and ho-hum premise. Here's a tip: If you want a car combat game to last, inject some flair and style (see: Mario Kart, Cel Damage, Wipeout). We don't need features like "Modern graphic technologies - Bump, Specular, Parallax, Dynamic shadow & lights, Refraction and Bloom buffers, Sub Surface Scatering, Multylayered Materials". Not only is there a typo in their press release, but technical jargon is no way to sell a game. You're more than welcome to try the demo at [www.death-track.com]. Prognosis: No deal. - Treehouse Gamer
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free Shipping on Orders over $25)
[IMG-L=5137]5919[/IMG-L]The Last Remnant (Last Week) Dev. Square Enix Pub. Square Enix Systems: PC MSRP: $39.99
(Deja Preview) Square-Enix's latest RPG hits the 360 and it certainly doesn't seem like it's getting much fanfare. It's a turn-based affair with a unit-grouping twist that adds a bit of strategy as you work through battles and organize your large parties. The storyline seems somewhat cookie-cutter in that you are a young lad with a sword out to save the world, but the visuals are nice and it seems like there is a lot of exploration and customization. Frankly, there really haven't been a lot of well-received, traditional J-RPG's this generation, so hopefully The Last Remnant will keep fans of the genre entertained. With the way these games have been dropping in price, and a large pile of games to play through, I think this one is on my horizon for next spring. - ship (11/20/08)
While IGN took a proverbial poop on the XB360 version of Last Remnant, the PC version is actually arriving with some marked improvements. Of note: a high speed battle option and the removal of leader unit limitations. If you still haven't picked up Last Remnant, this definitely looks like the version to go with. - Treehouse Gamer
Purchase At Amazon $36.99 (Free Shipping)
On The DL
[IMG-L=5137]6038[/IMG-L]Bonsai Barber Dev. Zoonami Pub. Nintendo Systems: WiiWare MSRP: $10
Cut the hair off vegetables daily. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6024[/IMG-L]Super Punch-Out!! Dev. Nintendo Pub. Nintendo Systems: Wii Virtual Console (SNES) MSRP: $8
Nintendo comes out swinging with this classic boxing game/marketing effort for the upcoming Wii version of Punch-Out!!. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]5897[/IMG-L]Bomberman '94 (Last Week) Dev. Hudson Entertainment Pub. Hudson Entertainment Systems: Wii Virtual Console (TG-16) MSRP: $7
I'm all for Bomberman, but this is at least the third downloadable Bomberman on the Wii already. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]5901[/IMG-L]Detana!! TwinBee (Last Week) Dev. Konami Pub. Konami Systems: Wii Virtual Console (TG-16) MSRP: $7
An import of an adorable entry in the TwinBee series of SHMUPS. Fans of the genre should check it out. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]5967[/IMG-L]Gaplus (Last Week) Dev. Namco Pub. Namco Systems: Wii Virtual Console (Arcade) MSRP: $6
The lesser of the Galagas, Gaplus adds the ability to use a tractor-beam to capture enemies and turn them into a wall of firepower. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]5968[/IMG-L]Mappy (Last Week) Dev. Namco Pub. Namco Systems: Wii Virtual Console (Arcade) MSRP: $5
Mappy tells the classic tale of a beat cop mouse out to reclaim stolen treasure from a house full of kleptomaniac cats. It's a classic, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]5970[/IMG-L]Star Force (Last Week) Dev. Tecmo Pub. Tecmo Systems: Wii Virtual Console (Arcade) MSRP: $5
As generic as the title, Star Force is an old-school vertical SHMUP that you could probably live without. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]5971[/IMG-L]The Tower of Druaga (Last Week) Dev. Namco Pub. Namco Systems: Wii Virtual Console (Arcade) MSRP: $5
Work your way through mazes as the knight Gilgamesh in this single-player take on Gauntlet-style gameplay. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]5912[/IMG-L]Pop 'Em Drop 'Em SAMEGAME (Last Week) Dev. Hudson Entertainment Pub. Hudson Entertainment Systems: WiiWare MSRP: $5
A puzzle game similar to Collapse. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6039[/IMG-L]Comet Crash Dev. Pelfast Pub. Sony Systems: PSN (PS3) MSRP: $?
Comet Crash is another futuristic tower defense game on the PlayStation Network. This one features three player co-op and four player competitive modes. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6021[/IMG-L]Burn Zombie Burn! (Last Week) Dev. DoubleSix Pub. Sony Systems: PSN (PS3) MSRP: $9.99
Can this game succeed where Monster Madness failed? Well, the $10 entry price certainly doesn't hurt, but there are a lot of similarities between the two games including control schemes that require learning curves and, of course, lots of undead to mow down. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6023[/IMG-L]Worms (Last Week) Dev. Team17 Pub. Sony Systems: PSN (PS3) MSRP: $12.99
Lots of worms around here lately... Well, it's a great game certainly, but you can get the same experience for $5 on Xbox Live Arcade now. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6022[/IMG-L]Platypus (Last Week) Dev. Squashy Software Pub. MumboJumbo Systems: PSN (PSP) MSRP: $9.99
Another UMD to download release, Platypus is a side-scrolling SHMUP set in a claymation universe. The retail release is currently sporting a 59 on Metacritic. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6037[/IMG-L]The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai Dev. Ska Studios Pub. Microsoft Systems: XBLA MSRP: $10
Microsoft's XNA developed darling features an undead samurai dishwasher and lots of 2D action. Also lots of blood, lots of cyborgs, and lots of ridiculously cheesy guitar riffs. In fact, there's also a mode that lets you play using one of the many plastic axes that you've no doubt accumulated by now. It also supports both local and online two-player co-op (including guitar support), so this just may be an XLBA game worth the $10. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]5925[/IMG-L]UNO Rush (Last Week) Dev. Microsoft Pub. Microsoft Systems: XBLA MSRP: $10
A fast-paced take on UNO with a completely new rule set where everyone's cards are visible and the order in which you sort your cards determines how they are discarded. It's a fun little diversion, but the pacing is certainly not as casual as traditional UNO and the $10 pricetag is going to hinder the community. - 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 contests for Nintendo DSi swag courtesy of Nintendo and Ready 2 Rumble Revolution courtesy of Atari.
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]60[/podcast]
Download - 72 minutes, 33MB
[/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]6016[/IMG-L]Don King Boxing Dev. 2K China Pub. 2K Sports Systems: DS, Wii MSRP: $19.99, $39.99
Don King released Prizefighter for the Hi-Def platforms last year and they've renamed it as Don King Boxing for the Nintendo platforms. Many of the same complaints are still around from the original release, mainly lackluster graphics and an uninteresting story mode. Toss into the ring Wii boxing controls and Wii Balance Board support and you've got another reason to be really excited about that Punch-Out!! remake. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free Shipping on Orders over $25) Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free Shipping)[IMG-L=5137]6017[/IMG-L]Guitar Hero: Metallica Dev. Neversoft Pub. Activision Systems: Wii, 360, PS3 MSRP: $49.99, $59.99
Well, Metallica isn't exactly my cup of tea, so I don't have too much to say about this one. It features forty-nine songs in total with twenty-eight of those being from Mr. Hetfield and company and the remaining twenty-one songs come from bands that influenced Metallica. Looking over the list, I think Metallica did a pretty good job at picking songs by other bands that don't appeal to me as well. Fans of the band will probably enjoy the setlist and the ability to play double bass on the drums though (additional drum pedal required, obviously). - ship
Purchase At Amazon $56.99 (Free Shipping) Purchase At Amazon $56.99 (Free Shipping) Purchase At Amazon $46.99 (Free Shipping)[IMG-L=5137]6018[/IMG-L]Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust Dev. Team 17 Pub. Codemasters Systems: PC, 360 MSRP: $19.99, $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. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping) Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free Shipping on Orders over $25)[IMG-L=5137]5898[/IMG-L]Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars (Last Week) Dev. UbiSoft Pub. UbiSoft Systems: DS, Wii MSRP: $29.99, $49.99
A remake of the original Broken Sword point-and-click adventure with enough changes to tout "Director's Cut" on the box art. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $27.99 (Free Shipping) Purchase At Amazon $46.99 (Free Shipping)[IMG-L=5137]5903[/IMG-L]Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time (Last Week) Dev. Square Enix Pub. Square Enix Systems: DS, Wii MSRP: $39.99
I’m nervous about this title because I haven’t traditionally played a lot of RPG titles on my DS, and haven’t played any on the Wii. That being said, I was also the same gamer who refused to start up the PS3 until Ship told me to use the controller PS button since I forget where the mystery power button is on the actual console. So, moral of the story is, I’ll give FFCC:EOT a shot. - mrs. ship
Purchase At Amazon $36.99 (Free Shipping) Purchase At Amazon $36.99 (Free Shipping)[IMG-L=5137]5908[/IMG-L]Monsters vs. Aliens (Last Week) Dev. Activision Pub. Activision Systems: Everything MSRP: $29.99, $49.99
This multi-platform, platform title based on the upcoming Dreamworks movie is probably going to be geared toward families and the younger gamer. I haven’t played the demo that’s available on XBLA yet, but I will and I’ll let you know. I know, you’re on the edge of your seats. - mrs. ship
Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free Shipping) Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping) Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping) Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free Shipping) Purchase At Amazon $46.99 (Free Shipping)[IMG-L=5137]5924[/IMG-L]Samurai Shodown Anthology (Last Week) Dev. SNK Playmore Pub. SNK Playmore Systems: PS2, PSP MSRP: $14.99, $29.99
Shocasing seven different games for a price that might as well have already been slashed in-half, Samurai Shodown Anthology contains arcade ports of entries I through VI and V Special. I'm guessing these are much more faithful renditions than the version that was a permanent fixture in my roommate's 3DO my freshman year of college. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $14.99 (Free Shipping on Orders over $25) Purchase At Amazon $27.99 (Free Shipping)[IMG-L=5137]5917[/IMG-L]Stormrise (Last Week) Dev. Creative Assembly Pub. SEGA Systems: PC, 360, PS3 MSRP: $49.99, $59.99
At first glance, you may think Stormrise is just another futuristic third-person shooter, but that couldn't be further from the truth. What we have here is actually a real-time strategy game that is focused around you actually being on the battlefield, rather than the standard eye-in-the-sky view. The game centers around using the environment to gain vantage points, as everything relies on line of sight. Along with ditching the traditional RTS viewpoint, Stormrise also introduces "Whip Select" - a completely new way of selecting units and issuing commands through simple flicks of the right analog stick. When I was shown this game at E3, I came away impressed, but I'm still skeptical if the control scheme will be simple enough for me to wrap my dullard RTS mind around. I'm definitely looking forward to giving it a try though. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $47.99 (Free Shipping) Purchase At Amazon $46.99 (Free Shipping) Purchase At Amazon $47.99 (Free Shipping)[IMG-L=5137]5921[/IMG-L]Wanted: Weapons of Fate (Last Week) Dev. GRIN Pub. Warner Bros. Interactive Systems: PC, 360, PS3 MSRP: $49.99, $59.99
When Mrs. Ship and I got done watching the movie "Wanted", I distinctly remember saying something along the lines of "Well, that was a disappointing ending". I also remember thinking that it would have made a better game than a movie. Well, after playing the demo for Weapons of Fate, I'm a bit torn. It seems like a decent action game based around Gears of War style cover and filling up adrenaline meters so that you can bend bullets and use bullet-time, but it somehow doesn't capture the over-the-top experience of the movie. The mechanics of the game are just too stiff and uninteresting, and trying to remind me of how badass I am simply by inserting stylish "sliding on my knees" animations between cover points... well, it's not working. I don't feel badass. I feel like all the enemies are just mocking me and wondering why I'm not shooting them. Laugh it up, Evil Henchmen Number 42, because once I get done interpretive dancing between these next seven pieces of cover we both know who I'm taking my frustration out on. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $42.99 (Free Shipping) Purchase At Amazon $44.99 (Free shipping) Purchase At Amazon $56.99 (Free Shipping)[IMG-L=5137]5922[/IMG-L]Wheelman (Last Week) Dev. Tigon Pub. UbiSoft Systems: PC, 360, PS3 MSRP: $49.99, $59.99
Vin Diesel and fighting cars. Sure, why not. Get behind the wheel of any seemingly-indestructible vehicle and race, shoot, and shunt other cars that are decisively more destructible. Oh, and taking a cue from "Just Cause", you can also jump out of your car on the fly and carjack another vehicle because you are, afterall, Vin Diesel. The game structure is based around main missions and various side missions like races and retrieving specified cars. It's not spectacular, but there's fun to be had in short bursts. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $56.99 (Free Shipping) Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free Shipping) Purchase At Amazon $56.99 (Free Shipping)[IMG-L=5137]5923[/IMG-L]WWE Legends of Wrestlemania (Last Week) Dev. THQ Pub. THQ Systems: 360, PS3 MSRP: $59.99
I'm not a big wrestling game fan, but the roster of old wrestlers is intriguing. Even Junkyard Dog can't overcome clunky controls and in-match quick-time events though. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $56.99 (Free Shipping) Purchase At Amazon $56.99 (Free Shipping)Wii
[IMG-L=5137]6015[/IMG-L]Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Grooves Bundle Dev. Konami Pub. Konami Systems: Wii MSRP: $69.99
Dress up your Mii in Disney duds and shake that tail-feather to classic Disney songs like "A Spoonful of Sugar", "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah", and "Circle of Life". - ship
Purchase At Amazon $67.99 (Free Shipping)[IMG-L=5137]6019[/IMG-L]Major Minor's Majestic March Dev. NanaOn-Sha Pub. Majesco Systems: Wii MSRP: $39.99
The guys behind the "Parappa the Rapper" series of games return with a game where you lead a marching band full of whimsical animals. You've got to wave your Wii-Mote in time to keep the band marching and to gain new members. Parappa fans should be warned though because even with the developer's track record, playing Major Minor's Majestic March is just not that compelling. Plus, when I played an early build of this, the controls were tiring and non-responsive. Maybe that's been addressed, but maybe you should wait for a more suitable price point to see. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free Shipping)[IMG-L=5137]5905[/IMG-L]Gold's Gym Cardio Workout (Last Week) Dev. UbiSoft Pub. UbiSoft Systems: Wii MSRP: $29.99
Well, it's cheaper than that Gold's Gym membership that I rarely used a couple of years ago and it does have Wii Balance Board support... - ship
Purchase At Amazon $27.99 (Free Shipping)[IMG-L=5137]5909[/IMG-L]Moto GP 08 (Last Week) Dev. Milestone Pub. Capcom Systems: Wii MSRP: $39.99
For those Wii owners who want something more serious than Mario Kart, yet still want tilty controls. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free Shipping)DS
[IMG-L=5137]5904[/IMG-L]Gardening Mama Dev. Taito Pub. Majesco Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
It's like cooking with dirt. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $27.99 (Free Shipping)[IMG-L=5137]6020[/IMG-L]Tokyo Beat Down Dev. Success Pub. Atlus Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
The streets are full of rage in this campy "beat'em up" with a 80's cop show vibe. Play as Lewis Cannon or one of the other members of "Beast Cops", an elite force of police that dispatch of common evil-doers by punching them repeatedly in the face until they fall on the ground and flash to death. You can also power slam them, knee them in the groin, or blast them in the face with any uzis or bazookas that may be laying around... until they flash to death. Seems to have a good sense of humor about it as well. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping)[IMG-L=5137]5902[/IMG-L]Fashion Studio: Paris Collection (Last Week) Dev. UbiSoft Pub. UbiSoft Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
Fashion Plates for the DS age. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping)[IMG-L=5137]5906[/IMG-L]Lux-Pain (Last Week) Dev. Killaware Pub. Ignition Entertainment Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
This adventure title is pretty out there and pretty emo. You take on the role of a young man you has the ability to remove evil worms from people's souls so they don't commit suicide or other heinous acts. It's extremely moody and has good voice acting and visuals, but it is a little light on gameplay and heavy on text. Think of this as more of an interactive graphic novel. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $27.99 (Free Shipping)[IMG-L=5137]5911[/IMG-L]Pokemon Platinum Version (Last Week) Dev. Game Freak Pub. Nintendo Systems: DS MSRP: $34.99
Now that Nintendo has reached platinum, I’m not sure where we go from here. Anyhow, Pokemon Diamond was the first Pokemon title to catch my interest, so I’m really excited to hear that this remake is getting good reviews. The game itself is an upgrade of the Pearl/Diamond game, with added experiences and tweaks. The turn-based, role-playing part is still the same, of course. The problem that I have with the title is that I stopped playing Diamond when the random battles got too redundant and I got bored. So, why would I want to play with the same characters, in the same locations, with the same storyline? Sure, it may be “new and improved”, but is it new enough to spend an additional $40 on? I think not. I’m guessing this title will appeal to those who are new to the Pokemon franchise or who are hard-core fans who will buy it no matter what I say. - mrs. ship
Purchase At Amazon $34.99 (Free Shipping)[IMG-L=5137]5920[/IMG-L]Touch Mechanic (Last Week) Dev. Kando Games Pub. Aspyr Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
A car game not about racing? That's right, Touch Mechanic employs you under the tutelage of Captain Bob as you learn the ropes of being a top car mechanic. Think of it as Trauma Center for automobiles. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping)PlayStation 3
[IMG-L=5137]5899[/IMG-L]Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 (Last Week) Dev. EA LA Pub. Electronic Arts Systems: PS3 MSRP: $59.99
PlayStation 3 owners can finally get their hands on this quirky RTS. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $56.99 (Free Shipping)PlayStation 2
[IMG-L=5137]5910[/IMG-L]Naruto Ultimate Ninja 4: Shippuden (Last Week) Dev. CyberConnect2 Pub. Namco Bandai Systems: PS2 MSRP: $39.99
Narutites know the drill by now. Run around, do some exploring, and then wage battle against other colorful ninjas. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $36.99 (Free Shipping)PSP
[IMG-L=5137]5907[/IMG-L]Major League Baseball 2K9 (Last Week) Dev. 2K Sports Pub. 2K Sports Systems: PSP MSRP: $29.99
It's baseball in the year 2009. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping)[IMG-L=5137]5918[/IMG-L]Tenchu: Shadow Assassins (Last Week) Dev. From Software Pub. UbiSoft Systems: PSP MSRP: $39.99
Released a short time ago on the Wii, Tenchu: Shadow Assassins returns to the series roots bringing plenty of stealthy sneaking and stabby stabbing. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free Shipping)Xbox 360
[IMG-L=5137]5916[/IMG-L]Ski Doo: Snowmobile Challenge Dev. Coldwood Interactive Pub. Valcon Systems: 360 MSRP: $29.99
Ski Doo: Sales Challenge. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free Shipping)[IMG-L=5137]5913[/IMG-L]PopCap Arcade Hits: Volume 2 (Last Week) Dev. PopCap Pub. PopCap Games Systems: 360 MSRP: $19.99
A compilation of Peggle Deluxe, Peggle Deluxe, and Peggle Deluxe. Oh, they apparently also included Heavy Weapon and Feeding Frenzy 2. - ship
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free Shipping on Orders over $25)PC
[IMG-L=5137]5900[/IMG-L]Dark Sector (Last Week) Dev. Digital Extremes Pub. Aspyr Systems: PC MSRP: $19.99
(Deja Preview) Dark Sector dares to explore what you would get if you mixed Gears of War with Krull and then stuck them in an even more generic story and environment. Even so, if you are looking to put some bullets in people and then slice them up with your bladed boomerang, you'll probably have a decent enough time as the graphics look nice and the controls are well done.... Unfortunately, there is no co-op play of any kind, so that's going to cut into some of the replay value that Gears of War had going for it, but maybe some of the online multi-player modes will be fun. I must admit, this game appears to have turned out better than what I was anticipating. - ship (03/25/08)
Sweet. Dark Sector coming out for the price it should have since the beginning. No discernable changes besides the improved graphics and control inherent to PC's. - Treehouse Gamer
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free Shipping on Orders over $25)[IMG-L=5137]5932[/IMG-L]Death Track: Resurrection (Last Week) Dev. Sky Fallen Pub. Aspyr / 1C Company Systems: PC MSRP: $19.99
Ever since the Mad Max movies graced the silver screen, modern man has often pondered: "Dude, wouldn't it be cool if we could drive around in cars and blow stuff up?" This formula has been replicated in our favorite digital entertainment medium countless times (I believe the formula is precisely 'Gas' + 'Boom' = 'Awesome'). Death Track: Resurrection is a budget title (see that console gamers? Budget for us means $20 -- not $40) following the same vein as Full Auto as opposed to Twisted Metal. Players strap into one of ten cars armed with missiles, LASERs, mines and more doing lap runs around tracks based on locales from around the world. Sound familiar? That's because, like I said before, man has been doing this for years with titles like the aforementioned Full Auto. The budget price is counterbalanced with an utter lack of variety and ho-hum premise. Here's a tip: If you want a car combat game to last, inject some flair and style (see: Mario Kart, Cel Damage, Wipeout). We don't need features like "Modern graphic technologies - Bump, Specular, Parallax, Dynamic shadow & lights, Refraction and Bloom buffers, Sub Surface Scatering, Multylayered Materials". Not only is there a typo in their press release, but technical jargon is no way to sell a game. You're more than welcome to try the demo at [www.death-track.com]. Prognosis: No deal. - Treehouse Gamer
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free Shipping on Orders over $25)[IMG-L=5137]5919[/IMG-L]The Last Remnant (Last Week) Dev. Square Enix Pub. Square Enix Systems: PC MSRP: $39.99
(Deja Preview) Square-Enix's latest RPG hits the 360 and it certainly doesn't seem like it's getting much fanfare. It's a turn-based affair with a unit-grouping twist that adds a bit of strategy as you work through battles and organize your large parties. The storyline seems somewhat cookie-cutter in that you are a young lad with a sword out to save the world, but the visuals are nice and it seems like there is a lot of exploration and customization. Frankly, there really haven't been a lot of well-received, traditional J-RPG's this generation, so hopefully The Last Remnant will keep fans of the genre entertained. With the way these games have been dropping in price, and a large pile of games to play through, I think this one is on my horizon for next spring. - ship (11/20/08)
While IGN took a proverbial poop on the XB360 version of Last Remnant, the PC version is actually arriving with some marked improvements. Of note: a high speed battle option and the removal of leader unit limitations. If you still haven't picked up Last Remnant, this definitely looks like the version to go with. - Treehouse Gamer
Purchase At Amazon $36.99 (Free Shipping)On The DL
[IMG-L=5137]6038[/IMG-L]Bonsai Barber Dev. Zoonami Pub. Nintendo Systems: WiiWare MSRP: $10
Cut the hair off vegetables daily. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6024[/IMG-L]Super Punch-Out!! Dev. Nintendo Pub. Nintendo Systems: Wii Virtual Console (SNES) MSRP: $8
Nintendo comes out swinging with this classic boxing game/marketing effort for the upcoming Wii version of Punch-Out!!. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]5897[/IMG-L]Bomberman '94 (Last Week) Dev. Hudson Entertainment Pub. Hudson Entertainment Systems: Wii Virtual Console (TG-16) MSRP: $7
I'm all for Bomberman, but this is at least the third downloadable Bomberman on the Wii already. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]5901[/IMG-L]Detana!! TwinBee (Last Week) Dev. Konami Pub. Konami Systems: Wii Virtual Console (TG-16) MSRP: $7
An import of an adorable entry in the TwinBee series of SHMUPS. Fans of the genre should check it out. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]5967[/IMG-L]Gaplus (Last Week) Dev. Namco Pub. Namco Systems: Wii Virtual Console (Arcade) MSRP: $6
The lesser of the Galagas, Gaplus adds the ability to use a tractor-beam to capture enemies and turn them into a wall of firepower. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]5968[/IMG-L]Mappy (Last Week) Dev. Namco Pub. Namco Systems: Wii Virtual Console (Arcade) MSRP: $5
Mappy tells the classic tale of a beat cop mouse out to reclaim stolen treasure from a house full of kleptomaniac cats. It's a classic, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]5970[/IMG-L]Star Force (Last Week) Dev. Tecmo Pub. Tecmo Systems: Wii Virtual Console (Arcade) MSRP: $5
As generic as the title, Star Force is an old-school vertical SHMUP that you could probably live without. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]5971[/IMG-L]The Tower of Druaga (Last Week) Dev. Namco Pub. Namco Systems: Wii Virtual Console (Arcade) MSRP: $5
Work your way through mazes as the knight Gilgamesh in this single-player take on Gauntlet-style gameplay. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]5912[/IMG-L]Pop 'Em Drop 'Em SAMEGAME (Last Week) Dev. Hudson Entertainment Pub. Hudson Entertainment Systems: WiiWare MSRP: $5
A puzzle game similar to Collapse. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6039[/IMG-L]Comet Crash Dev. Pelfast Pub. Sony Systems: PSN (PS3) MSRP: $?
Comet Crash is another futuristic tower defense game on the PlayStation Network. This one features three player co-op and four player competitive modes. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6021[/IMG-L]Burn Zombie Burn! (Last Week) Dev. DoubleSix Pub. Sony Systems: PSN (PS3) MSRP: $9.99
Can this game succeed where Monster Madness failed? Well, the $10 entry price certainly doesn't hurt, but there are a lot of similarities between the two games including control schemes that require learning curves and, of course, lots of undead to mow down. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6023[/IMG-L]Worms (Last Week) Dev. Team17 Pub. Sony Systems: PSN (PS3) MSRP: $12.99
Lots of worms around here lately... Well, it's a great game certainly, but you can get the same experience for $5 on Xbox Live Arcade now. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6022[/IMG-L]Platypus (Last Week) Dev. Squashy Software Pub. MumboJumbo Systems: PSN (PSP) MSRP: $9.99
Another UMD to download release, Platypus is a side-scrolling SHMUP set in a claymation universe. The retail release is currently sporting a 59 on Metacritic. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]6037[/IMG-L]The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai Dev. Ska Studios Pub. Microsoft Systems: XBLA MSRP: $10
Microsoft's XNA developed darling features an undead samurai dishwasher and lots of 2D action. Also lots of blood, lots of cyborgs, and lots of ridiculously cheesy guitar riffs. In fact, there's also a mode that lets you play using one of the many plastic axes that you've no doubt accumulated by now. It also supports both local and online two-player co-op (including guitar support), so this just may be an XLBA game worth the $10. - ship
[IMG-L=5137]5925[/IMG-L]UNO Rush (Last Week) Dev. Microsoft Pub. Microsoft Systems: XBLA MSRP: $10
A fast-paced take on UNO with a completely new rule set where everyone's cards are visible and the order in which you sort your cards determines how they are discarded. It's a fun little diversion, but the pacing is certainly not as casual as traditional UNO and the $10 pricetag is going to hinder the community. - 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 even nicer that you gave me yet another week without a "must buy." Unfortunately, this is a week where I could really go for something new, as I'm out of town until Easter on travel and am getting antsy. 
