Weekly Releases: 11/28/10

If you survived Black Friday, it is now finally time to finish shopping. Or delay until the week before Christmas. Whichever fits your fancy.

Significant Releases

Disney Epic Mickey (Wii)


Developer: Junction Point
Publisher: Disney Interactive

Mickey is finally starring in his own massive, epic-scaled adventure on Wii, and this time he is going into the darker worlds of Disney. In this tale, Mickey is sucked into a world where the many forgotten characters of Disney live, only to find that he is responsible for the creation of the land's destructive foe, the Phantom Blot. There he encounters Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt Disney's first creation, and as a result of the younger brother's fame, there is an estranged relationship between the two which is pivotal to the plot's progression. Players use a special paintbrush which allows Mickey to create with paint or destroy with thinner, and this duality expands onward to allow for multiple paths through the game: save the world or simply fight to escape it. Hardcore Disney fans will find this project something delightful to behold!

Golden Sun: Dark Dawn (DS)


Developer: Camelot (Golden Sun Series)
Publisher: Nintendo

After a whole generation, Golden Sun returns onto the DS. Thirty years after the end of the second Golden Sun, the children of the main characters from the previous two entries find themselves in their first adventure! Dark Psynergy Vortexes have begun to form around the world, sucking in the environmental Psynergy and Adepts alike. As a result, the friends join together to venture forth and stop what could potentially destroy their world. The RPG allows players to use spells outside of battle, making practical use of that fire spell other than destroying wood-based enemies. Also, characters learn how to use specific weapons more effectively the longer they use them, and the classic summoning elements in the series continues, with plenty of cute Djinns to collect, too!

Other Releases:
Deadliest Catch: Sea of Chaos (PS3 / 360 / Wii)
Nail'd (PS3 / 360 / PC)
Spell Force 2 (PC)
Sniper Elite (Wii)
Funky Lab Rat (PSN)
Super Meat Boy (PC)
Swords and Soldier (PC)
Dead Nation (PSN)

Previous 10 Weeks:
11/21/10 - Donkey Kong Country Returns / Gran Turismo 5
11/14/10 - Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood / Sonic Colors
11/7/10 - Call of Duty: Black Ops
10/31/10 - Kinect / GoldenEye 007
10/24/10 - Fable III / Rock Band 3 / BIT.TRIP FATE
10/17/10 - Kirby's Epic Yarn / Fallout: New Vegas / Super Meat Boy (XBLA)
10/10/10 - Medal of Honor / Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1
10/3/10 - Castlevania: Lords of Shadow / Shantae: Risky's Revenge / NBA Jam
9/26/10 - Dead Rising 2
9/19/10 - Civilization V

SOURCE: NeoGAF

Game On: Let's Play 2.01 - Madden NFL 09 (Super Bowl Special)

Game: Madden NFL 09 System: Xbox 360 Developer: EA Tiburon Publisher: EA Sports Players: Adam Bradshaw Wilson Garcia

Game Overview

Outside of the Wii “All-Play” edition, Madden NFL 09 looks much like any of the previous Madden football games released, though that is being said by someone who has never truly played a Madden game in his life. Added to the 2008 edition was a new camera system, improved sidelines, online video highlights which can be shared, improved online leagues, and tightened graphics. Modes cut from previous games including Bluff Play Art, Set Audibles, and Formation Subs return in this version as well. Weather specific animations, user celebrations, and new running engines all take place in this iteration as well.

Once again, hard to really tell whether the game is entirely brand new or just an improvement of the previous year’s game, especially from the outside. Either way, still looked like fun for those into football games.

The developer, EA Tiburon, has been the developer for Madden NFL since 1994, and with each iteration, the game has become more improved and streamlined as ever, as you will gladly see in this episode of Game On: Let’s Play.

Since then…

EA Tiburon has remained the leading developer for EA Sports, continually producing annual titles for its larger franchises. This includes the development of Madden NFL 10 and recently Madden NFL 11. EA Tiburon also continues to develop NCAA Football and Tiger Woods PGA Tour titles on annual basis (although it received the Tiger Woods franchise from EA Salt Lake in 2008).

The company recently released EA Sports MMA to counteract against THQ’s own fighting sport series, UFC Undisputed. As for upcoming releases, the company had been given NBA Elite 11 after EA Canada had failed to polish the title for release in late 2010. Even though that title was swiftly cancelled, EA Tiburon will now be handling the next edition of the series, NBA Elite 12. One can easily assume that EA Tiburon is working on the next iteration of Madden for all consoles as of this post.

The Let’s Play

Before the new semester would arise, we wanted to begin Game On: Let’s Play with a big bang. Both Adam and Wilson, big sports fans with an interest in shooting Madden NFL 09, wanted to record a match against one another. Considering the Super Bowl was on its way in early February, it seemed obvious to play them against each other in the scenario that would hit on Super Bowl XLIII. Adam, being a Bradshaw, took it upon himself to take the Pittsburgh Steelers, leaving the Arizona Cardinals to Wilson. How would it turn out?

Post-Mortem

Surprisingly off-the-wall, actually. Two cameras were set up, one in the back looking at the two vertically, in case someone stood up in delight (Adam did, at least a few times), and the other right next to the television. Because the two were sporting sports microphones, the audience was harder to hear than previous GOLP episodes, which resulted in the text popping in to state what they said, so long as it was something of note.

The actual game went quite well, as the two seemed fairly connected to the game itself. Adam and Wilson remained close, but the game shifted toward the former as the game progressed. What became hilarious was the number of interceptions in such a short timeframe. That and the massive scores that came about over the course of the game. It was funny to watch the actual game take place and end up similarly crazy, what with that 99-yard interception and all.

The actual final video had its issues, though. This was the only episode of Game On: Let’s Play to use visual layers in this way. A special backdrop animated in the background, complete with the show’s text scrolling along vertically. This was also the first episode during which the game was not captured via camera, but rather, captured by a Canopus capture card into a Macbook laptop. This turned out pretty well, as it would become the prime method of season 2’s capture process. As for the editing process, things went hairy for a long time. I usually edited the episodes on my laptop, but the raw game footage became extremely poor on the laptop, even though the footage was fine back on RTN’s computers. Also, editing in the office was atrocious, especially with Adobe requiring rendering everything for audio (which I needed) every time I opened the project.

The end result of that annoying editing process is a seemingly-half-assed episode, complete with mistakes here and there where the score should appear but does not. I apologize for that, but frankly, I was glad to have it off my back.

Thankfully, the rest of the season would turn out well…wouldn’t it?

Double Fine is Stacking Releases (Not Really)

Double Fine Productions, developer of the recently-released Costume Quest, has announced its second downloadable title via THQ: Stacking, an adventure title involving Nesting Dolls and a setting in the Industrial Revolution.

Stacking is a unique adventure title in which players assume the role of Charlie Blackmore, a young chimney sweep who sets off on a quest to save his family from indentured servitude. In order to save his family, however, he must get his way through a number of obstacles and other people blocking his path.

Thankfully, Blackmore and all other residents in Stacking are Nesting Dolls. What does that mean? Well, if Blackmore approaches other residents and is not spotted by them, he can leap inside of them and assume their identities and special powers. Of course, that only applies if that person is one size bigger. Players will need to stack characters of increasing sizes in order to get to the largest characters and use them to complete specific missions.

Stacking is being directed by Lee Petty, the art director for Brutal Legend. Double Fine's previous game, Costume Quest, was directed by Tasha Harris, main animator for Brutal Legend.

Stacking is slated for an early 2011 release for PSN and XBLA.

Double Fine Productions is the development team headed by Tim Schafer, famous for creating adventure series such as Grim Fandango. This generation, the company developed Brutal Legend for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, and earlier this year, the company announced it was making four titles at once. The first of those games turned out to be Costume Quest, released in October. Its expansion DLC, Grubbins on Ice, will be released in December. The company is working on two unannounced projects as well.

TRAILER

SOURCE: Double Fine Action News

Aksys Games Bringing Jikandia to US

Aksys Games has announced that it is bringing Jikandia: The Timeless Land to PSP in Spring 2011.

The land of Jikandia is one where time does not exist, at least until monsters arrive and set the cogs of time in motion! Being so used to a world without time, the people are faced with world-shattering chaos, but with newly-gained powers and a desire to help, spirit Temtem calls for help from the nine heroes of legend. Unfortunately, all that does is suck nine school kids into the newly-temporal world, and with only a boy named Al making it to the right location, he must go save each of his eight friends and the world of Jikandia if he wants to get back home.

Jikandia is a dungeon crawler in which players have a specific time to complete a dungeon and defeat the boss. Where it differs from most is that players specify the time limit for the dungeon before progressing. The higher the time is, the more difficult and equally rewarding the dungeon. The environment, chests, and enemies change with each chosen limit, making dungeons extremely replayable.

The game also comes with a special 4-player Colosseum Mode in which players battle it out amid a myriad of traps with a number of settings to choose from.

Aksys Games is the publisher of a number of Japanese game niche titles, including the Guilty Gear series, as well as smaller downloadable titles, including the BIT.TRIP series by Gaijin Games.

SOURCE: Aksys Games' News

WiiWare Demos Overview #1

As some are aware, this week Nintendo brought demos back into their downloadable content system. Last holiday season, the company ran a trial of five game demos running from November through January, but this time, it sounds like Nintendo is in for the long haul.

Now, before we jump up in unified euphoria, note a few things. First of all, these are not required demos, and so do not expect every WiiWare title on the market to come with a demo. Secondly, the demos have to be downloaded separately from the full versions, unlike on XBLA where the demo is but a small code away from being a complete version. Finally, the demos will only be available for a limited time, so download and play them before they vanish (or keep them on your SD card for safe keeping). The length of a demo's existence is normally four weeks, but Gaijin Games has stated that if the demos are voted above Bronze status on the Nintendo Channel, the demos last longer.

Provided the releases of demos are consistent, we here are 3RM will provide a level of insight on what the demos provide and how they compare to the content of the complete products, starting with the four which launched the new system of demos.

----

And Yet it Moves


Developer/Publisher: Broken Rules
Original Release: August 23rd, 2010
Price: 1000 Wii Points

What is it?
And Yet it Moves is a physics-based platformer in which players can rotate the world around the main character to whichever angle they please. Of course, as the world rotates, the character's momentum remains the same, creating a number of puzzles and traps all with the manipulation of gravity in mind.

What does the demo have?
The demo consists of two and a half levels: Rock and Roll from the Cave world, It's a Bug from the Jungle world, and the first segment of Transition from the third world. The demo allows for any of the game's control schemes and shows the list of achievements players can complete over the course of the game. Following the completion of the demo segment, the game shows a video of the full game's content and allows you to use the game mechanics to choose whether to replay the demo, buy the game, or leave to the Wii Menu.

How does it compare to the full game?
The full game has 20 levels spanning four worlds, although four of them are not necessarily part of the main game. There are multiple extra modes including time attack, limited spins, and limited deaths. It has plenty of replay content, based on those factors alone, so don't think that one run-through will end the game content entirely. Certainly one of the better demos of the bunch, with all the locales and game shown off.

BIT.TRIP FATE


Developer: Gaijin Games
Publisher: Aksys Games
Original Release: October 25th, 2010
Price: 800 Wii Points

What is it?
BTF is an uncoventional on-rails shooter and is also the fifth game in the six-game BIT.TRIP series (BEAT, the first game, was one of the five original demos last year). Players control Commander Video along a rail known as a vibe, and using either a control stick or the Wii's pointer, they aim and shoot at enemies as they appear to attack the black pixel protagonist. Power-ups based on his friends encountered in RUNNER make an appearance to help, but make no mistake: this game is a shooter taking you to hell and back.

What does the demo have?
The demo includes the first two stages of the game, but once the players make it to the second boss, or rather, the first major boss, the game's demo concludes. The player can choose to go to the Wii Shop channel at the title screen. Scores cannot be saved, and if a player gets to the second stage and leaves the game, it will not save his or her progress.

How does it compare to the full game?
Of the four demos, this one has the largest percentage of the main game within it. The main game consists of three major areas, making six stages total. From a purely mathematical point-of-view, the demo offers one-third of the full game for free. You cannot save scores or progress, both of which are big for arcade experiences, but this demo offers a lot of game to help players decide whether or not the game is right for them.

Jett Rocket


Developer/Publisher: Shin'en Multimedia
Original Release: June 28th, 2010
Price: 1000 Wii Points

What is it?
Jett Rocket is a 3D platformer in which players control Jett Rocket, a planetary protector, as he fends off against an evil posse of robots bent on destroying all wildlife within the world! Each level's goal is to reach the power generator and destroy the PPP's influence on it. Along the way, players will be able to use Jett's rechargeable jetpack, his dash attack, and a number of sleek vehicles to cross otherwise uncrossable terrain. Just watch out for the evil robots!

What does the demo have?
The demo contains the full opening of the game as well as the training level, access to the world hub, and the first level of Atoll. Players can access the Wii Shop Channel in the main menu as well as at the end of the demo itself. A list of features appears at the end of the demo, as well, though it does not provide full specifics on what the game offers.

How does it compare to the full game?
Compared to the rest of the demos, this demo provides very little. The game's opening, training level, and first level can be completed in a severely short period of time, and without the ability to try out the longer levels or even see a need to gather the solar cells, it does not give a great representation to the main game. The main game has roughly a dozen levels between the three worlds, each ending with a boss. The full game might be on the short side, but the demo could have had a level from the later worlds to show differences in the environments.

ThruSpace


Developer: Keys Factory
Publisher: Nintendo
Original Release: October 18th, 2010
Price: 800 Wii Points

What is it?
ThruSpace is a puzzle arcade game in which players control a keydron, a 3-dimensional tetromino of sorts, in order to guide it through holes along oncoming walls. The player can rotate the keydrons in any direction, and with special items to collect in particular crannies of each hole, players will have to rotate correctly and quickly to get the best score and not run into a wall at the same time, not to mention make use of a unique trick system!

What does the demo have?
The demo provides players with the first two lessons from the game's tutorial, in order to teach them the main game elements before pushing them to the actual levels. As for the actual game content, the demo provides two stages, one for each of the first two keydrons available in the game. Players cannot upload scores earned from these levels online. The game concludes with a splash screen with a link to the Wii Shop Channel.

How does it compare to the full game?
The full game contains three main modes: Normal, Endless, and Trick Challenge. The demo only gives players a chance to try out Normal, and since the tutorial does not explain all the major trick features, it provides for more content once the full game is downloaded. Each of the six keydrons have three levels to try; the demo gives only the first levels of the first two keydrons. There is a lot of content cut for the demo, and yet it offers just enough to give players the idea whether to buy it or not.

---

So that's it this week folks! Remember to vote via the Nintendo Channel if you like the demos, and they'll stay online longer. They have a normal expectancy rate of a month, so get gaming!

Weekly Releases: 11/21/10

Time to be thankful for big releases, folks. Christmas shopping truly begins this week! Be warned, the soccer moms have sharp teeth!

Significant Releases

Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii)


Developer: Retro Studios (Metroid Prime Trilogy)
Publisher: Nintendo

Donkey Kong Country has returned (thus the name), and this time Retro is putting its spin on the classic franchise. When the Tiki Tak Tribe erupt from the volcano of Donkey Kong Island, they hypnotize all of the animals on the island and take away all of Donkey Kong's bananas! Being unfazed by the attempts to hypnotize, the big ape takes it upon himself and his best bud Diddy to save both their banana horde and the lives of everyone on the island. The game offers over seventy levels across a multitude of worlds, and each level has a number of items to collect, including Banana Coins, KONG letters, and puzzle pieces necessary for special unlocks. Ride on Rambi the Rhino or roll along with the flick of the Remote. It's on, like Donkey Kong (TM).

Gran Turismo 5 (PS3)


Developer: Polyphony Digital (Gran Turismo Series, Tourist Trophy)
Publisher: Sony

Now all of you looking for the best simulation racer in the world can die happy. Gran Turismo 5 is the newest, largest venture in the highly-lauded sim racing series. The game's 1000+ vehicles are split into two groups: Standard and Premium. Standard vehicles contain basic modeling and damage effects, whereas Premium vehicles have highly-detailed damage modeling and allow for detailed interior views. There are 26 locations spanning over seventy tracks, more than any previous title. On top of these factors, Go-Kart modes and even a level editor are available in the game as well! The releases of Gran Turismo HD and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue certainly helped fund this monster of a project.

[NOTE: We listed Auditorium as a release a couple weeks ago. This was a mistake. The PSN release is this week, while the XBLA release is still unknown. The PSN version makes use of the Move controller, for the curious.]

Other Releases:
Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom (360 / PS3)
Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare (360 / PS3)
Splatterhouse (360 / PS3)
Michael Jackson: The Experience (Wii / DS / PSP)
Dragon's Lair (PSN)
Pac-Man: Championship Edition DX (PSN)
Crazy Taxi (XBLA)
Raving Rabbids: Travel in Time (Wii)
Hot Wheels: Track Attack (Wii / DS)
Tangled (Wii / DS)
Worms: Battle Islands (Wii)
Poker Night at the Inventory (PC)

Previous 10 Weeks:
11/14/10 - Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood / Sonic Colors
11/7/10 - Call of Duty: Black Ops
10/31/10 - Kinect / GoldenEye 007
10/24/10 - Fable III / Rock Band 3 / BIT.TRIP FATE
10/17/10 - Kirby's Epic Yarn / Fallout: New Vegas / Super Meat Boy (XBLA)
10/10/10 - Medal of Honor / Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1
10/3/10 - Castlevania: Lords of Shadow / Shantae: Risky's Revenge / NBA Jam
9/26/10 - Dead Rising 2
9/19/10 - Civilization V
9/12/10 - Halo: Reach / Prof. Layton and the Unwound Future / Playstation Move

SOURCE: NeoGaf

Yar's Revenge Back with a Vengeance

In a continuation of classic Atari franchises coming back in the new generation, Atari has announced that it is bringing out Yar's Revenge, developed by new developer Killspace Entertainment.

Yar's Revenge was originally a simple shooter in which players move a fly around a screen in an attempt to destroy the Qotile station on the other side. The station is surrounded by a shield which must be destroyed slowly in order for a large attack known as the Zorlon Cannon to be fired from outside the battlefield. However, the player must cross an attack-protecting barrier before being able to destroy the protective shield. Also, the dome fires off swirls periodically which can penetrate even the barrier that protects the character. It sounds more complicated than it really is.

This new adventure brings about a brand new twist to the game. Players assume the role of a Yar who was brainwashed by the Qotile Empire, but once she breaks free from it, she decides to go back and destroy what had taken her.

The game is designed in an anime style, and while no gameplay footage has been released, an interview from Big Download reveals that the game will be a fast-paced shooter which is apparently akin to Star Fox and Panzer Dragoon. Sounds like it could be a winner!

This comes as the second major retro-to-new project for Atari as of late. The company's first major announcement regarding reborn franchises was Haunted House, which released as a Wii Retail title and a game on XBLA in the Fall. Rumors have also spread on other games such as Centipede getting the rebirth treatment.

Yar's Revenge is expected for release on XBLA, PSN, and Steam in Spring 2011.

Killspace Entertainment was founded in early 2009 by members of a number of companies, including Obsidian Entertainment, Pandemic Studios, Red 5, and EA LA. Besides Yar's Revenge, the company is working on another large project with a large publisher, but no announcement has been made.

TEASER

SOURCE: Big Download

Costumes Quest Gets Cold as Ice

Double Fine Productions has announced that it is creating a new downloadable chapter to Costume Quest, its trick-or-treating adventure released last month.

The chapter, entitled Costume Quest: Grubbins on Ice, is an additional area that takes place following the main game's storyline. The adventure begins when Lucy and Everett, the two additional team members added over the course of the original game, explore around town to find evidence of the Grubbins. Lucy ends up sucked into Repugia, where Grubbins of all sorts live, and she is captured by Araxia, the current leader in the currently turbulent world. Filled with dread and panic, Everett gathers the twins Wren and Reynold to help save her (and the oppressed Grubbins) from the clutches of evil!

Rather than collect candy for the sake of trick-or-treating, the player collects candy from Grubbins in order to gain support from the oppressed and defeat the incumbent political rivals. The battle sequences are the same in style, but there are also plenty of new costumes to create in Repugia, including a Pirate and an Eyeball costume. Furthermore, the game is said to be larger than a normal area of the original game, spanning around five hours to complete.

Grubbins on Ice does more than just add a new game segment; it fixes aspects of the main game as well! Performance improvements in frame rate should be noticeable, and players will be able to pause during cutscenes. Perhaps a bigger addition is the ability to save at any time at specific phone posts (in the original release, a player needed to complete a mission in order to save).

Costume Quest is a trick-or-treating adventure released on PSN and XBLA last month. In it, players assume the role of either Wren or Reynold in an attempt to save the other from the clutches of candy-stealing Grubbins. The children can transform themselves into massive beings based on their costumes in order to battle, and besides that, there are plenty of small missions to complete in the simple-but-delightful role-playing game.

Grubbins on Ice should see release next month for XBLA and PSN. No price has been released.

SOURCE: GameSpot

LittleBigPlanet 2 Makes Up for Delay

Media Molecule and Sony have announced products to make up for LittleBigPlanet 2's delay, including the release of a PSN LittleBigPlanet adventure using Move.

In a Playstation Blog post, the developer stated that they wanted to provide some LBP goodness to the fans this year, even though the next major title in the series would not see release until 2011. Thankfully, there will be a Story Mode Demo available for all PS3 owners as of December 21st. The move will consist of some levels from the full-fledged Story Mode as well as levels which demonstrate what players can create with the fully-modified level editor engine.

But for those looking for something a little more than just a demo, the blog announced the release of Sackboy's Prehistoric Moves for the 14th of December.

The adventure is a 10-level experience taking place in a prehistoric land where the evil Big Rex is king. In order to stop him, Sackboy and his friends must work together and face challenges created by Terrance Dactl. One player is in control of a special wand using the Playstation Move Controller, while all others can join in with the DualShock controllers. The special wand can be used to flip switches among other things.

Players will venture around large dinosaurs, across rigid terrain, and across a number of platforming challenges along the way. Playstation Plus members will be able to obtain the game for free a week early, as will thousands of supporters of the LittleBigPlanet franchise. Those who are not among them can wait until the release date and purchase the game for six dollars.

The game will also be bundled within LittleBigPlanet 2's disc upon its release January 18th, 2011. As a note, the game requires a Playstation Move controller and is Multiplayer only.

SOURCE: Playstation Blog

Activision closes BudCat, Bizzare to Go

Reported by multiple sources around the Internet and officially by corporate representatives, Activision Blizzard has officially closed developer BudCat this morning and is currently in talks to either sell or close Blur-developer Bizzare Creations.

BudCat Creations was founded in 2000 by Jason Andersen and Isaac Burns, members of EA Tiburon, and the company's first efforts were to help port Madden NFL to other platforms. The developer mostly focused on ports of titles far into its existence. It was purchased by Activision Blizzard in 2008, and its games since then revolved around PS2 and Wii ports of "Hero" games, although it worked on a number of original products through Majesco, including Blast Works and Our House Party, both Wii exclusives.

Bizarre Creations was originally formed as Raising Hell Productions in 1988, but the company changed its name to Bizarre after signing a publishing deal with Psygnosis during the Playstation era. Its first major title, F1, would be the best selling game in Europe in 1996. Since then, the company worked alongside Microsoft Game Studios to develop the Project Gotham Racing franchise and developed a score-based shooter The Club through Sega as well as the massive XBLA hit, Geometry Wars. The company was acquired by Activision in 2007, and since its acquisition, Bizarre developed racing game Blur and James Bond 007: Blood Stone, both of which released this year. Its fate is unknown, but dissolution is likely.

Activision, in light of reports, has made this official statement:

Over the past three years since our purchase of Bizarre Creations, the fundamentals of the racing genre have changed significantly. Although we made a substantial investment in creating a new IP, Blur, it did not find a commercial audience. Bizarre is a very talented team of developers, however, because of the broader economic factors impacting the market, we are exploring our options regarding the future of the studio, including a potential sale of the business.

Activision Blizzard has outright closed BudCat Creations, but the company is going to sit on Bizarre Creation's fate for up to three months on whether to restructure, sell, or dissolve the developer.

This year alone, Activision has closed developers and laid off many staff, including the majority of Neversoft, and it also suffered a great loss of talent when Infinity Ward's creators left the company in light of false accusations from the company.

We hope those who are laid off land on their feet.

SOURCE: PCWorld

Sly Cooper 4 Teased

In the recently-released Sly Collection is a teaser trailer which hints at the development of Sly Cooper 4, revealing that Sony is producing the title and answering the wishes of numerous fans.

After collecting all three Platinum Trophies in The Sly Collection, players unlock a special section labeled "?????." Selecting this particular section shows a short video which opens to the sight of a large building with search lights and walking guards. The silhouette of our familiar Raccoon arrives, carrying his token staff. Just as the action is about to start, the logo appears.

Sly 4 and a Question Mark, clearly for the inevitable subtitle. The graphics are not as well-modeled as those in other Sucker Punch titles, but there is certainly time to tighten things up. With no date or any data released otherwise, we cannot state even whether Sucker Punch is developing it or if someone else is.

The Sly Collection, out now, is an HD collection of the PS2 trilogy of Sly Cooper, the latest member of the Cooper clan, a band of thieves against the unjust. It upgrades the visual quality of the games and includes 3D support to the games and a number of Move-based mini-games.

VIDEO

SOURCE: NeoGAF

She-Hulk and Zero (and more) Join MvC3

Capcom announced two new characters to the roster of Marvel Vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds: Zero from the Mega Man X franchise and She-Hulk. Furthermore, information on DLC characters have arisen, as well.

Zero was one of the top Maverick Hunters in the Mega Man X series, and alongside X, he fought and vanquished the likes of Sigma, the head of the Mavericks. It turns out he was actually designed by Dr. Wily in order to destroy X, but in a confrontation with Sigma, the evil, virus-like code attached to him and erased Zero's main objectives, at least until Mega Man X5. He is also the star of the four-game Mega Man Zero franchise, though his looks are different from what is seen here.

She-Hulk is Jennifer Susan Walters, the cousin of Bruce Banner (the original Hulk), and after she is given a blood transfusion with him in order to live, she is given Hulk-like powers. Unlike the Hulk, She-Hulk is more Amazonian in build, and Jennifer controls this form entirely and coherently. She only has some of the massive strength that the Hulk has, but she also has faster reflexes and athletic ability compared to the brute strength the Hulk releases at the price of speed.

After revealing the new characters, Capcom also detailed the Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 Special Edition package, which includes two DLC characters downloaded for free. Note that these codes for DLC characters will not be redeemable until the characters' releases, planned for some two months later.

The two characters confirmed for DLC so far are Jill Valentine from the Resident Evil franchise and Shuma-Gorath, the demonic enemy of Doctor Strange. Others are not known, but these two are included in the Special Edition package, seen above.

Marvel Vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds is the next game in the Capcom Vs. Series, headed to Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 on February 18th next year.

SOURCE: Capcom Unity

Weekly Releases: 11/15/2010

Next week is Thanksgiving. Better get moving if you want to lose the weight you'll gain next week!

Significant Releases

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (360 / PS3)


Developer: Ubisoft Montreal (Assassin's Creed Series)
Publisher: Ubisoft

While not officially Assassin's Creed 3, it might be more comparable to Assassin's Creed 2 2. The game continues to follow the story of Ezio Auditore di Firenze, the protagonist of Assassin's Creed 2, as he aims to exact revenge against the Templars who have taken over and decimated Rome. The game follows the same open-world gameplay with assassination missions and plenty of parkour elements, but Brotherhood introduces the concept of teamwork. Players can recruit new assassins and give them missions to complete, themselves, building their experience up in order to create a band of assassins capable of taking down the Templars. Also, the game features a new multiplayer mode in which players are assigned to assassinate each other and allow the hunter to become the hunted.

Sonic Colors (Wii / DS)


Developer: Sonic Team (Sonic Unleashed)
Publisher: Sega

Could this be the first really good 3D Sonic game in a long while? In this new adventure, Sonic and Tails go to a space carnival run by Dr. Eggman, and there they find that he plans to capture alien beings called Wisps and harness their power for evil. The Wii version can best be described as the day levels of Sonic Unleashed for HD consoles with the addition of special powerups. Sonic rushes through levels, cutting between 2D and 3D perspectives, and each Wisp he encounters can allow him to transform into such things as lasers, rockets, or even cubes. The DS version is similar to the Sonic Rush games, sans trick system and with the Wisp powerups. Both have received positive feedback, so it looks like we have broken the Sonic cycle!

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (360 / PS3 / PC / Wii)


Developer: Criterion (Burnout Series, Black)
Publisher: Electronic Arts

Need for Speed is back to its roots, and things cannot get much faster! Players drive along the streets of Seacrest County at unusually fast speeds, but they need to watch out for the cops, unless they are the cops, themselves! Racers and cops alike want to get to the top of their respective factions, and so it is up to racers to outrun the cops while the cops try to stop the racers in their tracks. The new Autolog feature acts as a Facebook specific to the game, allowing players to interact with each other and compare each other's times for the many streets in Seacrest County.

Mario Vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!

Developer: NST (Mario Vs. Donkey Kong Series)
Publisher: Nintendo

The third iteration from the Mario Vs. Donkey Kong franchise, this title takes the content from the previous game and expands on it multiple times. Players will be able to edit and share levels, and Nintendo will even be holding contests to create specific levels for others to play. The game also offers more characters to use in the large toy-filled world.

uDraw Game Tablet (Wii)

Developer: Various
Publisher: THQ

THQ comes out to introduce a new peripheral for the Wii, complete with three games for launch. The uDraw Game Tablet is a drawing tablet which houses a Wii Remote. Drawing and motion come together, allowing for interactive drawing experiences. The Game Tablet comes with uDraw Studio, an art-production product, but Pictionary and Dood's Big Adventure both use the Game Tablet as well. Each uDraw Game Tablet game is expected to retail at a smaller price, too.

Create (360 / PS3 / PC / Wii)


Developer: EA Bright Light (Zubo, Hasboro Family Game Night)
Publisher: Electronic Arts

Create can best be described as The Incredible Machine but with more direct control. The main point of the game is to draw players into developing their own puzzles, though there are plenty of levels already made for people to try out. Control a bike as it rides down to ride off a ramp, or move a bowling ball to hit specially placed pins. All versions sans the Wii version can also share levels between others online.

Other Releases:
Apache Air Assault (360 / PS3 / 360)
DanceDanceRevolution (PS3)
EA Sports Active 2 (360 / PS3 / Wii)
NBA Jam (360 / PS3)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (360 / PS3 / PC / Wii / DS)
Marvel Super Hero Squad: The Infinity Gauntlet (360 / PS3 / Wii / DS)
Nat Geo Challenge! Wild Life (PS3 / Wii)
Deca Sports Freedom (360 - Kinect)
Game Party in Motion (360 - Kinect)
Zumba Fitness (360 / PS3)
The Sims 3 (Wii)
NFL Training Camp (Wii)
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon (Wii)
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Predator (PSP)
Hello Kitty Seasons (Wii)
Namco Museum Megamix (Wii)
Pac-Man Party (Wii)
Pictionary (DS)
999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (DS)

Previous 10 Weeks:
11/7/10 - Call of Duty: Black Ops
10/31/10 - Kinect / GoldenEye 007
10/24/10 - Fable III / Rock Band 3 / BIT.TRIP FATE
10/17/10 - Kirby's Epic Yarn / Fallout: New Vegas / Super Meat Boy (XBLA)
10/10/10 - Medal of Honor / Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1
10/3/10 - Castlevania: Lords of Shadow / Shantae: Risky's Revenge / NBA Jam
9/26/10 - Dead Rising 2
9/19/10 - Civilization V
9/12/10 - Halo: Reach / Prof. Layton and the Unwound Future / Playstation Move
9/5/10 - Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep / Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions

SOURCE: NeoGAF