Third Rate Game Play: Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II

Game: Sonic the Hedgehog 4 - Episode II System: Xbox Live Arcade Developer: Dimps/Sonic Team Publisher: Sega Player: Mark Experience: Played Episode I, hated it

(Check after the jump for the full article)

Third Rate Game Play: Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I

Game: Sonic the Hedgehog 4 - Episode 1 System: WiiWare Developer: Dimps Publisher: Sega Player: Mark Experience: Grew up playing Sonic games

NYCC 2013: Bayonetta 2

For four days, people came to the Javits Center in New York City to experience one of the largest conventions on the east coast: New York Comic Con 2013!  Fans of comics, movies, television shows, and toys came together to revel in their hobbies, and with them came video game companies to show off their wares for the upcoming holiday season and beyond.  We here at 3RM attended a few of those days, and we have impressions and video to provide from our experience!

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Nintendo was showing off plenty of upcoming games for the Wii U at their booth this year, and one of them was the latest venture with Platinum Games, the action-packed explosion that is Bayonetta 2.  While the demo appeared to be the same as at E3, we still went over to its demo station to check it out.  Unfortunately, we were unable to get any hands on the game, as it was only playable in one demo station and very busy throughout the convention, but we did get some gameplay from the last demo from the show.

Bayonetta 2 does not have a set release date, but we suspect an early 2014 release based on its being here at NYCC.

NYCC 2013: Mario and Sonic at the Sochi Olympic Games

For four days, people came to the Javits Center in New York City to experience one of the largest conventions on the east coast: New York Comic Con 2013!  Fans of comics, movies, television shows, and toys came together to revel in their hobbies, and with them came video game companies to show off their wares for the upcoming holiday season and beyond.  We here at 3RM attended a few of those days, and we have impressions and video to provide from our experience!

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Nintendo was not just showing off the latest Sonic adventure at their booth; they were also displaying two event demos from the upcoming collaboration title Mario and Sonic at the Sochi Olympic Games.  These two events were figure skating and snowboarding, one using Wii Remotes and the other using the GamePad.  We did not get to play the game, but we do have some footage for you to see.

Mario and Sonic at the Sochi Olympic Games comes to Wii U November 15th.

3RM @ NYCC 2012: Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed

Sonic and Aaron Webber Commentary

Danica Patrick and Dragons

Alex:

Sumo Digital and Sega have been working well together for the last few years to bring us games starring a multitude of Sega characters, and this year, the two are releasing their second racing game starring Sonic and a collection of other Sega favorites: Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed.  While Sega itself did not have a booth at this year’s New York Comic Con, two demo units of the racer were at the Archie Comic booth, and we even got Associate Brand Manager Aaron Webber to chat with us about the game.  After my brief hands-on and some examination of the demos there, I can see the potential this racer has at the starting line.

Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed is the sequel to 2010’s Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing, but the game adds a very significant twist to the gameplay this time around.  Initially, the game plays similar to that of its predecessor; players choose Sonic and Sega characters to race in vehicles along tracks designed from the worlds of Sega’s lore.  However, at particular moments in the race, the vehicles can transform from cars to boats or planes to accommodate changes in the track.  These other vehicle forms control very differently from the original form; whereas boats are affected by the flow of water physics, the planes add aerodynamic elements into the game.  The vehicle changes help break up what might otherwise be a simple course, and the changing track allows players to experience more of the environments around them.

Transformed appears to take content from its previous game while adding in a collection of characters expected and unexpected.  Returning are a number of characters from the original, such as Sonic the Hedgehog, AiAi, and Beat, but Sumo Digital is adding in new Sega favorites such as NiGHTS, Gilius Thunderhead, and Vyse.  The odder additions to this game are Ralph from the upcoming Disney movie Wreck-it Ralph and Danica Patrick, a JR Motorsports NASCAR Nationwide Series racer who will be driving in a Sega-sponsored vehicle in future NASCAR races.  I will admit, it was very odd seeing someone play through Panzer Dragoon’s stage with Danica, but at the same time, the gameplay does not get pushed aside simply because she was included in the game.  I was more concerned about how many reused environments we might see in the final release.  Sumo seems to be focusing a lot on the Sonic Heroes motif for Sonic’s world, and from the looks of it, we might be losing certain characters from the roster who were more niche, including Opa-Opa and Alex Kidd (but maybe I’m biased toward the latter).  We still do not know the final roster of courses or characters, so I might be wrong, but it is a concern to have now, regardless.

I got to play as Sonic in his franchise’s stage, and on the PlayStation 3, the game looks as good as ever.  I had only played parts of the first game's Xbox 360 demo before, and even then, I saw issues with the game’s framerate.  In this playthrough, however, I could see a definite improvement in the framerate, which remained mostly consistent throughout the playthrough.  The shading and color were very crisp in this game, as well.  The Xbox 360 demo showed a little weakness when it came to larger environment changes, but I imagine it will have been optimized in time for release.

I found Transformed to control fairly well, even if I made a few mistakes here and there at the beginning.  In the air, the car slowed down a bit too much in my eyes, but on the ground, the car turned and moved well around curves and through loop-de-loops.  On the water, I could feel the controls shift and really emphasize the water below me, and coupled with a giant octopus attacking me and a multitude of water mines throughout the final stretch, it felt a lot more action-packed than I expected when the race began.  As for weapons, there are the usual power-ups one can use to attack other racers such as snowballs or a tornado to flip them around, but there are also special All-Star moves which can be used once racers collect enough coins and do enough tricks in the race.  I did not get to use an All-Star move, but I got to use a few weapons and boosts to stay with the pack.  Even though I ended up in third, the experience was a fun one, and I wish I got to play it again during my time there.

Alas, only the PS3 and 360 versions were playable at the event, but the Wii U version is promising to have unique content to it, using the Wii U GamePad for asymmetric gameplay modes as well as five-player offline multiplayer.  I was unable to get any further details from Aaron about these modes, but hopefully more information will arise before it releases.

I found my experience with Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed to be quite good, and my concerns and nitpicking aside, I walked away more interested in the game than when I approached it.  Transformed should be releasing November 18^th for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii U, and the handheld editions of the game will release sometime in December, as far as we know.

Oh, and Ristar is the flagman.  So, that’s cool.

Game On: Let's Play 3.11 - Rez

Game: Rez System: Playstation 2 Developer: United Game Artists Publisher: Sega Player: Alex

After the treacherous adventure through Super Monkey Ball: Step and Roll, a game had to cleanse the feeling that pervaded throughout the apartment.  While there were a few games to choose, Alex chose to go to one of his favorite and short experiences available to gaming (and to them, as well), Rez.

Game On: Let's Play 3.10 - Super Monkey Ball: Step & Roll

Game: Super Monkey Ball:      Step and Roll System: Wii Developer: Sega Publisher: Sega Player: Alex

Okay, so I expect the first thought regarding this episode to be typo-related.  This is not actually the case.  There exists an episode of Game On: Let's Play which will not be released online, as of this post.  The player requested that we do not release it, and we are honoring that request.  So, let's not talk about that episode and talk about the next one: Super Monkey Ball: Step and Roll!

PAX East 2012: Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit

Sega's booth at PAX East featured a number of games, but one game truly stood out as the most off-the-wall of the bunch: Arkedo Studios' Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit.  At the showfloor, we got to meet the mastermind behind the small-but-deadly game company, Camille Guermonprez, and I got to ask him a few questions about Hell Yeah and Arkedo itself.  See our preview after the break.

PAX East 2012: Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II

Of all the lines at Sega’s PAX East Booth, the line for Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II was one of the largest.  Fans of the blue hedgehog all wanted to try out his newest adventure, but at the same time, there was cautious optimism.  After the mixed response to Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I, Sega claims to have gone back and rebuilt the game’s physics to be closer to the Genesis Sonic titles, although not entirely so. We had a chance to try it out on the show floor, and there were definitely some improvements.

Check out the video here for an interview with Sega's Ken Balough! [Impressions after the break]

Third Rate Game Play: Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)

Game: Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) System: Xbox 360 Developer: Sonic Team  Publisher: Sega Player: Tony Experience: Played the game briefly beforehand

NYCC 2011: Sonic Generations

Our adventure into this year's New York Comic Con was not exactly as peachy as we would have liked, but when is a convention not stressful? We were only able to attend the Thursday and Friday events for both economical and physical reasons, but we got a handful of videos and impressions to make for you all.

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Sonic Generations was available in split venues at this year's New York Comic Con; the console version of the game was situated at the Archie Comics booth while Nintendo housed the 3DS edition (which was on rotation with other third party games such as Skylanders and Shinobi). I only got my hands on the 3DS version, and it looks to have improved some since it last appeared in public.

Old Sonic Character, meet New Sonic Worlds.

Comparatively, Classic Sonic was both slower and tighter in control than Modern Sonic was. Classic Sonic required more of a running start to really get moving while Modern Sonic accelerated much faster, making it a tad harder to know what was in front of him. While I didn’t test to see just how close Classic Sonic’s physics were to the physics on the Genesis, I could tell there were some differences, but not enough to impede my experience. As for Modern Sonic, he played similarly to his Sonic Rush counterparts, which was fast and smooth.

Green Hill has gone 3D. Blast Processing has returned!

One thing I noticed was that the Classic Sonic stage layouts were copies of the original level layouts back on the Genesis. This is a tad disappointing as Green Hill Zone Act 1 is only 30 seconds long and there is no feeling of experiencing new levels. Luckily, Modern Sonic’s stages are completely new with rails and other stage gimmicks. I was happy to notice that both Classic and Modern Sonic had complex platforming elements as well as multiple paths to choose from, adding to the game’s replayablilty. One element I did not like for Modern Sonic was that in some parts you needed to boost in order to get through while other parts punished you if you didn’t take you time. As far as level layouts go, they were pretty much on par with Sonic Rush’s level design, which is okay by me. As for the boss in the demo, Big Arm, I found the battle challenging and fun. Compared to videos I have seen online, this boss fight felt tougher as a result of his constantly changing attack pattern; this more difficult battle also allowed me the time to hear the music, which was a neat combination of both new and old themes.

After playing both versions, I found a problem I had not thought of before. In the console versions, both Sonics have different looking stages and play styles, but in the 3DS version, both Sonics look the same and have similar levels. This caused some confusion mid-game; at times I would forget that I had special abilities or that I could not use special attacks. Hopefully this will not be too much of an issue for me later on!

Well, as long as it is fun, I won't complain about including Sonic Heroes.

After seeing both versions in person, it was clear that the console version is getting far more attention than the handheld version. Both games look nice, but some corners are being cut in order to get the 3DS game out this year. My other concern is game length. The HD version has 9 stages each with two acts and 10 missions, but so far it appears that there are only 7 stages with 2 acts on the 3DS. Besides that, the game does appear to be improving and should be at least enjoyable to fans of the more recent Sonic handheld games.

On Thursday, I had the pleasure to speak with Aaron Webber about Sonic Generations, which you can see in the video below. While no release date has been announced for the 3DS version, the 360, PC, and Playstation 3 version of Sonic Generations is expected later this month.

NYCC 2011: Shinobi

Our adventure into this year's New York Comic Con was not exactly as peachy as we would have liked, but when is a convention not stressful? We were only able to attend the Thursday and Friday events for both economical and physical reasons, but we got a handful of videos and impressions to make for you all.

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At New York Comic Con, one of the third party games on display at Nintendo's booth was Sega's Shinobi for 3DS. This action-packed ninja adventure promises to bring back the old-school arcade experience that gamers have been wanting for the last few years. We got to play some of it there, and it feels like it is going to match the old school pretty well.

The demo started off with the protagonist talking with his sensei about basics and some advanced controls, and there was quite a lot to learn. I quickly decided to skip through the tutorial and jump head-first into the game, although in hindsight perhaps I should have gone through the tutorial a little bit. From the quick-passing screens, I could see a large amount of moves that the main character can do, from sword slashing to parrying to a new magic move which clears the screen in one blow.

As soon as I passed the tutorial, invading forces attacked the dojo and the game began in earnest. Like the older Shinobi games, this game is a side-scrolling action game in which you use the circle pad to move the ninja around and attack a vast onslaught of enemies using long-range shurikens and close-range combat. Unfortunately, the enemies can also throw throwing stars at you, and at the time, I did not realize that the parry move could knock off projectiles as they came to me. As a result, I got pummeled quite often in my time.

In the future, ninjas fight everything and everywhere!

Like real ninjas, the enemies do not give you much time to react, making the whole demo a high-octane experience, which was only made more complicated around the crowded and loud convention floor. If you can manage to sneak behind an enemy, you can take them out in a one-move takedown; if they spot you, you earn a sword to the face. While fighting, you can throw a chain upward to launch yourself toward higher places and especially toward airborne enemies for special combos. However, I could not find a way to launch the chain in any other direction; this was no Bionic Commando for me.

Of course, this screen shows we might be a little mistaken.

Besides fighting, the platforming felt pretty straight forward. The game allows you to use ninja skills to grab onto platforms, ropes, and anything else that a badass ninja needs to grab to get the job done. The game is clearly more combat-based, and perhaps that is a good thing when it comes to the Shinobi franchise.

Graphically, the style is more comic-based, if the boxart did not give this away. The fire effects and cel-shaded enemies further emphasize the comic style, but the backgrounds are pretty flat and lack detail where it should be expected. With stylized games like Okamiden showing up at the end of the DS's life with great aethetics, Shinobi came off to me as a simple, upgraded DS game in the texture department rather than a full-blown 3DS game. In 3D, the game looks nice, but there could have certainly been more usage of the display with the actions in the backgrounds. There should have been more to emphasize the 3D effects where possible.

Perhaps later worlds will better show off the 3D effect better.

While I was fairly inept at playing the game at the show floor, Shinobi looks like it will match the difficulty expectations of the series. I continued to get beaten up by the enemies and was confused by all the moves throughout; NYCC was probably not a good venue for me to try the game out, especially having skipped the tutorial entirely. Initial qualms aside, the game looks like it'll meet the expectations of Shinobi fans of yore.

Shinobi is expected for release this November.

Platinum Games Reign with Anarchy

Platinum Games and Sega have announced their next project, Anarchy Reigns, a multiplayer action brawler to be released by the end of this year.

Anarchy Reigns is a multiplayer brawler, in which players can join together or against one another to bring the hurt and reign supreme. In an interview regarding the game, Platinum Games head Atsushi Inaba stated that this game would bring a new genre into existence: Multiplayer Melee Fighting Action. While no specifics were made in regards to how many people will play in each battle, Inaba stated that many players would face off against each other in each match.

Those worrying about offline play will be glad to know that there will be an offline story mode on top of the many multiplayer modes, although details about both the story and specific gameplay modes are currently slim.

“SEGA are delighted to continue our collaboration with PlatinumGames, one of the most creative and critically acclaimed developers in the world. ANARCHY REIGNS is set to offer gamers a fresh multiplayer experience with the quality and innovation PlatinumGames are renowned for.”

-Gary Knight, Senior Vice President of Marketing, SEGA West

Despite the game's similarities with Platinum Games' first title, Madworld for Wii, including protagonist Jack's appearance, the game is not being directed by Shigenori Nishikawa, who left Platinum Games with Shinji Mikami's Tango. Instead, the game will be the directorial debut for Masaki Yamanaka, who has worked on Madworld, Resident Evil 4, and God Hand.

Anarchy Reigns is slated as a Fall 2011 release for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

Teaser (Japanese)

SOURCE: Andriasang, Sega PR

Sega Announces Binary Domain

Sega has officially announced a new project from Yakuza series-creator Toshihiro Nagoshi: a third-person shooter action title called Binary Domain.

Binary Domain is a fast-paced shooter in which players follow an international peace-keeping squad in their attempts to quell an impending robot invasion of 2080 Tokyo. As the game progresses, the team starts to question its motive as its members witness the machines become more human and the humans become more robotic.

While no actual gameplay footage has been demonstrated, the trailer gives the impression that the game will be a third-person shooter with a focus on team-based strategy.

The game is said to contain a very powerful AI system which should help to emphasize the blur between man and machine, but that remains to be proven. Also, online modes are being highly integrated, as well, allowing for cooperative and potentially counter-operative game modes.

Nagoshi-san had this specifically to say about the product:

Usually games have a simple theme, but if we aim to maximize the appeal of a game as interactive entertainment, we need to develop more sophisticated themes that tie into every aspect of the game. I have made many attempts to link a game heavy in drama to a highly enjoyable and immersive gameplay experience and with Binary Domain every setting and mechanic in the game is designed to revolve around “Life”.

To further visualize this idea, I started to create “Binary Domain”. The core concept of this game from the beginning is life; the project code name from the start was in fact “Inochi”, which means “life” in Japanese. The most distinctive way of differentiating a creature from a machine is “life”. However, we also know that machines can be given a form of life when created by man. Is it possible that the differentiation is becoming less clear and machines are actually becoming more like humans?

Interesting thoughts, there. According to a number of sources, the game is in development with Sega's Yakuza team as well as an unnamed western developer.

Binary Domain is set for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 next year.

OFFICIAL TRAILER

OFFICIAL SITE

Sega continues Dreamcast Downloads

Not long after the release of Sonic Adventure along with the upcoming release of Crazy Taxi via digital download services, Sega has made it known that it is continuing its Dreamcast releases for XBLA and PSN with Space Channel 5 Part 2 and Sega Bass Fishing.

As with the previously released Sonic Adventure, the two titles will play in 720p and allow for widescreen display, though graphical upgrades to the games themselves will most likely be minimal. If pricing is similar to the first Dreamcast rerelease, expect each game to be the equivalent of ten dollars a piece.

Space Channel 5 stars Ulala, the top reporter for Space Channel 5, and in Part 2, she is investigating, and attempting to thwart, the Rhythm Rogues and their multiple kidnappings around the galaxy. The series is a rhythm-based adventure in which the the game announces a pattern which players must repeat via Ulala in order to progress, akin to Simon. Of course, unlike Simon this game has a lot more groove going on with it. It was rereleased previously on the Playstation 2.

Sega Bass Fishing is a fishing game developed for the Dreamcast which has become a popular title among Sega fans. Originally an arcade game, the Dreamcast release was further developed with a special fishing pole controller, and its graphics were lauded for what the Dreamcast offered. Despite these factors, the game's scope was narrow and thus sold poorly at launch. Over time, the game has grown on Sega fans for its arcade-paced gameplay. It has since been rereleased on Wii.

Both games should be seeing releases on PSN and XBLA in early 2011.

SOURCE: Siliconera

Sega Gets a Super Soldier

Sega announced yesterday that it is making a WWII-themed Captain America companion game alongside the upcoming movie for all consoles and handhelds for 2011.

Captain America: Super Soldier is a third-person action game in which players control Captain America as he ventures to the castle of Red Skull. Using his shield in free-flowing combat, Captain America must face off against Iron Cross, the forces of Hydra, and whoever is fighting for the nefarious Red Skull.

The game will use the shield in a variety of ways, from attacking multiple enemies at once, to solving puzzles and scaling walls. Considering what military creations lay inside the confines of the castle-turned-base, players better be prepared to use that shield and other super-soldier abilities if they want to stay alive.

The 360 and PS3 version of the game will be produced by Next Level Games. Next Level Games is most remembered for its Nintendo-published Super Mario Sluggers franchise and its remake of Punch-Out!! for the Wii, but it has also produced other titles such as Spider-Man: Friend or Foe and Transformers: Cybertron Adventures. Other versions appear to be developed by High Voltage Software, a developer best known for its Wii ventures, including The Conduit, Tournament of Legends, and the still-unreleased The Grinder.

SOURCE: BusinessWire

TGS: Yakuza, Zombies, and Robots

One last remnant from Tokyo Game Show...

Sega unveiled the newest title in the Yakuza franchise, Yakuza: Of the End, which contains a zombie outbreak and a cyborg, on top of the game's usual gameplay elements.

Wait, what?

The game takes place in Kamurocho, which for some reason or another, has become the center point of a zombie outbreak. The city is quarantined, leaving the remaining residents inside fighting to stay alive while the zombies hunt them all down. Thankfully, the people may have a savior, or more specifically, four saviors.

Four primary characters from the previous Yakuza titles, Shun Akiyama, Goro Majima, Ryuji Goda, and Kazuma Kiryu, will all make appearances in the title, with Kazuma being the main playable character. He is specifically in the zombie-filled city in order to rescue his stepdaughter Haruka who was kidnapped by a mysterious man. Goro is especially unique in that he sports mechanical parts along his body, particularly a cybernetic arm.

Added to the game is a new "Gun Shot Battle" system, that is to say, a shooter-based gameplay system; each of the four characters have their own unique weaponry with which to plow through the multitude of zombies and other enemies. Rather than have the previous games' "Heat Action" moves to deal maximum damage, the new title will demonstrate a "Heat Snipe" action to destroy explosive containers and other objects with great accuracy in order to destroy more zombies in the area at one time.

The game will still provide mini-games and the like in order for the characters to relax between bouts of zombie-killing. Director Toshihiro Nagoshi also made sure to mention that the series focus on "human drama" will remain, despite the inclusion of zombies.

The title is slated for a 2011 release in Japan for PS3.

Source: AndriaSang

TGS: Phantasy Star Online 2 is a Goooo

Commemorating the tenth-year anniversary for the Phantasy Star Online franchise, Sega has announced that it is making Phantasy Star Online 2.

In a video stream, discovered by Segabits, Sega looked over the Phantasy Star Online series history, starting from Phantasy Star Online Episode 1 all the way to the most recent title, Phantasy Star Portable 2: Infinity.

Once the history lesson ends, the stream unveils a single logo, the voiceover announcing it proudly. Phantasy Star Online 2 is heading out on 2011. Other than that, all we can say is that it is confirmed for Windows PC.

The Phantasy Star Online franchise is a spin-off franchise from Phantasy Star, a turn-based RPG which debuted on the Sega Master System. Since the release of Phantasy Star Online for Dreamcast, the series has moved toward an action online adventure genre. The series has seen games released on Dreamcast, PC, GameCube, PS2, Xbox, DS, PSP, and Xbox 360.

SOURCE: Segabits (Video's in here!)

TGS: Kinect Gets Some Japanese Surprises

At Microsoft's press conference yesterday for Tokyo Game Show, the company revealed five specific Kinect-based games developed by Japanese third-party developers.

Coming from Grasshopper Manufacture (Killer 7, No More Heroes) is a unique thriller, codename D. While only shown in a teaser trailer, the game's premise is fairly understandable. Your character enters a crazed carnival filled with a multitude of twisted beings, including people who seem to always wear animal heads. Thankfully, you have a baseball bat and exploding baseballs in your arsenal.

Grounding Inc., the company formed by Phantom Dust and Panzer Dragoon-director Yukio Futatsugi, is bringing a new dragon-filled product to Kinect, entitled Project Draco. Taking designs which will remind you of Panzer Dragoon, the game is a 3D shooter, but at the same time, players will need to move and communicate physically and verbally with their dragons in order to help survive the onslaught of enemies on the horizon.

NanaOn-Sha, best known for the Parappa the Rapper series as well as a number of other unique titles such as Vib-Ribbon, is bringing an altogether "fun horror" title to Kinect, Haunt. In Haunt, players move along the game's set paths deep into a haunted mansion, and they will have to outsmart ghosts and escape the many traps within the spooky landscape. Keep a look out for those pesky ghouls!

Capcom and From Software are collaborating to create a very "gamer-centric" project through Kinect, and one that seems odd without buttons: Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor. The original Steel Battalion titles for Xbox had players control large mechanical war machines using a special controller, using 40 buttons, levers and even three pedals! With the switch to no controller at all, how this game compares will certainly be something to see.

Finally, Sega has announced a unique IP for Kinect, an on-rails horror title called Rise of Nightmares. The game promises to provide a spine-tingling experience unseen before, all while using your whole body to feel the terrors around you. Not much else has been provided.

Other products were shown using Kinect, such as Body and Brain Connection and Child of Eden, though the latter does not require Kinect to run.

This press event was the same in which Microsoft announced Radiant Silvergun's XBLA debut, as well as a look at Metal Gear Solid: Rising and a new Fire Pro Wrestling using Avatars. So, from the looks of things, those looking for a unique way to play Japanese-developed games, Kinect may be something to look toward.

Kinect is a peripheral for the Xbox 360 in which players do not use controllers, but rather, make movements in front of a 3D camera. The Kinect was originally called Project Natal when it was unveiled at E3 2009, and it will be launching this November with an assortment of titles from a number of developers.

TRAILERS

codename D


Project Draco


Haunt (skip to 1:40)


Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor


Rise of Nightmares

Chu Chu Rocket to iOS

After years of tormenting gamers with the desire for its release, Sega has announced that it is bringing Chu Chu Rocket to iOS this October.

At a gamer's day focused on games for the iPhone and iPad, Sega demonstrated a number of titles, the most intriguing of which was the Dreamcast classic, Chu Chu Rocket. In this game, players attempt to lead little mice aliens known as Chus to their rocket ship without getting themselves eaten by the wandering cat aliens that also traverse the map. In order to do so, players muat set up paths and special tiles with lead both Chus and cats along each level. As long as a minimum number of mice make it to the ship, the player wins.

The new version will not contain any added levels, but every one of the 100 original levels will be included. The game also has a versus mode, playable with humans or computers.

The release date is not set in stone, but Sega is expecting an October launch for the title.

SOURCE: SlidetoPlay