Quickie TV Review: AMC's The Walking Dead = Perfection

Wow. Coming into the show totally blind except for a quick look at one issue of the comic a few years back, i was expecting it to be good, but hell, director Frank Darabont as well as all the cast and crew nailed it, put it through the hoop and knocked it out of the park, period. I generally don't spend too much time in front of the box watching TV, but this year, between Boardwalk Empire, Bored to Death, Eastbound and Down, Dexter (which is slipping a tiny bit down the list) and now The Walking Dead, my Sunday's are packed. Oh, alright, i get a little 60 Minutes in as well (just so I'm not a total TV zombie)...

Anyway, the pilot ("Days Gone By") was bloody brilliant (and brilliantly bloody). Off to watch it again, as I don't have (or care for ) TiVo.

Score: A+ (Instant Classic!)

Contest: You've STILL Got TIme To Get Dracula (And An iPad)...

Hey! You've still got a few hours to enter and WIN an iPad with Dracula: the Official Stoker Family Version on it. So drop that candy, shut the door and click away! Even if you don't score the Grand Prize, take a chance as ten random winners get the ebook as a FREE iPad download.

About Dracula: The Official Stoker Family Edition

Dracula: The Official Stoker Family Edition, recently crowned App of the Week in the App® Store, is so revolutionary that it is the only eBook edition of Dracula to be endorsed by the descendants of Bram Stoker himself. From lighting up pages with 3D lanterns, to unsealing the mysteries of letters and journal entries, blowing the leaves off of tombstones to reveal the writing beneath, and even to using their own “blood” to reveal hidden text on a page, readers interact with both the text and the stunning graphics to bring the classic novel to life page after enthralling page. Careful readers with a taste for treasure hunting can also uncover rare historical images, as well as audio and film from the earliest days of the Dracula legacy, cleverly hidden within the book.

Contest Rules:

To be eligible you must become a fan of the PadWorx Digital Media Facebook page by clicking the ‘Like’ button on the page before 11:59pm PST on October 31, 2010. Winners will be randomly chosen by PadWorx Digital Media and notified via Facebook message on November 1, 2010. Pre-existing fans of the Facebook page are also eligible. PadWorx employees and their family members are not eligible. Dracula: The Official Stoker Family Edition codes will be sent to winners electronically. The Apple iPad will ship to the grand prize winner free of charge in North America. If the grand prize winner resides in any other county he/she will be responsible for shipping cost.

Frictional Games Offers Amnesia & Penumbra at Scary Savings!

Boooooooo... but a big fat Yay! if you LOVE scary games AND excellent bargains. Frictional Games is having a weekend sale on two (actually four) amazingly scary games. Boogieman on over the their online store and score their latest survival horror release, Amnesia: The Dark Descent or The Penumbra Collection (a three game series) for a measly TEN DOLLARS.

Sega and Namco SALE On iOS Lineup

The Halloween madness continues with Both Sega and Namco running great sales on a number of great iOS titles. click below for the full listing.

Review: Rock Band 3 (DS)

Platform: Nintendo DS/DSi

Developer: Backbone Games/Harmonix

Publisher: EA/MTV Games

# of Players: 1 (2-4 via Wi-Fi)

Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10+)

Official Site

Score: B+

You'd have to be crazy to even think of making a direct comparison of any portable game to a console version these days, but that's probably what's going to happen with the console and portable versions of Rock Band 3. I'm not (that) crazy, so I'll tell it to you straight - the DS version is a solid, challenging and fun music game with some excellent songs, plenty of unlockable gear and a peripheral-free control system that's pretty much perfect once you get the hang of it. The game could have used a few more songs, but such are the limitations of the DS hardware. What's here, however sounds great and combined with the overall polish, the game makes for a great on the go RB3 experience.

Review: Superstars V8 Racing

Platform: PS3 (via PSN)

Developer: Milestone

Publisher: O-Games

# of Players: 1 (online 1 - 8)

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Official Site

Score: B

At a mere twenty bucks, the PSN download-only Superstars V8 Racing offers up a fast and fun chunk of quality racing at an excellent price. While comparing it directly to Sony's upcoming Gran Turismo 5 point by point is a bit of a stretch, the game is certainly worth picking up for its selection of V8-powered European cars, fun to drive real-world tracks and the handling model which balances simulation and arcade elements without going overboard on either. Like other Milestone-developed racers, there are a few menu and GUI quirks that make jumping into races take a bit longer than it should. Nevertheless, you're certainly going to be getting more than enough serious mileage out of the game that you'll be back for more for as long as it's on your hard drive.

Disney Epic Mickey Behind the Scenes Video: Characters!

Artistically, Junction Point is right on the money, as you'll see in this great Epic Mickey video preview. The Wii has a surefire winner this holiday season, that's for sure...

Blood Bowl Legendary Edition Update: Cheerleaders Rock!

What would football be without cheerleaders, right? And heck, what would Blood Bowl: Legendary Edition (hitting retail and online October 28th) be without FLAMING cheerleaders? Nice. New screens to come in a bit (I'm currently toiling away on a bunch of cool stuff and updates, but I may as well keep you slightly entertained, no?)

TRON Evolution - Beyond The Code (Or: A Little History Lesson...)

Whether you're a TRON fan since the original movie release (and the subsequent games of assorted quality) looking for more info or a total newcomer wondering why your dad, uncle and his balding buddies are acting all dorky about the upcoming film and game, this video should assist somewhat in learning you a few things about the series - enjoy!

GameStop's Call of Duty: Black Ops Surprize Attack Sweepstakes Still Going Strong...

With the November 9th release date around the corner, there's still time to pre-order the game and enter GameStop's Call of Duty: Black Ops Surprize Attack sweepstakes where there's some really sweet gear to win including game systems, vehicles (as in a Jeep, Harley or other real-world ride), game consoles and much more. a prize every 24 hours is revealed, so yup, you might just want to boogie on over to that link above. More details below the jump, of course.

Deep (& Not So Deep) Fear: A Few (Mild to Mean) Scary Games For Halloween

Soooo, let's just say you've no huge Halloween party plans other than camping out indoors with that bowl of candy that's supposed to be for kids popping up at your front door. Or you just so happen to have a Halloween party plan that happens to involve scary games played and displayed for your guests to experience. Well, fear not dear reader - whatever you've got in mind, here are a few suggestions and selections from 2010's lineup of mild to mightily scary games, some of which will have you and a few friends parked under the couch. While most of this list is geared toward ESRB T or M-rated games, you'll also find a few more family friendly scares here for a few different systems.

Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare Now Available via DLC - Retail Version Hits Next Month

Awesome. Not only is Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare hitting PSN and Xbox Live to-day as DLC (for a measly ten bucks/800 Microsoft Points? That's an automatic BUY, hands-down, folks!), the M-rated zombie-packed single and multiplayer expansion is hitting retail next month as a standalone game disc with a ton of additional content non-broadband using gamers (or those who still haven't played the original game yet) will absolutely want.

Click below for the press release... unless of course, you're already playing the game.

Commentary: PSP2 - Does it REALLY Need To Do EVERYTHING?

Love Letter From A Low-Tech Hard-Head

As much as I love Sony and the PlayStation lineup), the news cycling 'round about the company's upcoming PSP2 (and possible, on and off PSPhone device) irks me to no end. Well, maybe not that much (this isn't an "angry" rant at all, folks), but still... Not that's I'm complaining (but I'm complaining anyway), but SOME of us just want a pure GAMES PLATFORM, not another touchscreen tablet, laz-e-reader, movie playin', memory eatin' overheatin' shiny new tech toy. If the PSPgo has taught us (and hopefully, Sony) anything it's that getting away from the core consumer or adding too much functionality to a gadget only turns away those who just want to PLAY GAMES (pirates be damned).

Review: Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2

Platform: Xbox 360 (also on PS3)

Developer: CyberConnect2

Publisher Namco Bandai

# of Players: 1-2 (online)

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Official Site

Score: A-

Japanese developer CyberConnect2 pretty much has this Naruto thing nailed up tightly to the point of near perfection. Every time I get my hands on one of their games either PSP or console, I'm amazed at how well the developer can translate the crazy power of Naruto into playable form. Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 manages to be even more of a total blast to play than the original game, adds speedy online play for the first time for those who want it (it's great) and overall, is definitely recommended for fans of the long-running franchise. Sure, it's probably not going to win over hardcore players of deeper fighters out there (who don't know what they're missing, frankly speaking). However, the sheer amount of quality oozing from the final product absolutely deserves a ton of respect no matter what your genre tastes are.

TRON: Evolution Battle Grids Gameplay Trailer

While the Wii version of TRON: Evolution has a more cartoon-like look to its customizable character models, the multi-player focus should help this one garner it's own share of fans (provided the gameplay is as solid and addictive as this brief glimpse shows). I guess we shall see come December 7, 2010...

Nippon Ichi America Wants YOU To Replace Etna's Panties...

Normally, I'd say that header would be a "No wait, that didn't come out right..." statement, but yes indeedy-do, it's true. Nippon Ichi Software America is holding a contest where you design a pair of panties for Etna, everyone's favorite evil (but cute) demoness from the Disgaea and Prinny series.

The panties in question are part of a genius promotion for Prinny 2: Dawn of Operation Panties, Dood! (a game I absolutely WANT based on the title alone). I'd guess I'm ineligible, being a member of the gaming press and all, but I'd definitely love to be a fly on the wall with a pair of binoculars at NISA's offices when those entries start rolling in. My spider-sense says that the rejection pile is going to be fairly large (but fun to judge, that's for sure), given the imagination of certain types of anime/manga/game fans.

Anyway, go poke around on the official contest site, enter if you've got the skills and hope you win BIG. The main prizes for the three big winners are a copy of Prinny 2 and a pair of the winning panties. 50 other lucky entrants who can or can't draw a lick (er, no pun intended!) can enter the contest and end up will their own pair of those panties (but no game). Yeah, this could be one of the more interesting game-related contests in recent memory, that's for damn sure...

NYT's Gamers Nite Groove Presents Sonic the Hegehog 4 (Part 1) Next Tuesday!

New York-Tokyo is at it again with another cool GNG event - drop by and play Sonic 4 and enjoy a few drinks and great tunes. Click below for de-Tails...

Duke Nukem Forever Hands-On

I knew it was going to be good, but the Duke Nukem Forever demo (short as it was) had me nearly falling out of my chair laughing at the in-jokes and wild Duke humor while feeling immediately comforted that the King is soon to be back on top where he belongs (Er, take that any way you wish). 2K rolled into NYC with the infamous PAX demo in tow and since I didn't get me ass to Boston this year, you'd better believe I made time for The Man Himself as soon as the invite landed in my inbox. I wasn't at all disappointed, by the way. In fact, if the demo is any indication of the final build, the King is Back... Long Live The King, Baby!

Review: Active Life Explorer

Platform: Nintendo Wii

Developer: Namco Bandai

Publisher: Namco Bandai

# of Players 1 - 4

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone!)

Official Site

Score: A-

Some anti-gaming types (and a few other folks out there who should be spending their time doing more important things) often complain that spending time in front of your TV doing things you'd normally do outside make for a less than acceptable means of physical activity. In the words of imaginary character Tony Stark (as portrayed by Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man), "I respectfully disagree." Bandai's new Wii game Active Life Explorer presents one great answer to that interesting paradox these exercise-based games present. Sure, you can overpay for a real gym membership or drag the whole family out for an expensive vacation somewhere with sunny vistas, starry nights and overpriced meals, but in this age of yawn-worthy "staycations" and penny-pinching "fun" ideas that make for more sour faces than smiley ones, here's a game that kills both of those birds (and a few more) with one stone.

Earth Defense Force Insect Armageddon Update: Official Site Is Up and Running

Hah! D3Publisher has quietly updated the official EDFIA website with screens, videos as well as pre-order info through GameStop and yup... Facebook and Twitter links. Go take a look NOW and sign up if you're a fan!

Blood Bowl Legendary Edition Update: High, Elves!

Who know High Elves would be so into this sort of "fantasy" football AND quite good at it, to boot? And here I thought they were all haughty nectar-sipping, pointy-eared elitists sneering at us puny humans with out short lifespans, penchant for fast food, mall trawling and talking too loud on our cell phones. Anyway, Focus Home Interactive has dropped more info and screens on the class on the official Blood Bowl website. Poke around there for more info and click below to look at those skinny, faster than you blankety-blanks in action. The game ships out on October 26th, by the way.

GIVEAWAY TIME! Win A Download Code for Women's Murder Club 4: Little Black Lies

Love adventure games? How about a bit of solid,well-written murder mystery with point and click and hidden item gameplay for good measure? Well, here you go: a chance to score a FREE PC download for the latest entry in iPlay's James Patterson Women's Murder Club series, Little Black Lies.
For the record, WMC isn't the name of a roller derby team (although that would be a neat twist to the next game, huh?)...

Anyway, let's keep it simple: just drop me an email at geelw2@gmail.com with WOMEN'S MURDER CLUB in the subject line- I'll pick FIVE lucky readers and shoot you your code and download instructions via e-mail.

Read on for a bit more about the game, system requirements and a few screen shots as well.

Fallout: New Vegas DLC In The Works

Well, you knew it was coming, didn't you? Bethsoft goes and makes one of the biggest games of the year even bigger. Too bad my 360 is dead (yet another one at that, grrrr!), but methinks what Obsidian has crafted will keep me quite occupied until the PS3 gets its own DLC pack...

Press release below.

Review: Front Mission Evolved

Platform: PS3 (also on Xbox 360, PC)

Developer: Double Helix Games

Publisher: Square Enix

# of Players: 1 (online 2-8)

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Official Site

Score: B+

While there have been a handful of action-based Front Mission games on older consoles, the long-running franchise is primarily known for its solid turn-based gameplay, large cast of characters and near infinite customization options. Taking the series into the current generation, Front Mission Evolved hits the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC as the most accessible FM to date, provided you don't mind the big switch to faster-paced mech action reminiscent of Armored Core with a dash of Mechwarrior for good measure. The game manages to take familiar locations, mechs and gear from the series, ditch the more tactical grid-based strategic play in favor of offline and online combat while being quite a blast to play in either mode. The campaign isn't anywhere as lengthy as any of the turn-based games (that's a given when you're blasting away at enemies in real time as opposed to planning out your moves), but the game looks and controls great overall. Online play has a few hitches, but is quite a bit of fun when you find the right group of folks to play with.

Amazon Announces 10/20 Gold Box Video Games Sale

Short and sweet shameless promo #1 - check Amazon on Wednesday for a few deals! Feel free to use my handy aStore to shop from and even suggest a few products you're looking for so I can add them to the inventory.

Blood Bowl: Legendary Editon Adds Vamps To Roster

Focus Home Interactive, Cyanide Studios and Games Workshop want to add a nifty little twist to the usual sports game madness and thanks to the excellent Blood Bowl: Legendary Edition, set for retail and digital release on October 26th, 2010. In case you're asking "And just what the hell is Blood Bowl?", well, clickyety click onward for a press release and more images. isn't life just simpler than it needs to be sometimes?

TRON: Evolution Multiplayer Preview Video

Multiplayer disc battles or light cycle races, anyone? As long as the game is fluid and actually fun to play, I can see this being a staple as well as a nice change of pace from the usual FPS for some core gamers.

Gallery: Batman: Arkham City

Hmmm... And I always imagined Harley Quinn as some emo chick with black hair and bangs under that funny jester hat and pancake makeup she sports in the animated series. Then again, I can see the crazed blond cheerleader look she's sporting in the Batman: Arkham City render to the left catching on with the fans and those cosplayers that don't mind squeezing what they can into a custom made outfit. Two pieces of production artwork and a few early screens below the jump. If the new open city direction works well enough, this just might be the Spider-Man 2 of Batman games (little in-joke there)...

More on the game as news comes in.

Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare To Be DLC AND Retail Release (YES!)

In a great (and very common sense) move, Rockstar Games has announced that gamers will be getting the upcoming Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare as not only a digital release, but a stand alone expansion that doesn't require the original Red Dead Redemption to play. Not only that, but the retail release will include the single and multiplayer expansions to the game, a move that will most likely get those who haven't yet played the western-themed action game yet to give it a try. Anyway, while I celebrate Rockstar's being smarter than some publishers and not abandoning users who still crave physical product, don't have the hard drive space on their consoles for the DLC or hell, don't yet have broadband access, go read the press release below the jump.

Splatterhouse Cover Art = Simple But Effective

That cover art practically screams "Hide the kids, the wife and any nearby pets." Hell, you KNOW what you're in for based on the image, that's for sure. November 23, 2010 is the release date (so the game misses Halloween - big deal!). New and insanely gory screens going up on my other blog later today, by the way.

Lost In Shadow Birth & Mysteries Featurettes

It's a total twofer today - the first two out of four parts from Hudson's making of feature on the upcoming Wii game, Lost in Shadow. Enjoy!

Rude Gameware's GameGuard Wants YOU!

Rude Gameware is at it again... this time with some cool virus protection software geared toward the PC gamer crowd. click away for the press release.

Spare Parts Hands-On

One of the cooler surprises at EA's Naughty or Nice event was Spare Parts, the upcoming Xbox Live Arcade and PSN release developed by the company's Guildford-based bright light Studios (Create, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) and set for launch later this year. The download-only single or two-player co-op action/platformer stars a pair of super likable robots (Chip and Mar-T) that crash land on a faraway planet and need to locate 100 ship parts scattered around the planet in order to escape. They both can find and use a number of nifty gadgets throughout the adventure to defeat alien enemies, locate hidden items and a pull off number of other special abilities. I spent a nice long time with a build of the game and came away really impressed at how much fun the game is and how well the co-op feature is coming together.

EA Fires Up Dead Space Ignition For Free (sort of...)

So, does EA love you or what? The good thing about the prequel (Dead Space Ignition) in my book is it's a multi-platform download. No Dead Rising Case Zero stuff here, folks. Er, then again... PS3 owners are getting their hands on an HD remake of Dead Space Extraction, as part of Dead Space 2 Limited Edition (or on PSN as DLC) but heck, you really don't want to play that game hands-free anyway, right? Press release below, by the way...

Update: Tron Evolution Hands-On (NYCC)

Wow. The last time I played a build of Tron Evolution, the game looked Ok, but definitely needed a bit more visual polish. In the time since, Propaganda Games has indeed buffed up the game to a super-shiny finish, adding reflective surfaces, tons of detail along with a bit of motion blur and depth of field effects. The light cycle portion I tried at NYCC from a good part into the game was fiercely challenging, but focused and very fun to play. Between the tons of stuff dropping from the skies and the many jumps and cures along the roadway, expect to feel that adrenaline pumping away as you try and make it to the next checkpoint.

Also tightened up were the parkour-based platform sections and the fast-paced combat. The same layer of visual shine exists in these stages and the already tight action areas feel even more fluid. Interestingly enough, Disney only had the game and Epic Mickey playable on one station each, making it the smallest game-related booth at NYCC. The rest of the Disney booth was set up for books and a few films, which was surprising 9well, at least to me). Both games definitely had crowds gathering around to ogle or try them out. Not as HUGE crowds as the Capcom, Square Enix, Rockstar or Sega booth, but still...

Overall, this is yet another licensed game that's going to surprise those who think ALL movie-based games stink. I say those ladies and germs that fall into that particularly negative camp just need to play more good licensed games. Anyway, short and sweet update this time. back later with more on the game shortly.

Lost In Shadow Hands-On

After looking at many Lost In Shadow screens and a few haunting gameplay movies since the game was announced, I finally had the great opportunity to get some hands-on time with the game at Hudson's New york Comic Con booth this past weekend. The game is not only visually striking, it's also highly innovative and absolutely recommended for gamers of all stripes thanks to the blend of platforming, adventure and later, combat against an assortment of shadow creatures. There's a good deal of depth here from the great use of the 2D plane in 3D environments to how well the visuals convey a certain emotional impact through light, color and yes, shadow usage.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Teaser Trailer Preview

Here's a teaser for the brand-new Call of Duty: Black Ops Single Player trailer set to debut Monday night on ESPN during the Minnesota Vikings vs. New York Jets game. Activision continues to roll on with the solid lineup, that's for sure...

Bonk: Brink of Extinction Hands-On

Hudson Soft's booth was pretty packed at this year's New York Comic Con thanks to a solid lineup of titles such as Lost In Shadow, Deca Sports Freedom and Bomberman Live Battlefest. But it was the return of Bonk that really sent me back to the future. Bonk: Brink of Extinction was on the floor and playable from start to finish and between the massive levels, awesomely funny classic game mechanics and nifty co-op gameplay, Hudson has a real winner here. Unlike many "retro" remakes, don't expect to see movement in the 3D plane or flashy CG movies between stages. What's here is pure side-scrolling bliss that's going to put an ear-to-ear grin on your face that won't leave for weeks.

Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare Hands-On

Adding zombies to any game seems to be the one way to assure interest and indeed, reasonable sales once gamers get wind of the undead aspect creeping into their favorite games. Rockstar Games has something wicked this way coming for Red Dead Redemption fans this winter with the release of the Undead Nightmare expansion for the PS3 and Xbox 360. At this year's New York Comic Con, thousands of gamers got the chance to go hands-on with the upcoming DLC and walk away with a cool poster and a chance to score a pack of extremely limited edition playing cards. UN will feature a solid single player campaign plus yet to be announced multiplayer features, some amazingly creepy zombies of different speeds and a number of missions to tackle set in and around familiar locations from the main game.

Sonic Colors Hands-On

While Sonic Team has had its ups and downs with Sega's world-famous hedgehog, Sonic Colors shows that they're back in rare form with an amazing game experience no Sonic fan should miss. The fantastic use of color and detail (truly amazing for the Wii), blistering speed and wide range of amusement park (in space!) level designs make the game not only immediately accessible, but one of those titles you'll want to play over and over once you get your hands on it. My brief hands-on time was definitely exciting, as the game was easy to pick up and play, but far from the simple kid's game you're probably expecting.

Little "Dog" Lost at NYCC!

Well, maybe not exactly lost in the "missing" sense, as I recall reading that some canines are fatally allergic to peanut butter (note to Capcom: oops). Anyway, call that number if you see anything small, white and wolfy in your area. Or call it if you don't - the short message you'll hear is cute.

Oh yeah, Okamiden was playable on the show floor in trail version form and it's spectacularly good...

Dead Space Extraction (PS3) Hands-On

At EA's well-packed Naughty or Nice event, I finally got to play a small chunk of the PS3 version of Dead Space Extraction, last year's Wii rail shooter (and one of the best looking games for Nintendo's console to date) headed to PS3 owners as part of Dead Space 2: Limited Edition. Visceral Games along with super-talented developer Eurocom (Goldeneye 007) have done an excellent job porting over their game to Sony's console, adding Playstation Move support and effective Dolby Surround sound to go along with the higher resolution visuals. In case you haven't played Extraction previously, all you need to know is that it's the prequel to the original Dead Space and features a compelling story, some intriguing characters and fast-paced gameplay that's packed full of Necromorphs coming at you from every conceivable direction.

God of War: Ghost of Sparta Hands-On

If any developer has truly mastered crafting games for the PSP, it's Santa Ana-based Ready at Dawn. Their upcoming game for the handheld, God of War: Ghost of Sparta is not only one of the (if not the) best-looking game on the system, it's one with gameplay that more than equals the stunning visuals. I got the great opportunity to play through the introduction and part of a later level from the soon to be released game and can safely report that this could possibly be the best PSP action game of 2010, hands-down.

BUSY Week! (Busy, I Say!)

Yeesh. between the awesomeness of my hands-on time with God of War: Ghost of Sparta, the happy-happy fun found in Playstation Move Heroes, The Shoot, The Fight and a few other Move titles, There was the killer EA event packed full of key holiday and onward releases I need to write up. All that and the insanity of New York Comic Con hits tomorrow, for which I'll be up bright and early for some hands-on time with even more upcoming games. I need a clone or at least a sidekick who can keep track of things and splash cold water in my face when I'm fading from being up too long...

Playstation Move Heroes Hands-On

One of the PlayStation Move titles I've been most excited about is Playstation Move Heroes (formerly known as Heroes on the Move), developer Nihilistic Software's mini-game fest that features a number of Sony's most popular "mascot" characters from the multimillion-selling Jak & Daxter, Sly Cooper and Ratchet & Clank franchises. At Sony's very cool Move event this evening, I got a bit of hands-on time with a few of the mini-games in the collection and came away very impressed at how things are shaping up. First things first to those on the fence: once you get your hands on one, you'll find that the Move simply rocks. As more developers get into programming different types of games for the peripheral, we'll be seeing a lot of unique, fun game experiences down the road.

Earth Defense Force Insect Armageddon Update: Two Gameplay Videos

Color me impressed. Vicious Cycle is so far, doing the EDF name justice. Yeah, I miss the retro-futuristic visual style of the Sandlot-developed games, but what's here is updated nicely with faster gameplay, better animations and that nice sense of stuff going *BOOM* the EDF games all share. My minor gripes: MORE and more varied voice comments would be nice.Trying to replicate the cheesy charm of the older games doesn't quite work with the more "serious" style EDFIA is going for. Also, a few more enemies on screen in later gameplay movies would be nice just to see what the engine is really capable of. I'm not quite getting that "Eek! Overwhelmed" feeling found in the crazier missions from the older games. I guess we'll have to see what's what when D3Publisher updates us with new movies and screens, right?

Video # 2 is below the jump, by the way.

Gallery Update: Earth Defense Force Insect Armageddon

So far, so good and a LOT of changes in the visual style from the older games. That's a nice new controllable mech from one of the game's loading screens above. The two gameplay movies I'll post later show off much better character animation and some nice visual effects, but I do miss Pale Wing's cute getup and the bigger, slower moving shiny Hectors. That and a few other things (such as seeing more enemies onscreen in future builds), but overall, I'm excited at how well the game is looking with quite a while to go before its Spring 2011 launch. More EDFIA updates as they come in - stay tuned...

Fallout: New Vegas Soundtrack List Revealed

Sooooo, what will YOU be listening to while you're playing Fallout New Vegas? Me, I'll stick to the game's soundtrack, especially since Bethsoft just dropped the track list in my inbox the other day. What's playing? The answers are a click away...

Tony Hawk: SHRED Website Launches, Does 900, Wins Gold Medal

The game is indeed a ton of fun (you DID read my preview, right?) and now it has an official web site to match as well as a release date (October 26, 2010). Click away for details.

Review: Enslaved: Odyssey to the West

Platform: Xbox 360 (also available on PS3)

Developer: Ninja Theory

Publisher: Namco Bandai

# of Players: 1

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Official Site

Score A-

Namco Bandai and developer Ninja Theory seem to be making a clear point with Enslaved: Odyssey to the West that great action games this generation don't all need to be too short or packed with Mature-rated content, non-stop multiplayer modes and "gritty" environments done up in the muted gray or brown palettes too many other titles are saddled with these days. What's here is an absolute and pure fun blast of a game with gorgeous visuals that pop right off the screen, a solid focus on telling a great, emotional single player story and thrilling gameplay that will keep you going from one encounter to the next. While there are a few technical issues, they in absolutely no way stop this from being one of the best games of 2010.

Review: Quantum Theory

Platform: PS3 (also available on Xbox 360)

Developer: Tecmo LTD.

Publisher: Tecmo Koei America

# of Players: 1 (online 2-8)

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Official Site

Score: C+

Call it "Pairs of War" if you must, but Tecmo Koei's Quantum Theory is a decently derivative single player focused cover-based sci-fi shooter with a few nice twists thanks to mutating environments and a slinky female AI companion you can use to attack enemies. The Gears of War influence is fairly heavy throughout, but being able to throw your partner at an enemy and watch as she slashes away or having to deal with levels that alter themselves as you play make the game a lot of fun to blast through. Multiplayer modes are on board as well and perform solidly (from the brief time I got to play before getting this review posted), making this an overall average (if not exactly original) game experience.

Come Join Capcom's Sengoku Basara Event At NYC's Asia Society!

The fine folks at newyork-tokyo.com have been cooking up some excellent game, music and J-culture related events and promotions for years in the NYC area and beyond and each one is really something special. Attendees show up and get a nice mix of current gaming trends (and a rare Hideo Kojima sighting once in a while), Japanese pop culture/fashion, the occasional freebie as well as a nice break from the usual boring evenings of sitting at home and complaining that there's nothing on TV.

Here's what's happening at their next event: