Review: Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two (PS3)

Platform: PS3 

Developer: Blitz Games 

Publisher: Disney Interactive 

# of Players: 1 - 2 (Co-op) 

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) 

Official Site 

Score: Single Player: D+ (65%)/Co-op B+ (85%) 

Rather than cut and paste my Wii review of Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two  from earlier today with a few HD-themed edits, I decided to get a little more creative... to a point. Yup, this is what happens when you stay up to long playing one version of a game after another, folks...

More Epic song? OK, I've got one- 
In HD, Mickey's hot as strong sun
The shadows here? They can't be beat  
with detailed backgrounds that are quite neat.

Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two looks great on the PS3, with some gorgeous cartoon colors, more detailed backdrops, better draw distance and some great use of shadows that give areas a lot more life than on the Wii version. It may seem like a small thing, but the care that went into elements such as the bucket-carrying brooms casting shadows on the walls (and yes, recalling the Sorcerer's Apprentice sequence in Fantasia) add to the overall game experience. Granted, lovely shadows and backdrops don't make a great game, but for the most part, the game doesn't disappoint on the visual front...

The House of the Dead Overkill EC Gets Eye-Popping (and Retro) 3D Modes

Nice. Now Sega can add "Retro-ier" to that "Longer, Harder, Gorier!" tagline for its upcoming M-rated arcade shooter. The company is really going all out with this super-enhanced HD remix of the Wii sleeper hit. In addition to PS Move support, both Anaglyph as well as Stereoscopic 3D support have been added so you can play the game on any TV and have zombies even more in your face. Of course, if you don't have a 3DTV or hate those cardboard red/blue or red/green glasses, you can still get your shooting on without the added effects. Me, I plan to blaze through the game many times in at least two of the three modes, as I don't yet own a 3DTV. No matter, I'm still expecting a total blast for as long as I can stand wearing those goofy 3D glasses I've kept since the 80's. Check out the new screens below (you DO have a pair of 3D specs around the house, right?). The House of the Dead OVERKILL Extended Cut is set to hit retail on October 25 (just in time for a little scary Halloween fun).

GoldenEye: Reloaded Gets Fully Loaded PS3 Exclusive Double-O Edition Box Set

Yes, I still dislike MOST limited edition bundles because you often get stuff that's not important to the core game experience. However, here's a case where one of these big box deals is done really well AND has stuff you can actually use (particularly if you're a fan of PS3 shooters). In other words, I'll take a dozen, please! The Double-O Edition contains the game (of course), PS Move and Navigation Controllers, PlayStation Eye camera and Sharpshooter peripheral.. In addition, buyers will get a DLC character, Hugo Drax from Moonraker, complete with his spiffy laser pistol. No price point has been announced, but both the Standard and 00 Editions will arrive at retail on November 1, 2011. Xbox 360 owners will no doubt be boiling mad at this set, but hey, what do you expect when your version of motion control leaves you with noting to point at the screen but an angry finger. Still, you guys are getting the same game at least, so enjoy Eurocom's awesome work to its fullest in single and multiplayer modes.

Resistance 3 Doomsday Bundle & "Radio" TV Spots

Two great commercials for Insomniac's upcoming FPS - As usual, Sony can really put together some memorable ads for the same game and approach each one from a different angle. That and yes, the Sharpshooter works like a dream for yet another PS3 shooter. No doubt R3 will be the biggest game yet in the franchise and if it's the last, it also looks as if it's the best.

E3 2011: Star Trek Trailer Wows So Early

As I noted in my Sony press event post, for a pre-alpha build, this is pretty cool looking and shows the dev team is on the right track. Of course, the final proof is in the actual finished product, but so far, it's looking pretty decent in my book...

PrE3: Sega Lineup Packed With Aliens, Hedgehogs & Other Warm, Fuzzy Stuff...

Yeah, yeah, Thor wasn't all that hot (except for the DS version, which rocked in an solid, reliable old-school way - go WayForward!), but let's move on, shall we? It looks as if Sega has a pretty smoking 2011-2012 lineup, as you'll see from the long list below the jump.

Killzone 3 "Dear PlayStation" TV Spots

Awesome and hilarious stuff - the game is in stores next week, so go grab it. The SharpShooter Move peripheral rocks, by the way (Go get one and a Move controller set if you don't have one yet)

PlayStaton Move Heroes Story Trailer

Nihilistic's Move action game is going to be a really cool treat for fans of some of Sony's key mascot characters - check out their moves (ha ha) in this trailer (and get a Move on if you haven't already!)...

MLB 11: The Show "Yankee Killer" Trailer Rubs It In...

Yeah, yeah yeah, click play to see The Yankess blow it all over again. Thanks Sony... now I have to read email from folks pointing me to the same trailer I just posted as they chuckle away gleefully at all that payroll going down the drain last year. Feh. We'll see what happens this year (hell, if anything, a virtual roster might be a better team in terms of the weakened pitching that's plagues the club for a while) - just you wait...

LBP2 "Endless Fun" TV Spot

Naturally, you WON'T be seeing this ad at ALL if you're too darn busy playing Little Big Planet 2, so in case you come up for air and happen to end up here (thanks for dropping by!), here's a look at the latest commercial for the game.

New Killzone 3 Teaser

2.22.2011 is the release date and as I've been saying, this is truly the year the PS3 comes into play as a powerhouse console with first and third-party titles that will boost even the most jaded gamers off their couches. I can't wait...

Little Big Planet 2 "World Record" Videos = Lots of Big Laughs

Here are three hilarious videos of LBP2 in action and three quick intros to the gamers behind the madness on display. Figure I'd run all five in one post rather than five separate posts, as I'm still playing a few games plus working on some other stuff. Enjoy the overkill!

LBP2 Goes For Guinness World Records Next Week

Sony is certainly planning to launch Little Big Planet 2 in style. Next week down at the Sony Style Store's PlayStation Lounge here in NYC, a bunch of dedicated gamers are going to attempt to set and break a number of Guinness World Records. Hell, someone should have told yours truly this, as my own personal gaming record is 52 hours straight playing Shining Force 2 on the Sega Genesis back in the day. Granted, my old-timer butt would probably pass out after three hours and no Geritol supply, but hey - I'd go down fighting, dammit! Press release below the jump - I'll be at the event next week for a bit of coverage.

Killzone 3 Story Trailer Shows Guerrilla Means Business

It's about a month away now and yes, for those that missed the first game and somehow didn't grasp the overall plot of the second (which didn't rehash the first game's story and didn't really need to, as the opening movie in Killzone 2 more than set the tone for the game), there's a lot more depth in the storytelling. As this video shows, Guerrilla has swung for the fences and knocked the wall over. Malcolm MacDowell and Ray WInstone's stellar voice talents add that extra air of necessary evil to their characters, huh? I can't wait to finally play the final build...

Why Killzone 3 Will Be A Blast, No Matter HOW You Play It

Let's see now: so far, I've played demos of Killzone 3 in 3D with a Dual Shock 3, in regular HD with a Dual Shock 3, in HD with the Move/NaviCon combo and in HD with the upcoming Move Sharp Shooter peripheral and each time I'm floored by what Guerrilla can do with the PS3. Alright, Sony, you can stop now. I'm sold...AGAIN. Hell, I was sold months ago when I saw the E3 demo running in not quite fully optimized 3D because I "got" what the team at Guerrilla were trying to accomplish with the narrative (as well as all that wonderful tech they're wisely hoarding to themselves).

An updated demo of the game along with Sony's new Move Sharp Shooter attachment were drawing lots of attention at Sony's Holiday 2010 event last week and after watching a few editor types fumble away with the peripheral, I was wondering if this was yet another game that was going to be sunk by a well-intentioned but flawed one-use controller. Then I got the chance to try the thing out for myself and found out it's actually quite remarkable once you get a feel for the peripheral.

Playstation Move Heroes Hands-On Update - Nihilistic Aims For The Core

When last we saw Playstation Move Heroes (formerly known as Heroes on the Move) back in October, the demo build was indeed a lot of fun to play but there was obviously more coming in terms of levels, game modes and other features. Last week at Sony's Holiday 2010 event, Nihilistic's peppy Design Director Harley Baldwin White-Wiedow and SCEA's equally peppy Caley Roberts showed of the latest build which was more polished and quite packed to the rafters with many lovely and destructive things to do. Not content to shove out a simple Move-enabled mini-game cash-in for the younger set, Nihilistic is cooking up a solid, hugely fun (and funny) game any fans of Sony's mascot franchises will be proud to add to their collections.

Snakebyte PS Move Accessories Coming In 2011

I was waiting to see who'd be first on the third-party Move controller bandwagon, and it looks like the winner is Sunflex USA! The distributor has today announced a lineup consisting of of a rather nice-looking Snakebyte PS Move Controller, Navigation Controller and SnakeEye USB camera, all set for a Q1 2011 release.

Speaking of releases... the press release in below the jump, if you're in the mood for more reading (and a few more stylish product images. Hmmmm - that SnakeEye looks like an Interociter!).

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.

Konami Gamers Night 2010 (With Hudson, Too!)

Konami Gamers' Night NYC - 2010 Edition

Konami rolled into NYC with a varied lineup of excellent games, this time with the remainder of their 2010 lineup and special guests Hudson Soft for a great gathering of games guaranteed to get you moving in one manner or another. While there wasn't a Snake to be found anywhere in sight, there were more than enough great games to keep everyone who dropped by glued to a monitor, hip-hopping as loudly as possible or flailing away working up a good sweat as a singer, dancer, mini-gamer extraordinaire or sports star.

About 20 titles were on display from both new Castlevanias, two console classics remade for today's consoles, a surprisingly fun wrestling game and plenty of guaranteed musical and mini-game hits headed for the Wii as well as the upcoming Move and Kinect peripherals. I'll be covering a few of these titles in depth over the next week or so with galleries and/or hands-on impressions (denoted by *), but for now, here's a quick rundown of what was on the floor: