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THQ announces video game adaptation of Rio
THQ and Twentieth Century Fox today announced the standalone game adaptation, Rio, for the latest CG extravaganza from Blue Sky Studios. This game will be separate from the movie’s cross-over with Angry Birds, which Nintendo President Reggie Fils-Aime called “a great piece of experience,” in an apparent loss of understanding of the English language.
The movie depicts a group of birds and their adventures on the Rio de Janeiro. The game will be a multiplayer party game with 40 mini-games across five modes that players can easily hop in and out of. Rio will be released for every platform under the sun except the soon to be irrelevant PSP (re: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, Nintendo DS). The DS version will be different from its big brother home console version, in which the character Blu discovers hip hop and Latin beats in a rhythm-style game.
Martin Good, THQ’s Executive Vice President of Kids, Family and Casual Games, stated “Rio’s humor, compelling characters, thrilling story, colorful characters and wonderful music inspired us to create a unique and imaginative game experience.”
The game will be available April 12, three days before the film hits theaters.
Pokemon Black & White getting special DSi bundles
March 6 will no doubt be a special day when the latest generation of Pokemon games launches with Pokemon Black Version and Pokemon White Version. If you want to make that day just a little more special, you can grab yourself one of the snazzy bundles pictured left.
Each bundle will come with a version of the game, with a matching DSi sporting new legendary Pokemon Reshiram and Zekrom etched on them. Rounding out the bundle is a custom Pokemon carrying case for your system. Playing the game on a DSi also allows you to use the new video chat feature in the game, the Xtransceiver. The package will sell for a $179.99 suggested price.
If I weren’t so hooked on Pokemon Heart Gold or perfectly fine with my launch DS Lite, this would be a very, very appealing bundle. Pokemon Black and White finally arrive on American shores March 6.
Posted in DS
Tagged Pokemon Black/White
Faxanadu added to Virtual Console
It may officially be a holiday (President’s Day), but the Nintendo Download definitely didn’t take the day off.
To celebrate they’ve added a new NES platformer, Faxanadu, to the Virtual Console. It’s joined by a pair of new WiiWare titles: Jewel Keepers: Easter Island, a puzzler; and Cozy Fire, a literal, virtual fire. A demo for the excellent Rage of the Gladiator (a fantasy fighter styled after Punch-Out!!) is also available this week.
Hit the jump for more details on all of these titles and the three new DSiWare games as well. (more…)
New Releases: Killzone 3, Bulletstorm, De Blob 2, More
Two pairs of heavyweights in their respective genres go head-to-head in this week’s new releases.
First up, we have the launch two major first person shooters… Sony’s continued fight against the Helghast in Killzone 3 (PS3) versus Epic Games’ latest fragfest, Bulletstorm (PC, PS3, Xbox 360). Don’t forget, the Xbox 360 version of Bulletstorm comes in an “Epic Edition” that inlcudes a few in-game goodies and access to the Gears of War 3 beta.
The next fight is a little less high profile (and both games come from the same publisher), but in a battle between handheld RPGs… Atlus is bringing Radiant Historia to the DS and also bringing Ys I & II Chronicles to the PSP.
Standing alone is THQ’s De Blob 2 (DS, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360), which would probably be a unique title at any time of the year.
The full list of the rest of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in DS, News, PC, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360
Tagged Bulletstorm, De Blob 2, Killzone 3, Radiant Historia
January 2011 NPD report: We all just got served
I always considered sales to be the lowest possible form of gaming conversation, but with NPD eliminating numbers from their public reports, it’s more like a pure representation of what the popular trends are in gaming.
And that trend is dance. Four games in the software top ten for January were dance games: Just Dance 2 (#2), Zumba Fitness (#5), Dance Central (#8), and Michael Jackson: The Experience (#9). While peripheral rocking may be on the way out, the music genre as a whole is alive and well, in fact you could argue that the dance games of today are the new band games of yesteryear, grossing exorbitant revenue and achieving a massive base. However, it signals that our medium of interactive entertainment is being taken over by genres we would not traditionally call video games and titles that simply don’t appeal to us. As the Japanese say, “it can’t be helped,” and I guess it’s a good thing overall if cores games are still financially healthy.
And indeed they are. Dead Space 2 (#3), Little Big Planet 2 (#4), and DC Universe Online (#10) made their debut in the top ten the same month as launching. Michael Jordan’s tongue-lashing exploits in NBA 2K11 (#6) returned, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (#7) snuck around and Call of Duty: Black Ops claimed the top spot, nearly three months after launch. This figure is augmented as all platforms are combined into one figure, so I can’t comment on how much that Nintendo DS port contributed.
Also absent are console figures, but that didn’t stop Microsoft from their customary spin installment. While both the PS3 and Xbox 360 are performing better than this time last year, Microsoft revealed 381,000 units sold, proclaiming the 360 as “the leading game console in 2011,” a statement which is pretentious after only January, unsubstantiated without any regional qualifier, and probably wrong considering the Nintendo DS is very much a game console, regardless of what Aaron Greenberg wishes you believed.
Chris Evans to voice Captain America in game adaptation
Marvel tapped Chris Evans to don the red, white and blue of Captain America for the World War II hero’s new movie, Captain America: The First Avenger, and now Sega has enlisted his services for the video game adaptation.
The game, Captain America: Super Soldier, is in development for the DS, PS3, Wii and Xbox 360 at Next Level Games and it should be available soon after the movie’s July opening. Evans, who is no stranger to superheroics after starring in The Fantastic Four, will supply his likeness and vocal talents for the title.
“Signing Chris to star in Captain America: Super Soldier delivers the cinematic quality and emotional drive that fans expect,” said Gary Knight, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Sega of Europe and Sega of America. “Chris will help fuel the character’s mission as he battles through the enormous Hydra castle full of legendary villains in a completely original story.”
Evans is the only Captain America cast member that is currently signed on for Super Solider. It’s unknown if his fellow stars Hugo Weaving (Red Skull) abd Sebastian Stan (Bucky) will join him.
LEGO Battles: Ninjago trailer sets up the tale of two brothers
Warner Bros. released a new trailer for their upcoming Nintendo DS title Lego Battles: Ninjago today. The trailer introduces us to the story of two brothers fighting the war between good and evil, rendered in some seriously awesome Lego CG The game also gives us a few glimpses of gameplay footage, as well as a narrator who gets you more and more stoked for what apparently is an unbelievable Lego epic. The Lego series of games lately have all been well received, so it’s really nice to see them working on series’ that aren’t based on other licensed properties. We still don’t have a firm release date but Spring 2011 is still scheduled as the release window.
Posted in DS, News
Tagged Lego Battles: Ninjago
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood leads BAFTA noms with seven
Somebody alert the world, a Brotherhood of assassins has infiltrated the British Academy Video Games Awards. Ubisoft’s stealthy sequel, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, garnered seven nominations, more than any other game, including one for Best Game.
Other big honorees from this year’s Video Games Awards include Call of Duty: Black Ops, Heavy Rain (six nominations apiece) and Mass Effect 2 (four nominations).
Awarded annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), the winners of this year’s Video Games Awards will announced in a ceremony on March 16.
The full list of every nominee and every award up for grabs can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360
Tagged Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Call of Duty: Black Ops, God of War III, Heavy Rain, Mass Effect 2, Super Mario Galaxy