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/ 5 http://gamenorth.ca/2010/10/26/psa-grab-your-free-lara-croft-and-the-guardian-of-light-dlc-starting-tomorrow/ http://gamenorth.ca/2010/10/26/psa-grab-your-free-lara-croft-and-the-guardian-of-light-dlc-starting-tomorrow/#comments Tue, 26 Oct 2010 13:28:17 +0000 Don Tam http://gamenorth.ca/?p=6009 For 30 days starting tomorrow, October 27th, 2010, Xbox 360 owners can grab the first downloadable content, All the Trappings,  for Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light for free. Details are slim on what the DLC includes, but we do know that a title update that is happening at the same time will enable online co-op. I love online co-op, so hopefully fans of this game will get some enjoyment out of the new mode.

“We’re delighted the Online Co-op is ready and going live – as a thank you to the patient Xbox gamers, and for a limited time only we will be giving away our first DLC pack for free. Download it, have a go and while you’re there try the online co-op mode, it’s great fun,” encourages Darrell Gallagher, General Manager of Crystal Dynamics.

The DLC and title update will be coming soon for the PS3 and PC, but no word about whether the DLC will be free for those platforms also.

So, without further ado, we’d like to announce the winners of our Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection Giveaway, which will give five lucky readers the chance to enjoy this event while playing on all 19 of the Gears of War 2 DLC maps. Our winners are:

InsaneBreakout

Wick

Ian790

maidenfan666

AddyRuffs

Congratulations! We will be contacting you via the email address supplied with your contest entry comment, so be sure to keep an eye on your inbox. I’ll be doing my best to reach level 100 and earn my wings this weekend, so feel free to send me a friend request if you’d like to play. My Xbox LIVE gamertag is Ithilis. See you on the battlefield(s), Gears!

For those that haven’t caught wind of his zany plans, Rod will be awarding Gears of War 2 players with an experience points multiplier equal to the sum of his Twitter followers divided by 500. When he originally proposed the idea on Wednesday, July 14, he had 3000 followers. As of time of writing this article, he has 10,793, but chose to cap his campaign at 10,000 followers and a 20X experience points modifier. That’s a lot of XPs!

The Contest

To honour Rod’s crazy idea and his ongoing dedication to the Gears of War community, we’ve decided to award five lucky readers with Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection codes, giving them the chance to enjoy all 19 DLC maps while earning truckloads of XP!

To enter, simply tell us what excites you most about Epic’s upcoming Gears of War 3 by commenting on the article below. On the morning of Thursday, July 22, to coincide with the opening of the San Diego Comic Con, we’ll draw five names out of a hat and announce the winners. Remember: only Canadians need apply! You can still leave a comment if you’re not Canadian – as we’re always happy to hear and talk about Gears – you just won’t be eligible to win a prize.

For further rules and eligibility, please consult our official contest rules. Failure to comply with these rules will result in a merciless chainsawing. Canadian-style, of course.

Good luck!

As far as the Beta itself goes, I have seen nice things. One flaw I was able to spot while simply watching was the armour lock function being used as a panic button. Bungie says it’s to reduce grenade spamming down hallways and such, and it could definitely solve that problem, but being used right after grabbing a power weapon in the middle of a firefight could cause some serious frustration. Another flaw was the assassination animations, similar to those of the Gears of War series, and with similar problems. That’s right, the flashy moves come at the cost of exposing yourself to fire, or even worse, potential assassinations upon your showboating Spartan.

In terms of the release, you get three flavours. The regular edition is just the game, the Limited Edition ships with Elite armour for online play, an art book and a special box, and the Legendary Edition packs hand painted figurines, a flaming helmet for your online Spartan and comes in an even bigger box. The prices range significantly, and all the details can be found on the Bungie landing page.

At the end of the day, the official Beta is underway and the release arrives on September 1, 2010.

The expansion will also include new creatures for players to battle, including an evolved, more intelligent breed of Darkspawn, the menacing Inferno Golem, and in keeping with the game’s namesake, a Spectral Dragon. However, perhaps most exciting are the new ways for players to customize their characters, which include new spells, abilities, specializations, and items, as well as the ability to completely re-spec any existing characters. New spell combos for the win! Additionally, five all-new party members will join the player in their journey to Amaranthine.

“Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening shows BioWare’s commitment to our fans by delivering new story-driven experiences which enrich the dark heroic fantasy universe our fans have come to know and love,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, Group General Manager of the RPG/MMO Group, EA, and Co-Founder, BioWare. “The vibrant worldwide community of Dragon Age fans will relish uncovering the secret motivations of the darkspawn, revealing how the darkspawn continue to infest the world despite the defeat of the Archdemon.”

Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening will be available on March 16, 2010 for the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 Platforms.

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

Including popular titles such as Mass Effect, BioShock, and Assassin’s Creed, the inaugural line-up should offer something for just about everyone. If not, Microsoft assures us that new titles will be added to the Games on Demand service every Tuesday. Like all content on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace, your Games on Demand purchase history will always be saved, allowing gamers to delete games and download them again at a later date.

The Canadian launch line-up is:

Assassin’s Creed – Ubisoft
BioShock – 2K Games
Burnout Paradise – EA
Call of Duty 2 – Activision
Fight Night Round 3 – EA
LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga – LucasArts
MX vs. ATV Untamed – THQ
Mass Effect – Microsoft Game Studios
Meet The Robinsons – Disney
Need for Speed: Most Wanted – EA
Need for Speed: Carbon – EA
Prey – 2K Games
Rainbow Six Vegas – Ubisoft
Ridge Racer 6 – Namco
Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis – Rockstar Games
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG – SEGA
TEST DRIVE: UNLIMITED – Atari
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – 2K Games/Bethesda Softworks
Viva Piñata – Microsoft Game Studios
Viva Piñata 2: Trouble in Paradise – Microsoft Game Studios

Stay tuned to GameNorth for a full hands-on Dashboard Update preview.

Set for release in September, Crash Course is meant to fill the void between the No Mercy and Death Toll campaigns, depicting what befell our beloved survivors after boarding that fateful helicopter atop Mercy Hospital. While Crash Course will offer both a Survival Mode map and a co-operative campaign, its primary focus is to deliver a complete Versus Mode experience in just thirty minutes. A recharge timer for infected teammates is said to have been added, and the item spawn behaviour has been changed to provide more balanced gameplay.

“Since the release of Left 4 Dead last November, the design team has been excited about creating new experiences for this world and allowing players to do the same, by releasing much of our internal toolset, like the Survival Pack and Authoring Tools,” said Gabe Newell. “We’re working with the fans toward the ongoing entertainment value of the product.”

Left 4 Dead: Crash Course is targeted for release in September and will be available free of charge on the PC and for 550 Microsoft Points on the Xbox 360.

In the first DLC pack, you are sent across the galaxy to Tatooine  by the Emperor to eliminate Obi-Wan Kenobi. During your hunt for the Jedi you will explore the depths of Jabba’s Palace and meet other familiar characters from the franchise such as Boba Fett.

The exclusive mission in the Ultimate Sith Edition sends you to Hoth to destroy the rebellion once and for all, ending with a final confrontation with the fabled hero Luke Skywalker.

Both the DLC and the Ultimate Sith Edition will be available this fall for you to purchase and drool over.

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!

Located in the heart of Alberta’s Canadian Rocky Mountains, the captivating and panoramic Banff Springs Golf Club is now available for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, marking the first time the course has made an appearance in the popular franchise. Available for 600 Microsoft Points in the Xbox LIVE Marketplace, or for $7.50 through the PlayStation Network, gamers around the world will get the chance to enjoy one of Canada’s most treasured and picturesque locations.

Note: I have no idea what ‘let the big dog eat’ actually means, but I have it on good authority that it has something to do with golf. So head on out to Banff and let that big dog eat!

Unfortunately, the original developer, Ensemble Studios, is no more, which is a shame, because that whole situation overshadowed what is a really decent game.  It looks great, plays really well, and is the first RTS I’ve played that really feels at home on a console.  Sure, it made some sacrifices to make it all work, and the value of the whole package can be really questionable at times, especially for a gamer who is only interested in part of the package.  But it manages to fulfill what I see as its two primary goals: bring out an RTS that a Halo player might play, and present the Halo universe in a way a non-FPS gamer might care about.

As a bit of a disclaimer, I fall into the former category.  I’m certainly no Halo superstar, but I have played all three.  I’m also a modest RTS fan.  I’ve enjoyed the assorted Warcrafts and Command & Conquers by muddling through them in my own way.

The game wears its Halo crown very well.  The main menu opens with a remix of a familiar theme, with all the expected blue highlights and doodads.  I was especially impressed with the inclusion of a Halo Timeline.  It’s a group of about fifty key events (about a third of them initially locked) that take place during the Covenant Wars, leading right up to the events that started the original Halo game.  I’ve always enjoyed Bungie’s backstory, a lot of which didn’t fit in too well with the run-and-gun action, so it’s nice to be able to read up and know what’s going on.

The core of the single player experience is the campaign mode.  A number of bells and whistles are packed into it, but it does come across as underwhelming.  It’s 15 stages, and UNSC only.  Although the Covenant units are playable in the Skirmish and Multiplayer modes, there’s no matching campaign.  It’s a little disappointing, especially given how much I was impressed by the campaign that is there.  The game has absolutely amazing pre-rendered cutscenes.  They’re very well done, very exciting, and fit the theme of Halo very well, much like the initial teaser released back during E3 a few years ago.  They set up the missions and join them together.

Once in the mission, there’s a so-so cutscene done in the engine.  Except that it has all been captured and compressed to the point where it looks rather blocky.  The actual game looks quite good, so it’s really a minor squabble.  There were no noticeable framerate issues, as I was too involved in the action to notice. The UI is simple – just a little minimap in the upper-right, next to unit numbers, reactor level, and number of remaining resources.  Along the bottom will be icons when units are selected.

The sound fits the pace of the action very well.  Halo-ish music at the right times, rising when things get exciting, growing muted when there’s a calm moment.  All the familiar shouts and explosions, panicked Grunts and plasma blasts.  The voice acting during cutscenes was perfectly fine, which is always a nice surprise.

The game’s tutorial explains most of the controls, and there’s really not a lot to explain.  Analog sticks move and rotate the screen, A select units, and B cancels selection.  X is move/attack, and Y uses the single special ability of any selected item.  LT speeds up movement, RT cycles through selected units, LB selects all units, and RB selects all units on the screen.  The d-pad is used for bringing up commander abilities and cycling between various locations (bases, alerts, armies).

That’s really it.  Ensemble streamlined all the complicated controls a PC RTS would have to just those.  No more than one ability per unit, no real way to create squads or groups of units, and so on.  A very simple interface.  It really does work, though.  It’s easy to roll into battle with a huge group of dudes, tap RT to cycle to tanks, get them aiming at a Scarab, tap RT again, get the Spartans trying to hijack a Wraith, and that sort of thing.  There’s no pinpoint precision, but there doesn’t need to be.  There’s enough control given to let the game shine.

The simplicity of the control extends to other parts of the game.  Halo Wars is built around the idea of a base.  Certain locations on every map can support a base.  Run a guy up there, choose Build Base, and you’re building that base!  It pops up with a Command Center and three empty pads.  Choose one of the empty pads and six options appear (some greyed out, depending on tech level).  Supply Pads constantly produce resources.  Gotta have a couple of those.  Reactors raise the tech level of the base.  They’re expensive, but necessary.  A Field Armoury allows for upgrades, but makes no units itself.  And then there are the Barracks, Vehicle Depot and Air Pad to produce the game’s various units.  It’s possible to upgrade the Command Center so the base has five or seven pads, as well as four locations for turrets.

And again, that’s really it.  The Covenant buildings have different names, and there are some slight differences, but the two factions are essentially the same.  The game’s tech tree (PDF) is very straightforward.  Each building can make two or three units, with a certain super unit getting unlocked should the tech be advanced enough, depending on the commander choice.  And it’s all wrapped up in a Rock-Paper-Scissors system:  infantry beats aircraft, which beats vehicles, which beat infantry, with a couple of exceptions. There’s an anti-infantry infantry unit (Flamethrower) and an anti-vehicle vehicle (Cobra), and the game does a good job of making all of this clear with on-screen prompts.

The major difference between the two factions is the way leaders are used.  For the UNSC, the leader is on the Spirit of Fire, in orbit.  They will have their one special ability, plus the ability to disrupt Covenant powers, send down healing / repairs, and order transports.  For the Covenant, the leader is on the battlefield.  His ability requires him to be in the area, putting him at risk.  Because of this, all Covenant bases have the ability to teleport units directly to the leader at any time, with no cost.  Kind of scary when you see the Arbiter running towards your base and suddenly he’s surrounded by a dozen squads of Suicide Grunts.

I really don’t feel the simplicity of the game is that bad a thing.  Yes, there are really not all that many traditional strategic options, as far as development goes.  But just because there are not billions of units, and the ability to drop buildings everywhere, doesn’t mean it’s not a strategic game.  Resources are technically unlimited, but only come in so fast.  What should be focused on at one time?  Make them come in faster, focus on getting more bases for cheap Reactors, try to go for a Warthog rush, or rain down Regret death?  Every pad is precious.  By limiting building in such a way, every structure is valuable, even if resources would allow for many more to be made.  The metagame that works in a good RTS is still intact.

The sheer amount of content included in the Dark Corners add-on is impressive. Players that purchase the content will receive seven new multiplayer maps, bringing Gears of War 2’s total to an incredible twenty-nine, as well as a deleted campaign chapter entitled Road to Ruin.

GameNorth was given an opportunity to sit down with the new content, and despite being completely engrossed in the gameplay, managed to record some of our impressions. Here is what you can expect from the Dark Corners add-on (which is also included in the All Fronts collection) come July 28:

Multiplayer Maps:

Allfathers Garden

Set in the sacred grounds of the Coalition founders, Allfathers Garden is a large map filled with statues, pillars, and lush greenery. The vibrant green grass and mossy areas are a welcome departure from some of the more drab set pieces in the Gears of War universe, and make the level itself very pleasant to explore.

The level is a large rectangle with two main paths originating from the spawn points. The upper path features a Longshot on either end and a grenade spawn positioned between them. The lower path features a Torque Bow/Boomshot spawn point, and the hallway in the middle – which connects the upper and lower paths, leading to the grenades – features a Scorcher.

With two Longshots and a Torque Bow being used at the same time every other round, Allfathers Garden can create some very exciting gameplay situations. Fortunately, the level also features plenty of cover and hiding spots that will allow players to avoid getting killed by the long distance weapons. Due to its size and layout, expect Allfathers Garden to be a popular choice for Guardian mode, and favourite for anyone that loves a good Longshot duel. Additionally, with so many places to hide and take cover, Allfathers will likely be a hit in Wingman.

Highway

Deep in the Locust Hollow, Highway is large map that uses the Nexus setting and textures. Similar to the scene found in the campaign mode, Nexus features a Locust highway as a dynamic backdrop to the level, with squads of Locust and the occasional Brumak making an appearance.

The layout of the level may seem confusing at first, with two upper routes and one lower route available from the spawn point, but it’s actually quite simple. The upper routes lead to different areas of a large, open mezzanine that features a Mortar/Mulcher spawn in the middle, and the lower route leads to an open area with a grenade spawn and a set of parallel stairways that each lead up to a Longshot/Torque Bow spawn. The lower area also features a Boomshot/Scorcher spawn between another set of parallel stairs leading up to the middle of the mezzanine area.

The action in Highway can unfold in several different ways, depending on the routes chosen by each team. If both teams choose to remain on the lower area, a fast and furious skirmish will no doubt occur over the grenades and the Boomshot/Scorcher – which are in very close proximity – and the winner of the Longshot/Torque duel will wreak havoc on anyone below. The mezzanine is rather barren, only offering the Mortar/Mulcher way at the back, but offers great vantage points on the combat below. The size of the level and the relatively secure mezzanine area will make this level a popular choice for Guardian, and the furious action of the lower area will be attractive to fans of Execution and Warzone. And like Allfathers, having duelling Longshots/Torque Bows is always a great selling point.

Memorial

Set near the Eternal Flame, a Coalition tribute to fallen soldiers (and not the Bangels), Memorial is a cleaner, more pristine level than most. Visually, it shares a lot in common with Jacinto, a bright level with a civilized, Coalition influence, and is about the same size as well, if not larger.

The level features three possible routes from each spawn point: a lower route leading to the large courtyard that features the Eternal Flame memorial, a route leading up to an elevated area overlooking the courtyard, and another route that leads under the elevated area to another set of stairs at the back.

The courtyard features a Mortar spawn in the middle, hidden behind the Eternal Flame, and a grenade spawn just below the balcony of the elevated area. The elevated area offers a Longshot/Torque Bow spawn at the back, and the lower area features a Boomshot/Scorcher spawn where the hallways meet at the base of the stairs. There is a balcony directly overlooking the Boomshot/Scorcher spawn, making it a very risky endeavour, but whichever team secures the Boomshot and the Longshot/Torque will easily control the map from the elevated area. However, a well-placed volley from the Mortar in the courtyard could change everything in an instant. Like the other two large levels, Memorial will be great for Guardian, but its multiple routes should also make it fun for Annex and Submission.

Nowhere

Perhaps my favourite map of the newest additions, Nowhere is a very small level set in a barren refuelling station in the middle of the desert. The level is very bright and features several new textures and scenery, and periodic sandstorms can greatly reduce visibility.

Only a little larger than Raven Down from the original Gears of War, most of the action in Nowhere takes place at the centre of the map, in a small lot littered with abandoned cars and other random obstacles. Grenades can be found at the middle of the lot, and a Mortar/Mulcher can be found on top of an old diner that overlooks the entire level. On the opposite side of the lot from the diner are two abandoned shops with pistol spawns and windows that look out to the centre of the level. Between the two shops is a water tower behind which a Longshot/Torque Bow spawn can be found.

Nowhere plays very fast, and gives you little time before you encounter your enemy. The Mortar/Mulcher spawn and the Longshot/Torque spawn will be heavily contested, and the winner of either could easily dominate the level. With such fast-paced action, Nowhere is likely to be very popular on Execution and Warzone playlists, and will produce some very hectic Annex and King of the Hill matches.

Those that were quick enough to cash in their Microsoft Points and download the expansion pack, officially releasing on July 28, are able to play it. There has been no word if the multiplayer maps are accessible online, but they can be played locally, and the Road to Ruin deleted chapter is fully accessible.

The All Fronts add-on will be available on July 28 for 1600 Microsoft Points alongside the Dark Corners add-on, available for 1200 Microsoft Points.

For those lucky enough to download the pack, happy hunting!

WipEout HD – $14.99 (originally $19.99)
Flock! – $7.49 (originally $14.99)
Savage Moon – $4.99 (originally $9.99)
Crash Commando – $4.99 (originally $9.99)
PixelJunk Eden – $4.99 (originally $9.99)
Brain Challenge – $4.99 (originally $9.99)
3 on 3 NHL Arcade – $4.99 (originally $9.99)

Once again, the sale will only last until next week’s update, so if you’ve had your eye on one of these titles and have been waiting for the price to drop, be sure to grab it before it’s too late. I think I’m finally going to grab a copy of WipEout HD, but I wish its sale price was just a little more generous.

Also arriving on the PlayStation Store this week is Namco Museum Essentials, bringing five classic Namco arcade titles – Pac-Man, Galaga, Dig Dug, Dragon Spirit, and a visually enhanced version of Xevious – straight into your living room. Complete with PlayStation Home rewards and trophies, Namco Museum Essentials is a great way to play the 80’s.

Additional downloads include:

PSone Classics PS3 / PSP

Spec Ops: Ranger Elite ($5.99)
Immerse yourself in one of the first realistic military tactical combat simulators to be released. Choose your two-man team from a squad of five highly trained specialists: machine gunner, grenadier, rifleman, close quarters specialist, and sniper. Choose to complete your mission through stealth or all-out assault as you’re in control of an elite team of U.S. Army Rangers.

Game Demos

Trash Panic Demo
FUEL Demo
Namco Museum Essentials Trial

Add-on Game Content

LittleBigPlanet – Ghostbusters Costume Pack ($5.99)
LittleBigPlanet – Ghostbusters Uniform Costume ($1.99)
LittleBigPlanet – Ghostbusters StayPuft Marshmallow Man Costume ($1.99)
LittleBigPlanet – Ghostbusters Slimer Costume ($1.99)
LittleBigPlanet – “No Ghosts” Logo Costume ($1.99)

Cross Edge – Bromidic Pack (free)
Cross Edge – Defense Is Offense Pack 1 (free)
Cross Edge – Defense Is Offense Pack 2 (free)

Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires – Desert Armor Set (Men) DLC (free)
Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires – Lion Armor Set (Men) DLC (free)
Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires – Paladin Armor Set (Women) (free)
Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires – Shaman Armor Set (Women) (free)

NCAA Football 2010 – Add-Ons (x17) ($1.25 – $12.50)

Guitar Hero World Tour
Anything ‘Cept The Truth – Eagles of Death Metal ($1.99)
Cherry Cola – Eagles of Death Metal ($1.99)
I Only Want You – Eagles of Death Metal ($1.99)
Eagles of Death Metal Track Pack ($5.49)

Rock Band
Dissident Aggressor (Live) – Judas Priest ($1.99)
Eat Me Alive (Live) – Judas Priest ($1.99)
Prophecy (Live) – Judas Priest ($1.99)
Judas Priest Pack 01 ($5.49)

Hang You from the Heavens – The Dead Weather ($1.99)
No Hassle Night – The Dead Weather ($1.99)
Treat Me Like Your Mother – The Dead Weather ($1.99)
The Dead Weather Pack 01 ($5.49)

All Going Out Together – Big Dipper ($0.99)
She’s Fetching – Big Dipper ($0.99)
Younger Bums – Big Dipper ($0.99)
Big Dipper Pack 01 ($2.99)

Also appearing in the PlayStation Store this week is Buzz Junior: Robo Jam, a game where mischievous robots get sent to Robot Boot Camp! Now all those mischievous children that don’t get sent to Boot Camp can imagine what it would be like if their parents DID send them. And if they were a robot. Buzz Junior: Robo Jam is available for $4.99.

Other releases include:

PSone Classics PS3 / PSP

Spec Ops: Stealth Patrol ($5.99)
Immerse yourself in one of the first realistic military tactical combat simulators to be released. Choose your two-man team from a squad of five highly trained specialists: machine gunner, grenadier, rifleman, close quarters specialist, and sniper. Choose to complete your mission through stealth or all-out assault as you’re in control of an elite team of U.S. Army Rangers.

XS Junior League Soccer ($5.99)
GOOOOOAAAAAALLLLL!!! Go back to basics with XS Junior League Soccer. Everybody can really play as you select from 16 individual players to create your own 5 on 5 match up combos, each with their own bag of special tricks. Play at four real world fields including the baseball field at Sandlot Central, or the black top in Soho Parking.

Game Demos

Battlefield 1943 Demo
Ghostbusters Demo

Add-on Game Content

MotorStorm Pacific Rift – Adrenaline Expansion ($9.99)

Cross Edge – New Costume Set 2 ($3.99)
Cross Edge – Additional Dungeon 3 (free)
Cross Edge – Fresh Heart Pack (free)
Cross Edge – Power Up Pack + (free)
Cross Edge – Stone SP Synth Pack (free)

Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires - Additional Music Set 1 (free)
Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires - Artemis Armor Set (women) (free)
Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires - Kempo Armor Set (men) (free)
Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires - Queen Armor Set (women) (free)
Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires - Royal Armor Set (men) (free)

Midnight Club Los Angeles – South Central Ultimate Content Pack ($12.50)

Skate 2 – Maloof Money Cup Pack ($2.99)

Guitar Hero World Tour
I Am The Arsonist – Silverstein ($1.99)
Bomb The World – The Sleeping ($1.99)
NJ Legion Iced Tea – A Day To Remember ($1.99)
Victory Track Pack ($5.49)

Rock Band
21 Guns – Green Day ($1.99)
East Jesus Nowhere – Green Day ($1.99)
Know Your Enemy – Green Day ($1.99)
Green Day Pack 01 ($5.49)
Black Magic – Slayer ($1.99)
Conquer All – Behemoth ($1.99)
Disposable Teens – Marilyn Manson ($1.99)
Embedded – Job for a Cowboy ($1.99)
Empire of the Gun – God Forbid ($1.99)
Hammer Smashed Face – Cannibal Corpse ($1.99)
This Is Exile – Whitechapel ($1.99)
What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse – Black Dahlia Murder ($1.99)

The Maloof Money Cup Pack is available in the PlayStation Network Store for $3.00 and in the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 240 Microsoft Points. Check out what the pack has to offer in this gameplay trailer from EA:

Click here to watch the video

Other releases on the PlayStation Network this week include Qore Episode 14. This month’s episode of Sony’s high-definition interactive video production takes subscribers into the dark and dangerous world of Assassin’s Creed 2.

And with our Canada Day celebrations behind us, it’s time for our southern neighbours to celebrate their Independence Day. To help them celebrate, the cool cats at Media Molecule have released a free Statue of Liberty costume add-on for LittleBigPlanet.

Further downloadable content includes:

High Velocity Bowling Ball Pack 6 – 4th of July Americana ($0.99)
High Velocity Bowling Ball Pack 7 – Route 66 Americana ($0.99)

MotorStorm Pacific Rift – Monarch Signature Livery Pack (free)
MotorStorm Pacific Rift – Speed Expansion ($9.99)

Cross Edge – Safety Pack (free)
Cross Edge – Additional Dungeon 2 (free)
Cross Edge – New Costume Set 1 ($3.99)

Quantum of Solace: The Game – 007 Camille Map Pack ($4.99)

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 – The Predator ($7.50)

Guitar Hero World Tour
21st Century (Digital Boy) – Bad Religion ($1.99)
Linoleum – NOFX ($1.99)
Ruby Soho - by Rancid ($1.99)
Epitaph Punk-O-Rama Track Pack ($5.49)

Rock Band
Blue Morning, Blue Day – Foreigner ($1.99)
Feels Like the First Time – Foreigner ($1.99)
Headknocker – Foreigner ($1.99)
Foreigner Pack 01 ($5.49)
Image of the Invisible – Thrice ($1.99)
Sweet Talk – Dear and the Headlights ($1.99)
Warped Tour 2009 Pack 02 ($5.49)Wears Prada, and “Image of the Invisible” by Thrice.
Weapon of Choice – Black Rebel Motorcycle Club ($1.99)

PS3 Themes
Anime MBM 4 PS3 ($1.49)
Farmer’s Daughter PS3 Theme ($1.99)
Ink Skulls PS3 Theme ($1.49)
Sniper Girls PS3 Theme ($1.49)

These Green Day tracks are the first in the announced partnership between MTV Games’ Harmonix and the Warner Music Group to bring Green Day’s music library to Rock Band as downloadable content. The first three tracks – all appearing on Green Day’s newest album, 21st Century Breakdown – are 21 Guns, Know Your Enemy, and East Jesus Nowhere.

The full list of available tracks is as follows:

Green Day – 21 Guns
Green Day – East Jesus Nowhere
Green Day – Know Your Enemy
Behemoth – Conquer All
Black Dahlia Murder – What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse
Cannibal Corpse – Hammer Smashed Face
God Forbid – Empire of the Gun
Job for a Cowboy – Embedded
Marilyn Manson – Disposable Teens
Slayer – Black Magic
Whitechapel – This Is Exile

The tracks will be available on Tuesday, July 7 from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace and Rock Band Wii store, and on Thursday, July 9 from the PlayStation Network Store.

“Skate 2 has been embraced by the gaming and skateboarding community across the globe, making it the perfect stage for the Maloof Money Cup’s videogame debut,” said Joe Maloof, President of Maloof Companies. “Now players everywhere can experience the world’s greatest skateboarding championship and revel in the high-stakes excitement of the competition for themselves.”

Skate 2’s Maloof Money Cup Pack will feature separate gameplay events for both online and offline play, including single player vert and street contests that will see gamers face off against world class pros, and an online mode in which gamers can compete against their fans for virtual street cred and bragging rights. As an added bonus for Xbox 360 owners, an additional 250 achievement points will be up for grabs with the addition of the Maloof Money Cup Pack.

Here is a complete list of tracks:

Deep Purple – Space Truckin’
George Thorogood – Bad to the Bone
Harvey Danger – Cream and Bastards Rise
In This Moment – Forever
Lacuna Coil – Closer
Lacuna Coil – Swamped
Mission of Burma – Mica
Mission of Burma – That’s How I Escaped My Certain Fate
Mission of Burma – That’s When I Reach for My Revolver
The Offspring – Gone Away
The Offspring – Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)
Panic at the Disco – She’s a Handsome Woman
Pearl Jam – Brother
Pearl Jam – Alive (Live: Drop in the Park)
Pearl Jam – State of Love and Trust (Live: Drop in the Park)
Snow Patrol – Take Back the City

Each track will be available for 200 Wii Points on Tuesday, June 30, 2009, and just in time for Canada Day!

Nintendo press release follows:

WiiWare

Water Warfare™
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1-8
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Cartoon Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points™
Description: Water Warfare is a comical first-person shooter that uses water guns to battle and soak opponents. A map with a particular theme – Playground, Beach, Plaza or Nature Park – is generated automatically when the game begins, so you can think up new strategies each time you engage. Game modes include Single Player Missions, CPU Match and 2-Player Split Screen. On top of that, players with broadband Internet access can use Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection to battle with up to eight players from around the world, or participate in Ranking Mode.

Reel Fishing® Challenge
Publisher: Natsume, Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Reel Fishing Challenge offers a fun and challenging experience for novice fishers and master anglers alike. Put your skills to the test and discover new types of fish in the challenging mission mode, or relax and enjoy the game at your own pace in free play mode. No matter which mode you play, the game’s beautiful graphics and natural setting bring the fishing experience to life. Choose from a variety of lures to attract and hook the game’s numerous fish. Each fish looks and moves like the real thing – it’s the closest you can get to real-life fishing without putting on your waders.

Silver Star Reversi
Publisher: Agetec, Inc.
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Silver Star Reversi has two modes: 1-Player mode allows you to play a match against the computer opponent, and 2-Player mode allows you to play against another person. In 1-Player mode, you can choose from five different computer opponents, turn the background music on or off, adjust sound effects and access in-game help features. During each match, you can also redo your last move, save the game at any point, or resign from the game. After a match has ended, you can review each move and resume the match from any point you choose.

Virtual Console™

Fantasy Zone™ II: The Tears of Opa-Opa
Original platform: SEGA MASTER SYSTEM
Publisher: SEGA
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Ten years have elapsed since Opa-Opa restored peace to the Fantasy Zone. Now history is repeating itself, and the planets that make up the Fantasy Zone once again find themselves attacked by the mastermind of the Nenon planet forces. This mastermind is secretly constructing a huge fortress in the Fantasy Zone and aims to put an end to their ambitious plans. Just as he did 10 years ago, Opa-Opa must do battle to save the Fantasy Zone.

Nintendo DSiWare™

SUDOKU MASTER
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: SUDOKU MASTER offers 150 unique puzzles that beginners and experts alike will enjoy. A handful of tutorials will help you learn the rules and controls as you go, and handy features like Write Mode and Temp Numbers make Sudoku pleasantly user-friendly. Feeling confident? Then try your hand at Title Mode to work your way up from Rookie to Sudoku Master. All puzzles were created by Sudoku veteran NIKOLI Co., Ltd., and tips from Sudoku godfather Maki Kaji are offered between games.

This week only sees one game demo land on the service, but it was home-grown right here in Canada. Developed by the boys at Blue Castle Games, PlayStation 3 owners can get a taste of the BIG leagues with a demo for The BIGS 2

And as per usual, a host of downloadable add-on content will be made available this week. For those that have some cash burning a hole in their pocket, here’s the full list of available DLC:

High Velocity Bowling – 60’s Surf Ball Pack ($0.99)
High Velocity Bowling – Tiki Polynesian Ball Pack ($0.99)

LittleBigPlanet – Summer Solstice Costume (free)
LittleBigPlanet – Artists Sitcker Pack – Jon Burgerman ($1.99)

MotorStorm Pacific Rift Wombat Signature Livery Pack (free)

Cross Edge – Mystery Synth Pack (free)
Cross Edge – Mighty Rare Pack (free)
Cross Edge – Additional Dungeon 1 (free)

Disgaea 3: Absence Of Justice – Class World Command Attack Mode ($3.99)

Cuboid – Bundle Pack ($4.99)
Cuboid – Level Editor ($3.99)
Cuboid – Booster Pack ($2.99)

Guitar Hero World Tour
Chalk Dust Torture (Live) – Phish ($1.99)
Down With Disease (Live) – Phish ($1.99)
Sample In A Jar (Live) – Phish ($1.99)
Phish Live Track Pack ($5.49)

Rock Band
Little of Your Time — Maroon 5 ($1.99)
Makes Me Wonder — Maroon 5 ($1.99)
Wake Up Call — Maroon 5 ($1.99)
Maroon 5 Pack 1 ($5.49)
21st Century (Digital Boy) — Bad Religion ($1.99)
The Downfall of Us All — A Day to Remember ($1.99)
The Flood — Escape the Fate ($1.99)
I Didn’t Say I Was Powerful, I Said I Was a Wizard — Chiodos ($1.99)
Reinventing Your Exit — Underoath ($1.99)
Warped Tour 2009 Pack 1 ($8.49)
Alive — Pearl Jam ($1.99)
Brother — Pearl Jam ($1.99)
State of Love and Trust — Pearl Jam ($1.99)
Pearl Jam Ten Bonus Pack ($5.49)