Who would have thought that such snuggly little ninja could be so dangerous?

Southpeak Games’ Ninjatown is a welcome addition to the Nintendo DS’s line-up with its tower defense-style play mechanic and extremely adorable art style.

For those of you out of the loop, Ninjatown stars the cute little ninja characters from the Shawnimals toy and plush lines. Things were going fine in Ninjatown until the nefarious Mr. Demon and his wee devil minions started to invade and terrorize the town’s residents. Now, it’s up to the wit and wisdom of the Ol’ Master Ninja to overcome the odds and keep Ninjatown safe.

Players are charged with building Ninja hut after Ninja hut in order to stop the oncoming waves of wee devils. At the outset, the player has the ability to build two types of Ninja, both of which specialize in hand-to-hand combat. As the game progresses, new types of troops are incorporated into the mix.

When I began playing Ninjatown, I could barely see any kind of strategy being used, and I was arbitrarily building Ninja huts to kill off the enemies. As different types of Ninja became available for use, I found the strategic elements of the game fall into place. Each map was approachable in various ways and breathed fresh air into what felt repetitious.

Like other tower defense games before it, being able to build certain types of troops means the player will also be assaulted by enemies with particular weaknesses: the snowball throwing “Ice-cream” Ninja can slow the fast devils down, the Sniper Ninja takes down the flying devils, and the fast-moving Business Ninja is ideally equipped to fight the slower moving devils. However, once the player realizes the patterns and what-hurts-what play style, each encounter can be easily overcome.

As the player defeats enemies, they are rewarded with cookies that can be used to upgrade the Ninja huts, giving the Ninja of that hut more power. Sadly, there is little to no visual indication that a hut is already upgraded or needs upgraded without tapping the hut with the stylus. Having the tap each hut individually while being attacked became a stressful procedure that could have been easily overcome with some kind of visual clue.

The game itself is broken up with the main action and user input handled on the bottom touch screen and the zoomed out map of the playfield on the top. My main complaint with the map screen was the fact that the developer only used half of the screen for the map. The other half is used to show the Ol’ Master Ninja floating high above Ninjatown in his hot-air balloon. It’s a pretty neat graphic, but I feel that space could have been better suited as an expanded stats and map visual.

For the most part, user input is handled well with the stylus. Picking the appropriate Ninja hut to build, choosing which huts to upgrade, and selecting the Ol’ Master Ninja powers work seamlessly with the stylus, but I found moving the camera around the battle field felt clumsy and slow. Sometimes, as I placed the stylus on the screen for camera movement, the camera would not react as fast as I needed it to, resulting in a few more dead ninja on my conscience. Luckily, the d-pad is usable for camera movement as well.

If you are the type of gamer that has no time for this holiday’s blockbuster console games, then I recommend you pick up a copy of Ninjatown, sit down for about an hour a night, and enjoy the cuteness levels beaming from this solid, tower defense game.

That’s right, I said it – cuteness levels.

The item is simple. It’s a bracelet. I know you’re asking: “Beau, why do you do Geeked-outs about clothing, personal accessories and such?”

Simple: Dolling yourself up with video game paraphernalia is the coolest. It’s the only way to make you feel totally nerdy and sexy at the same time.

Now, back to the bracelet. The item in question is a sleek, hand made resin bracelet covered in a sick Tetris-block design and is roughly 6.2 cm wide measured from the inside of the piece.

There’s not much else to say about this item besides its steep price tag of $70. But hell, right now, it’s one of a kind. So get on it. I’ll help you: it’s right here.

Thank me later.

Source: Sisicata’s Etsy Store (via CrunchGear)

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Hoverit Ltd, a UK-based design company, recently announced their new levitating lounge chair. Yeah, I know it’s a tongue twister, but say it slowly. Levitating. Lounge chair. Sexy.

However dear reader, before you question the validity of the (roughly) $9,620 price tag, consider this:

The chair floats.

How many times have you, the hardcore gamer that you are, gotten a back pain from sitting in a grounded (as in, you know… on the ground) chair? Couch to floor is so last week.

So how does this beast of a chair do what it does? Straight from the mouth of Hoverit themselves:

“Defying gravity with the use of repelling magnetic forces in both the bed and base, this contemporary lounger is comfortable, practical and stylish.”

Well, I wouldn’t really call it “practical,” but whatever.

One question though: What if someone like me was using a laptop while sitting in the chair?

Hard drive failure due to chair failure, that’s for sure. Can’t trust those crazy magnets.

Source: Reuters

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Star Wars is back! But is it though? Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is a mishmash of sub-par combat, mediocre platforming, exceptional storytelling and sound, and a whole lot of Wookie ass-kickery. Are the high points enough to save the game, or will its drawbacks “force” you to pass this one by?

Remember that Wookie ass-kicking I just mentioned? Well, it only happens in the beginning of the game, though it’s still worth mentioning due to the fact that The Force Unleashed starts out so strong.  Unfortunately, it begins to wane in later levels.

The game begins with the player as Darth Vader (exciting, right?!) and provides the ability to use all of the force powers one would expect of Darth Vader. However, even in this first level, the game’s overall lack of polish in the level design department begins to show. After only a few minutes of play, I managed to get Vader stuck in some nasty trees.

WOOOOOOKIEEEESSSS!!!!

Here I am, the galaxy’s most feared and powerful Sith Lord, but these blasted trees had me by the dangly parts and wouldn’t let go.

After the first level, the main meat of the game begins to take shape. Story wise, The Force Unleashed takes place in between Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and the first real Stars Wars movie, Episode IV: A New Hope.

Players wield the lightsaber of the apprentice, Starkiller, after being adopted and trained in secret by Vader himself. Wearing the cloak of Starkiller, players move from planet to planet, killing off any remaining Jedi while gaining new force abilities and combos along the way.

The story, dialog, sound design, and character motion capture are the standout gems of The Force Unleashed. Luckily, LucasArts paid a lot of attention to these aspects of the game, otherwise The Force Unleashed would not have done enough to hold my attention. Honestly, this is the best story Star Wars has seen since 1983, and for that I am grateful.

See that stuff floating behind me? Yeah, I’m gonna throw ALL of it.

Starkiller is a conflicted character with a surprisingly dark demeanor, but he has just enough soul in him to be regretful of his actions. And before it’s asked: no, the player doesn’t get to kill younglings, even if the word “youngling” is the dumbest thing ever conceived.

The combat system is fine as the game begins, but I soon learned that the depth was not there when compared to other games in the action genre like God of War or Ninja Gaiden. I found myself relying on the basic four-hit combo to defeat the enemies because it seemed just as powerful as some of the flashier combos available. The air juggling had its moments, but I still found myself rarely relying on them to get the job done.

Alongside the lightsaber combat, the game provides the player with an assortment of cool force powers to exploit – I mean, the game is called The Force Unleashed, after all. Each level is designed to give players the maximum amount of resources to use against the enemies, from ripable pipes to an ass-load of boxes and crates.

So what does the player do with all these items littered around the levels? Well, one could throw them with force grab, hit them with force push to… throw them, or electrocute them with lightning so that they will be more effective when the player… uh… throws them.

I found myself tossing all the boxes and such in the direction of the enemies as soon as I entered a room. That gave me enough time to overuse my force lighting on the stunned enemies, though once I beefed up my lightning to its apex, it became the “win” button.

The “Win” Button in action

Having the ability to electrocute everything in my vicinity was an acceptable option because a few of the levels in Force Unleashed were so poorly designed that I couldn’t see half the enemies attacking me. This design flaw also plagues Ninja Gaiden, and it made me long for God of War’s automatic camera. In this day and age of gaming, having to babysit a camera should not cross the gamer’s mind while playing.

The camera also played a horrible role while traversing some of the platforming sections of the game. In an action game, the platforming should be second nature, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how many times I fell into a bottomless pit only to have to sit through the lackluster loading times just to try again.

Work on your boss battles, LucasArts. That’s all I’ll say about that.

Overall, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is a decent enough experience, but it’s plagued by a few last generation gaming pitfalls. If you are a Star Wars fan, though, the game may be well worth it for the story alone — just don’t pull your hair out during the more frustrating parts.

What the hell is a video game blog doing writing about alarm clocks?

Well, this isn’t just any alarm clock; this one is made by Banpresto … you know, the video game developer. They make all of Dan Landis’ favorite games like Super Robot Wars W and Suzumiya Haruhi no Tomadoi. Now have I got your attention?

Good, but if for some reason I haven’t woken you up, I’m sure this alarm clock will. Banpresto’s new Railroad Alarm Clock is shaped like a Japanese railroad sign and makes all the annoying train sounds that one would expect. The alarm itself houses an extra large and loud speaker (40mm), with the ability to produce the extreme amount of train noise needed to wake up someone from a deep sleep.

For the time being, this item will only be available in Japan starting January 2009. I wonder why it’s Japan-only? Probably because it’s freakin’ awesome.

Source: CrunchGear (via: Akihabara News)

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Halloween is next week, which means the time has come for wicked pumpkin carvings.

Sure, you could make the typical owl, or “scary” face, or whatever, but a true nerd would make something far more radical out of their pumpkin.

What You’ll Need:

• A pumpkin (duh)
• Cereal sized bowl
• Sewing tape measure
• Color Magic Fright Lights
• Something sharp (ideally equipped with maximum carvability like this)
• The following instructions

In time, you’re going to have yourself a pumpkin that gleams creditability, and you’ll ask yourself in the mirror: “How are my balls so big?” And late at night, when the youngsters are out smashing the neighborhood’s jack-o-lanterns, they’ll see your lit up Death Star, nod with approval, and leave it be.

Respect.

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Source: Fantasypumpkins

Picture this (unless you’re female, in which case, just go with it): You’re in a club, socializing with all the fine ladies. You’re staking out which of the beautiful women you want to approach. You decide to pull a Nathan Drake and half-tuck your shirt to accentuate your washboard abs. The club lights hit your belt buckle with a miraculous glint that only a total sex magnet could produce. Instantly, all eyes are on you.

You are a god. You’ve mesmerized the ladies with your stellar fashion sense; your machismo is through the roof, because there is nothing that says, “Hey baby, I’m a fiend,” like a video game inspired belt buckle.

O.K., I kid. This type of situation would never happen. I would know, I have a NES controller belt buckle, and that situation has never happened to me.

Then again, these homemade, handcrafted retro belt buckles are infinitely cooler then my current one. The buckles are made by Natalie Hutcheson (her hacker alias is HutchMe) and can be purchased on her Etsy online shop for a measly $18 plus shipping.

I think I might buy one. My girlfriend is going to be jealous, because the ladies are going to be flocking toward my new buckle, if you know what I mean. And you do.

Have something you think we should show on Geeked-Out? Email it to us.

Source: Technabob

The fundamentals that make up a good Ratchet & Clank game are all present: from the whacked-out weapons, intense action sequences, gravity-defying platforming, and head scratching puzzles to the slick dialogue, charming story, and subtly perverse game title. At face value, these features would seem like a recipe for success; however, after two hours of playtime, Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty is more of an appetizer than a full course meal.

The aforementioned Ratchet & Clank gameplay staples are present, but each one of them feels stunted due to the game’s underwhelmingly short game time. The abrupt nature of this game robs the coolest features of previous Ratchet & Clanks, like upgradeable weapons for example, of their purpose. With an insignificant change in damage dealt, there is no real reason for a player to invest the time it takes to max out their weapons.

Compared to other Ratchet & Clank games, there is only one location with legitimate puzzle solving for the player to figure out. Sadly, the puzzles are bland, and they follow the generic video game puzzle structure: a move-the-box-make-a-pattern puzzle, a solve-the-riddle puzzle, and a memorization-then-mimic puzzle. Those three puzzles would not stand out as much as they do if it wasn’t for the fact that these are the only three legitimate puzzles the game offers. That’s right — there are only three of them.

The rest of Quest for Booty leans toward the action/platforming of its predecessors. At times, the game has the player traverse rudimentary platforming segments, while other levels assault the player with wave after wave of enemy onslaught.

Graphically, the game is one of the best looking downloadable titles out currently and matches one to one with its retail counterpart, Tools of Destruction. This game showcases Insomniac’s grasp on the PS3 hardware in ways other developers should imitate. I wish there were more colorful, daytime levels like the game’s Hoolafar Island, but beggars can’t be choosers.

And then as soon as it begins, it ends.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not against short games, but I do get slightly agitated when short games don’t provide me with a fulfilling experience. The game is so streamlined that the player is funneled through each world with little or no choice as to how to tackle each challenge that presents itself.

This is not a bad game by any stretch of the imagination, but it leaves a lot to be desired. Sure, this is not a full-fledged retail game, but I expected something meatier coming from Insomniac.

Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty is a solid experience and a definite must buy for any fan of the series, but I just can’t shake the feeling that this game would have been served better coming a few months before the next retail Ratchet game, instead of a full year.

What does this score mean? Check out our review scoring breakdown.

Hot on the heels of the last Xbox 360 price drop is the rumor of yet another drop in the near future, this time on the Arcade, Elite and 60GB Pro SKUs to coincide with the previously dropped 20GB Pro bundle.

Kmart was the leak-culprit on the previous price drop, only to outdo themselves with the accidental slip of their September 7th ad showcasing the three new 360 prices: $199.99 for the Arcade, $299 for the 60GB Pro, and $399.99 for the Elite.

As a person who has yet to make the plunge on a 360, I like where these price drops are headed. With the Wii still selling like gangbusters and the announcement of the new PS3 SKUs last week, this holiday season is gearing up to be fantastic, not to mention all the exciting games being released. Oh Fall, why must you ruin my bank account?

Source: Joystiq, Crunchgear

A portable Super Nintendo would be like sex, only wrapped in plastic. This beauty was built out of the ZN-40 project enclosure shell by benheck forum user “Life of Brian,” and supports a wide array of custom constructed parts.

The unit itself houses numerous features including the original SNES buttons and D-pad built into the case, trigger positioned shoulder buttons, headphone jack and AV out port, internal lithium polymer batteries, and, as “Life of Brian” puts it, a “badass handmade cartridge slot.”

However, the coolest feature I’ve found out about this thing is that it’s a portable effing Super Nintendo.

The benheck forums also have a wonderful thread showing a picture gallery of the process “Life of Brian” went through while building the device.

I’m glad there are people out there making these kinds of things, but man, what I would have given to have one of these when I was a kid.

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Source: Benheck Forums

Today, EA announced the writer for the much anticipated first-person perspective plattformer, Mirror’s Edge.

Renowned video game scribe, Rhianna Pratchett, will be taking on the writing helm for DICE studio’s upcoming game. Pratchett has been in the gaming industry for over a decade and was selected as one of the 100 most influential women in the gaming industry by Next-Gen.biz.

Pratchett has worked on such notable titles as Sony’s Heavenly Sword and Codemasters’ Overlord.

On working with DICE on the Mirror’s Edge project, Pratchett said,

“It was a great experience working with the team at DICE to help breathe life into Faith; her world, relationships and backstory. My heroines and heroes have always been the ones who were ordinary, but through the events of a story, became extraordinary. Faith is skilled, but she’s certainly not a superhero. She has her flaws, like all of us. In short: she’s real. That’s her appeal.”

With the video game industry slowing becoming more mature, it is nice to see quality writers like Pratchett taking their job seriously in order to grow the medium.

Mirror’s Edge is slated for a PS3 and Xbox 360.

I know we are all excited that E3 is next week, but there are still already announced games coming out real soon that are worth getting excited about. Take the oft-delayed Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, for example– a game where everything is destructible (so we’ve been told), and anything is possible.

What? Don’t believe me? Then take a gander at the newest trailer and judge for yourself. August 31st can’t come soon enough.

With the 2008 Electronic Entertainment Expo less then a week away, the time for Square Enix fans to get excited has arrived. Today, the renowned RPG developer announced their full E3 line-up including a handful of remade classics, as well as their new intellectual properties (IPs).

In the last two console generations, Square Enix (then, Squaresoft) primarily developed for only Sony platforms, so it was a surprise to see not only Sony games on the list, but Xbox 360, Nintendo DS and iPod games on there also.

The following games will be at this year’s E3:

Multiplatform:

• The Last Remnant (Xbox 360, PS3)

iPod:

• Song Summoner: The Unsung Heroes (playable)

Nintendo DS:

• Chrono Trigger (playable)
• Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen (playable)
• Final Fantasy IV (playable)
• Exit DS (Taito)
• The Legend of Kage 2 (Taito)

PSP:

• Star Ocean: Chapters of the Chosen
• Star Ocean: Second Evolution

Xbox 360:

• Infinite Undiscovery (360 Exclusive and playable)
• Star Ocean: The Last Hope

While Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy versus XIII, the Kingdom Hearts games and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles for Wii are mysteriously absent; there still may be hope of some behind-closed-doors viewings.

Two things: Do you play World of Warcraft? Do you live in Europe? If you answered yes to both of those things, then I have some good news for you after the jump.

Starting now, European subscribers to WoW have the ability to register for their chance to play the Wrath of the Lich King beta.

While currently only an option for European WoW users, North American registration can’t be too far behind. However, for all our readers across the pond, head on over to the European accounts page and sign up fast. There is no telling how long this open registration will last.

Even though the registration process does not guarantee access to the beta, it does give players a nice feeling of comfort knowing the cards are in their favor.

Source: Shacknews

Anyone within the gaming community knows Microsoft is awful at keeping secrets. With recent rumors spreading like wild fire over the 360’s alleged price drop, I decided to do some further research to prove these rumors factual.

I asked around, and eventually, an anonymous little birdie at Game Crazy’s corporate office informed me that a price drop for Microsoft’s system is indeed coming. My next goal was to now find out when this magnificent event would take place.

With that knowledge in tow, I acquired a copy of the Game Crazy soon-to-be available ad, and in lieu of the Xbox 360 Pro bundle price drop rumor, I decided to see what price Game Crazy had put on the 360.

Next to the 360 console it clearly reads “Ask for pricing”. Interesting. Unlike other retail stores, Game Crazy tends to keep their adds in circulation for longer than a week. This one, in particular, is said to expire on August 5th, 2008.

Could this mean that a price drop on the 360 is going to happen in the next few weeks? This writer happens to think so, and not having a $349.99 or $299.99 price on the 360 is a clever way for Game Crazy to cover its bases without formally announcing the new price.

For gamers that do not yet own a 360: get excited.

With just a few short weeks until E3 ’08, it looks like Microsoft has another trick up its sleeve.  Spurred from a few snapped photos of a K-Mart add for July 6th, it would appear that Microsoft is planning on dropping the Xbox 360 Pro Bundle from $349.99 to $299.99.

If this and the Xbox Avatars rumor turn out to be factual, it would seem that Microsoft is serious about grabbing some of the casual market from Nintendo.

Although this price cut could simply be a sales promo for K-Mart’s July 4th weekend sale, it is more likely to think we might see other retailers following suit in the near future. Here’s hoping.

Source: Shacknews, High-Def Digest Forums

Activision CEO: “We need a Guitar Hero game on the DS.”

Activision Dev: “I don’t know how that is going to work…”

Activision CEO: “Make it happen.”

And thus sprung forth the abomination that is Guitar Hero: On Tour for the Nintendo DS.

The in-game presentation, note tracking and audio quality are all there, but Guitar Hero for the DS lacks two major factors from the Guitar Hero franchise: fun-to-play songs and seamless controller integration.

With about half the amount of songs of other Guitar Hero games, On Tour should have made it up with the quality of songs available. With On Tour, I felt less like a rock star and more like the composer of a Shrek movie soundtrack. Smash Mouth made the cut? Seriously? Even though I dislike the set list, I can’t deny that the sound quality coming through the DS speakers or headphones is exceptional.

Can’t get enough of you, baby

Regardless of how nice the songs sound, the disconnect I found with the “guitar” peripheral negates all fun from the experience. The beauty of other Guitar Hero games is the fact that the player is holding a fake guitar to connect them to the actions on screen. The guitar controller brings the player into the game and on the stage rocking out as a rock star should.

The bundled peripheral with On Tour is a device made from Satan himself. In my experience, the adjustable strap for the device was itchy, the buttons were too close together, and it kept popping out of the GBA slot during play, thus stopping my game to the point of a hard reset.

I should not have to struggle with the peripheral to have a good time. It should be easy to use, durable, and seamlessly integrated with the gameplay. This game could have had the finest set list of all the Guitar Heroes, and this “guitar” peripheral would have still ruined the experience.

Graphically, the game looks fine on the DS, with fluid animation. However, it still carries the awful character design of Guitar Hero III. Additionally, because of the awkward peripheral, I had to tilt the DS to get comfortable, in turn tilting my head to a position it shouldn’t be in to play a game.

For a series made for everyone, I am not sure what kind of gamer Activision is trying to reach with Guitar Hero: On Tour. Hey now, I’m not a rock star. I’m a gamer, and my wrist hurts.

What does this score mean? Check out our review scoring breakdown.

In a shocking announcement, developer Ready At Dawn has officially ceased all development of PSP software.

Being the developer of two critically acclaimed and highly successful PSP games, Daxter and God of War: Chains of Olympus, this is interesting news to say the least. Ready At Dawn has given no indication as to why they have stopped development for PSP titles, but gave the following statement on their official website:

“With Chains of Olympus going Gold in Japan, we’re now officially done with PSP development.

So today we sent all our devkits back and seeing all these boxes ready to be picked up definitely marks the end of an era here at Ready At Dawn.

Can’t wait to show you guys what we have in store….”

I hear ya, Ready At Dawn. With E3 but mere weeks away, I’m sure you have some new and exciting games in store for all us eager gamers.

As a fan of the PSP hardware, I am sad to see Ready At Dawn close up shop on development for Sony’s handheld. It’s the end of an era indeed.

Source: Ready At Dawn

For those not in the know, Penny Arcade is the world’s most popular webcomic on all things gaming. Within the gaming community, Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins’ comic counterparts, Gabe and Tycho, are as recognizable as Master Chief or Mario.

What started as an every-other-day webcomic has grown into a massive business with an equally massive fan base. Over the years, Penny Arcade has evolved into selling clothing and books, created a wonderful charity called Child’s Play, and founded the annual publicly open gaming convention PAX. These feats are not too shabby for a webcomic whose punch line could be a simple F-bomb.

Outside Penny Arcade’s aforementioned contributions to the gaming industry, their biggest achievement is their skewed view toward said industry by bringing in their unbiased, fresh, and sometimes controversial opinions in every blog post. With almost every comic either about some game they had a problem with, or how ludicrous the video game industry can be, one would think that they would make their own game with elements that they enjoyed.

And so they did.

On top of being a mouthful to say, Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One marks Gabe and Tycho’s first foray into the pastime they so thoroughly enjoy. At first thought, one would think that a game based on the Penny Arcade comic would be that of a satire of the video game industry at large or revolve around the premise of the characters being self-aware and knowing they are in a video game. However, at its root, Penny Arcade Adventures is traditional on all accounts. That’s not to say the game is bad; in fact, it is the exact opposite.

Developed by indie game maker Hothead, the story takes place in a 1920s, H.P. Lovecraft-inspired world called New Arcadia, a place where evil mimes, villainous barbershop quartets, and fruit loving robots are the norm. Instead of playing as Gabe and Tycho, players build their own character through a simple creation process at the beginning of the game.

The game is split between 3D game play and 2D cut scenes, with the player’s created character modeled out in each respectively. The 2D cut scenes play out like a living comic book and are presented in a manner most suitable to the eyes: colorful and smooth.

Overall, the feel of the Penny Arcade characters translates well into 3D, with a handful of locations complimenting the art style. Speaking of locations, some would argue that the four areas in this game equal too few, but being an episodic game, I feel the amount of areas to explore was suitable, even if each setting was a tad small.

At first glance, one would think this game is set in the adventure genre due to its point-and-click navigation method; however, after the first five minutes of play, players will see that Penny Arcade Adventures is more so a role-playing game than it is an adventure game. Sure, there are a variety of puzzles one must solve to get past certain objectives, but fighting the correct enemy who holds the proper item generally solves all puzzles.

Some gamers are turned off by the idea of turn-based combat, but Penny Arcade Adventures does a fine job at handling the pacing of each encounter. Each playable character has three different types of moves to choose from: items, attack and special attacks. Like other RPGs, each move must charge up before it can be used.

The items command is the first one ready, followed shortly after by the attack command, then lastly the special attack command. I found this method of play very engaging because it forced me to keep an eye on when certain commands were ready and strategize accordingly.

Adding more depth to the combat is the ability to counterattack everything the enemies throw your way via a timed spacebar click. At first, having to juggle counterattacks while keeping an eye on my attack preparation was a pain in the neck. Couple that with the over all difficult enemies, and you have a recipe for a headache. Eventually, though, the combat becomes second nature with one part passive and another part active.

This first episode has a decent soundtrack for the situations the player is in, but the zero voice acting outside the beginning narrator/tutorial does hamper the experience. For size constraints, I can see why Penny Arcade and Hothead would leave voice acting out, but it was still a pain having to read everything. Hopefully, with Microsoft’s recent upgrade in storage space for XBLA games, Penny Arcade and Hothead will opt to include voice acting in the next chapters.

Many people have been up in arms about the price of this game being $20. Personally, I had no problem shelling out the cash on this game. However, if the subsequent episodes are the same price, then I may get annoyed. It would be smart to release each following episode with a $5 cut in price, therefore making a $50 game in completion.

Going into the creation of this game, Jerry and Mike must have known how people would be critiquing their game. After all, Gabe and Tycho are the first ones to bash a game if it plays horribly. After six or so hours of playing Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One, I can gladly say that they get no harsh complaints from me.

Today, Activision released a slew of new screenshots for their upcoming summer release, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, as well as a list of songs from the first 5 venues. Each venue consists of two opening acts and three songs featuring the title band, Aerosmith.

As of right now, the song list seems promising. To me, however, no one song stands out above the other, but I will still be giving this game a shot when it hits all the major systems June 29, 2008.

The art style is about the same as the art from Guitar Hero III, only with a slightly more claymation feel, a la Rock Band. As long as Activision leaves that horribly deformed, mega-chinned lead singer at home, I’ll be happy.

Nipmuc High School
Mott the Hoople – All the Young Dudes (cover)
Cheap Trick – Dream Police
Aerosmith – Make It
Aerosmith – Uncle Salty
Aerosmith – Draw the Line

Max’s Kansas City
Joan Jett – I Hate Myself for Loving You
The Kinks – All Day and All of the Night (cover)
Aerosmith – Movin’ Out
Aerosmith – No Surprize
Aerosmith – Sweet Emotion

The Orpheum Theater
The Clash – Complete Control
New York Dolls – Personality Crisis (cover)
Aerosmith – Livin’ on the Edge
Aersomith – Ragdoll
Aerosmith – Love in an Elevator

Half Time Show
Lenny Kravitz – Always on the Run
Black Crowes – Hard to Handle (cover)
Aerosmith – Back in the Saddle
Aerosmith – Beyond Beautiful
Aerosmith – Dream On

Moscow
The Cult – She Sells Sanctuary
Run DMC – King of Rock
Aerosmith – Bright Light Fright
Aerosmith – Nobody’s Fault
Run DMC featuring Aerosmith – Walk This Way

Source: Shacknews

Attention all gamers! Fill your mugs up with game fuel and strap on your fingerless gloves, because the 2008 Championship Gaming Series (CGS) dates have been announced for the North American Season and World Final. 

The events will run for two months starting on June 2nd and continuing through to July 28th. Eight teams from around the world will meet in Los Angeles to compete in the World Championship for a chance to win $1,000,000 in prize money, with a payout of $500,000 to the winning team.

For gamers in the States interested in watching CGS’ North American Season, it will be broadcast live in high definition via DIRECTV starting June 2nd. For Ripten.com readers outside of the US, the broadcast can be found in UK on BSkyB, in Asia on STAR and ESPN-STAR, and on STAR in Australia. The CGS’ website will be airing additional videos from the competition throughout the summer.

Currently, the CGS is the only established professional video game league. Formed in 2007, the league consists of the best gamers around the world, from countries such as North America, Latin America, the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia.

The CGS is a wonderful start in the growing effort toward legitimizing video games as more than mere toys. For the entire summer schedule of events please visit the CGS website by following this link: Champion Gaming Series’ 2008 Schedule of Events.

Ubisoft’s new cell-shaded Prince of Persia has garnered mixed feelings from the gaming public, but I personally love the art direction the series has been given and cannot wait for the game’s eventual release.

The cell shading presented in the below images is certainly impressive, and I would imagine that the game looks even cooler in motion (we’ll see at E3, I bet). Here’s hoping that the Prince’s movements are just as smooth as Altair’s from Assassin’s Creed, if not more so.

The concept art and in-game screenshots are almost indistinguishable, with even subtle details like the Prince’s arms looking as if they are hand drawn. This attention the detail alludes to the amount of care and consideration that’s been put into the game.

Currently, Prince of Persia does not have a definitive release date, but it can be assumed that Ubisoft will release more information in the next coming months. Until then, you may drool over these images.

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Before playing Crosswords DS, I asked myself, “How am I going to review a game with a foundation built around a collection of crosswords?” However, after obsessively playing the game to the point of crossword-induced dreams, Crosswords DS had me in a headlock that would not let go.

As part of Nintendo’s “Touch Generations” line, Crosswords DS melds ease of use with sexy aesthetic to form a solid package of crossword puzzles, anagrams, and word searches. The menus are easy to navigate due to their giant-sized input buttons and lend themselves to the casual audience the game is geared toward.

Even the most casual of gamers will have no problem becoming familiarized with Crosswords DS’s control. Outside of the main game, there are training exercises that gear up the player with tips as to how the game plays. Although slightly abbreviated and not a necessity, the training exercises are a welcome addition for people new to the gaming world.

The bulk of the game is centered on – as the title suggests – crossword puzzles. Within the main game, there are over 1,000 different crossword puzzles waiting to be solved. The puzzles are separated into different difficulty levels that do a good job at gradually moving the player up the scale. Unlike other crossword games on the system, Crosswords DS is played holding the DS on its side like a book. This holding position allows the player to see the crossword in its entirety on the left screen, while the touch screen on the right is open to zooming in and writing the proper letter in the proper location.

I found the word search to be an afterthought when compared to the crossword section of the game. The word searches require no skill, which in turn creates a boring atmosphere that feels less like an enjoyable game and more like an arduous homework assignment.

The anagrams, on the other hand, can be extremely difficult even when on easy mode. As a writer, I pride myself in knowing many words, but the anagram mode of Crosswords DS was still very difficult. Unlike the word search, though, when I discovered a new anagram out of the letters provided, I felt as accomplished as any wordsmith could bearing the situation.

Overall, I found Crosswords DS to be an enjoyable, albeit average, game. For $20, it is definitely worth picking up.

Only a few shorts weeks have passed since Activision and Vivendi announced their departure from the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and their disassociation with this year’s E3. Following in their wake, the ESA confirmed yesterday LucasArts has also separated from the organization.

After the announcement, LucasArts PR director Margaret Grohne went on the record by clarifying the company’s stance on the issue. Grohne said, “As a company we are still committed to bringing consumers the best interactive experience possible and support the ESA’s mission in the industry.”

Unlike the soon-to-be Activision Blizzard, LucasArts will be attending E3 this July in full force as they showcase their newest game line-up, including the long-awaited Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

Source: Joystiq

It’s always interesting to see what new Wii Channel the big N will come up with while sailing through their blue ocean. So far, Nintendo has given user updates for various casual gamer-specific channels like Check Mii Out and Everybody Votes.

Earlier this month, Nintendo once again sprang a new channel for the masses to gobble up and enjoy: The Nintendo Channel.

The name itself describes exactly what this channel was made to achieve, which is to provide information on everything Nintendo. When the user first boots up the channel, they’re presented with a variety of questions regarding usage of the channel as well as a brief introduction as to what the channel is all about.

The Nintendo Channel is a unique experience on the Wii because it directly provides the company with information about the user’s Wii and how they take advantage of its features. Of course, the decision to provide them with said information is completely up to the user, so for people scared of Nintendo playing Big Brother, there is no need to fret. However, if a user does decide to share their information with Nintendo, only non-personal settings are shared.

Information is sent in regarding what games are played the most, how the user has their TV and Wii settings configured, and the amount of flash memory space currently being occupied on the system. The latter two are intriguing because they could lead Nintendo to release a hard-drive if they notice a majority of their users have filled memory, or a high-definition Wii model if many people are using component cables for their set-up.

In addition to the aforementioned data sharing, the Nintendo Channel is broken up into three other main parts: the video section (which includes press release videos and trailers), game recommendations, and DS demo downloads.

The video section is worthy of note because it has the potential to cut out the middleman (i.e. me) in regard to the passing of information to the public. With this video function, Nintendo could choose to release all new information straight to the public instead of going through media outlets. I don’t think we’re quite there yet, but it is still a scary thought for video game journalists.

The game recommendations part of the channel is exactly what it sounds like. Users have the ability to browse all the titles they have played on their Wii and then recommend them anonymously to other players involved with the Nintendo Channel.

The last section of the Nintendo Channel feels like a slightly tacked-on addition, but is still noteworthy. The DS demo downloads let Wii owners wirelessly transmit first and third party demos to their DS for play. We’ve seen this technology in a variety of retailers for a few years now, but it’s nice to be able to use this feature in the comfort of your home instead of a smelly game store.

The Nintendo Channel is a welcome addition to the ever-growing library of casual activities on the Wii, but at a whopping 252 memory blocks of required space to run it, let’s hope Nintendo has an upgradeable hard drive around the corner.