4 July 2009
by Ferry

Top 5 game sales per system worldwide in week 26, 2009

What are the best-selling games in America, Japan, and Europe (UK, France, Germany) this week? Thanks to Amazon online sales data here are the games that are the hottest right now. Think of it as a games weather report.

Nintendo Wii
North America: 1. Wii Fit (Nintendo), 2. EA Sports Active (Electronic Arts), 3. Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo), 4. Guitar Hero World Tour Band Kit (Activision), 5. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 Wii MotionPlus Bundle (Electronic Arts).

Japan: 1. Wii Sports Resort including Wii MotionPlus (Nintendo), 2. EA Sports Grand Slam Tennis (Electronic Arts), 3. Wii Fit (Nintendo), 4. Parallel of Haruhi Suzumiya - SOS Team Heroes Collection (Sega), 5. Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo).

Europe: 1. EA Sports Active (Electronic Arts), 2. Wii Fit (Nintendo), 3. Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo), 4. My Fitness Coach (Ubisoft), 5. EA Sports Grand Slam Tennis with Wii MotionPlus Accessory (Electronic Arts).

Xbox 360
North America: 1. Guitar Hero World Tour Band Bundle (Activision), 2. Gears of War 2 (Microsoft), 3. BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger Limited Edition (Aksys), 4. Fight Night: Round 4 (Electronic Arts), 5. Call of Duty: World at War (Activision).

Japan: 1. BlazBlue (Arc System Works), 2. X-Blades including Stategy Guide (Ubisoft), 3. BioShock - Platinum Collection (2K), 4. Gears of War - Platinum Collection (Microsoft), 5. Prototype - North American Import Version (Activision).

Europe: 1. Prototype (Activision), 2. Call of Duty: World at War (Activision), 3. Gears of War 2 (Microsoft), 4. Call of Juarez: Bound In Blood (Ubisoft), 5. Fight Night Round 4 (Electronic Arts).

PlayStation 3
North America: 1. BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger Limited Edition (Aksys), 2. Infamous (Sony), 3. Fight Night: Round 4 (Electronic Arts), 4. Grand Theft Auto IV (Rockstar), 5. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots - Greatest Hits (Konami).

Japan: 1. Atelier Rorona: Arland no Renkinjutsushi - Limited Edition (Gust), 2. BlazBlue (Arc System Works), 3. Valkyria Chronicles - The Best of PlayStation 3 (Sega), 4. Demon’s Souls (Sony), 5. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots - The Best of PlayStation 3 Edition (Konami).

Europe: 1. Fight Night Round 4 (Electronic Arts), 2. Call Of Juarez: Bound In Blood (Ubisoft), 3. Infamous (Sony), 4. LittleBigPlanet (Sony), 5. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (Electronic Arts).

PlayStation 2 Article continues »

3 July 2009
by Josh

Official TMNT: Smash Up character list for the Wii game

10 playable TMNT: Smash Up characters have been confirmed for the roster of the upcoming Wii-exclusive fighting game/brawler that plays similar to Super Smash Bros. Brawl. It will be released in North America on September 22nd and in Europe on September 25th, 2009.

In the game players will battle on interactive, stages that feature many environmental hazards and interactive elements, from gushing water that will push you off-stage to swingable poles. Each character has their own unique moves and attacks. The game is not based on a previous Turtles license which gives the developers liberty to draw from all previous Turtles material. The storyline meanwhile is being penned by TMNT co-creator Peter Laird.

The list of playable characters:

1. April O’Neil (Voiced by Veronica Taylor)
2. Casey Jones (Voiced by Marc Thompson)
3. Donatello (Voiced by Sam Riegel)
4. Foot Ninja
5. Leonardo (Voiced by Michael Sinterniklaas)
6. Master Splinter (Voiced by Darren Dunstan)
7. Michelangelo (Voiced by Vinnie Penna)
8. Raphael (Voiced by Greg Abbey)
9. Shredder (Voiced by Scottie Ray)
10. Utrominator

The most wanted characters:

* Bebop
* Rocksteady
* Krang
* Super Shredder
* Slash
* Baxter Stockman
* Metalhead
* Usagi Yojimbo
* General Traag
* Leatherhead
* Tokka
* Rahzar
* The Rat King
* Who do you want to see added as a playable character?

Here is a LIVE video of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash Up in action.

As the game draws closer to release we’ll update this list with confirmed characters.

3 July 2009
by Josh

Dragon Ball game publishing rights go from Atari to Namco Bandai

Namco Bandai Games America has made a major announcement; The company has secured the Dragon Ball franchise publishing rights from former rights-holder Atari.

This is huge because in 2008, the Dragon Ball franchise made up nearly half of Atari’s sales.

The rights that Namco Bandai now owns stretches to all consoles and handhelds and will begin in January of 2010. The deal with rights-holders Toei Animation and FUNimation will last for five years, so Namco Bandai will be publishing Dragon Ball games until 2015!

Although the rights don’t officially start until 2010 for Namco, nonetheless they actually will be publishing a few Dragon Ball games before then, proving how far out of favor Atari has fallen with the license holders. Namco will publish Dragon Ball: Raging Blast on Xbox 360 and PS3, Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo for Wii and Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans for DS this Fall.

3 July 2009
by Ferry

Mario Marathon 2 for Child’s Play Charity starts July 10th

Beginning Friday, July 10, gamers from Lafayette, Indiana will host the second annual Mario Marathon benefiting Child’s Play Charity, which provides toys, games and books to patients of children’s hospitals world wide. VGB will put up the live video feed on the frontpage next week.

We covered Mario Marathon 2008, the multi day internet event broadcast live online, last year as well. And they did a great job attracting an audience from around the world. Be sure to come and watch as a team of three plays through twenty five years of Super Mario Brothers video games. Those wishing to support the event are encouraged to donate directly to Child’s Play through the mariomarathon.com web site.

The initial event, held in 2008, lasted fifty seven hours, attracted over 100,000 viewers, and raised nearly $12,000 for Child’s Play. This year’s event is projected to last longer, with the length extended by each donation. “It’s a kind of endurance stunt to promote Child’s Play,” says Brian Brinegar, Event Coordinator, “a video game reality show.” Viewers of the event will have the opportunity to interact with the team and win various Mario themed prizes.

The Child’s Play Charity is a game industry charity dedicated to improving the lives of children with toys and games in a network of over sixty hospitals world wide. Since its inception in 2003, the charity has distributed over 3.5 million dollars worth of toys, games, books, and cash . “We rely heavily on community run initiatives such as Mario Marathon.” says Kristin Lindsay, with Child’s Play, “These fund raising events represent our greatest strength: the generosity and determinations of gamers.”

“We would not be able to offer the opportunity to play video games to so many patients without the generous donation of Child’s Play”, says Rena Brown, Toy Room co-chair with Indianapolis based Riley Hospital for Children, “Video games are a great activity because the children can “escape” to another world.”

Watch the event live on the web at beginning July 10th at 9:00 AM EDT. Donations for the event are being accepted through July 15th.

3 July 2009
by Josh

Vote for your favorite Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars characters

Capcom wants to know who are your favorite Tatsunoko vs Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars characters?

The company is holding the vote on their Capcom Unity blog, and they say that the voting WILL be used for something “fun”. But they can’t tell us what it is yet. The game will be released “this Winter” (which could slip into early 2010) exclusively for Wii.

To quote Capcom:

“Why vote? It matters to . . . something fun. I can’t tell you exactly what that is YET, but if you like these characters or this game, take the time to tell us who you like best.

We’re looking to see your very favorite character from the current Tatsunoko Vs Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars lineup, so pick one from the Tatsunoko side, and one from the Capcom side.”

Vote here who your favorite Tatsunoko vs Capcom character is. And let us know what you think this “something fun” might be?

Last but not least, here is a video interview for Tatsunoko vs Capcom

3 July 2009
by Josh

Grease: The Video Game announced for Wii and DS

505 Games has announced that they are making Grease: The Video Game for DS and Wii, in collaboration with Paramount Digital Entertainment.

As you would expect, the game will allow players to sing and dance along with all their favorite characters to their favorite songs from the classic musical such as Danny, Sandy, The Pink Lady and the T-Birds.

The game will use both the Wii’s Motion Sensing abilities as well as the microphone Wii Speak accessory for the Wii version and the DS version will make use of the built-in microphone and touch-screen.

“We are really excited about working with Paramount Digital Entertainment to turn this world famous film into a video game for the very first time. Working with such a well known and much loved brand is a great opportunity and we believe the collaboration further strengthens 505 Games’ entertainment portfolio,” commented Ian Howe, Managing Director 505 Games.

“Paramount Digital Entertainment is pleased to be working with 505 Games to develop Grease,” said John Kavanagh, Senior Vice President of Video Games for Paramount Digital Entertainment. “Grease is the ideal opportunity to reach a broad gaming audience who love to sing, dance and have fun with a party-style game.”

2 July 2009
by Josh

Naruto Shippuden: Clash of Ninja Revolution 3 officially announced for Wii

Naruto Shippuden: Clash of Ninja Revolution 3 has been officially announced for release on Wii in the U.S. this Fall.

The game is the next exciting installment to the hit Clash of Ninja fighting game series. Exclusively for Wii, the classic 3D fighting game features new and improved gameplay mechanics, multiple gameplay modes, and for the first time, online Wi-Fi multiplayer play!

The game follows the storyline of the popular NARUTO Shippuden anime series and showcases the grown up new look of the NARUTO cast of characters.

Key features of Naruto Shippuden: Clash of Ninja Revolution 3 include:
* The first Wii exclusive NARUTO Shippuden title featuring all new content and storyline, Now includes Wi-Fi multiplayer gameplay functionality.
* Includes enhanced fighting gameplay mechanics.
* More than 30 playable characters, many of which have been upgraded with a new Shippuden look and unique abilities, including character-specific jutsu moves.
* More than 40 3D environments to choose from, including nine completely new stages.

1 July 2009
by Josh

NBA 2K10 release date is October 6. Special Anniversary collectors edition includes Kobe Bryant figurine, poster and locker

NBA 2K10 is scheduled for release on Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii and PC on October 6th, 2009. Gracing the cover of the game is this year’s MVP and Larker’s championship winner Kobe Bryant.

However this year marks the 10th-year anniversary of the annual basketball sim from 2K Sports, and to celebrate they will be releasing a special “Anniversary” collector’s edition for Xbox 360 and PS3 (only) at a retail price of $100.

Fans though will be getting a pretty nifty package that includes the following:

* A 2K Sports-branded combination locker that holds up to 20 games.
* A Kobe Bryant figurine sculpted by the masters at McFarlane Toys.
* A special Kobe Bryant poster designed by Shephard Fairey’s Studio No. 1.
* Access to a special in-game VIP online lobby.
* A retrospective DVD that tracks the evolution of the NBA 2K basketball series.
* Special VIP events in the “Gold Room” that only Anniversary Edition purchasers will get to enjoy.

I was rooting for the Magic personally. Being a Suns fan myself (since I live in Phoenix). . . the Lakers are my enemy. My rival. Boooo KOBE BRYANT!

But in all seriousness that Kobe Bryant figurine is a pretty sweet deal for fans. And it definitely looks like a nice and unique set overall.

Via GameSpot

30 June 2009
by Josh

The making of Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince game interviews movie cast

Follow all your favorite characters and actors in these new behind-the-scenes making of videos for the Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince video game. Which will be released on June 20th, 2009 for Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Wii, DS, PSP and PC.

Many of the film’s actors provided their voices for the game, and the development team at EA had access to photos and body scans of all the characters, so every raised eyebrow and fluttering cloak is accurately portrayed in the game. Plus, for the first time in a Harry Potter video game, it’s possible to read the emotion in characters’ faces as they talk, thanks to the advanced facial animation system used during development.

Additionally, for the first time ever, players are free to explore every inch of the Hogwarts castle and its grounds, and look at it from every angle. The development team worked with directly with the movie designers, sharing blueprints and ideas, to recreate a magical environment, full of moving staircases, disappearing rooms, and secret entrances. And Harry’s ghostly friend, Nearly Headless Nick, is always only a button press away, ready to guide you to your next destination.

Here is the launch trailer for the game followed by the making of videos.

The Making of Part 1 - The film’s stars take you on a virtual tour of Hogwarts.

Article continues »

29 June 2009
by Ferry

New video game releases week 26, 2009

Here’s a list of this weeks game releases. The most popular titles are Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: The Videogame on multiple platforms, Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood on Xbox 360, PS3 & PC, and BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger Limited Edition on Xbox 360 & PS3. On the downloadable games front we’ve got today’s Wii Shop and DSiWare titles Fantasy Zone 2, Sudoku Master, Water Warfare, Silver Star Reversi, Reel Fishing Challenge, as well as Worms 2: Armageddon and The King of Fighters ‘98 Ultimate Match on Xbox Live Arcade (updates Wednesday), The Punisher: No Mercy on PlayStation Network (updates Thursday), Runaway 2: Dream Of The Turtle on GameTap Gold (updates Thursday), and Trine on Steam (added Friday).

Monday:
Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa - $5 (Wii Shop)
Reel Fishing Challenge - $8 (Wii Shop)
Rise of Flight: The Great Air War (PC)
Silver Star Reversi - $5 (Wii Shop)
Sudoku Master - $5 (DSi Shop)
Water Warfare - $5 (Wii Shop)

Tuesday:
8 Ball All Star (DS)
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger Limited Edition (Xbox 360, PS3)
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
Fuel (PC)
Grand Theft Auto Trilogy (PC)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: The Videogame (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PC, PS2, DS, PSP)
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (PS2, Wii, PC, Xbox 360, PS3, DS)
Mega Man Star Force 3: Black Ace (DS)
Mega Man Star Force 3: Red Joker (DS)
My Dress Up DS (DS)
My Make Up DS (DS)
Mytran Wars (PSP)
Roogoo Attack (DS)
Roogoo: Twisted Towers (Wii)
Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament (PSP)
Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li movie (DVD, Blu-ray) — You can win it in our competition!
The Orb and the Oracle: Dungeon Lords (PC)
Treasure World (DS)
Ultimate Game Room (DS)

Wednesday:
The King of Fighters ‘98 Ultimate Match - $10 (Xbox Live Arcade)
Worms 2: Armageddon - $10 (Xbox Live Arcade)

Thursday:
Infernal: Hell’s Vengeance (Xbox 360)
Runaway 2: Dream Of The Turtle (GameTap Gold)
The Punisher: No Mercy - $10 (PlayStation Network)

Friday:
ArmA II (PC, Steam)
Trine - $30 (Steam)