My town is full of weeds and I’m pretty sure all my neighbours hate me, but I logged in to Animal Crossing City Folk to receive my free download from Nintendo today.  From January 1st to the 30th you can receive a golden bed in your mail box.  This item is the first in a 12-item series, so if you check back each month  you’ll eventually be able to live a life if luxury decked out in a pure gold living room.

Once you’ve received your bed, you will be able to purchase it whenever you want from Tom Nook’s catalog.  To receive your bed, make sure your Wii is connected via Wifi.  Your item will arrive through the mail and  the letter looks exactly like this:

” Dear [player's name],

This is the first item in the
12-item Golden Series.
New items will be released
throughout the year, so
you’ll want to keep your
eyes peeled!
Nintendo”

The golden bed is available in North America, Europe, Japan and South Korea.  For the complete set of instructions on how to download your bed, check out the Nintendo website.

]]> http://gamenorth.ca/2011/01/11/nintendo-offers-golden-furniture-in-animal-crossing/feed/ 4 http://gamenorth.ca/2011/01/08/nintendo-may-reprint-super-mario-all-stars-limited-edition/ http://gamenorth.ca/2011/01/08/nintendo-may-reprint-super-mario-all-stars-limited-edition/#comments Sat, 08 Jan 2011 16:35:09 +0000 Rebecca Quintana http://gamenorth.ca/?p=6457 Regretting the fact that you didn’t bother to pre-order the 25th Anniversary Wii edition of Super Mario All-Stars?  Nintendo said the game would be limited, and it turns out they weren’t lying.  Although the game was released only a few weeks ago, most retailers are already sold out, with eBay prices fetching three times the original price of $30 USD.

However, there’s good news for you procrastinators out there, as Nintendo said they are considering re-printing the game due to high demand. “We are gratified by the consumer response to this limited-edition product, which we created to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the original Super Mario Bros. game on NES,” Nintendo public relations director Marc Franklin told Wired.com via email on Friday. “Because of the strong response, we are exploring the option of bringing this item back at a later date.”

Nothing is official yet, so if you still haven’t snagged yourself a copy and don’t feel like paying eBay’s highway robbery fees, then you may want to keep calling – you may find a local store that still has a copy or two in stock.

In case you forgot with all the holiday hub-bub, the Wii collection, titled Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition, includes a copy of the original SNES game on one Wii disc, the classic games Super Mario Bros, Super Mario Bros 2, Super Mario Bros 3, and Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels.  In addition, the package also includes a CD with a soundtrack of select songs from Mario’s history and an artbook, all in a collectible red and gold slipcase.

[Source: GameLife]

Listed below are the games that will be affected by the shutdown (* denotes a game with online achievements):

• FIFA 07
• FIFA 08 *
• FIFA 09 *
• FIFA Street 3 *
• Fight Night Round 3
• Madden NFL 09
• NBA LIVE 08
• NBA LIVE 09 *
• NCAA March Madness 08 *
• NCAA Basketball 09 *
• NCAA Football 07
• NCAA Football 08 *
• NCAA Football 09 *
• NFL Head Coach 09 *
• NHL 08 *
• NHL 09 *
• Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09 *
• UEFA EURO 2008 *

For those of you who are gamer score enthusiasts, this is essentially a last call for these games and their online achievements.

Hard Corps: Uprising (PSN, XBLA) [Q1 2011]

The game “heavily inspired” by Contra: Hard Corps does a great job of resurrecting the look and feel of the Contra franchise, right down to the power up capsules with wings. In addition to the pleasant graphics, the revival of familiar weapon upgrades (such as the Spread), and the renowned difficulty of the old school series, Uprising promises some improvements as well.

One, there will be both online and offline co-op play. Two, there are gameplay improvements, such as the very useful dash move, as well as an air dash. The weapon power up system was upgraded and players can now upgrade their weapons three times for each power up, on top carrying TWO weapons. And three, people will actually be able to pass the game through the Uprising mode, which is a mode where you can collect points and spend those points to power up your character in order to make things a little easier. “We decided to throw gamers a bone since most people have a queue of games that they’re playing,” said a Konami rep. Fear not though, hardcore gamers! An Arcade mode is also available if you want to try to beat the game with three lives and three continues. Since we were on the topic of difficulty, I couldn’t help but ask about the famous Konami code, which was made popular by the original Contra: “You’ll find out. That’s all I’ll say,” the rep said coyly after a very long silence, “you’ll have to try it for yourself.” She might as well have just said it would work!

Another reason to be excited about this game? The development studio involved is Arc System Works, the people that were responsible for BlazBlue, the fighting game that became a cult hit, and Guilty Gear X, which… is also a fighting game that also became a cult hit. So if nothing else, we’ll be treated to great visuals and smooth gameplay.

Rush’n Attack Ex-Patriot (PSN, XBLA) [Q2/Q3 2011]

This game looks a lot like Shadow Complex, which is a good thing. This 2.5D action combat game is based on Systema, the martial art used by the badass Russian Spetsnaz commandos. I once watched an episode of Deadliest Warrior featuring a Spetsnaz, and yeah, I don’t ever want to cross one. I’m not even sure I’d ever want to meet one, on the chance that I might cross one. However, someone else did cross one by imprisoning Sid Morrow’s buddies. Now he’s going to break them out of prison, which leads him on an epic adventure to battle something involving some kind of weaponized biochemical.

Set 20 years after the Cold War, this revival contains serious cartoon violence and ninja (i.e., wall) jumping puzzles. From what I played, the action parts are fast paced if you just want to dash and slash, but you could also hide in dark rooms and wait for enemies to pass by before pouncing on them. There were night vision goggles power up and a body armour power up, both of which were lost when I died. The combat animations of the close quarters combat were neat to see.

X-Men: The Arcade Game (PSN Dec. 14, 2010, XBLA Dec. 15, 2010)

One of my all time favourite arcade titles, I can’t count the limitless number of quarters I lost to this side scrolling beat ‘em up. This 6 player online co-op adventure features red Sentinels AND green Sentinels – Green Sentinels with guns! There is also an option to play 4 players in case no one wants to play Dazzler and Cyclops. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade Game, D&D: Shadow Over Mystara, River City Ransom, Final Fight, and this game probably make up the co-op sidescrolling canon, so if you haven’t tried it, the $10 USD points equivalent is well worth it.

Dance Dance Revolution (X360) [Q1 2011]

It’s already out for the PlayStation 3, but now it’s also coming to the Xbox 360. My wife will be excited. It’s funny how I show her the Kinect stuff but she still wants DDR with a dance pad instead. I guess controllers aren’t obsolete quite yet, even for the casual crowd. Konami confirms that there will be downloadable songs and many of the old favourites from other games will be available.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 (PC, PS3, X360) [already released!]

I’m not a big soccer fan, but man, the games have great visuals. This year, the game features an exclusive license with the Copa Libertadores league as well as an all new camera and passing system. “[It's] more than just add-ons and features, there’s actually a whole new gameplay element here,” Konami promises. “When you play, you’ll get that sense of authenticity and theatre of soccer.” He also stressed the amount of freedom players have over their lineup and strategy, such as putting Messi on the wing if they wanted to.

When asked about any plans to infiltrate the eSports scene in North America (where FIFA seems to reign supreme), he said that they already have a presence in Europe and Latin America but have not considered North America yet. You soccer fans out there will have to tell me how this would play as a competitive game.

Sadly, there is no headbutt to the chest button and no cover your face button, which are the only two things I know about soccer. They tell me you CAN do some “wicked back tackles” though.

Karaoke Revolution: Glee (Wii) [also already released]

Based on the first part of the first season of Glee, this game actually features about 30 minutes of exclusive footage from Fox from the show. I don’t watch this show, but I did enjoy the Karaoke Revolution games in the privacy of my own home. This comes bundled with a microphone so you’ll be ready to go out of the package. This sounds like a good Christmas gift for that extended family member who watches Glee. You know the one.

There are new faceoff options, such as tying up your opponent.

For one, if last year’s game had any issue it was that it played way too fast. You could sort of just glide around the ice like Bobby Orr, skate into the slot with extreme ease, and take undefended shots on the goalie all game. NHL 11 slows  things down. Not to a boring degree, but just to a pace where you really have to set up plays and work hard for your opportunities. I grew up playing EA Sports hockey games. The reason those early games work so well is that they perfectly balance realism and fun. It’s something that most sports games today struggle with mightily, but an area where NHL 11 seems to flourish. I almost feel as if the developers have a real appreciation for those old Genesis and SNES games. It’s almost as if they channel the spirit of those classic games.

I’d also say that it’s probably the most immersive sports game on the market, and likely the most immersive sports game ever made. Your skating is controlled by the left analog stick, while your hockey stick is controlled by the right. It’s been honed this year and works extremely well most of the time. One issue is that occasionally your passes and shots don’t really do what you want them to. Sometimes you just want to drop a pass back to a teammate skating behind you in the offensive zone and you wire it back to your own blueline instead.

Opening a star player can earn you a lot of pucks on the marketplace.

The game is also filled with robust features as usual. The Be A GM mode is fantastic. I think an underrated aspect of this game is just how good the management features are. The trading, signing, and coaching aspects of this game are the best I’ve ever seen in a sports game. I’m a big fan of sports management sims like Baseball Mogul and NHL Eastside Manager, and the joy I got out of building a championship calibre Leafs team in this game was completely unparalleled by any other console sports game.

The Be A Pro mode is also rather good. I’m not a huge fan of these types of modes in sports games but I found the mode to be quite enjoyable. Having to make line changes and play good two way hockey is fun and challenging. The online play is also very solid.

A new physics engine lets you really appreciate a good check.

The other big new mode this year is the Hockey Ultimate League. In this you are given a pack of hockey cards from which you build a team. You earn pucks, which you can buy new packs with, or bid for cards in the auction house. You can then take your team and play against the CPU or against another human online. You also have to worry about team chemistry while training and developing your players. This mode has been used in EA Sports games before, but this is the first time it has been included in the NHL series. It is a neat and addictive game mode.

They have also included broken sticks in the new game. It is kind of amusing and cool to see. Also added is a new faceoff system and real time physics engine. These features are kind of neat but what is most important  is just the fact that the gameplay is just so refined, and so well executed.

I can’t hate NHL 11 because it isn’t just a brilliant hockey game – it’s a brilliant videogame. It’s one of the best games of the year, and one of the best sports games ever made. If you love hockey it’s an absolute must buy.

At the start of the game, you’re immediately thrown into the action without any explanation as to where Sonic has been all these years and what he’s been doing.  This actually required a little bit of research on my part, so I headed to the official Sonic the Hedgehog 4 website.  Here’s the situation since Sonic & Knuckles:

Sonic has destroyed Dr. Eggman’s space station, the Death Egg.  Sonic decides that after his task is finished, he’s going to split up from Knuckles and Tails and take a break somewhere on his own.  Unfortunately for him, the vacation’s over before it ever really begins because Dr. Eggman has survived the events of Sonic & Knuckles.  Sonic must then traverse through four different zones in order to defeat his latest robotic creations.

It would have been nice if this had been explained at the start of the game, but oh well – not a big deal I guess.  What is a big deal is how frustrating the game can become in such a short amount of time.  You start off in the Splash Hills Zone, which should definitely look familiar to anyone who has ever played a 2D side scrolling Sonic game.  However, it differs from the Sonic formula in that it is a 2.5D side-scrolling game.  For those who are unsure of what 2.5D means, it’s when the graphics are 2 1/2 dimensional and give the illusion that something is in 3D when it really isn’t.  The music isn’t terrible but compared to its predecessors it just doesn’t hold a candle.  After a while it even becomes mildly irritating and just isn’t nearly as catchy as it should be.  Moving Sonic with the thumb stick is leaps and bounds easier than using the D-Pad, which is a little odd but is nothing too vexing.

All of the early Sonic elements are present, and yet something feels…off.  Something is missing.  Don’t get me wrong, this is not a bad game by any stretch of the imagination.  It isn’t broken, though the physics are not the best.  The difficulty curve is downright ruthless: It starts off nice and simple in the Splash Hills Zone and then once you hit the Casino Street Zone, you may find yourself screaming at your television.  It’s challenging, which is great considering the game’s length, but it’s far from a pleasant experience overall.

The level designs often give you the impression that the developers just don’t like you very much. The enemy placement is almost cruel, giving you very little time to react.  The special stages are all pretty cool and instead of moving Sonic around the swirly kaleidoscope maze, you move the entire level around him.  They’re well done, though I almost never got to experience them since I kept missing the giant ring at the end of each level.  I would run so fast I’d miss it completely and the game doesn’t allow you to quickly correct yourself and run backward.  Nope, you’re done.  If you missed it, that’s too bad.  Try slowing down next time.  Each of the four zones includes 3 acts and of course, a boss fight.  The boss fights range from dull and simple to obnoxiously difficult.  The level select screen is a nice new touch and is esthetically pleasing to look at it.  If you grow tired of the Casino Street Zone, you can try your hand at Lost Labyrinth instead.

The graphics are crisp but lack the usual Sonic charm and are devoid of any personality whatsoever. SEGA didn’t completely screw up, I just don’t think Episode 1 is worthy of a $15 price tag.  The game is a short albeit difficult romp that may prompt dyed-in-the-wool Sonic fans to cringe in distaste.  I felt many periods of déjà vu.  Haven’t I played the Lost Labyrinth Zone already?  I could have sworn I did in a previous Sonic game.  Those who have never played a 2D Sonic game may become easily frustrated and discouraged from making it to the final boss.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 gives me funny feelings.  This game lacks a soul, but maybe I feel this way because the game doesn’t feel like a true sequel.  It’s not bad and it’s not good but I still feel vaguely disappointed.  It feels a lot more like a remake than anything else, which is okay but just doesn’t nourish the desire for a direct and canon sequel.  After sixteen years I still don’t feel sated, but perhaps this is a strong indication that it’s time to finally let go.  Or, I could just wait for Sonic Colors to come out.

Click here to watch the video

With a wave of the Move controller I could get Gandalf to shoot fireballs at my enemies or press a button and launch a ground attack with his staff.  Aragorn used his sword to attack his foes, which usually amounted to spiders and wolves.  We ran around the landscape freely and when we would get lost or forget what our objective was, we could press a button to find the correct path.  A sparkling beam of light would pop up on the screen and illuminate the way through the trees and grassy knolls.

While the Move controls felt a little clunky and not as intuitive as they could have been, I enjoyed myself.  The hardcore Tolkien fans may not enjoy the liberties that have been taken with the lore, but for everyone else it delivers some amusement, especially when playing co-op with a friend.  Most of what we played involved seeking out other members to round out the fellowship and doing the tasks we were given.  For example, Boromir would only join the Fellowship if you were able to defeat him in a duel.

This duel could only be done by Aragorn, so I had to sit out while I watched Don smack Boromir around with his sword.  Once we made it to Rivendell we were given the task to find Merry and Pippin, two of the hobbits from The Lord of the Rings trilogy.  Now that I think about it, we never did find them.  I wonder what happened to them? (Editor’s note: We never caught up to the orcs that had them) Don and I seemed to disagree as far as the graphics were concerned.  My opinion was that the graphics were stylized and appealing in a cartoonish-sort of way.  Don said they appeared dull and flat and were in need of some textures.  Whatever floats your boat!

I wasn’t too fond of being given mundane quests.  If I wanted to go kill x amount of y, I would play an MMORPG instead.  That kind of gameplay just doesn’t leave a great taste in my mouth.  Overall it was a pretty different and fun experience in Middle Earth, but I have a feeling it won’t have much lasting appeal to the older crowd.  This one seems great for kids, though.  Aragorn’s Quest is available now for the PlayStation 2 and 3, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, and the Nintendo Wii.

DJ Hero 2 releases October 19th!

From the press release:

“With the highly skilled DJs and music producers at FreeStyleGames – joined by Deadmau5, David Guetta, DJ Qbert, RZA, Tiesto and a crew of world renowned mixologists – dropping the beats, everyone will have a chance to experience their favorite music like never before in the following mixes:

Produced and Mixed by A-Trak:

• Justice – “D.A.N.C.E.” Remix
• Naughty By Nature – “O.P.P.” Mixed With Jackson 5 – “ABC”

Produced and Mixed by Diplo:

• Kanye West – “Heartless” Mixed With DJ Shadow – “Midnight In A Perfect World”
• Major Lazer feat. VYBZ Kartel – “Pon De Floor” Mixed With Harold Faltermeyer – “Axel F”

Produced and Mixed by DJ Jazzy Jeff:

• Busta Rhymes – “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See” Mixed With M|A|R|R|S – “Pump Up The Volume”

Produced and Mixed by DJ Qbert:

• DJ Qbert – “Super Battle Breaks” Remix
• Newcleus – “Jam On It” (DJ Qbert vocals) Remix

Produced and Mixed by DJ Shadow:

• Kanye West – “Love Lockdown” Mixed With Metallica – “The Day That Never Comes”
• Young Jeezy ft. Kanye West – “Put On” Mixed With DJ Shadow feat. Q-Tip and Lateef The Truth Speaker – “Enuff (DJ Fresh Remix)”

Produced and Mixed by Tiesto:

• Adamski – “Killer” Remix
• Lady Gaga – “Bad Romance” Remix

Produced and Mixed by Z-Trip:

• Afrika Bambaataa and The Soul Sonic Force – “Planet Rock” Mixed With The Crystal Method – “Busy Child (Still Busy After All These Years Remix)”
• Missy Elliott – “Get Ur Freak On” Mixed With Dillinja and Skibadee – “Twist ‘Em Out”

Produced and Mixed by RZA:

• Damian Marley – “Welcome To Jamrock” Mixed With Walter Murphy – “A Fifth Of Beethoven”
• LL Cool J – “I Can’t Live Without My Radio” Mixed With Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five feat. Melle Mel & Duke Bootee – “The Message”

Produced and Mixed by The Scratch Perverts:

• The Chemical Brothers ft. Q-Tip – “Galvanize” Remix
• The Prodigy – “Omen” Mixed With Orbital – “The Box”

Produced and Mixed by FSG DJs:

• 2Pac ft. Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman – “California Love Remix” (Remix by FSG)
• 2Pac ft. Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman – “California Love Remix” Mixed With B.o.B ft. Bruno Mars – “Nothin’ On You”
• A-Trak – “Say Whoa” (Remix by FSG)
• Basement Jaxx – “Where’s Your Head At” Mixed With Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Heads Will Roll (A-Trak Remix )”
• BlakRoc ft. Pharoahe Monch & RZA – “Dollaz & Sense” (Remix by FSG)
• Calvin Harris – “I’m Not Alone” Mixed With New Order – “Blue Monday”
• Daft Punk – “Human After All” (Remix by FSG)
• Damian Marley – “Welcome To Jamrock” Mixed With Dillinja and Skibadee – “Twist ‘Em Out”
• David Guetta & Chris Willis – “Love Is Gone” Mixed With Sam Sparro – “B&G” a/k/a “Black & Gold”
• David Guetta ft. Kid Cudi – “Memories” Mixed With Pirate Soundsystem – “Bashy Bashy”
• Deadmau5 & Kaskade – “I Remember” (Remix by FSG)
• Deee-Lite – “Groove Is In The Heart” Mixed With Chic – “Le Freak”
• Dizzee Rascal & Armand Van Helden – “Bonkers” Mixed With Basement Jaxx – “Where’s Your Head At”
• Dizzee Rascal & Armand Van Helden – “Bonkers” Mixed With The Prodigy – “Omen”
• DJ Shadow – “Midnight In A Perfect World” (Remix by FSG)
• Edwin Starr – “War” Mixed With Justice – “Waters Of Nazareth”
• Eminem – “Not Afraid” Mixed With Lil’ Wayne feat. Static Major – “Lollipop”
• Estelle ft. Kanye West – “American Boy” (Remix by FSG)
• Estelle ft. Kanye West – “American Boy” Mixed With Chic – “Good Times”
• Flo Rida – “Low” Mixed With David Guetta vs. The Egg – “Love Don’t Let Me Go (Walking Away)”
• Flo Rida ft. Will.I.Am – “In The Ayer” Mixed With Clinton Sparks, DJ Class, & Jermaine Dupri – “Favorite DJ”
• Gorillaz ft. Mos Def & Bobby Womack – “Stylo” (Remix by FSG)
• Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five feat. Melle Mel & Duke Bootee – “The Message” Mixed With Kool & The Gang – “Jungle Boogie”
• House Of Pain – “Jump Around” (Remix by FSG)
• House Of Pain – “Jump Around” Mixed With Busta Rhymes – “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See”
• Iyaz – “Replay” Mixed With Rihanna – “Rude Boy”
• Janet Jackson – “Nasty” Mixed With Justice – “D.A.N.C.E.”
• Kanye West – “Heartless” Mixed With Lady Gaga – “Lovegame”
• Kanye West – “Heartless” Mixed With DJ Shadow – “Midnight In A Perfect World”
• Kanye West – “Love Lockdown” Mixed With Donna Summer – “Bad Girls”
• Kaskade & Deadmau5 – “Move For Me” (Remix by FSG)
• Kelis – “Acapella (David Guetta Extended Mix)” (Remix by FSG)
• Lady Gaga feat. Colby O’Donis – “Just Dance” Mixed With Deadmau5 – “Ghosts N Stuff”
• Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz ft. Ying Yang Twins – “Get Low” Mixed With 50 Cent – “In Da Club”
• Lil’ Wayne – “Go DJ” Mixed With 50 Cent – “In Da Club”
• Lil’ Wayne feat. Static Major – “Lollipop” Mixed With Flo Rida – “Low”
• LL Cool J – “I Can’t Live Without My Radio” Mixed With Chic – “Good Times”
• M.I.A. – “Galang” Mixed With Wayne Smith – “Under Mi Sleng Teng”
• Major Lazer feat. VYBZ Kartel – “Pon De Floor” Mixed With Harold Faltermeyer – “Axel F”
• Major Lazer feat. VYBZ Kartel – “Pon De Floor” Mixed With New Order – “Blue Monday”
• Malcolm McLaren – “Buffalo Gals” Mixed With M|A|R|R|S – “Pump Up The Volume”
• Missy Elliott – “Get Ur Freak On” Mixed With Sean Paul – “Infiltrate”
• MSTRKRFT ft. N.O.R.E. – “Bounce” (Remix by FSG)
• MSTRKRFT ft. N.O.R.E. – “Bounce” Mixed With A-Trak – “Say Whoa”
• Nas feat. Keri Hilson – “Hero” Mixed With Talib Kweli – “Get By”
• Nelly – “Hot In Herre” Mixed With Warren G feat. Nate Dogg – “Regulate”
• New Boyz – “You’re A Jerk” (Remix by FSG)
• Newcleus – “Jam On It” Mixed With Donna Summer – “Bad Girls”
• Pitbull – “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)” Mixed With Nightcrawlers – “Push The Feeling On (MK Mix 95)”
• Pussycat Dolls ft. Busta Rhymes – “Don’t Cha” Mixed With Pitbull – “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)”
• Robin S. – “Show Me Love (Stonebridge Radio Edit)” Mixed With Calvin Harris – “I’m Not Alone”
• Salt N Pepa – “Push It” Mixed With Afrika Bambaataa and The Soul Sonic Force – “Planet Rock”
• Salt N Pepa – “Push It” Mixed With Armand Van Helden – “I Want Your Soul”
• Sam Cooke – “Chain Gang” (Remix by FSG)
• Sean Paul – “Get Busy” Mixed With Harold Faltermeyer – “Axel F”
• Sean Paul – “Get Busy” Mixed With Rihanna – “Pon De Replay”
• Snow – “Informer” Mixed With Jackson 5 – “ABC”
• Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em – “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” Mixed With Chamillionaire – “Ridin’”
• Sparfunk & D-Code – “Apocalypse” (Remix by FSG)
• Stevie Wonder – “Superstition” Mixed With Edwin Starr – “War”
• The Chemical Brothers ft. Q-Tip – “Galvanize” Mixed With The Chemical Brothers – “Leave Home”
• The Notorious B.I.G. ft. Mase & Diddy – “Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems” (Remix by FSG)
• The Prodigy – “Firestarter” (Remix by FSG)
• Tiesto & Sneaky Sound System – “I Will Be Here” Mixed With Tiesto – “Speed Rail”
• Tiesto vs Diplo – “Come On” (Remix by FSG)
• Timbaland ft. Drake – “Say Something” Mixed With Young Jeezy ft. Kanye West – “Put On”
• Timbaland ft. Keri Hilson & D.O.E. – “The Way I Are” Mixed With Tiga – “You Gonna Want Me”
• Tweet ft. Missy Elliott – “Oops (Oh My)” Mixed With Snoop Dogg – “Who Am I (What’s My Name)?”

No Flip! The coins aren't worth it!

This mechanic is used to solve all kinds of interesting puzzles. Is the chest on a high parapet up on the castle? A quick flip of the world will let you walk up the castle’s walls, and another flip will land you onto a convenient ledge where your treasure awaits. Frozen North didn’t want to punish players too much for getting used to this new mechanic though, and for that reason there are helpful arrows that are colour coded, terrorist alert-style, to let you know if it’s safe to turn the world in that direction. Even if you do fall to your death with a misguided flip, as I did quite a few times, you are brought back to a nearby checkpoint with no penalty. However, if you die in a more traditional way such as by falling too far onto a hard surface, you will be penalized by being thrown back to the beginning of the room.

The scope of the levels was fairly overwhelming at first, as you see many different platforms that you’ll want to turn onto and it eventually gives way to the desire to explore all of it. To aid in the exploration, the game implements manual camera controls, which is a huge relief for anyone who has played a 3D platformer with auto “smart” cameras. Julian Spillane, CEO of Frozen North, emphasized that they wanted to let people explore as much as possible. “When I was a kid playing Mario, I loved finding all the secrets,” he explains, “so I want to give that power to the players.”

Flip’s isn’t just about jumping and exploring either. There are various cartoony monster hybrids for the player to overcome and puzzles to solve. Since Flip is simply a magician’s apprentice who doesn’t know any spells, he uses his massive, possibly borrowed, spellbook to hit monsters with. The classic stomp type attack has been implemented and some enemies will require this super book smash to defeat. There are other weapons to unlock as Flip moves through six different worlds, solving the mystery of the magician world that he has been transported to in order to become a fully fledged wizard.

A book might not work against this one.

One more great thing for Whedonites (Joss Whedon fans): the voice acting of Flip’s guardian is voiced by Anthony Stewart Head of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame. Come to think of it, he was a warlock in that also. Julian explains that it is his personal goal to have every actor in the Whedonverse voice act in their games – I can’t wait for Felicia Day’s role! Further adding to the list of talent is Tommy Tallarico of Video Games Live fame, who does the musical score of the game. From what I heard at the preview, it all fit very well into the levels.

Unfortunately, the game is in Nintendo’s review process so no release date is set, but we were told Fall of this year. However, it is going to be set at a lower price point as compared to other Wii titles, so this seems to be a low-risk (ad)venture!

Shattered Dimensions is four different games rolled into one. When you’re playing at the film noir stealth-action suit Spiderman, the game feels like Batman: Arkham Asylum. When you play as the Venom suit Spiderman, the game feels more like Devil May Cry. Although there is nothing else innovative in the game, everything from those different genres of games seem to be implemented. The Spidey Sense works like thermal vision from Splinter Cell. There are different emblems to collect, abilities to upgrade, storylines to follow, and it felt fun without being too shallow, even if you get the impression that you’ve seen it all before. This game looks like it is a must try for Spiderman fans.

Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions releases for the PS3, Wii, X360, and DS on September 7th, 2010, with a PC release date still to be announced.

Space Headshot!

When holding the Wiimote in a “classic” gamepad style, the game enters a third person perspective, where you can run, jump, dodge and open fire on enemies based on which direction you are facing. The movement feels exactly like a Team Ninja game, with Samus nimbly dodging away from attacks and blowing away enemies with ease, until you rotate the controller to face the screen. Then the camera instantly whips into first person, allowing precision aiming and a more detailed view of your surroundings, a la Metroid Prime. You remain glued to the spot, but that’s the only trade off, and you can move again with a simple rotation of the controller. The movement is surprisingly accurate. You don’t tend to get accidental switches in perspective, and you’re usually blessed with a continuous ability to dodge, even if you are in first person mode.

Spaced Out Samus!

The plot of the game follows the life of Samus after Super Metroid, and leads up to Metroid Fusion. Samus escapes Zebes as it explodes, and awakens on a Galactic Federation ship. We see neat shots of her in her Zero Suit, blinking awake in a sterile facility with some smiling technicians in the background. She walks into a adjoining chamber, and powers up her suit, which spawns onto her body with a interesting graphic, resembling individual squares of steel (like pixels) digitalizing out of her Zero Suit as a projection, and then hardening. One thing I really love about the experience I saw is that they take Samus away from just being a suit and a gun, and decided to have her narrate her adventure, not only conversing with allies she encounters, but divulging her inner thoughts and motives as she treats the audience as a sort of diary, chronicling her experiences. After being given a clean bill of health, she takes off and soon answers a distress call from a Galactic Federation (GF) “Bottle Ship” known as a “Baby’s Cry”. Upon entry into the ship, the gameplay begins. We’re given a brief tutorial on movement and first to third person switching. She eventually encounters a compliment of GF soldiers, one of which is Antony Higgs, an old friend of hers from her days within the army that affectionately refers to her as “princess”.

Space Bugs! In Space!

Samus narrates over the proceedings, providing interesting peeks into her rebellious past as a GF soldier. She fought with them for a long time, always with her suit, but felt coddled regardless due to her gender. The story plays on interesting themes of independence and dependence, and also of the brashness of youth. Samus remembers her actions when she was younger and more headstrong, and laments some of the choices she’s made, especially with relation to her father-figure in the GF forces, a general by the name of Adam Malkovich. Adam is an important facet of both the plot and gameplay, as Samus reconciles her past with him and also relies on him for authorization of weapons. The game starts off with Samus in possession of a full compliment of weapons and skills, but they are only unlocked after being authorized, which provides a good narrative option for new abilities without relying on the tired “lose everything at the start” mechanic that has been prevalent for a long time. That doesn’t mean Samus won’t find some new toys within the Bottle Ship though.

Metroid: Other M is a delicious-looking take on a beloved franchise and personally one that I’m pretty excited to get my hands on, time permitting. I think it’s gonna be outta this world. Cause, you know, it’s in space.

Metroid: Other M is being released on August 31^st in North America, September 2^nd in Japan and Australia, and September 3^rd in Europe.

The details are as follows:

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles will be hosting a make up tent for those of you wishing to spend your afterlife on October 24th as a RESIDENT EVIL zombie. There will be a make up booth on site at the Park, starting at 12:30pm! Makeup services are free of charge!

The 2009 Toronto Zombie walk will commence at 3:30pm at Trinity Bellwoods Park, the meeting point will be the pit which is bordered by Dundas St. and Gore Vale Ave. After your 3 Kill-O-Meter lurch in quest of human flesh meet your fate at The DEAD END (Bathurst and Bloor).

In addition, Capcom is pimping a new set of ads for the video game here. They’re really gory and does not fit into the Wii demographic at all, but it’s refreshing to finally see something adult on the casual console.

If you’re in Toronto this Saturday and are looking for some fun, stop by and perambulate. I saw some zombies last year, it was pretty neat, and I am so proud that Toronto has such an event. If you are going, please send us some pictures of the event!

Source: Joystiq

Before we began, I was informed by the Ubisoft representative that while the game set on Pandora, the same alien planet featured in the motion picture, James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game was actually designed to be a prequel to the events seen in the film. Both Ubisoft and Cameron wanted to avoid having the game spoil the events of the film for fans, and set out to have the game compliment the motion picture rather than imitate it.

The game began with a very Cameron-esque looking space marine drop-ship flying through one of the many lush canyons of Pandora. The ship was carefully controlled, avoiding the strange flora that emerged from the walls and floor of the canyon, and then finally landing in a small opening marked by the on-screen objective indicator. Once the ship had landed, a human soldier, the demo’s protagonist, emerged and Ubisoft informed me that players will get to choose between a human campaign or a campaign for the Na’vi, the large, blue, and agile natives of the planet Pandora. The two campaigns have contradictory goals, pitting the humans and Na’vi at war, and that events experienced in one campaign may run parallel to the other, giving players a chance to see both perspectives. For the purpose of the demo, we were confined to the role of a human, but we would catch a fleeting glimpse or two of the Na’vi as we travelled.

Shortly after departing the drop-ship, we were issued a new objective of locating and assisting a group of fellow marines in infiltrating the suspecting location of a Na’vi village. After exploring the jungle for a few minutes, we found our comrades resting in a large, open grove. We engaged in a short discussion about our objectives, but were suddenly interrupted by the arrival of several agitated reptilian creatures, who immediately proceeded to attack the human soldiers. As each creature was defeated, our human protagonist earned experience points, which accumulated in a progress bar at the upper-left corner of our HUD. As players gain new levels in Avatar, they will unlock new weapons, armour, and powers to use throughout the game. One such power was used against the swarm of reptilians, a kinetic wave that emitted from the character, knocking all enemies away and incapacitating them momentarily. This proved to be too much for the creatures and they were soon dispatched by the more strategically-oriented human soldier AI. Unfortunately for the humans, these small reptilians weren’t the only things lurking in the jungle.

Just as the human soldiers began to regroup, a thunderous roar broke the silence, and the ground began to tremble beneath their feet. The trees on the far side of the grove parted, and a creature resembling a giant rhinoceros emerged. Towering over the humans, it charged into the grove, killing many of the soldiers underfoot and knocking others aside with its head. As it drew closer to the human protagonist, he dodged to the right, illustrating one of the evasive combat maneuvers available in the game. The soldiers concentrated their fire on the beast for what seemed like minutes, dodging it as it charged, until finally it fell. Defeating the creature awarded the player with a significant chunk of experience points, resulting in a new suit of armour and two new weapons. Sweet! Bring on more of the big stuff!

With the group suffering significant losses, the protagonist decided to make his way toward the objective on his own. While en route, Ubisoft informed us that the game featured a real-time day and night cycle, and for the sake of the demo, chose to accelerate the process so that we could witness the changes in Pandora’s ecosystem. We were guided onto a fallen tree that acted as a bridge over a small river, and time began to accelerate. I could feel my jaw drop as the jungle began to change. As the sky grew darker, everything from the flora to the insects began to glow in different shades of phosphorescent neon. It was almost as if we had stepped out of a jungle and into a rave. It was beautiful sight to see, and made me sad to know that daylight was inevitable.

As we descended from our tree-bridge, night turned into day, and we resumed our mission. Closer to our objective, we encountered another group of human soldiers that were ordered to assist in the infiltration. However, these soldiers were better equipped, bringing a mechanized suit of power armour with them. Once again, Cameron’s design style was evident in the suit of power armour, as it had a striking resemblance to the mech used by Ripley at the end of Aliens. We hopped in the mech and followed the soldiers through the jungle. Within minutes, we began to see carvings and symbols on trees – evidence that a Na’vi village was up ahead. We slowed our pace and proceeded with caution, occasionally seeing a tall silhouette leaping through the trees above us. And then it began: in a blur of blue, a Na’vi warrior landed beside an unlucky space marine, dispatched him in an instant, and leaped back into the trees. The human soldiers opened fire into the trees, and more and more Na’vi began to leap down and prey upon the humans. The casualties to both sides were significant, but before our demo ended, we got the distinct impression that the humans were in over their heads, as a wave of Na’vi charged toward them on the backs of large beasts.

James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game certainly impressed me during my time with it, shattering my preconception of it being just another lazy, licensed IP game. However, it wasn’t perfect, as the demo we were shown did suffer from the occasional drop in framerate. That aside, James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game looks to be a solid effort from the developers at Ubisoft, and an exciting third-person shooter to boot. For those that have played it, the game felt very similar to Capcom’s Lost Planet, with its oversized enemies and intriguing environments, but looks to benefit from a more cohesive storyline. James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game not only succeeded in making me even more excited for the motion picture, but for the game’s late November release as well.

Reviewing NHL 2K10 is actually quite difficult. The game has a great deal of potential built into its foundation, but without a certain level of dedication required of the player, that potential will never truly be unlocked. NHL 2K10, like other entries in the franchise before it, enable players to tweak a rather significant amount of gameplay and sliders in order make the game function as they desire. Manipulating these sliders can change almost every aspect of gameplay, from ice friction to rebound frequency, and NHL 2K10 adds even more sliders to the mix by giving the player full control of the game’s artificial intelligence, for both human and computer-controlled teams. These sliders enable players to determine how often the computer will shoot or pass, and how creative your AI teammates will be when making plays.

Slider adjustment is crucial to the enjoyment of the game, and entire communities have spawned around creating slider settings for specific styles of play. Unfortunately, not every player that purchases NHL 2K10 will be savvy enough to locate these communities, or have the patience to tweak the sliders themselves. Visual Concepts have allowed players to share slider settings with NHL 2K10’s 2K Share feature, but due to the lack of detailed descriptions, there’s often little guarantee that the downloaded settings will be satisfactory. For most players, the default slider settings will be the only ones they ever use, which is a shame, because they make the game feel sluggish and sloppy.

The sliders aside, Visual Concepts have added some new gameplay features to NHL 2K10 that take the franchise in the right direction. Gone are the unnecessarily complicated one-on-one and goalie deke maneuvers from NHL 2K9. Gamers can still make flashy moves with their more agile players, but the controls required to do so have been greatly streamlined. Furthermore, the goalie dekes will now take your position relative to the net into account during execution, making the resulting maneuvers much more appropriate. Manual line changes have also been streamlined, allowing players to change their forward lines or defensive pairings on a whim with a quick button press. This system results in much less distraction, which is crucial in those close games against a division rival.

Visual Concepts has also implemented a stick lift mechanic that has a number of useful applications. Is an opposing forward about to receive a one-timer pass in the slot? Lift that stick! Did an opposing defenseman struggle with a pass he received on the point? Lift that stick, and if your player is agile enough, he may just steal the puck in the process for a breakaway. The stick lift adds a strategic alternative to poke checking and standard checking, but it can often result in hooking or slashing penalties if you’re not careful, or both players getting tangled up for a few seconds.

Furthermore, with Alexander Ovechkin gracing the cover of the box, players had to expect a gameplay mechanic or two that was inspired by the flashy winger. In addition to some of the goalie dekes, which were motion captured using Ovechkin himself, Visual Concepts implemented Stumble Shots. Stumble Shots occur when a more skilled player is checked or bumped during a shot, resulting in the player taking the shot from one knee, while falling over, or, like Ovechkin’s famous goal, while on the ground. Thankfully, the Stumble Shots rarely happen, and when they do, they rarely score. Some can be a little over-the-top, but do a great deal to add excitement to the game.

NHL 2K10 offers several offline game modes, including Franchise, Season, Playoffs, Mini-Rink, Pond Hockey, and the quick game and practice modes that you’d associate with most sports games, but it’s clear that the emphasis was on online play this time around. Visual Concepts have created a full suite of online game modes, enabling players to play full seasons, including the playoffs, with up to thirty players. Players can also co-operatively progress through an online franchise, and even create an online team for you and your friends – with each player assigned to a specific position – for you to challenge others online. Unfortunately, most of the online modes adhere to the default slider settings in order to provide a fair and universal gameplay experience to all who venture online, making the transition somewhat jarring for those who use their own custom slider settings offline.

However, whether you’re playing online or offline, it’s easy to see that Visual Concepts went the extra mile when producing NHL 2K10’s visuals. While the default gameplay may be a disappointment, NHL 2K10 is without a doubt the best looking hockey game to be released this year. The player models are properly proportioned, feature crisp textures and immediately recognizable likeness, animate very fluidly, and for those that are obsessive about this kind of thing, use real sponsored equipment. The arenas are also gorgeous, with each featuring subtle yet different lighting schemes, detailed architecture, believable fans, and team-specific entrance animations. As good as the game looks, though, it does have some visual flaws. Player models clip through each other and sometimes disappear entirely during special animations, such as goal celebrations. Such animations also result in the occasional player trying to skate through the boards or getting stuck on the net. All of this could have been avoided with better AI pathing, but the lack thereof sometimes gives the impression of an unfinished product. Overall, despite a few flaws, NHL 2K10 is a visual treat and the best looking hockey game to date.

The sound doesn’t fare quite as well. While the soundtrack offers a more balanced selection of music, almost everything else about the sound design feels dated. The commentators have very few new lines and become repetitive after just a few games, the audience sounds flat and dull, and the on-ice sound effects are the same ones that have been used for years. A few new player and team specific audience chants have been added, and each team uses their real life goal horn whenever they score, but it all tends to feel rather lifeless. Additionally, some player names are still missing from the arena announcer’s speech database, occasionally resulting in the announcement of a goal being scored by nobody, assisted by a player’s first name, with another player’s last name being awarded the second assist. Once again, it can give the impression that the game is unfinished, which can be somewhat discouraging.

Overall, NHL 2K10 is what you choose to make of it. Veterans of the franchise and players that are familiar with the slider system will know how to make the best of the game, and in those situations NHL 2K10 can really shine. However, more casual players and those that are new to the franchise may find the gameplay sluggish and frustrating straight out of the box. Furthermore, while offering several game modes, NHL 2K10 offers little in the way of goals or unlockable content aside from the standard implementation of trophies and achievements. Those that play will only keep playing it for the love of the game, and with the awkward feel of the default settings, many will turn away after their first impression. However, NHL 2K10 represents a significant building block for the future of the franchise, and is quite capable of being a great game to those willing to work for it.

Update: Toys R Us will be selling them for $219 CDN.

In addition to the usual tournaments and competitions, this year’s expo will offer a chance for Canadian gamers to delve into the latest from our beloved BioWare: Dragon Age: Origins. Furthermore, Sony will be on hand to give fans a chance to try several of their upcoming blockbuster titles, such as Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Buzz Quiz World, Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time, and I hope you’re sitting down for this one: God of War III.

The Microsoft and Nintendo camps have been mum about their offerings at the show, but they’ve always been present in recent years. However, it’s going to take one heck of a presentation to pull us away from Sony’s booth. That’s right, the staff of GameNorth, or those that live in Toronto anyhow, will be on-hand, and hands-on, at Fan Expo 2009 to give you our impressions of the games available at the show. If you’d like to find us, I’ll no doubt the the gentleman that’s hogging Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Don will be the gentleman hogging God of War III, and Brad will be the robot scaring the children away from the latest Xbox LIVE Arcade titles. Ahh, good times.

Are you planning on going to Fan Expo 2009? If so, gives us a shout in the comments below, we’d love to meet you!

Update: We’ve been informed by Microsoft that they’ll have Madden 10, Forza 3, and Batman: Arkham Asylum at the event.

Unfortunately, what the trailer doesn’t show is rival NHL10 cover athlete Patrick Kane getting arrested after assaulting a Buffalo cab driver. Shame!

Click here to watch the video

Here are next week’s tracks:

The Band – Chest Fever (Live)

Gorillaz – Clint Eastwood
Gorillaz – Feel Good Inc.
Gorillaz – Re-Hash

Janis Joplin – Piece of My Heart

Jefferson Airplane – White Rabbit

The Who – Magic Bus (Live at Leeds)

The tracks will be available on Tuesday, August 11, 2009 from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace and Rock Band Wii store, and on Thursday, August 13, 2009 from the PlayStation Network Store.

The Wii back-catalog additions for next week include tracks from Blink-182, Damone, KISS, and Weezer, in addition to classic rock tracks from Steve Miller Band and Pat Benatar. With these additions, the Wii Rock Band Music Store offers more than 575 tracks for download.

Here are next week’s Wii additions:

Blink-182 – Dammit
Blink-182 – Down
Blink-182 – Feeling This
Blink-182 – The Rock Show

Damone – Out Here All Night

Fratellis – Creeping Up the Backstairs
Fratellis – Flathead
Fratellis – Henrietta

KISS – 100,000 Years (LIVE)
KISS – Deuce (LIVE)
KISS – Parasite (LIVE)

Lenny Kravitz – Are You Gonna Go My Way
Lenny Kravitz – Freedom Train
Lenny Kravitz – Let Love Rule
Lenny Kravitz – Mr Cab Driver

Pat Benatar – Hit Me With Your Best Shot

Steve Miller Band – Space Cowboy
Steve Miller Band – Take The Money & Run
Steve Miller Band – The Joker

Thin Lizzy – The Boys Are Back in Town (LIVE)
Thin Lizzy – Cowboy Song (LIVE)
Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak (LIVE)

Weezer – My Name is Jonas
Weezer – Pork & Beans
Weezer – Undone – The Sweater Song

We’ll post more information and impressions on the game as they become available.

While the animation looks great, and the goal is certainly exciting, I don’t understand why 2K Sports would focus so much on implementing something that happened once in the history of the sport. Personally, I’d rather not see this kind of goal happen with any frequency in the game, and hope that such theatrics can toggled.

I may be in the minority here, but I think the face-washing, post-whistle shenanigans, and board play of NHL10 sound much more exciting because those things actually happen all the time in the real sport. But for those that can’t wait to do Ovechkin’s goal over and over, here it is in all its digital glory.

Click here to watch the video

The last fiften tracks are:

3 Doors Down – Kryptonite
Arctic Monkeys – Brianstorm
Blink-182 – The Rock Show
Dire Straits – Sultans Of Swing
Jimmy Eat World – Bleed American
Johnny Cash – Ring Of Fire
Megadeth – Sweating Bullets
Motley Crue – Looks That Kill
Muse – Plug In Baby
Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit
Queen & David Bowie – Under Pressure
Stevie Wonder – Superstition
The Killers – All The Pretty Faces
The Raconteurs – Steady As She Goes
TV On The Radio – Wolf Like Me

Previously announced tracks include:

A Perfect Circle – Judith
AFI – Medicate
Attack! Attack! UK – You And Me
Band Of Horses – Cigarettes, Wedding Bands
Beastie Boys – Gratitude
Beck – Gamma Ray
Billy Idol – Dancing With Myself
Billy Squier – Lonely Is The Night
Blur – Song 2
Bob Dylan – All Along The Watchtower
Bon Jovi – You Give Love A Bad Name
Brand New – Sowing Season (Yeah)
The Bronx – Six Days A Week
Bush – Comedown
Children Of Bodom – Done With Everything, Die For Nothing
Coldplay – In My Place
Darker My Love – Blue Day
Darkest Hour – Demon(s)
David Bowie – Fame
Deep Purple – Woman From Tokyo (’99 Remix)
The Derek Trucks Band – Younk Funk
The Duke Spirit – Send A Little Love Token
Duran Duran – Hungry Like The Wolf
Eagles Of Death Metal – Wannabe In L.A.
Elliott Smith – L.A.
Elton John – Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)
Face To Face – Disconnected
Garbage – Only Happy When It Rains
Gorillaz – Feel Good Inc.
Gov’t Mule – Streamline Woman
Grand Funk Railroad – We’re An American Band
Iggy Pop – Lust For Life (Live)
Iron Maiden – 2 Minutes To Midnight
Jeff Beck – Scatterbrain (Live)
John Mellencamp – Hurts So Good
Kaiser Chiefs – Never Miss A Beat
King Crimson – 21st Century Schizoid Man
Kings Of Leon – Sex On Fire
Kiss – Shout It Out Loud
Love and Rockets – Mirror People
My Morning Jacket – One Big Holiday
Nirvana – Lithium (Live)
No Doubt – Ex-Girlfriend
Peter Frampton – Do You Feel Like We Do? (Live)
The Police – So Lonely
Public Enemy Featuring Zakk Wylde – Bring the Noise 20XX
Queens Of The Stone Age – Make It Wit Chu
Rammstein – Du Hast
The Rolling Stones – Sympathy For The Devil
Rose Hill Drive – Sneak Out
Rush – The Spirit Of Radio (Live)
Santana – No One To Depend On (Live)
Scars On Broadway – They Say
Screaming Trees – Nearly Lost You
Smashing Pumpkins – Bullet With Butterfly Wings
Sonic Youth – Incinerate
Spacehog – In The Meantime
Sublime – What I Got
Sunny Day Real Estate – Seven
T. Rex – 20th Century Boy
The Sword – Maiden, Mother & Crone
Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak
Thrice – Deadbolt
Tom Petty – Runnin’ Down A Dream
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – American Girl
Vampire Weekend – A-Punk
Weezer – Why Bother?
The White Stripes – Blue Orchid
Wild Cherry – Play That Funky Music
Wolfmother – Back Round

Furthermore, Activision has assured us that the entire set list will be available to players from the moment they load the game, with no need to unlock any of the featured songs. That’ll make playing the songs you love with friends or entertaining at parties all the more easier!

Next up, the Wii MotionPlus-enabled sequel to Red Steel will also be delayed until 2010. As probably the only title worth anticipating for the Wii remaining in 2009, I suggest you go play a real console. Just kidding Wii, we only hurt because we are sad.

Finally, Ubisoft comes back up to bat with a pair of home runs, announcing both I Am Alive and Ghost Recon 4 are delayed until sometime in fiscal 2010. I wonder how Quantic Dream feels about all this after having delayed Heavy Rain’s release to 2010 in order to avoid crowding during the holiday season.

Joining Weezer next week will be three songs from Blink-182, three more tracks from legendary rockers KISS, and a solitary track from Damone.

Here are the tracks:

Blink-182 – Down
Blink-182 – Feeling This
Blink-182 – The Rock Show

Damone – Out Here All Night

KISS – 100,000 Years (Live)
KISS – Deuce (Live)
KISS – Parasite (Live)

Weezer – My Name is Jonas
Weezer – Pork and Beans
Weezer – Undone – The Sweater Song

The tracks will be available on Tuesday, June 28, 2009 from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace and Rock Band Wii store, and on Thursday, June 30, 2009 from the PlayStation Network Store.

Still playing catch up with the other consoles, the Wii gets another large dose of tracks next week, ranging from Lush to Mötley Crüe.

Here are next week’s Wii additions:

Kings of Leon – Crawl
Kings of Leon – Molly’s Chambers
Kings of Leon – Sex on Fire

Rancid – Last One to Die
Rancid – Ruby Soho
Rancid – Time Bomb

Rise Against – Prayer of the Refugee
Rise Against – Re-Education (Through Labor)
Rise Against – Savior

Lush – Sweetness & Light

Children of Bodom – Are You Dead Yet

Finley – Tutto è Possibile

Mötley Crüe – Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
Mötley Crüe – Dr. Feelgood
Mötley Crüe – Kickstart My Heart
Mötley Crüe – Rattlesnake Shake
Mötley Crüe – Same Ol’ Situation (S.O.S)
Mötley Crüe – She Goes Down
Mötley Crüe – Slice Of Your Pie
Mötley Crüe – Sticky Sweet
Mötley Crüe – Time For Change
Mötley Crüe – Without You

Platero y Tú – Hay Poco Rock & Roll

Squeeze – Tempted

Tokio Hotel – Ready, Set, Go!

However, one area in which the NHL 2K franchise has always lagged behind has been the visuals. The difference seen in the 2009 versions of the respective titles was quite staggering, and with EA continuing to improve their graphics engine, I was worried that NHL 2K10 would fall even further behind. Thankfully, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

In this latest batch of screenshots from 2K Sports it’s easy to see the improvements that were made to the game engine, providing much more realistic and detailed player models than their last offering. Some of the players still look a little zombie-like with their lifeless expressions, but overall it’s a big stride in the right direction. Now if they could only bring back a Fantasy Draft option for Franchise Mode, I’d be in heaven!

Aiming to take players on an exhilarating World Tour, Colin McRae: DiRT 2 will deliver over one-hundred international events, including aggressive, multi-vehicle races and intense solo challenges set in the most diverse and demanding real-world environments. From the muddy tracks of the Malaysian rainforest to the spectator-packed stadiums of London and Los Angeles, gamers will be able to compete in contemporary off-road racing disciplines such as Rallycross, Trailblazer, Landrush, and Rally.

Enjoy these new screenshots from the game!