On Xbox Live Arcade today: Wolfenstein 3D

From today, at 9AM GMT (2AM PDT), you can play ID’s Wolfenstein 3D on Xbox Live Arcade for Xbox 360. Wolfenstein 3D will be available worldwide (except in Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore and Taiwan) for 400 Microsoft Points (that’s US$5 / €4.80 / £3.40 / CAN$6.20).

Achtung! In Wolfenstein 3D you are OSA super agent B.J. Blazkowicz and you must escape from Castle Wolfenstein and defeat the twisted Nazi regime! Fight all of the memorable enemies from Hans Grosse to Mecha-Hitler in the legendary game that launched the First Person Shooter genre. Search classic levels for hidden secrets that reveal stolen Nazi treasure, health packs, ammo and weapons, or even short cuts.

Game features include:

Great gameplay: Battle through all six unique episodes and 60 levels.

Customizable weapons: Earn gold and unlock customizable weapon upgrades.

Achievements: Conquer Wolfenstein achievements and add points to your Gamerscore.

On Wii Shop and DSiWare now: Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, Texas Hold’em Tournament, Boulder Dash, Mighty Flip Champs

Nintendo downloads for the week: The After Years on WiiWare is the first true sequel to Final Fantasy IV is sure to get RPG fans’ blood pumping. Nintendo DSiWare users will find a challenging new puzzle game to help keep their minds spinning. A slick new poker title from the WiiWare service raises the stakes for virtual card sharps, while the Virtual Console debut of a classic Commodore 64 game puts players in pursuit of precious gems.

Nintendo has added new/classic games to the Wii Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi Shop. The games go live at 9AM Pacific time. Users with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card can be purchased at retail locations or Amazon (see Card on the right).

Where available, we’ve included videos of each of today’s games. Either for nostalgia’s sake or so you can see if any new game is to your taste.

This week’s new WiiWare games are:

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
Publisher: Square Enix
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Alcohol Reference, Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points = $8
Description: Final Fantasy IV: The After Years is the sequel to the hit RPG Final Fantasy IV. The story takes place many years after the original and centers on a young man named Ceodore, son of the paladin Cecil and the white mage Rosa, who, along with their loyal and steadfast friends, once saved the world from evil born of the second moon. Now, monsters are reappearing in a world that had finally attained peace. The second moon has returned anew. What tidings does this ominous harbinger bring? Familiar faces and new allies join the battle to save the Blue Planet once more.

Texas Hold’em Tournament
Publisher: Digital Leisure, Inc.
Players: 1-6
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Simulated Gambling
Price: 500 Wii Points = $5
Description: The deck is shuffled and the blinds are in – it’s your move. Call, raise or even bluff your way “all in” with Texas Hold’em Tournament. You’ll start off in the small Nevada gaming halls and work your way up to the Las Vegas Championship. Multi-round, no-limit hold’em game play ensures hours of serious poker action. Think you’re the best poker player out there? Using broadband Internet access and Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, start climbing the worldwide rankings by winning online tournaments, and see how your poker skills stack up by viewing the online leaderboard. Texas Hold’em Tournament also lets you play multiplayer poker with up to five friends, and with full Miiâ„¢ character support, you can truly bring yourself to the table.

This week’s new Virtual Console game is:

Boulder Dash
Original platform: Commodore 64
Publisher: Commodore Gaming
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points = $5
Description: Originally released in 1984, Boulder Dash is one of the big computer-game classics. It is one of the very few computer games ever to be ported from home computers to arcades, not the other way around. The hero of the game is the brave prospector Rockford. He must dig through caves to collect diamonds while avoiding various types of dangerous creatures and obstacles such as falling rocks. He is in constant danger of being crushed or trapped by an avalanche or killed by an underground explosion. Strategy and planning are the keys to mastering Boulder Dash. Once enough jewels have been collected, the door to the mysterious escape tunnel is revealed and Rockford can explore another cave.

This week’s new DSiWare game is:

Mighty Flip Champs!
Publisher: WayForward Technologies
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points = $8
Description: Are you ready to become a Mighty Flip Champ? Take control of Alta and page-flip through a series of action-packed mazes. The touch screen reflects a preview of the next chamber and shows Alta’s projected destination within it. When it’s time to flip, use Alta’s Magical Warp Wand to replace her world with the next one. Will she land safely on solid ground or be crushed under it? By cycling endlessly through room after brain-busting room, you’ll match wits with some of the most devious traps in puzzle/platforming history.

Assassins Creed 2 cheats, feather locations tips and achievements (guide)

Unlock awesome new Assassin’s Creed 2 cheats with the tips in this guide. We’ll exchange feather locations tips, The Truth locations and puzzle solutions, list achievements that can be unlocked and show short mission walkthrough videos. But let’s first focus on the PlayStation 3 and PSP versions connectivity unlockables. Then, we take a look at the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 pre-order in-game bonus, etc.

How to unlock bonus weapons using PSP to PS3 linkup:

You can unlock six additional weapons in the PlayStation 3 version of the action-adventure game, by linking the Assassin’s Creed 2 console game to the related handheld game Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines on PSP. These six new weapons you can only unlock by completing certain objectives in Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines (which will be indicated in said game), after which you can connect the PSP to your PS3 via link cable with both games active to unlock the bonus content in the PS3 version. To clarify: These 6 weapons appear on top of the over 30 weapons already included in the game.

As players unlock health and Hidden blade upgrades in Assassin’s Creed 2 PS3, the same upgrades will be unlocked in Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines (PSP). It also works the other way around: on the PS3 you will be able to access any Templar Coins and special weapons you’ve collected on the PSP. Ubisoft explains it in more detail: “How transferring collectibles from one version to the other works, is that you’ll be able to transfer all the Templar gold coins that you will collect in the PSP version into the currency of the PS3. Moreover, you’ll be able to collect the weapons of the targets (beaten bosses) you’re going to kill in the PSP version onto Assassin’s Creed 2 [on PS3]. Since Altair is actually an ancestor of Ezio, he passes on to future generation items he collected in a big chest. And the other way around you’ll be able to get the codex and health upgrades, and transfer them into the PS3 version.”

The basics of interactivity between the two PlayStation games explained:

PSP gold coins and beaten boss’ weapons get passed on to Ezio on the PS3.

PS3 codex can be translated into new weapons & more life for Altair on PSP.

We’ll update this section once it’s clear whether or not the Xbox 360 & PC versions will have another way to unlock this or other bonus content.

Get unlockable in-game bonus map with your pre-order:

Reserve Assassin’s Creed 2 and receive a (GameStop) exclusive code to unlock one of the Renaissance’s most prestigious monuments, the Palazzo Medici. You will receive exclusive access to this majestic building in the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, and the freedom to discover the treasure hidden within it’s ancient walls. Available for online and in-store customers while supplies last.
* Online / In-Store Pickup Customers: Code and download instructions will be emailed to you when the game ships.
* Store Customers: A rave card containing a code and download instructions will be available at time of game pick-up.
NOTE: Ubisoft has said that the two GameStop-exclusive Palazzo Medici and Santa Maria Dei Frari maps will be released to the public at a later date after launch.

For example, an already used Palazzo Medici code: A2x-P6UJ-MMGC-V4A3-QL3J. Once you used your code to unlock the content, go to Extras in the main menu, and then go to Exclusive Content to access it.

In the Black Edition of the game there are 3 in-game bonus quests, allowing the character to explore the following:
* Palazzo Medicis in Florence.
* Santa Maria Dei Frari In Venice.
* Arsenal Shipyard Warehouse In Venice.

Feather locations tips:

Feathers are the new flags. You will be able to find a total of 100 Feathers in the game. Here are tips to best find all the feathers:

Feathers are placed along the main quest areas of the game. This is unlike the flags in the first game, which appeared seemingly at random throughout the world.

Finding hidden Feathers (originally for Ezio’s little brother Petruccio) is best done by running across rooftops. Since naturally that’s where birds spend the most time losing them.

Walk around the rooftops with Eagle Vision turned on and you’ll see the Feathers in a white glitch type of graphic.

Unconfirmed: Feather locations are revealed after buying in-game maps.

Collecting these Feathers will also lead to tangible rewards in the game. Without spoiling what exactly, it’s the final weapon Ezio could use in his quest for revenge. The intangible reward is if you collect all the Feathers, you get the “In Memory of Petruccio” 30G Achievement or Bronze Trophy. To this end, through the comments section I would like all of us to work together to create a detailed list of Feather locations. Please help, you’ll get credit.

Florence Feathers:
This map shows all 27 feathers hidden around Florence:

Feather 1: See this video for map & in-game location details to find feather #1:

Feather 2: See this video for map & in-game location details to find feather #2:

Feather 3: See this video for map & in-game location details to find feather #3:

Villa Auditore Feathers:
This map shows all 4 feathers hidden around Villa Auditore in Monteriggioni:

Tuscany countryside Feathers:
This map shows all 11 feathers hidden around Tuscany:

Romagna Feathers:
This map shows all 12 feathers hidden around Romagna:

Venice Feathers:
This map shows all 46 feathers hidden around Venice:

Rome Feathers:
* ?

Maps created by Mycheats.com, where you can find feather and glyph maps with more details!

Find The Truth “Glyph” Locations and Puzzle Solutions:

You have to use your Eagle Vision to scan for each Glyph in the below indicated environments.

The Truth File 1: While standing on a roof, it’s on a wall at Santa Croce. — Solve the puzzle by choosing the paintings with an apple in them.

The Truth File 2: While standing on a roof, it’s on a wall at Ospedale Degli Innocenti. — Solve the puzzle more easily by rotating the circle puzzle pieces from smallest circle to the largest.

The Truth File 3: While standing on a roof, it’s on a wall at La Rosa Colta. — Solve the puzzle by highlighting the circular object in each photo.

The Truth File 4: While hanging from the roof, it’s on a wall at Villa Auditore. — Solve the puzzle by taking the hints literally.

The Truth File 5: In the bottom dwellings of Santa Maria Assunta, it’s on a wall near pillars. — Solve the puzzle by choosing the paintings with a sword in them.

The Truth File 6: While standing on a roof, it’s on a wall at Torri Dei Salvucci. — Solve the puzzle more easily by rotating the circle puzzle pieces from smallest circle to the largest, while keeping an eye on the two outer layers that will connect.

The Truth File 7: While standing on a roof, it’s on a wall at Torre Del Diavolo. — Solve the puzzle by choosing the paintings with red in them, this can be done in any order.

The Truth File 8: While standing on a roof, it’s on a wall at San Lorenzo. — Solve the puzzle by finding the Pieces of Eden (success is indicated with a sound). Then putting the flame over Joan on the world map. And finally, by moving Rasputin’s photo to the top of Czar Nicholas II’s photo.

The Truth File 9: While standing on a roof, it’s on a wall at Mercato Vecchio. — Solve the puzzle by taking the hints literally, with the last one being 6=1.

The Truth File 10: While standing on a roof, it’s on a wall at Monte Oliveto Maggiore. — Solve the puzzle by not looking for the Eagle Apollo lander on the moon. When found, it’s best to rotate the layers of the puzzle from the inside out until they all align, but note that inner layer 1 rotates on its own despite being connected to layer 4 as well in one instance, same story for layer 6. Lastly, the Piece of Eden is on the Moon’s surface.

The Truth File 11: While standing on the floor, it’s under a stone arch at Antico Teatro Romano. — Solve the puzzle by highlighting the light bulbs. After that highlight the middle of the photo above the doorway. Then highlight Nikola Tesla’s lap.

The Truth File 12: While standing on a roof (not the church tower itself), look down to the side of a wall attached to where you stand at Abbazia Di San Mercuriale. — Solve the puzzle by aligning red 4 with gray 1 on the wheel and entering the related code. Then turn off all the lights on the globe. Select the orb in the middle of the next photo. Solve the last puzzle by lining up the wheel like this: 1=II. 2=III 3=I..

The Truth File 13: Climb the base lookout tower until you see it on part of the stone walling on Avamposto Veneziano. — Solve the puzzle by lining up the wheel like this: 5=circle, square, square. 2=circle 3=triangle. Next press the red button so-to-speak. The last part you’ll find near the left-middle bottom of the letter.

The Truth File 14: Swim under the Ponte Di Rialto bridge, where you’ll find it on a wall near the edge of the water. — Solve the puzzle by choosing the paintings with Gods in them: Jupiter, Zeus, Cupid, Swan (AKA Zeus again) and Europa.

The Truth File 15: While standing on a roof, it’s on a higher up wall at Gilda Dei Ladri Di Venezia, right above a wooden hatch. — Solve the puzzle by working from the inside out, and realizing that these layers are connected: 1 to 6, the middle two, and 4 to 5.

The Truth File 16: Climb up the Campanile Di San Marco bell tower, until you can climb in, at which point you’ll find it on the floor. — Solve the puzzle by looking around on the map for the answer to appear. I’m not sure if this has to be done in any specific order, if so it’s: Naples, Alaska, Greece and Tunguska. Then go to the staff and stab the photo with it.

The Truth File 17: Climb up the Torre Dell ‘Orologio and on the floor you’ll find it. — Solve the puzzle by lining up the wheel like this: 7=broken square symbol, 9=six-sided hourglass symbol, 1=square with little square inside of it. Then the attic on the top-right will reveal an Assassin symbol for you to ID.

The Truth File 18: While standing on a roof (not the highest roof), it’s on a wall at San Pietro Di Castello. — Solve the puzzle by lining up the wheel like this: 6=M or YYY, 0=Chalice symbol, 3=< <

The Truth File 19: It’s on the back of one of the rounded-top walls that stick out on the side-parts of Scuola Grande Di San Marco. — Solve the puzzle by choosing the paintings with a sun in them. I’m not sure if this has to be done in any specific order, if so it’s: Aztec Calendar, Easter Gate, Sistine Chapel Ceiling, Nazca Textile and Book of the Dead. Then find the part of the sun photo that has the most radiation and ID it.

The Truth File 20: From the roof with a fire near it, it’s there when you look down to a wall on the side of San Giacomo Di Rialto. — Solve the puzzle by working from the inside out, and realizing that these layers are not connected: 2nd inner layer, 5th outer layer. Then ID the sun. Next you can line up the code wheel any way you want to complete the puzzle. In the final puzzle, move the cursor over the bones to change the skeleton from a monkey into a human.

Complete All Achievements:

Completely unlock 50 Achievements on the Xbox 360 version to get a total of 1,000 Gamerscore points.

Achievement (Gamerscore points) — How to unlock it.
1. The Birth of an Assassin (20 points): Be reborn as Ezio Auditore Da Firenze.
2. Arrivederci Abstergo (20 points): Break out of Abstergo.
3. Welcome to the Animus 2.0 (20 points): Enter the Animus 2.0.
4. The Pain of Betrayal (30 points): Complete DNA Sequence 1.
5. Vengeance (30 points): Complete DNA Sequence 2.
6. Exit the Son (30 points): Complete DNA Sequence 3.
7. Bloody Sunday (30 points): Complete DNA Sequence 4.
8. Undertaker (20 points): Discover the Assassin’s Tomb inside the catacombs under Santa Maria Novella.
9. The Conspirators (30 points): Complete DNA Sequence 5.
10. An Unexpected Journey (30 points): Complete DNA Sequence 6.
11. Bleeding Effect (30 points): Complete training and reenter the Animus.
12. The Merchant of Venice (30 points): Complete DNA Sequence 7.
13. The Impenetrable Palazzo (30 points): Complete DNA Sequence 8.
14. Masquerade (30 points): Complete DNA Sequence 9.
15. Bianca’s Man (30 points): Complete DNA Sequence 10.
16. The Prophet (30 points): Complete DNA Sequence 11.
17. The Vault (30 points): Complete DNA Sequence 14.
18. An Old Friend Returns (100 points): Escape the hideout.
19. Myth Maker (5 points): Find the 8 statuettes in Monteriggioni.
20. Vitruvian Man (20 points): Unlock all 20 pieces of Subject 16’s video.
21. Street Cleaner (10 points): Hide 5 dead bodies in a Bale of Hay.
22. Fly Swatter (5 points): Kick a Guard while using the Flying Machine.
23. Messer Sandman (10 points): Stun 4 guards at once by throwing sand in their face.
24. Doctor (20 points): Perform an Air Assassination on a Poisoned NPC.
25. No-hitter (20 points): Kill 10 enemies while remaining in conflict without being hit.
26. Kleptomaniac (10 points): Pickpocket 1000 Florins.
27. Lightning Strike (10 points): Sprint for 100 meters.
28. Sweeper (10 points): Sweep 5 guards at once by using a Long Weapon.
29. Venetian Gladiator (20 points): Discover the Assassin’s Tomb inside Santa Maria della Visitazione.
30. I can see your house from here! (20 points): Discover the Assassin’s Tomb inside the Torre Grossa.
31. Hallowed be thy name (20 points): Discover the Assassin’s Tomb inside the Basilica di San Marco.
32. Prison Escape (20 points): Discover the Assassin’s Tomb inside the Rocca di Ravaldino fortress.
33. Choir Boy (20 points): Discover the Assassin’s Tomb inside Santa Maria del Fiore (The Duomo).
34. Assassin For Hire (10 points): Complete your first assassination mission for Lorenzo Il Magnifico.
35. Macho Man (10 points): Defend a woman’s honor.
36. Steal Home (10 points): Win a race against thieves!
37. Show your Colors (10 points): Wear the Auditore cape in each city.
38. Handy Man (10 points): Upgrade a building in the Stronghold.
39. I like the view (10 points): Synchronize 10 View Points.
40. High Dive (10 points): Perform a Leap of Faith from the Top of Florence’s Giotto’s Campanile.

41. Mailman (10 points): Intercept a Borgia Courrier.
42. Tip of the Iceberg (10 points): Use your Eagle Vision to scan a Glyph in the environment.
43. A Piece of the Puzzle (10 points): Unlock a piece of Subject 16’s video.
44. Art Connoisseur (10 points): Buy a Painting from Florence and Venice.
45. Podestà of Monteriggioni (30 points): Reach 80% of your stronghold’s total value.
46. Perfect Harmony (10 points): Tint your clothes with those colors: Wetland Ebony and Wetland Ivory.
47. In Memory of Petruccio (30 points): Collect all the Feathers.
48. Red Light Addict (10 points): Spend 5000 florins on Courtesans.
49. Man of the People (10 points): Toss more than 300 florins on the ground.
50. Victory lies in preparation (10 points): Get all Hidden Blades, Item Pouches and Armor upgrades for Ezio.

Complete the PS3 tasks below to unlock Completely unlock 34 Bronze Trophies, 15 Silver Trophies, 1 Gold Trophy, and 1 Platinum Trophy.

Achievement (Trophy type) — How to unlock it.
1. Master Assassin (Platinum): Unlock All Trophies.
2. The Birth of an Assassin (Bronze): Be reborn as Ezio Auditore Da Firenze.
3. Arrivederci Abstergo (Bronze): Break out of Abstergo.
4. Welcome to the Animus 2.0 (Silver): Enter the Animus 2.0.
5. The Pain of Betrayal (Silver): Complete DNA Sequence 1.
6. Vengeance (Silver): Complete DNA Sequence 2.
7. Exit the Son (Silver): Complete DNA Sequence 3.
8. Bloody Sunday (Silver): Complete DNA Sequence 4.
9. Undertaker (Silver): Discover the Assassin’s Tomb inside the catacombs under Santa Maria Novella.
10. The Conspirators (Silver): Complete DNA Sequence 5.
11. An Unexpected Journey (Silver): Complete DNA Sequence 6.
12. Bleeding Effect (Silver): Complete training and reenter the Animus.
13. The Merchant of Venice (Silver): Complete DNA Sequence 7.
14. The Impenetrable Palazzo (Silver): Complete DNA Sequence 8.
15. Masquerade (Silver): Complete DNA Sequence 9.
16. Bianca’s Man (Silver): Complete DNA Sequence 10.
17. The Prophet (Silver): Complete DNA Sequence 11.
18. The Vault (Silver): Complete DNA Sequence 14.
19. An Old Friend Returns (Gold): Escape the hideout.
20. Myth Maker (Bronze): Find the 8 statuettes in Monteriggioni.
21. Vitruvian Man (Bronze): Unlock all 20 pieces of Subject 16’s video.
22. Street Cleaner (Bronze): Hide 5 dead bodies in a Bale of Hay.
23. Fly Swatter (Bronze): Kick a Guard while using the Flying Machine.
24. Messer Sandman (Bronze): Stun 4 guards at once by throwing sand in their face.
25. Doctor (Bronze): Perform an Air Assassination on a Poisoned NPC.
26. No-hitter (Bronze): Kill 10 enemies while remaining in conflict without being hit.
27. Kleptomaniac (Bronze): Pickpocket 1000 Florins.
28. Lightning Strike (Bronze): Sprint for 100 meters.
29. Sweeper (Bronze): Sweep 5 guards at once by using a Long Weapon.
30. Venetian Gladiator (Bronze): Discover the Assassin’s Tomb inside Santa Maria della Visitazione.
31. I can see your house from here! (Bronze): Discover the Assassin’s Tomb inside the Torre Grossa.
32. Hallowed be thy name (Bronze): Discover the Assassin’s Tomb inside the Basilica di San Marco.
33. Prison Escape (Bronze): Discover the Assassin’s Tomb inside the Rocca di Ravaldino fortress.
34. Choir Boy (Bronze): Discover the Assassin’s Tomb inside Santa Maria del Fiore (The Duomo).
35. Assassin For Hire (Bronze): Complete your first assassination mission for Lorenzo Il Magnifico.
36. Macho Man (Bronze): Defend a woman’s honor.
37. Steal Home (Bronze): Win a race against thieves!
38. Show your Colors (Bronze): Wear the Auditore cape in each city.
39. Handy Man (Bronze): Upgrade a building in the Stronghold.
40. I like the view (Bronze): Synchronize 10 View Points.
41. High Dive (Bronze): Perform a Leap of Faith from the Top of Florence’s Giotto’s Campanile.

42. Mailman (Bronze): Intercept a Borgia Courrier.
43. Tip of the Iceberg (Bronze): Use your Eagle Vision to scan a Glyph in the environment.
44. A Piece of the Puzzle (Bronze): Unlock a piece of Subject 16’s video.
45. Art Connoisseur (Bronze): Buy a Painting from Florence and Venice.
46. Podestà of Monteriggioni (Bronze): Reach 80% of your stronghold’s total value.
47. Perfect Harmony (Bronze): Tint your clothes with those colors: Wetland Ebony and Wetland Ivory.
48. In Memory of Petruccio (Bronze): Collect all the Feathers.
49. Red Light Addict (Bronze): Spend 5000 florins on Courtesans.
50. Man of the People (Bronze): Toss more than 300 florins on the ground.
51. Victory lies in preparation (Bronze): Get all Hidden Blades, Item Pouches and Armor upgrades for Ezio.

Fighting tip for instant kill:

Ezio’s best attack, the counter-kill, is enabled when you go into a fight without a weapon selected. The counter-kill system lets you steal your opponents weapon with your bare hands and use it against them for a quick, gruesome kill.

Assassinate without fighting. How to find the 7 secret locations:

From an introduction to the economic system in Assassin’s Creed 2, where you can pay for weapons and armors (from which you gain health). The following video quickly swifts into a step-by-step guide to assassinating your target without fighting at all! You do this by purchasing Poison Vile at a merchants shop. Then (for example) in a by Lorenzo de’ Medici ordered assassination of a secondary target, you can’t reach your target because there’s a bodyguard with him. By dipping your Poison Blade (effectively a Hidden Needle) into the Poison you bought earlier, and stabbing the bodyguard with it, he (unwillingly) takes care of the heavy work for you.

Later in this walkthrough video, Assassin’s Creed 2 Production Manager Jean-Francois Boivin reveals there are SEVEN Secret Locations and they are all the interiors of famous landmarks in Italy. Hint: They include the Basilica Santa Maria del Fiore (high in the Florence cathedral church), the inside of a catacomb, and a palace. You can discover their entrance in various regions of the game, often heavily guarded. You would be wise to go after these locations, since they not only offer different, Prince of Persia-like acrobatics and stealth gameplay, but also because they fill out the gaps in the Templars VS. Assassins history storyline, and maybe most importantly they give Ezio a special reward as you complete each of them, collect all seven to obtain an ultimate reward.

Fast travel between cities:

While you originally start out riding horses between cities. You’ll quickly be able to unlock fast travel stations that appear on the map. When you shop at these fast travel stations, you’ll be transported to your distination city for a mere 100 florins.

Easy Medicine or Throwing Knife supplies:

Pick-pocketing civilians and looting corpses doesn’t bring in much money. But if you’re low on medicine or throwing knives supplies, an easy way to often find these is by getting them off corpses or from people walking around by pick-pocketing them. It may not be glamorous, but it’s free and it’ll save you the trip to a shop.

Unlock new abilities for Ezio:

Unlockable Disarm Combat Technique: Complete Mario’s mission “Evasive Maneuvers” in Sequence 5 to unlock the disarm technique. With it you’ll be able to counter incoming attacks from weapons — like axes — that are normally far too heavy to counter.

Unlockable Climb Leap Ability: Complete Rosa’s mission “Monkey See, Monkey Do” in Sequence 7 to earn the climb leap ability. With it you’ll be able to make longer jumps while climbing, letting you grab hand holds that would normally be out of reach.

Unlock new equipment for Ezio:

Unlockable Condottiero War Hammer: Collect 50 hidden feathers, then talk to uncle “Its-a me, Mario!” in Villa Monteriggioni, and you’ll be able to get the Condottiero War Hammer from the blacksmith’s shop in Villa Monteriggioni. See this video for location details:

Unlockable Auditore Cape: Collect 100 hidden feathers, then talk to Ezio’s mother in Villa Monteriggioni, and she’ll give you the Auditore Cape. Wearing the Auditore Cape outside of Monteriggioni will cause you to become notorious immediately. Guards will investigate your actions as soon as they see you and notoriety-lowering tasks like ripping down posters and bribing heralds will not be available. However, when you change capes your notoriety level will return to its former level.

Recruit all 3 factions to gain the upper hand in each situation:

This video shows you the various factions you can recruit to fight at Ezio’s side, and gives examples of what required assassin skills he’ll learn from them and how they can help him in-game. The factions are: Courtesans, Mercenaries, and Thieves.

Antonio’s Looting Mission video walkthrough:

Once again Assassin’s Creed 2 Production Manager Jean-Francois Boivin tells us of the different ways to achieve a successful mission. In this case he guides us through a Looting Mission that Antonio requested.

Gameplay differences between Assassin’s Creed 1 & 2:

Patrice Desilets, the creative director at Ubisoft for all things Assassin’s Creed, explains how the sequel plays differently from the original. Amongst the improvements like the dual-blades assassination, smoke bomb gadget and gun upgrade usage and other different play styles. He gives some good pointers on how to improve your flying with Leonardo Da Vinci’s flying machine as well.

Take a look at this spoiler-free live demo with lots of tips for Assassin’s Creed 2…

The new features mentioned in the video include: More weapons, more gadgets (smoke bombs!), more mission types, better/faster climbing, you can swim, you can blend in to any group, and more enemies with different AI that require different strategies to beat. The new economic system lets you upgrade Ezio with armor, weapons, items and even dye your clothes. Other useful extras are upgrading your villa and collecting lore.

How to make a grown man cry:

More updated gameplay details are shown in the following preview video. It ends with a great tip on how to make a minstrel stop singing… by bitch-slapping him to make him cry. Hey don’t look at me like that! At least this way your notoriety level will go down once he stops singing about your adventures around town.

Rumored cheats:

Gain Eagle Vision to view more secrets:
At the end of the original Assassin’s Creed, Desmond would unlock Eagle Vision from Altair, for use even after stepping out of the Animus. With Ezio learning an assassin’s skills anew in Assassin’s Creed 2, expect him to pass on the same/similar/new skill to Desmond, letting you find more secrets in this present.

Killing people without losing health:
Another secret that’s expected to be the same in the sequel is the ability to kill people without penalty, regardless of Synchronization levels in the Animus or the Memory Block you’re playing in. So after you beat Assassin’s Creed 2, try playing the Story Mode again and you might find you won’t lose life when you kill innocent people.

Watch the prequel movie to the Assassin’s Creed 2 story:

This 38-minutes-long free online Assassin’s Creed: Lineage film shows the prequel to the story in the Assassin’s Creed 2 game, revealing the machinations of 15th century Italy through the actions of Ezio’s father, Giovanni.

When the Duke of Milan is brutally murdered, the Assassin Giovanni Auditore is dispatched to investigate. The answers he uncovers implicate Italy’s most powerful families reaching all the way back to the Vatican itself. As Giovanni draws closer to the truth, he becomes hunted himself. He must expose the conspirators before he joins their ever growing list of victims.

Episode #1: “1476, Florence. Giovanni Auditore, an assassin, attempts to thwart a conspiracy against one of Lorenzo de Medicis allies. The ensuing inquiry will take him to Milan where he tries to prevent the worst from happening.”

Episode #2: “Pursuing Sforzas assassins, Giovanni arrives in Venice where he intercepts a coded letter from the members of the conspiracy. Decoding this document in order to get to the top of the conspiracy becomes of imperial importance.”

Episode #3: “Unable to decode the letter, Giovanni decides to deliver it to Rome in order to unmask the ringleaders. But there he discovers that the conspiracy is much more widespread and dangerous than he thought.”

Thanks to Mike sending in the feather maps and Frank for The Truth tips.

Metal Gear Solid: Rising announced for Xbox 360. Probably PS3 and PC too. Features Raiden

Metal Gear Solid: Rising was revealed for Xbox 360 by Konami Producer Hideo Kojima at Microsoft’s E3 2009 Press Conference with the tagline “Lightning Bolt Action”.

The game is the first Metal Gear Solid title to launch on Xbox 360 and will star Raiden, “one of the most popular characters from the Metal Gear Solid universe”, says the press release. Raiden first debuted in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty as a playable character and appeared as a non-playable cyborg in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.

“The Metal Gear Solid series is one of the most highly acclaimed video game franchises of all time,” said Anthony Crouts, Vice President of Marketing for Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. “With Metal Gear Solid: Rising, the Xbox 360 community will finally get a chance to enjoy the action and excitement that this popular franchise is known to offer.” No further details on the single player game were given, but it’s assumed from the tagline that it will be more action-centered.

Although the game was only announced for Xbox 360, at least one site (Game Press) has the game listed as coming to PC and PS3 as well. Microsoft however insisted that the game was indeed an Xbox 360 exclusive. No release date was yet announced for the title.

Here is the Metal Gear Solid: Rising teaser trailer from Microsoft’s Press Conference.

Via GameSpot

Alan Wake gameplay video unveiled at E3 2009

Alan Wake, the long-in-development “psychological action thriller” from Remedy Entertainment (the guys behind the Max Payne series), finally resurfaced at E3 2009 during Microsoft’s E3 2009 Press Conference.

What was shown of the upcoming game was impressive in many respects and definitely piqued my interest as a title to look out for. Alan Wake is expected to arrive on Xbox 360 in Spring 2010.

In the game players take control of an author (the titular Alan Wake) who’s wife has gone missing while they were spending a peaceful time in the small town of Bright Falls in order to get away and hopefully break through Alan’s writer’s block. But when Alice goes missing Alan’s world is transformed into one of pure terror.

The coolest aspect of the game in my personal opinion is the way the environment and the story are incorporated into the gameplay. As you play the game Alan will narrate which is a really cool feature that makes the story pop-out and feel dynamic. Additionally, as haunting, evil creatures appear to attack Alan, the world around him will morph, change and grow dark which is a fantastic effect that highlights the shadow and darkness around Alan and makes the world feel “alive”. In this dark world light is your best weapon and it is used in cool ways in the game’s shooting scenes as Alan uses the flashlight to damage enemies and then shoots them to put the final nail in the coffin.

Give the game a look in this gameplay video.

Halo: Reach announced for Xbox 360 at E3 2009

Speaking at Microsoft’s E3 2009 event in Los Angeles, Bungie’s Joe Staten revealed that Halo: Reach (AKA Halo 0) will be coming to the Xbox 360 in 2010.

In Halo: Reach, the blockbuster prequel to the Halo trilogy, you experience the events that transpired on the planet Reach. It’s that very same planet where Spartans-II’s are trained. Created by acclaimed developer Bungie, Halo: Reach will be available in the Fall of 2010 exclusively on Xbox 360. As a bonus for Halo fans, Halo 3: ODST will be the key to entry for the Halo: Reach Multiplayer Beta coming to Xbox LIVE in Spring 2010.

Contrary to what people thought when Bungie decided to go independent and loosen ties with Microsoft, the famed FPS developer did not announce any games outside of the Halo franchise.

Watch the first Halo: Reach teaser, where covenant battleships start their attack.

Forza Motorsports 3 unveiled at E3 2009

Forza Motorsport 3 was finally shown off at Microsoft’s E3 2009 Press Conference.

The sequel to Forza Motorsport 2 will include over 400 cars from 50 manufacturers with over 100 tracks for players to race on. There will be over 200 different events in the game as well, including Circuit, Oval, Drag, Drift and Timed Events. Players will have their own personalized racing calender as well where no two calenders will be the same.

A new addition is the ability to record videos of your races and upload them to the Forza Motorsport web-site. The game will also expand on the online offerings with new multiplayer modes and a new game rules editor and Xbox Live leaderboards that will be expanded to cover the most prolific car tuners and the best painters in the community.

The car customization options have also been greatly expanded to offer almost unlimited amounts of creativity and the ability to share your creations with your friends and the world.

Here is footage of Forza Motorsport 3 from Microsoft’s Press Conference.

Here is the debut trailer for Forza Motorsport 3.

Finally, here is footage of the Forza Motorsport 3 video editor.

Halo 3: ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Trooper) release date is September 22, 2009. Unveiled at E3 2009

At Microsoft’s E3 2009 conference it was unveiled that Bungie’s Halo 3: ODST, which stands for the UNSC’s Orbital Drop Shock Trooper (no Master Chief here), has been given a release date of September 22, 2009.

The new Xbox 360 FPS game will support all of Halo 3’s main features, including four-player co-op, campaign scoring, screenshots and Forge multiplayer map editing. Every copy of Halo 3: ODST contains an invitation to the Fall 2010 Halo: Reach Multiplayer Beta. And every pre-order from select stores will be given an exclusive Sgt. Johnson unlock for the “Firefight” mode.

New features list:

Halo 3 ODST Campaign, which puts the player in control of different characters in New Mombasa during the events leading up to Halo 3. “The year is 2552. Covenant forces control the city of New Mombasa. They are searching for something beneath its darkened streets. You are an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper. Your orders: Stay alive, meet up with your scattered squad, and escape the embattled city.”

Halo 3 ODST “Firefight” mode, “a new cooperative multiplayer* mode where up to four players can assume the role of an ODST squad and fight together to take on increasingly challenging waves of enemies.” Also: “As an ODST squad, you will face increasingly challenging waves of enemies together, striving to earn the highest scores possible, while various Halo 3 Skulls are progressively activated.” Much like Gears of War 2’s Horde mode.

Three new Halo 3 multiplayer maps on a standalone disc.

The more than 20 downloadable maps previously released for Halo 3 in the Legendary, Heroic and Mythic map packs.

ODST characters include: Buck, Dare, Dutch, Mickey, Romeo, and the Rookie.

Watch the the new Halo 3: ODST gameplay trailer.

Splinter Cell: Conviction revamped and revealed for Xbox 360 and PC

Splinter Cell: Conviction was finally fully unveiled at E3 2009 during both Microsoft’s Press Conference and Ubisoft’s Press Conference. The game will be released for Xbox 360 and PC on November 17th, 2009!

Splinter Cell: Conviction has come leaps and bounds since we last saw it, and it looks to really drive the gameplay into some new territory. As you will see in the videos below, the biggest new feature of the game is it’s emphasis on smooth and fast-paced action and shooting that compliments the stealth gameplay. Sam Fisher’s arsenal of moves has increased and includes some really cool new abilities like Mark and Execute, which allows you to quickly and with pointpiont accuracy take out your enemies. You’ll also see a new ability which shows a shadow of where Sam was last detected, and that spot is where enemies will focus on trying to find him (where they last saw you). He can also use a piece of a broken mirror to peer under doors as well as fling someone over a ledge while hanging from it.

The developers state that each environment in the game is built like a small sandbox, allowing players to move through them however they wish.

But the best, coolest and most impressive aspect of Splinter Cell: Conviction, in my humble opinion, is the way the narrative is told and the mission objectives displayed. These pieces of information are literally displayed on the environment as you make your way through the game; Rather than just being signs in the background or whatnot. They are literally projected or layered atop the area around you in what is a startling and very cool effect. Personally my two favorite games of E3 2009 so far were Alan Wake and Splinter Cell: Conviction, simply because I love the way the developers are focusing on new storytelling methods. With Alan Wake offering narration by the main character as you play and Splinter Cell: Conviction giving the story via environment overlay as you play. Both offer extremely cool new ways to present the story to the player. I hope we will see more developers embracing new ways to tell us stories.

Here is the CG intro for Splinter Cell: Conviction.

Here is the game being played at Microsoft’s E3 Press Conference.

And here is a final look at the game from Ubisoft’s E3 2009 Press Conference (although it contains a lot of the same scenes, it is different).

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Crackdown 2 announced for Xbox 360

Crackdown 2 was announced at Microsoft’s E3 2009 Press Conference. The game is a sequel to the first Xbox 360 Crackdown title released in 2007.

Microsoft has promised that this new game (developed by Ruffian Games) will “take multiplayer gaming to unprecedented levels for the ultimate cooperative and competitive multiplayer experience, providing you and your friends with the freedom to explore, destroy, and play as you return to restore justice and peace to Pacific City.”

No firm release date for the game was announced. Just this reveal trailer.