Iron Man, one of Marvel’s most indestructible Super Heroes, blast onto videogame platforms with this adaptation of the big screen movie. This third-person action game immerses players in the world of Tony Stark — the brilliant industrialist and inventor who both created and became the world’s toughest hero - Iron Man. By customizing the advanced technology in Iron Man’s suits, gamers can take advantage of a wide array of high-impact weapons to strategically blow-up and destroy any enemy force and fight to rid the world of weapons of mass destruction.

Drawing from both the movie and comic book storylines, Iron Man features the voice talent of the stars from the major motion picture — Robert Downey Jr, Terrence Howard, and Shawn Toub. Utilizing the power of next-gen gaming consoles, Iron Man offers photo-realistic graphics, non-linear gameplay and huge open worlds in which gamers can travel as far as the eye can see.

Is the billionaire hero’s game shiny and polished or covered in a thick layer of tarnish? Find out in this Iron Man game video review:

Read more…

Share This

No Comments

Before Nintendo was famous with their mustachioed plumber known as Mario, they released little handheld systems called Game & Watch that were hugely successful in Japan as well as the U.S. Each had a single game built into them (you couldn’t change the game that was on it) that used rudimentary graphics on it’s LCD screen, initially black and white, and simple animation (only a very limited number of frames. You could often see the ’shadow’ where the characters would appear next) to create a simple little game that you could play on the go. The systems also had a clock and alarm, thus the name “Game & Watch”. The games also kept score so you could have fun trying to top your previous point total.

Many different games were released in the Game & Watch series, from original titles like “Fire”, “Octopus”, “Helmet” and “Ball” to versions of popular Nintendo games like Mario Bros., Donkey Kong and The Legend of Zelda. Initially the systems were black and white and single-screen and contained a directional pad or large button that you could press in left, right, up or down to move the character that way, and one or two buttons. And most games contained an A or B mode for easy or harder difficulty (typically it would simply make the game play faster). Later systems though would use wider screen displays or even a two-screened display and clamshell design.

The Game & Watch systems were created by Gunpei Yokoi, who would later go on to create Nintendo’s beloved Metroid series (Kid Icarus as well) and design the hugely successful Game Boy handheld as well as the Nintendo Virtual Boy game system (which he was made to resign after it’s failure. Sadly he died in a car accident on October 4th, 1997). The two-screened Game & Watch systems would also become Nintendo’s inspiration for the design of the Nintendo DS, which basically looks like a modern version of the two-screened Game & Watch systems. And the left-handed design of the systems (d-pad on left, buttons on right) would be Nintendo’s inspiration for the NES controller, and would be copied by practically every other successful game system.

But enough history, let’s get into the game! Game & Watch Gallery was released in 1997 in the U.S. and it is a compilation of several original Game & Watch games, as well as modern updates that use characters from the Mario universe, all contained on one Game Boy cartridge. The game also contains a battery back-up so that it will save all your high scores, and features several different unlockables and various modes.
Read more…

Share This

2 Comments

Niko Bellic receives letters and emails from his cousin Roman, speaking of wealth and luxury beyond his wildest dreams in Liberty City. After only a few years in America, Roman Bellic has a mansion, a sports car and many beautiful women in his life, and urges Niko to join him. After working the passage on a container ship, Niko is introduced to the truth -Roman’s seedy, cockroach-ridden apartment, crappy car, stressful job, and a struggle to appease the aggressive gangsters looking to collect on his gambling debts. Niko doesn’t like to see his cousin pushed around, and in the face of his defiance, the gangsters begin to negotiate - for Niko’s services. So begins Grand Theft Auto IV - a magnificently byzantine journey into a corrupted, rusting American dream.

It’s less than two weeks after the release of Grand Theft Auto IV, the largest entertainment launch in history. The game took US$310 million in its first 24 hours, and US$500 million in its first week, putting other blockbuster media events like Halo 3 (US$170million) and the movie, Spider-man 3 (US$148million) in the shade. Over the last few weeks we’ve been looking at the GTA games so far; we’ve seen the start, the roots, the amazing transition from 2D to 3D, and moved from a sunny island city to an entire state. Sam Houser, co-creator of GTA, said that the difference between the last games and GTA4 would be as great as the leap from 2D to 3D - an ambitious claim. GTA4 took four years and a record breaking US$100 million to make.
Let’s take a look at the results.
Read more…

Share This

2 Comments

Devil May Cry 4 is the latest game in the action adventure demon-killing series for the Xbox 360 and the PS3. Like in games past, it is a frenetic action game in which you, as a devil-hunting hero, must use a plethora of varied moves to destroy the legion hordes as you make your way through the game’s many pretty environments and watch cut-scenes to advance the game’s story.

Although the game has been upgraded for the current-generation of consoles, it really does not play that much differently than games of the past. In fact I’d go as far as to say that the game could’ve used a lot more changes and/or an complete overhaul in the vein of Capcom’s Resident Evil franchise. But they choose to stick to what works, and it works as well as it did in the past.

This is all despite the game starring a brand-new character known as Nero (voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch who you may know as the second Black Ranger from Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers TV show or the voice of Vasch the Stampede in the Trigun anime, among many other game and anime characters) who you will control throughout most of the game. But Nero really isn’t that much different from Dante, and at first-glance may even be mistaken for the legendary demon-slayer, since they even look similar.
Read more…

Share This

7 Comments

Boom Blox is a physics-based action-puzzle hybrid game designed to be played by anybody in the family using the unique control set-up of the Wii. It’s also the first collaboration (out of three) between videogames developer Electronic Arts and movie director/producer Steven Spielberg that features a variety of family-friendly game modes.

To quote Steven Spielberg: “I am a gamer myself, and I really wanted to create a video game that I could play with my kids. Boom Blox features an enormous amount of fun challenges and cool scenarios for your kids to solve or for you to master together. Boom Blox plays on the enjoyment of building and knocking down blocks, something that can appeal innately to kids and adults of all ages.”
Read more…

Share This

2 Comments

Wii port of the first original title from Capcom’s now defunct Clover Studio — headed up by Viewtiful Joe producer Atsushi Inaba. The multiple award-winning action adventure Okami uses the Wii Remote as a paintbrush to solve puzzles, create pathways, chop down trees or turn night into day. Okami comes alive through beautiful scenic 3D levels that have the appearance and texture of paper scrolls brushed with watercolor-like calligraphy art. Playing as Amaterasu, the sun goddess who takes on the form of a wolf, your goal is to bring life back to the world.

Redesigned to take advantage of this unique platform, the Wii version sports widescreen graphics and motion controls. Players uses the Wii Remote as the ‘celestial brush’ in an effort to seal ancient evils once again.

Has this PS2 port of Okami been perfected on the Wii or is it still on a quest of stroke and order? Find out in this Okami video review:

Read more…

Share This

No Comments

GTA4 is almost upon us! When people are weighing up the pros and cons of the new game, the standard they’ll be holding it to will be the pièce de résistance of the series so far. A sandbox game so large it has airlines that travel between its three separate cities; 2004’s epic Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

It’s 1992. Carl ‘CJ’ Johnson has been living in Liberty City for five years when he gets a call from his home city of Los Santos to say his mother has been shot and killed. CJ flies home for the funeral, and between the airport and his childhood home CJ’s cab is pulled over and he’s arrested by a familiar group of cops led by the malicious Sergeant Tenpenny. Tenpenny tells CJ he intends to frame him for the recent murder of a police officer - so recent it hasn’t been reported yet. The cops take his money and dump him in the heart of a rival gang’s territory. CJ arrives home with only the small change in his pockets, finds crack being dealt outside his mother’s house, his old gang - The Grove Street Families - splintered into weaker factions, and his friends hostile and untrusting after his long absence. The cops warn CJ to stay in Los Santos until they need him, so he begins to straighten things out with his friends, and in the process change things for the better on Grove Street.
Read more…

Share This

5 Comments

Grand Theft Auto IV is the latest installment of the popular series by Rockstar for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. All big media outleds like IGN have been cleared to release their video reviews of the early copies of the finished game they received. We, however, have to wait like you to buy the game in stores on April 29th, so expect VGB’s review once Stuart had his fun with the game.

The action-adventure game features improved graphics, new features, and new gameplay. Players take on the role of Niko Bellic, a rough-around-the-edge chap from Eastern Europe. Niko has arrived in America, in Liberty City — a land full of promise and opportunity. His cousin convinced him to emigrate, to join him in his mansion and life of luxury, but as soon as he steps off the boat, Niko discovers the truth about the American way. Still, the wealth, the comfort, the bliss of the good life, it all really is here… and it’s all for the taking.

Warning: Titles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language.

As the second video review (by 1UP) will show, GTA IV reinvents the series with a renewed version of Liberty City detailed to the last pothole and rooftop vent. There are now four boroughs to explore plus extra area outside of Liberty City proper. With the ability to climb obstacles, drive cars, steer boats and pilot helicopters, the world of GTA is more accessible than ever before.
Read more…

Share This

3 Comments

In Persona 3: FES you lead a group of high school students with a dangerous extracurricular activity: exploring the mysterious tower Tartarus and fighting the sinister Shadows during the Dark Hour, a frozen span of time imperceptible to all but a select few. However, the end of their quest is no longer the end of the story–witness for the first time the aftermath of the final battle and the students’ struggle to find meaning in their new lives.

A spin-off of the RPG Persona, Fes (or “Festival of Persona 3″) on PlayStation 2 consists of Persona 3’s content along with 30 hours of additional gameplay, but at a lower $30 budget price. The new gameplay comes primarily in the form of the “Gojitsudan,” a story sequence that comes after the original’s ending, with new cinematic sequences in addition to the added gameplay. While the main storyline is the same, it’s been tuned up with new events. Gameplay has been updated as well, with a new “hard” setting (the original had just easy and normal), 23 new Personas, a weapon synthesis system and a system for changing your characters’ clothes.

Find out how good it is in this Persona 3: FES video review:

Click on the bottom-right corner arrow to view it fullscreen.

Share This

No Comments

Universe at War: Earth Assault is set in the near-future when multiple factions from across the galaxy have come to Earth to wage epic warfare. Deadly sci-fi weapons and alien powers allow players to destroy cities and other territory while fighting for Earth. The game also allows players to retrain and customize units in the midst of battle, modify their weapons and defenses in real-time, and even control the development of technology that will help them to victory.

Real-Time Strategy game fans take note: Developer Petroglyph’s team members have previously worked on the original Command and Conquer, Command and Conquer: Red Alert, and Star Wars: Empire at War.

Earth is under alien assault yet again; does Universe at War suck you in, or is just a black hole? Find out in this Universe at War: Earth Assault video review:

Read more…

Share This

No Comments