I stopped at my first garage sale of the season yesterday, and while it was mostly crap I managed to find something pretty cool. It's a plug-and-play TV game modeled after a model 2 Sega Genesis.

After doing some research I discovered that this deadly little device was put out by a company called Radica Games, who also put out similar versions of Tetris and Space Invaders. The contraption includes six Genesis games; Sonic the Hedgehog, Altered Beast, Golden Axe, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, Kid Chameleon, and Flicky.

The games are emulated very close to the their console counterparts, in fact I did not notice any difference at all in the control, game-play or graphics. The sound is another story all together, however. Presented in mono through only one audio RCA plug, the audio is small and tinny and just can't compare to play on an original model 1 Genesis console.

The game's controller retains the same shape and size as the original Genesis three-button controller, but with a translucent blue casing. There are two other differences with the controller aside from esthetics, the inclusion of a menu button for returning to the game selection screen and the relocation of the "start" button from between the center of the controller to just above the B button.

The mini-Genesis runs on either 4 AA batteries or a 6V AC adaptor. I played with batteries in for about 2 hours last night and they showed no sign of dying out on me.

Running through these games last night I had forgotten how fun Kid Chameleon and Golden Axe were. Even though I own 5 of the 6 games on this compilation (I have never even heard of Flicky) it was fun to play through them again. The games featured are a pretty good cross section of early Genesis titles, and it makes a quirky addition to my collection. I have no idea where you can find one now, but if you are a Sega fan, I would definitely try to find one just because it's so damn cool.

Golden Axe jest prawdziwą klasyką gatunku chodzonych mordobić. Jednak przez lata blask serii zanikł, a sam złoty topór gdzieś się zapodział. Tej zimy zbliża się do nas prawdziwy wylew hitów. Zbliża się też kontynuacja staroszkolnej wyrzynki. Bez głośnych zapowiedzi, czy prasy krzyczącej co chwilę o rewolucji, niesamowitej grafice, czy zmianie oblicza branży. Ale każdy fan książkowego Conana, krwi, obcinania kończyn, krwiożerczych bestii oraz morderczych lasek w skórach powinien zainteresować się pozycją. Szczególnie, że autorzy kierują ją do graczy dorosłych...

Seria Golden Axe zasłynęła wśród chodzonych mordobić tym, że wprowadziła po raz pierwszy na tak szeroką skalę używanie śmiercionośnych bestii jako wierzchowców. Patent spodobał się rzeszą graczy, w końcu było (i nadal jest) coś świeżego w dosiadaniu ogromnych skorpionów, mięsożernych mutantów i innych pomiotów piekła. Zresztą gra doczekała się trzech sequeli, dwóch RPGowych spin-offy oraz klasycznej bijatyki. A potem...nagle znikła.

Jednak SEGA nie pozwoli nam zapomnieć o Golden Axe. Najnowsza część pod tytułem Beast Rider tworzona przez Secret Level zapowiada się na porządny kawałek mięska.

Co najważniejsze – gra będzie prezentowała połączenie slashera i action-adventure, przy znacznym wykorzystaniu bestii jako wierzchowców. Zajawkę zaprezentowała SEGA dwa lata temu na E3 tym oto teaserem:

Główną bohaterką gry jest znana z oryginału Tyris Flare. Seksowna amazonka, wojowniczka, w sam raz wpasuje się w zapotrzebowania na rynku. Zapotrzebowanie na wojownicze laski ma się rozumieć. I tutaj dochodzimy do najważniejszej i najciekawszej kwestii dotyczącej owej, mającej problemy z wyjściem, produkcji. Mianowicie wg różnych doniesień gra ma być całkowicie skierowana do dorosłych graczy wraz ze sporym zaprezentowaniem brutalnej przemocy, efektownych śmierci oraz golizny. I mam nadzieję, że autorzy nie pokpią sobie sprawy, a my dostaniemy porządną wyżynkę w klimatach Howardowskich.

Bo lekko schodząc z tematu – śmieszy mnie, że w takiej wielce brutalnej, zóej i mhrocznej wyżynce jak God of War, wyżynce dodajmy oznaczonej jako gra dla dorosłych, gdy przychodzi do akcji łóżkowych...patrzymy na siusiający posążek sami wykonując jakieś śmieszne rzeczy padem. I nie, nie chodzi mi o to by obserwować w takich grach półgodzinną orgię mini-grę. Po prostu niech nie będzie takich żenujących wstawek, lub niech twórcy traktują ten temat...normalnie i poważnie? Bo rozpieprzyć łeb Kratos może w mega-efektowny sposób, po tym by zaraz developerzy pokazali nam, że jednak mimo skierowania produkcji do „dorosłych” graczy to seks w grze mogą co najwyżej podać jako cenzurowaną minigrę. Po co w ogóle coś takiego dawać? Nie dane mi wiedzieć. Ja byłbym szczęśliwszy jakby olano to w ogóle. Dlatego liczę, że podejście do tego tematu w nowym Golden Axe będzie normalne. Ot nagie niewiasty tu i ówdzie, bez żadnych kręcenia wygibasów padem patrząc na trzęsące się wazonki, bez zrypanych minigierek. Co zresztą dla wszelkich pismaków byłoby bardzo niemoralne biorąc pod uwagę, że gramy kobieta ;)

Teaser – mimo dziadowskiej jakości w jakiej dane nam go obejrzeć – masakruje. Oczywiście jest to wyjściowa dla tego jak ma wyglądać sama gra, ale myśl o rajdach ogromnymi bestiami, pojedynkach z nich i fizyce lalki w czasie okładania się toporami cieszy mi michę. Ogromna dynamika takich pojedynków, kolosalne stwory mogą zarządzić. Zapewne pojawią się liczne potwory, zdobywanie twierdzy, typowo dla serii mocno zaznaczona magia... Wystarczy popatrzeć jak to wszystko ciekawie ewoluuje. Wg wielu slashery kontynuując zamysł z chodzonych mordobić, a Secret Level wraz z Beast Riders przenosi w ten świat wszelkie sekcje „jeżdżone” z beat’em upów, gdy to właśnie dosiadaliśmy danego zwierza/machiny wyrzynając setki wrogów. Gra ma być brutalna, krwawa i jest planowana jako trylogia. Bazuje na naszych najniższych instynktach – krew, mord, gołe laski. I dlatego warto mieć na uwadze co nam przygotują developerzy.

Jeszcze nie dostaliśmy porządnego slashera w klimacie Conana, Golden Axe przy odrobinie szczęścia takim się okaże. Mimo, że sam nie jestem napalony jakoś niesamowicie, mimo, że mam mieszane uczucia co do zapowiedzi gry, które wyglądają zbyt pięknie to będę patrzył i czekał. Wam radzę też mieć oko na ta grę ;).

PS: Mogliby dorzucić od ręki klasyczne części ;)

]]> http://hardcoregaming.wordpress.com/?p=41 Sun, 04 May 2008 01:17:04 +0000 hardcoregaming http://hardcoregaming.wordpress.com/?p=41 Após tomar um chá de sumiço - provavelmente pq o time estava se dedicando completamente ao game do Iron man - o Golden Axe de nova geração finalmente volta a dar ás caras no Blog da Sega America.

Veja as imagens e abaixo um post de um funcionário da Sega que teve acesso ao jogo.

"Eu vi um demo da Tyris - gostosa protagonista do jogo - montada sobre uma besta em particular que causará dano com suas garras. Há vparios tipos de bestas para serem montadas, cada uma com suas forças e fraquezas, minha aposta é que haverá pontos no jog em que você terá que montar uma besta específica para atingir certos objetivos - mas isso é só um chute."

Vamos aguardar mais informações... Se Beast Rider tiver metade da diversão dos games clássicos, com certeza a espera valerá a pena.

Lembram de Golden Axe ? Na época áurea do genesis(mega drive) Golden Axe foi um grande sucesso que gerou várias continuações. O jogo original era um bom hack 'n' slash que colocava o jogador no papel de 3 guerreiros que buscavam vingança  contra o terrível ditador Death Adder. Um novo jogo da série está sendo desenvolvido pela SEGA para X360 e PS3. O site next-gen.biz fez um preview do jogo.

http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10032&Itemid=2

http://www.video-giochi.org/zipmp3/goldaxe.zip

Bust a move (Puzzle B.)

http://www.video-giochi.org/zipmp3/bam.zip

ATTENZIONE: File testati e funzionanti ma prima di aprire le cartelle compresse passate a scan con antivirus per sicurezza, i file scaricati da internet a volte possono essere infetti.

Buon divertimento ;)

Pacman

http://www.video-giochi.org/zipmp3/pacpc.zip

Street Fighter 2

http://www.video-giochi.org/zipmp3/gpage/giochi-abandon-streetfighterdue.htm

Biliardo

http://www.video-giochi.org/zipmp3/sharkey.zip

Golf

http://www.video-giochi.org/zipmp3/sensiblegolf.zip

Theme Park

http://www.video-giochi.org/zipmp3/gpage/giochi-abandon-themepark.htm

Theme Hospital

http://www.video-giochi.org/zipmp3/gpage/giochi-abandon-theme.htm

Tetris

http://www.chiesi.net/software/ita/rtetris.html

Asterix e Obelix

http://www.video-giochi.org/zipmp3/gpage/giochi-abandon-obelix.htm

Aladdin

http://www.video-giochi.org/zipmp3/gpage/giochi-abandon-aladdin.htm

Monkey Island

Dovete scaricare prima il programma Scummvm che troverete in questo link:http://www.scummvm.org/downloads.php e poi il games a quest'altro http://theos.djhellclub.com/monkey2.zip

 ATTENZIONE: Prima di aprire le cartelle compresse passate a scan con antivirus, i file scaricati da internet spesso possono essere infetti.

Buon divertimento ;)

(Sito origine dati: http://www.video-giochi.org/giochipc1.htm e link)

Incidentally, look at the cover below. Am I the only one who notices that the amazon warrior woman is absolutely aborting the tendons in her right knee? "Okay, boys, off to adventu....AUGGGGHHHH!"

The first two games have a pretty consistent melancholy flavor to the tunes. The plot outline in the series is some kind of mystical, barbaric, pre-historic tragic epic. Those plots always yield the finest sounds, do they not? Those, and old-school (pre-1990s) sci-fi. I say old-school because we're already living in a Space Odyssey-esque future world, and thus science fiction as a fantasy is obsolete. The only relevant fantasies left are either (a) apocalyptic fantasy or (b) classic barbarian fantasy, a la Golden Axe, D&D, LotR, and so forth. Even western "otaku" fantasies about going native in Japan are getting stale because they've actually happened.

Sorry guys -- I know that's all fascinating stuff to ruminate upon, but this is about Golden Axe music. There is some mild sine/triangle wave action underlaying most of the musical rhythms in this first game. Occasionally there are some harsher high-pitched saw waves or organ parts. What is interesting is that there are not as many blatant lead melodies in the music for this first release. The drums are rather subdued, which I think is actually pretty nice. I wonder if this isn't because the original Golden Axe was an Amiga/PC release? Though I could be mistaken, back in the 1980s percussive drums were not a staple of computer game music. It was the later generation of releases on Genesis/Megadrive that had more serious bombastic, drum-driven soundtracks. A major element of the Golden Axe II soundtrack are the epic, marching drum snare rolls.

I rather enjoy the organ and the harmonica-sounding saw waves in "Path of Fiend". "Black Adder" is the build-up that really gets the blood pumping, while "Battle Field" and "Turtle Village" have really beautiful, melancholy ambiance.

Nankyoku, Decky, Imocky - Battle Field - Golden Axe (Genesis/Megadrive)
Nankyoku, Decky, Imocky - Death Adder - Golden Axe (Genesis/Megadrive)
Nankyoku, Decky, Imocky - Path of Fiend - Golden Axe (Genesis/Megadrive)
Nankyoku, Decky, Imocky - Turtle Village - Golden Axe (Genesis/Megadrive)

Actually, they all have really beautiful ambiance. *sniff*

Okay, so presumably I'll follow this up eventually with the sequels. Or you could get them on your own. Punks!

Posted by applemctom

from www.youtube.com posted with vodpod

A full list of the game featured in this video are listed after the jump. How many could you name without looking at the list

Titles used in this video: 1972 Pong (Atari, Arcade) - 1980 Space Invaders (Atari, Atari 2600) - 1980 Defender (Williams, Arcade) - 1981 Pac-Man (Namco, Arcade) - 1981 Ultima (California Pacific, Apple II) - 1981 Frogger (Konami, Atari 2600) - 1982 Pitfall (Atari, Atari 2600) - 1982 Donkey Kong (Nintendo, NES) - 1984 King's Quest (Sierra, PC) - 1985 Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo, NES) - 1985 Duck Hunt (Nintendo, NES) - 1986 Bubble Bobble (Taito, Arcade) - 1987 Leisure Suit Larry (Sierra, PC) - 1987 Final Fantasy (Nintendo, NES) - 1987 Afterburner (Sega, Arcade) - 1988 Double Dragon (Tradewest, NES) - 1988 Battle Chess (Interplay, PC) - 1989 Prince of Persia (Broderbund, PC) - 1989 Tetris (Nintendo, Nintendo Gameboy) - 1989 SimCity (Maxis, PC) - 1989 Golden Axe (Sega, Arcade) - 1990 Commander Keen (ID Software, PC) - 1990 Secret of Monkey Island (LucasArts, PC) - 1991 Lemmings (Psygnosis, PC) - 1991 Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega, Sega Genesis) - 1991 Zelda: A Link to the Past (Nintendo, SNES) - 1992 Wolfenstein 3D (ID Software, PC) - 1992 Indiana Jones & the Fate of Atlantis (LucasArts, PC) - 1992 Super Mario Kart (Nintendo, SNES) - 1992 Street Fighter II (Capcom, SNES) - 1992 Mortal Kombat (Midway, Sega Genesis) - 1992 Minesweeper (Windows Desktop Game) - 1993 Sam & Max Hit the Road (LucasArts, PC) - 1993 Doom (ID Software, PC) - 1993 Myst (Broderbund, PC) - 1993 FIFA Soccer '94 (Electronic Arts, Sega Genesis) - 1994 Earthworm Jim (Shiny Entertainment, Sega Genesis) - 1994 Need for Speed (Electronic Arts, 3DO) - 1995 Command & Conquer (Westwood Studios, PC) - 1995 Rayman (Ubisoft, Atari Jaguar) - 1995 Virtua Fighter (Sega, Sega Saturn) - 1995 Tekken (Namco, Sony Playstation) - 1996 Tomb Raider (Eidos Interactive, Sony Playstation) - 1996 Quake (ID Software, PC) - 1996 Super Mario 64 (Nintendo, Nintendo 64) - 2000 The Sims (Maxis, PC) - 2001 Halo (Bungie Studios, Xbox) - 2001 Grand Theft Auto III (Rockstar Games, Playstation 2) - 2004 Rome Total War (Sega, PC) - 2005 World of Warcraft (Blizzard, PC) - 2006 Final Fantasy XII (Square Enix, Playstation 2) - 2006 FIFA Soccer '07 (Electronic Arts, Xbox 360) - 2006 Gears of War (Microsoft, Xbox 360) - 2006 Wii Sports (Nintendo, Nintendo Wii) - 2007 MotorStorm (Sony, Sony Playstation 3)

Talking of wildlife, we actually saw some today.  The man promised us deer in the garden, and deer in the garden is what we got.  Admittedly it was deer arses evacuating the garden when they heard us coming, but they definitely were deer arses and not some other random arses just wandering about.  Typically Jason and I saw them, and the girls, who were too busy squabbling amongst themselves saw absolutely nothing at all.  Now they are sulking with us because of their failure to observe some wild arses in action.  Such is the unfairness of life.  We have yet to see the Raccoons breaking and entering but surely this is a joy to come?  Maybe I should leave a set of lock picks on the garden path to encourage them.  I'm sure they sell them in Wal Mart.

They did get to see some wildlife today though.  It was absolutely sheeting it down with rain all day, so we took them to the butterfly garden up the road.  It's quite cool, and along with the butterflies they have flamingo, ducks, Koi carp, and a handful of what look like partridges scuttling about in the undergrowth.  Partridges are so cool.  They look like small, fat librarians scuttling around nervously, just after they've set the library on fire.  They don't do it on purpose, it's just they have so much nervous energy they spontaneously combust at regular intervals.  Such is the life of the partridge.  Think on, for those of you who are keen on reincarnation.  Partridges definitely r not u.

The children were ecstatic and Oscar was so excited he nearly fell in the pond twice, and was just about to get his eye pecked out by a rather strange bird with an extremely long bill before Jason rescued him, not that he got any thanks for it.  Oscar wanted to get his eye pecked out, probably so that he could wear a piratical eye patch at a rakish angle and attract the attention of some more Canadian old ladies.  Attracting the attention of women over sixty is his new holiday hobby.  He's very good at it.  It gets us preferential treatment in lots of places where OAP's or Seniors as they call them here hang out.  The girls kept running around and then remembering that they wanted the butterflies to land on them so standing still with their arms out like scarecrows.  They would then get so excited that the butterflies might be landing on them that they would jump up and down, thus defeating the object of the exercise.  It did make them very happy though, which was the main thing.

Two things made me very happy today.  One we went to Canada's version of TK Maxx, which is called Winners.  It is rather rubbish, but I still managed to get an excellent pair of Guess wedges for when it decides to become summer, and a rather nice navy Ralph Lauren T-shirt, which due to my recent junk food paunch makes me look rather like a conservative sausage, but will fit nicely once I get home and start eating normally again.  We also went to Spinnakers Brew Pub for lunch.  This is an excellent gastro pub in Victoria and should definitely be visited by everyone.  Jason made a big fuss about going, because we're spending a fortune on food at the minute, but even he had to admit that it was bloody lovely and worth every penny.  He hated admitting it, but he is a man, so he did, and that's why I love him.  That and his fur and beard.

Two weird things that happened today.  I saw a man driving half a car.  When I say half a car, I mean half a car.  It was sawn in two and the back half of the car just wasn't there.  Don't ask me how it stayed up, drove or anything, but it did.  I commented casually to Jason as we were driving along: 'Look! There's a man driving half a car.' as if if were the most normal thing in the world, then we were all silent for a moment, watching it.  Then we had a discussion about not only how weird seeing someone driving half a car was, but also how weird it was to comment on it as if it were completely normal.  Very, very odd.  The second thing wasn't quite so odd, but it is worthy of comment.  I ate a lavender biscuit.  Now, I've known for a while that you can cook with lavender, and I have a recipe for lavender cup cakes somewhere, but I've never dared to make them in case they're horrible.  So, when I saw some lavender shortbread for sale I had to buy some.  What I will say, in the spirit of scientific enquiry is, they were bloody horrible, and lavender tastes exactly like it smells, so unless you're driven to a salivating frenzy of excitement by the smell of lavender I just wouldn't bother if I were you.  Remember, I go there so you don't have to.  it was like eating a crumbly drawer lining, or an old lady who likes Coty talcum powder after she'd eaten some crisps.  Yeurch!

One other good thing happened today, we found a decent supermarket.  By decent I mean one which doesn't sell frozen orange juice concentrate as standard, and put fistfuls of sugar in everything including bread.  We've been a bit depressed over the last few days about the fact that we've been finding it difficult to source good food.  We hit paydirt today on the way to the butterfly gardens.  It's called The Red Barn Market, and it's great.  They sell organic fruit and veg and locally sourced meat with no chemicals or hormones added.  They sell Salt Spring coffee, which is wicked and tastes about a thousand times better than Starbucks (and I like Starbucks), and they sell food which actually looks and tastes like food.  We bought heaps of stuff, fully expecting it to cost about two hundred quid, and it was even reasonably priced.  We had been worrying that we would have to live on potatoes (they don't even have Tesco beans here for poor people to live on.  I think the equivalent is cardboard boxes full of dried macaroni cheese), but we may well have been saved from both starvation and imminent diabetes.  Praise the lord.

All in all, a real holiday day today.  Sightseeing and everything.  Who knows, we may even be getting into the holiday spirit.  God forbid.

Скажу сразу, список не будет представлять из себя что-то особо оригинальное. Но, возможно, напомнит кому-нибудь о старых, добрых временах, когда звук в компьютере был исключительно от PC Speaker'a, а такая вещь как "SoundBlaster" вызывала благородное замирание сердца ;-)

В случайном порядке...

1. Golden Axe, самый первый.

Полез искать к ней скриншоты, и оказалась что игра эта - Легендарная. Спорить не буду, времени я на неё в детстве потратил не мало.

2. Civilization 1

Именно первая захватила меня, и не отпускала довольно долго. Наверное, я в неё тогда переиграл. Проходилась с нуля до космической эры с утра до ужина (это было лет 12 назад, могу путаться ;) ). Пробовал играть в более новые версии - так и не приелось ничего.

3.  Mig 29 Fulcrum

До неё были другие леталки, ещё конца 80х \ начала 90х. К сожалению, их названия я уже и не вспомню. Но вот эта было очень приятной :-)

4. Operation Flashpoint

Одна из любимейших игр. Потрясающие компании, сценарии, озвучка, редактор карт. Мне в ней нравилось всё, и даже угловатая графика :-) Эта игра открыла мне глаза, показав чем же на самом деле является стратегия в реальном времени ;-)

5.  Counter Strike

Пускай для кого-то CS - моветон, но черт возьми, эта играла украла у меня слишком много времени чтобы о ней ничего не написать :-) Когда-то давно играл в неё на полу-профессиональном уровне, весело было.

Вот и весь список из 5 игр :-) Был бы он длиннее, добавил бы HL, первую и вторую. Конечно же Blood (ох-хо!), Duke Nukem, Doom, Quake (особенно 2-ю). Третью и пятую Need For Speed. Именно эти, остальные оказались попсой :-) Так же Colin McRae Rally, которую я понял только после покупки руля.

El juego se ambienta en la Edad Media donde el dictador Death Adder aterroriza a los lugareños y ha raptado a la princesa Yuria y a su compañero Alex.

Para seguir leyendo pulsa aquí.

Aconteceu com muitos títulos famosos como Super Mario World, Sonic e até mesmo Donkey Kong Country, mas o que eu nunca cogitei ver foi isso:

Veja aqui a matéria completa sobre esse obscuro lançamento produzido - como sempre - na China. O site ainda tem notícias, screenshots e fotos reais de cartuchos de outros títulos famosos, como Chrono Trigger, Dragon Quest 8, Zelda: Link to the Past, Golden Axe, um RPG de ação (?) de Tomb Raider, um jogo baseado no filme Titanic, um monte de games de Pokemon, e ainda Diablo II para o Famicom. Ainda tem um Fighting bizarro do Senhor dos Anéis, Final Fantasy 1, e uma surpresa interessante: Super Mario World para o Mega Drive.

Agora resta a nós esperar alguma boa alma traduzir tudo isso para inglês e dumpar as roms para nós. :)

Anyway, without further adieu, here is MY 2008 PS3 Game Planner. If there's games on here you don't care about or you think I'm missing some games, feel free to comment, we can start up a dialogue, or you can pick up PTOM this month and have the complete list there.

A quick note about the "anticipation rating" -- this is simply a scale of 1-5 on how badly I'd like to get my hands on this game, 1 being the lowest, 5 being the highest.

A:
The Agency
Release: Q4
Developer: Sony Online Entertainment - Seattle
Publisher: Sony Online Entertainment
Summary: MMO spy shooter from the folks behind Evercrack.
Website: http://theagency.station.sony.com
Anticipation Rating: 4
Comments: I would've easily given this a 5 out of 5, but SOE has failed us in the past and I really didn't care for Tabula Rasa, a recent MMO "shooter" that came out, so I'm hoping that a hands on for this plays a bit better, because Sony has a chance to do something really great with this game.

Amphibian Man
Release: TBA
Developer: KDV Games
Publisher: TBA
Summary: Cyberpunk action RPG based on a sci-fi novel from 1928.
Website: http://www.kdvgames.com
Anticipation Rating: 2
Comments: The summary sounds pretty great but I really need more information on this game before I can give it a solid rating.

B
Bionic Commando
Release: Q4
Developer: GRIN
Publisher: Capcom
Summary: Classic franchise revived with Bionic Arm swinging and other action hijinks.
Website: http://www.bioniccommando.com
Anticipation Rating: 3
Comments: While the trailer Capcom put out on the Playstation Network looked awesome, I need to get my hands on a demo to give this a true thumbs up or thumbs down -- we've seen far too many modernizations of our favorite classic games gone awry.

The Bourne Conspiracy
Release: June
Developer: High Moon Studios
Publisher: Sierra
Summary: Action icon Jason Bourne tackles espionage in the title inspired by Ludlum's novels.
Website: http://www.bournethegame.com
Anticipation Rating: 3
Comments: I'd like to see a demo come out for this, from what I've read this game sort of picks up where the 3rd movie left off, so there should be a lot of new content, but if it doesn't play well, it could be just another move-license disappointment.

Brutal Legend
Release: TBA
Developer: Double Fine
Publisher: Sierra
Summary: Psychonauts creators enlist Jack Black and metal icons for rockin' action adventure.
Website: http://brutallegendgame.com
Anticipation Rating: 2
Comments: I'm not sure if this is already out for the XBox 360 or not, but this game has some promise, you're a band roadie who fights demons with your mighty axe (guitar). Definitely want to keep this on my radar so I can find out more.

D
Dark Mist
Release: TBA
Developer: Game Republic
Publisher: SCEA
Summary: This fantasy adventure hit the Japanese PSN last year - hopefully, we'll see it soon.
Website: http://www.jp.playstation.com/scej/title/darkmist
Anticipation Rating: 1
Comments: Sounds like a PSN game with potential, but need more info.

DC Universe
Release: TBA
Developer: Sony Online Entertainment - Austin
Publisher: Sony Online Entertainment
Summary: MMORPG based on DC Comics heroes missed '07 release, but maybe it'll surface this year.
Website: http://station.sony.com
Anticipation Rating: 3
Comments: Could this be the game that pries me away from City of Heroes? Unlikely, but I am interested in seeing what it's like.

E
Echochrome
Release: TBA
Developer: SCE Japan Studios
Publisher: SCEA
Summary: Guide a mannequin around stages that can only be traversed by changing perspective
Website: http://us.playstation.com
Anticipation Rating: 2
Comments: Quirky little MC Escher type puzzle game could get a LOT of playtime if it is done right, but a 30 second trailer isn't enough for me to drool over right now.

Eternal Sonata
Release: TBA
Developer: Tri-Crescendo
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Summary: Explore the mind of composer Chopin in this colorful, expanded RPG port.
Website: http://eternalsonata.namcobandaigames.com
Anticipation Rating: 2
Comments: With Persona 4 in just the "rumor" stages, this might be my best chance at getting my hands on a good turn-based RPG for quite a while, so it's definitely on my radar.

F
Fallout 3
Release: Q4
Developer: Bethesda
Publisher: Bethesda
Summary: Post-apocalyptic RPG picks up a significant makeover from the Elder Scrolls devs.
Website: http://fallout.bethsoft.com
Anticipation Rating: 3
Comments: Have you SEEN the art from this game? It looks SO GOOD. I hope the gameplay lives up to the graphics.

Final Fantasy XIII
Release: Q4
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Summary: It's a Final Fantasy game...
Website: http://www.square-enix.com
Anticipation Rating: 3
Comments: Will this be the first Final Fantasy game I pick up since X-2? Only time will tell, but it sure looks promising.

G
Ghostbusters: The Video Game
Release: October
Developer: Terminal Reality
Publisher: Sierra
Summary: Game picks up where 1989's Ghostbusters II left off, with all major players involved.
Website: http://www.ghostbustersgame.com
Anticipation Rating: 2
Comments: So far, it looks good. I want to get my hands on a playable demo before I get really excited about this one though. Don't cross the streams.

Golden Axe: Beast Rider
Release: September
Developer: Secret Level
Publisher: Sega
Summary: Classic fantasy hack-and-slash series makes a comeback later this year.
Website: http://www.sega.com
Anticipation Rating: 2
Comments: First I heard about this game was in this list, another next-genified game, will it impress or disappoint?

Gran Turismo 5
Release: Q4
Developer: Polyphony Digital
Publisher: SCEA
Summary: It's Gran Freakin' Turismo!
Website: http://www.gran-turismo.com
Anticipation Rating: 5
Comments: Since the PS3 came out, only Burnout Paradise has impressed me as far as racing games go. Gran Turismo has set a high bar over the course of Playstation's existance, and I expect this game to meet and beat expectations.

Grand Theft Auto IV
Release: April
Developer: Rockstar North
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Summary: FINALLY, a new GTA.
Website: http://www.rockstargames.com/IV
Anticipation Rating: 5
Comments: Yeah. I've had the special edition on pre-order since before the PS3 came out. I'm probably going to disappear for about a month after I get my hands on this one, with all the push backs this one has had, it's about time.

H
Heavy Rain
Release: TBA
Developer: Quantic Dream
Publisher: TBA
Summary: E3 '06 tech demo transforms int a mystery adventure expected later this year.
Website: http://www.quanticdream.com
Anticipation Rating: 1
Comments: The tech demo video for this was pretty awesome, but what the heck is this game going to be about? Stay tuned...

Hot Shots Golf 5
Release: March
Developer: Clap Hanz
Publisher: SCEA
Summary: Sony's golf franchise packs a new swing style, a visual upgrade, and online play.
Website: http://us.playstation.com
Anticipation Rating: 4
Comments: Why fix what isn't broken? Will "Everybody's Golf" stay that way? With a new swing style, Hot Shots could cool down awfully fast.

I
inFamous
Release: TBA
Developer: Sucker Punch
Publisher: SCEA
Summary: Dark new IP from Sly Cooper team looks to be a superhero sandbox adventure.
Website: http://www.suckerpunch.com
Anticipation Rating: 4
Comments: This E3 '07 video made me drool. I want this game in my PS3, NOW. I really hope it lives up to the hype. Good guy, Bad guy, I'm just the guy who can shoot freakin' lightning from my freakin' hands.

Iron Man
Release: April 22
Developer: Secret Level
Publisher: Sega
Summary: Tony Stark's famed suit of armor is all yours in this high-flying action shooter.
Website: http://www.sega.com/gamesite/ironman
Anticipation Rating: 2
Comments: I need more info before I give a movie-licensed game my official seal of "DO WANT".

L
LEGO Batman: The Video Game
Release: TBA
Developer: Traveller's Tales
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive
Summary: Two of our favorite things come together in a video game - our favorite thing of all.
Website: http://www.warnerbros.com
Anticipation Rating: 3
Comments: I'm probably one of the few people left on the planet who has not yet played LEGO Star Wars (not for not wanting to, mind you). If this game is similar, it should receive the rave reviews LSW has.

LEGO Indiana Jones
Release: Summer
Developer: Traveller's Tales
Publisher: LucasArts
Summary: Indy double-dips on the PS3 this year with an action title akin to LEGO Star Wars
Website: http://www.lucasarts.com/games/legoindianajones
Anticipation Rating: 3
Comments: I'm probably one of the few people left on the planet who has not yet played LEGO Star Wars (not for not wanting to, mind you). If this game is similar, it should receive the rave reviews LSW has.

Little Big Planet
Release: Q3
Developer: Media Molecule
Publisher: SCEA
Summary: Create-a-platformer for PSN looks to be the killer downloadable app of 2008
Website: http://www.mediamolecule.com
Anticipation Rating: 3
Comments: Looks fun, and will definitely keep your creative juices flowing, though Pixel Junk Monsters may be my PSN game of the year, so this has a big stone to knock down.

M
Madden NFL 09
Release: August
Developer: EA Tiburon
Publisher: EA Sports
Summary: Just as the sun will rise, August will bring us another Madden football game.
Website: http://www.easports.com
Anticipation Rating: 5
Comments: It's Madden.

Major League Baseball 2K8
Release: March 3
Developer: Kush Games
Publisher: 2K Sports
Summary: 2K Sports turns its focus to gameplay tweaks after last year's makeover
Website: http://www.2ksports.com/games/mlb2k8
Anticipation Rating: 5
Comments: 2K Sports has had my money for baseball games since Acclaim went belly up and the Triple Play series went to crap, so I have faith that this game will deliver.

NHL 09
Release: September
Developer: EA Canada
Publisher: EA Sports
Summary: Did someone say dynasty? After the slick NHL 08, we're hopeful.
Website: http://www.easports.com
Anticipation Rating: 3
Comments: Proud owner of every NHL title since NHL 93...or was it NHLPA 93...I can't remember.

P
Prototype
Release: Q3
Developer: Radical Entertainment
Publisher: Sierra
Summary: Sandbox romp through New York City with shapeshifting powers and free running.
Website: http://www.prototypegame.com
Anticipation Rating: 3
Comments: Is it just me or does this sound a lot like inFamous? I'm sold, now show me a trailer and give me a demo.

S
Soulcaliber IV
Release: June
Developer: Project Soul
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Summary: Online play headlines this highly anticipated weapons-based fighter. And we get Darth Vader!
Website: http://www.namcobandaigames.com
Anticipation Rating: 2
Comments: Haven't really enjoyed a fighter since the 'ol arcade days of Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat, but this one looks promising to me. It also LOOKS amazing, graphically speaking.

Star Ocean 4
Release: TBA
Developer: Tri-Ace
Publisher: Square Enix
Summary: No official platform for this next-gen release, but the PS3 is an option
Website: http://www.square-enix.com
Anticipation Rating: 4
Comments: Oh please, please, please let this game come out for the PS3. Much love for the Star Ocean series.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Release: April 8th
Developer: LucasArts
Publisher: LucasArts
Summary: Abuse the Force this spring as a sith apprentice in a new Star Wars entry.
Website: http://www.lucasarts.com/games/theforceunleashed
Anticipation Rating: 4
Comments: This game looks great, and being Darth Vader's apprentice is just one of the many reasons why you should play it.

Street Fighter IV
Release: TBA
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Summary: The fighting sequel is finally official, but a release date is hard to pin down.
Website: http://www.capcom.com/streetfighter
Anticipation Rating: 2
Comments: It looks good from what I've seen so far, but I really want to get my hands on a demo before I get too excited about the restoration of this franchise.

T
TNA Impact!
Release: Q2
Developer: Midway Studios Los Angeles
Publisher: Midway
Summary: Direct contender to WWE promises intuitive wrestling controls and intense finishers.
Website: http://www.midway.com
Anticipation Rating: 4
Comments: After years and years of Smackdown dominance, it's nice to have another competitor out there. Looking forward to playing this one, if for no reason other than to see how the 6 sided ring plays out.

Well, that's my list, as you can see there's a ton of great games coming out, and this was only a small fraction of the list. I again recommend picking up this month's PTOM so you can see the whole list.

SEGA ha mostrado nuevas imágenes de Golden Axe: Beast Rider, desarrollado por Secret Level. Disfruten de la calidad del modelado y el paisaje desértico y desolado.

by Awesome The Hegdehog (I Wanna Be The Guy, Dammit).

Before Streets Of Rage was released, this beast ruled the arcades. Golden Axe was a hit and an instant classic back in the day and it’s Mega Drive counterpart was no different. One of the first Beat em’ Ups to rule the roost, Golden Axe is most certainly a tough cookie and is no doubt one of the hardest ever created. But where do you draw the line between Hard and Unfair?Golden Axe is set in medieval times and is about 3 heroes on a quest through the land to vanquish the swarm of evil and it’s leader Death Adder. The game is set around 8 stages and not a lot going on in the background, the game lacks a lot of charm and hasn’t particularly aged well since its release in 1989. But, I’m not reviewing it, so it’s not my job to officially criticize it.

The game does, however redeem itself via the small things that make big differences, like instead of using fists to beat people up you use weapons. There are little gnomes running around everywhere, which can be hit to obtain the magic from their bags. It’s stuff like that which separate it from other Beat ‘em ups at the time and make it kinda cool. The game is definitely worth a try, but can you beat it?

1) A Guy, A Gal And A Dwarf?
Your typical two guys and a girl selection for this genre has been somewhat turned on it’s head. You have Ax Battler, a big strong macho (possibly gay) man, whose sword is perfect for taking out enemies from long distances. Tyris Flare a stripper from the Amazon who also has a sword and therefore doesn’t bring anything new to the table, but her enormous boobs and Gilius Thunderhead, a dwarf with a massive axe, which is great for swinging around and knocking out enemies who circle you (Very important for when two enemies are on either side of you). So take your pick and see which one helps you the most, I always pick Gilius Thunderhead, coolest name, coolest weapon.

2) Cheap Shots
This game is incredibly unfair! When you die, the enemies don’t walk away before you respawn, they stay there and kick the shit out of you as you get back up. Like the J’s from Final Fight, they always wanna get on both sides of you, which is very, very bad, never let them do that. They will charge at you when you least suspect and bosses will repeatedly hit you, literally disabling you. This is why it’s important to pull off as many cheap shots as possible! Enemies take a while to kill (Especially skeletons), so make sure you’re in an area with a pit, back away from the bad guy and when they charge at you, move out the way and they will fall to their deaths. You can also throw them in or they might also walk in by accident. This works well with bosses too, it’s vital to cheap shot everything in the final stage.

3) Ghost Ridin’ The Whip!
Along your journey in the game, you’ll encounter a bunch of animals and other mythical creatures to ride and aid you in beating everyone. They usually appear with an enemy on their back, so knock them off and steal their ride. But, sometimes the enemies will want their ride back and try to charge you off, so move diagonally upwards to avoid them and use the creature’s attack to force them away and eventually kill them. It can be very hard to maintain a creature when surrounded by two or more enemies, so keep your cool and remember, they will always want their ride back and 5 seconds = a charge attack.

4) Traps
Like cheap shots, set traps for your enemies to fall into and kill them off a lot easier. One good example I discovered was to place a controllable creature somewhere around a bunch of enemies and watch as their retarded AI attempt to board the creatures as you stand in front and just punch them all to kingdom come. Also, let’s not forget the ingenious pitfall trap! You see, in order to survive the shit that comes flying at you in this game, you need to think outside the box. You gotta be smart to survive. See if you can come up with some other awesome traps to fuck with your enemies and let me know about them.

5) Jumping
Once again, following the pattern of “OMG! UNFAIR!”, jumping is a bitch. For some reason it only seems to run smoothly, if you’re doing a jump attack. But, if you’re trying to cross a gap, consider yourself fucked. Seriously, if you didn’t already know, you will waste so many lives trying to cross that gap at the beginning of Stage 7. Luckily, there’s only two gaps in the entire game, but if you don’t pull off the jumps correctly, you’ll be dead by Stage 3. The key is to keep going further up the cliff and don’t jump until the heel of your right foot is at the peak of the cliff, then go for it! But, be warned, if you pull it off wrong and try to quickly land back on the cliff, you’re in for a horrible surprise, you slow down immensely when turning while jumping, so just don’t try to get back up. Die like a man.

6) The Final Boss
Straight to the point: Don’t bother to hit the two skeletons, as they can’t die, just knock them back with a forward jump attack and always keep focus on the main boss. Remember to always keep close to him (I know it sounds stupid), but if you see him do a weird hand gesture (Other than a middle finger) then quickly attack, as he’s most likely going to spew a bunch of heat seeking (fuck yeah) explosives on the ground. Never let punch you to the ground, you will not be allowed back up unless he does one of the following: Explodes the floor, sends a dragon down to breathe fire everywhere, zaps the entire room with electricity. You cannot escape these special attacks, so avoid getting hit by him. But, if you are hit by him, make sure its on your last health piece, so it won’t affect you after you’ve already been floored. Never full throttle attack him, only charge at him or jump attack (Remember, cheap shots count e.g. Special attack him if cornered) him. Rinse and repeat for 2 minutes and he’ll do himself in. The end.

So do your best at trying to beat one of the most unfair/hardest arcade beat ‘em ups in existence. Remember everything I said, because it is vital to survive the ongoing slaughter of gnomes (Green ones contain food, blue ones contain magic) and Chicken Legs. Oh yeah, don’t forget to be Gilius Thunderhead too, or else you’ll suck!!!

Desde a Master System, à Mega Drive, e passando pela "portátil" da Game Gear,  já todos nós tivemos uma consola da SEGA quando éramos pequenos!

E porque não voltarmos a ter uma Sega nas nossas mãos?!

Ainda melhor, porque não uma nova portátil?!

Não, a Sega não vai relançar a Game Gear, mas licenciou alguns jogos dos seus catálogos de 8 e 16bits para criar duas máquinas novas...

Primeiro temos a minha favorita, pois faz-me reviver os velhos tempos em que me colava a jogar Mega Drive...

A consola traz vários jogos, tais como Sonic and Knuckles, Ristar, Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle, Golden Axe, Ecco the Dolphin e Altered Beast.

Custa aproximadamente 30€ sem portes, através do sítio Play-Asia.com.

Mas para os mais velhinhos, também existe uma portátil com uma colecção de jogos 8 bits, da Master System e da Game Gear!

Esta inclui os jogos Super Columns,  Astro Warrior, Kung Fu Kid, Quartet, Bomber Raid, Sonic Triple Trouble, Columns, Sonic Drift 2, Alex Kidd in High Tech World, Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Altered Beast, Assault City, Aztec Adventure Global Defense, Fantasy Zone, Fantasy Zone the Maze, Penguin Land, ECCO Tides of Time, Snail Maze e The Ninja.

Esta só custa 20€ e também se encontra em Play-Asia.com.

Ambas as consolas trabalham a três pilhas AAA e podem ser ligadas à TV se esta for compatível com NTSC (norma dos EUA).

Bons jogos!

I remake tirano. Non è un segreto e non è sicuramente il momento più indicato per parlarne solo per l'uscita di qualche titolo (la tendenza è in voga da anni). Però è arcinoto a tutti che "il fattore nostalgia" unito a una campagna pubblicitaria azzeccata può rendere di successo un film come "L'allenatore nel pallone 2", cioè una mera operazione commerciale schifosa e priva di arte.

Nei videogiochi vogliamo pensare o credere che la realtà sia diversa? Naaaa, non è vero. Esiste lo stesso trend. Anche l'industria videoludica è autoreferenziale nonchè affamata di denaro. Però io ci vedo una punta di onestà in più rispetto al cinema. Soprattutto per i remake. I sequel e le trilogie, che ormai stanno invadendo questi due media, sono deprecabili in entrambi i campi.

I remake dei film sono sempre e comunque dei prodotti inferiori agli originali, creati quasi esclusivamente per fini commerciali. Nei videogiochi non sempre è così (solo nel 90% delle votle... :) ). E' vero che certi franchise a cui verrà restituita nuova linfa vitale quest'anno sono stati riutilizzati solo per il nome e per lo zoccolo duro di fan che ancora hanno (grazie al retrogaming e al successo infinito guadagnato durante l'uscita che li ha portati a rimanere nell'immaginario). D'altra parte è anche vero però che è interessante, curioso e pieno di attrattiva il poter rivivere certe avventure aggiornando grafica e sonoro alla "next generation", alla nuova generazione. Nel cinema questo non è così utile. Non mi interessa vedere un film che ha la stessa trama di una vecchia pellicola perchè ora ci sono degli effetti speciali migliori. Tanto se il film era fico, e il regista un artista serio, allora anche con gli effetti dell'epoca andava benissimo! Nei videogiochi invece la struttura grafica è portante, fondamentale. Ed io ero dannatamente curioso di sapere che aspetto avesse il tentacolo bionico del protagonista di Bionic Commando in 3D.

Ora lo so perchè Capcom, nota da anni per le sue "operazioni nostalgia", mi ha accontentato e uno dei titoli di punta di questo ormai prossimo 2008 sembrerebbe proprio il prossimo di ritorno di Super Joe. La caratura del filmato che vi vado a proporre qui sotto non lascia molti dubbi sulla qualità, almeno tecnica, del gioco. In uscita per PC, Xbox360 e PS3.

Ma, come potete vedere dall'immagine iniziale, ovviamente, non c'è solo Capcom ed ora è la volta di uno dei titoli più amati del passato in generale. Golden Axe. Sega aveva già annunciato che era in programmazione un sequel. Prima multipiattaforma, poi esclusiva Xbox360 e ora in uscita quest'estate anche per PS3. La notizia del giorno è l'apertura del nuovo sito ufficiale, dove trovate un pò di tutto. Il gioco in movimento è stato mostrato all'E3, non esiste un trailer vero ma ciò che è stato filmato durante la fiera io lo ripropongo qui.

Chi aspetta a joypad spalancato questi due titoli alzi la mano!!! :)

I wanted to play these games, my friends wanted to play these games, but we could not because of the damn ESRB and the warning label. Number3 was rated M, and the second one had a warning on it that no one else saw except my mom. Damn! Well fast forward years later, and somehow it got on the Wii VC! I mean this was a surprise for many reasons.

One you would have NEVER seen this game on a Nintendo system, they had bugs up their ass at the time to not allow graphic games. Second, the Wii is meant for kids and older adults, and you are putting on a REALLY graphic game (all be it the first one) to download. Third, the rating is M, I doubt there is another VC game that has an M rating. This in itself is amazing.

So there is no excuse not to get this game, get it, get it now. Hopefully this will encourage them to release 2 and 3 later on to complete the trilogy (hey they did it with Golden Axe). So look at the video and bask at its awesomeness.

Part 1

Part 2

Game is hella-mad-crasy hard and chaotic (it is Gauntlet, after all), but the music is just too good for this world. The music is arguably better than the game itself and, if you can imagine, even better than real-life dungeon crawling. It's credited to Masaharu Iwata and Hitoshi Sakimoto, a pair of composers my dear readers may recognize from the fantastic Tactics Ogre and Final Fantasy Tactics series (Newsflashery: the afforementioned hombres also scored Treasure Hunter G, a Super Famicom J-RPG by Squaresoft that was totally bodacious and never released outside Japan!) Interestingly enough, some of this music really strikes me as what the music from the first two Shining Force games* on the Sega Genesis would've been like had the songs in those been a tad bit darker.

Tell me, with song titles like "Adventures of Iron", how could anything possibly be amiss? This music evokes the strength, majesty and romance of an ancient warrior's quest more than an actual ancient warrior's quest. You get me? Dis be da source.

Masaharu Iwata, Hitoshi Sakimoto - Adventures of Iron - Gauntlet IV (Sega Genesis)

I think people like Hans Zimmer and whoever scores dopey Hollywood action movies could majorly improve the quality of their craftsmanship by listening to the Gauntlet IV soundtrack on repeat for like, well..... until I say they can stop. Of course, I wouldn't let them stop. It's so good -- why would anyone stop?

Okay, it's not quite up to par with the Golden Axe II soundtrack. But any game that has a soundtrack which can even compare or compete with Golden Axe II has to have some serious chops. I'd say Gauntlet IV is not quite as melancholy. It has a dark, determined, pre-historic sense of triumph to it, whereas GA II (Golden Axe II, remember?!) has a sad element or tragic sensation to the music and quest.

Masaharu Iwata, Hitoshi Sakimoto - March in the Dark - Gauntlet IV (Sega Genesis)

Masaharu Iwata, Hitoshi Sakimoto - Sortie - Gauntlet IV (Sega Genesis)

Masaharu Iwata, Hitoshi Sakimoto - Whisper of Phantom - Gauntlet IV (Sega Genesis)

The crux of my message, if you haven't discovered it yet, is that everybody wins when games like these get born. This music makes you want to plumb the depths of ancient caverns that don't exist. Seriously, you would need to find the cave of one hell-of old necromancer out of a Lovecraft story to procure dungeons this deep. Or maybe any bureaucratic institute in the modern world. Historically fact-ish: Dungeon crawling in ancient times was the modern equivalent of bureaucracy. So maybe in future eras, our reptilian/alien/robot offspring will play fantasy games where they go on extensive bureaucratic quests through Fortune 500 companies from their distant ancestral past.

Think about it.

Or don't.

Now get out.

________

*I've heard that the original Shining Force is now available on the Nintendo Wii virtual console. Any Wii owner who likes strategy games, RPGs, good music, dungeon crawlers, colors, or staring at a screen drooling for at least 2 hours at a time really owes it to themselves to download this one. Perhaps the most influential console strategy-rpg of all time (if it wasn't the first!) and definitely one of the best games of all time. A treat and a half.

**Also, check out this review of Gauntlet IV by the admirable Sega-16 website.There are also some nice screens you can see over there.

Editeur : Sega

Sortie : 1990

Supports : Master System

Versions : - -

Sauvegardes : Pile

Nombre de Joueurs : 1

Prix Payé : 3 €

Mon Avis :

Editeur : Sega

Sortie : 1991

Supports : Game Gear

Versions : - -

Sauvegardes : Password

Nombre de Joueurs : 1

Prix Payé : 8 €

Mon Avis :

Lots of content in this episode.
Stay tuned at the end of the podcast to hear promos for other greater podcasts.

Sorry about the lateness - I had an exam on Tuesday.

New episode next week.
Direct download: Killing_Time_Episode_004.mp3

Lots of content in this episode.
Stay tuned at the end of the podcast to hear promos for other greater podcasts.

Sorry about the lateness - I had an exam on Tuesday.

New episode next week.
Direct download: Killing_Time_Episode_004.mp3