Think you’ve been immersed in a game? ARMA, maybe? Grand Theft Auto? Forza? Think again.

This gamer in a Thailand arcade has taken it to a whole new level while playing arcade shooter Ghost Squad. He even goes into the motions of taking cover, reloading, and kicking doors down. He’s clearly played this game enough to know exactly when and where everything is going to happen, too.

It’s hard to understand how someone could get so into a game like this, but hey- who am I to judge?

If you want to judge him, however, you can just watch the video below.

Via Dtoid

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A free Team Fortress 2 arcade de-make by indie developer Eric Ruth? has been released today.

You might remember when we reported on this in July, and now it’s finally out. It’s completely free to download from here, and looks really significant for a free game, especially one based on a bigger title.

For one to four players, there’s nine stages, each with one class from the Red team as the final boss, and some sort of Portal reference in a final tenth stage.

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If you like Team Fortress 2, but think it’s a bit too “modern” for your liking, why not try this arcade de-make by Eric Ruth?

Spotted by Pikmal at the Baltimore “Artscape” arts festival, “Team Fortress 2 Arcade” is a completely free game due to release at the end of summer. It’s a Streets of Rage style sidescroller, and looks completely amazing in the video below:

There’s nine stages, each with one class from the Red team as the final boss, and some sort of Portal reference in a final tenth stage. It certainly looks like a lot of fun, and since it will be just as free as the real TF2, there’s no reason not to try it out once it releases at the end of summer.

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Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has announced Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection for XBLA, PC and PSN.

The collection, which includes the original Mortal Kombat arcade trilogy (Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 2 and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3), will release this summer for $9.99 on PlayStation Network or 800 Microsoft Points.

“We are very excited to finally have the first three Mortal Kombat games available in one download package for long-time and new fans to play,” said Ed Boon, Creative Director, NetherRealm Studios. “With the release of our 2011 Mortal Kombat, and its return to 2D game play, players have been asking for these classic titles and we are happy to deliver them.”

In addition to the collection, “Performance Designed Products” will be producing a themed fight stick to go with the game, featuring a download code for the title.

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This February, the landmark NYC arcade Chinatown Fair shut it’s doors.  Luckily, local filmmaker Kurt Vincent had his camera rolling during the last week CTF was in business and has also been documenting the community since the inevitable diaspora.

Check out the trailer, then read on for how you can help support the film’s release:

ARCADE: THE LAST NIGHT AT CHINATOWN FAIR documents the final week of New York City’s last arcade, Chinatown Fair.  The film follows the community of spirited gamers as they make their way from Manhattan’s Chinatown to their new home at Next Level in Brooklyn, an arcade started by Chinatown Fair’s former manager Henry Cen.

Here is what Kurt has to say about his film:

ABOUT THE MOVIE

I was initially drawn to Chinatown Fair because it seemed so out of place.  It was as if it should not have existed at all.  I had read about the arcade in the NY Times and was amazed as soon as I walked through the front door.  It was a different world inside, full of energy and warmth.  When I discovered the community that surrounded the arcade I knew I wanted to make a documentary that would capture the feeling of being there and share the incredible stories and history I was discovering.

The film will be a portrait of the subculture that occupied a strangely beautiful place that is no more. That’s why we are making this movie– to preserve and share a special time and place unaffected and authentic in a way that you don’t see very often.

We filmed at the arcade during its last week in operation and since then we have interviewed many members of the community and documented the beginning of the new scene at Next Level arcade.  We are still exploring the story and have a lot more shooting to do!  As we progress the more interesting it becomes.

ABOUT THE ARCADE

Chinatown Fair stood its place at 8 Mott Street for over fifty years.  It saw the rise and fall of Chinatown tongs, persisted through numerous wars, financial downturns, and outlasted most of its kind – arcades that have been phased out by Xbox’s and Playstation’s and replaced with corporatized family fun centers like Dave and Buster’s.  What Chinatown Fair would be unprepared for was the gentrification of its neighborhood.

The arcade was dim and lived-in like a familiar living room or basement, but also part boxing gym — gritty, unpolished, and utilitarian.  It was a place with a singular purpose, to provide an arena for intense and passionate competitive play.  The arcade was a training ground for some of the best players of all time.  Justin Wong, Eddie Lee, Henry Cen, Arturo Sanchez, Sanford Kelly, Michael Mendoza all grew up playing at CF.

Chinatown Fair was also the rare place tolerant of all types, resulting in a community that was as diverse as New York itself. And in many ways I don’t believe CF could have existed anywhere else. It had to be in New York and had to be in Chinatown.  The arcade was the embodiment of its surrounding.  Everyone felt welcome and was accepted.  Not everyone came soley for the video games.  A group of LGBT trekked from the outer reaches of the city to the arcade on a daily basis simply because they felt safe there.  The arcade was a dysfunctional harmony of noises and flickering light, and uproarious banter.

THE PLAN

We are raising money on Kickstarter to fund our production and post-production budget which will cover equipment rentals, sound mixing, scoring, graphics, editing, and a litle bit for marketing.  We are still filming and as we go along we find new people to interview and new places to shoot.  The movie is beginning to form itself.

ARCADE will premiere in early 2012, play at festivals throughout the year, and then tour across the country.  Then the movie will be made available for TV, online streaming and download.

Please help us by donating and sharing the project with friends!

As someone who has spent time at Chinatown Fair both with friends and as part of my never ending stream of gaming coverage, I can’t help but support Kurt and his film.

To learn more goto Arcademovie.com

To donate goto Kickstarter.com

There are some pretty awesome incentives if you donate as well:

Pledge $10 or more

A digital copy of the movie and a big thank you with your name in the movie’s credits!

84 BACKERs

Pledge $25 or more

The DVD, which will be made from recycled paper and printed with soy-ink. Plus, all of above.

47 BACKERs

Pledge $30 or more

A Chinatown Fair T-shirt made by my friends at Homage Clothing! Inspired by the arcade token featuring a really cool dragon. The $30 level gets you the shirt, but not the other stuff. If you would like the shirt and everything above (DVD, download, and thank you in credits) check out the $50 level.

18 BACKERs

Pledge $50 or more

A t-shirt made by Homage Clothing inspired by the Chinatown Fair token featuring an awesome dragon. Plus, all of above. Shirt is MADE IN USA. (www.homage.com)

88 BACKERs

Pledge $100 or more

A custom mixtape and ‘zine featuring artwork, photography, and writing contributed by the Chinatown Fair community. The mixtape will be a custom mix featuring music and samples inspired by arcades, video games, and New York City. Plus, all of above.

10 BACKERs

Pledge $250 or more

An awesome ARCADE movie poster (Box Office size)!! Plus, all of above.

1 BACKER

Pledge $500 or more

ARCADE MEGA GIFT BASKET EXPERIENCE!!! + 2 tickets to NYC MOVIE PREMIER: An awesome gift basket filled with toys, handmade coasters, handmade magnets, a Chinatown Fair shirt, a retro USB NES controller, DVD, mixtape, zine, homemade video game cookies, signed poster, soundtrack, PLUS two tickets to the NYC premier (or a showing near you).

2 BACKERs

Pledge $2,500 or more

Executive Producer credit, which will be seen before the movie in the credits, in the end credits, and on the movie poster. Plus, all of above.

1 BACKER

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When I first played Torchlight for the first time on my computer last year I was very much impressed. Runic Games had taken the Diablo-style genre of grinding through dungeons and refreshed it, making it both appealing to new players but nostalgic to the players of old, like myself.

Fast forward from 2009 to 2011 and Runic Games is bringing their cult hit game to the Xbox LIVE Arcade to a whole new audience that generally isn’t familiar with the PC feel of Diablo or Torchlight. As with the PC version, Torchlight is set in the town of… Torchlight. Gameplay revolves around you entering a set of mines to determine what strange happenings are going on down there.

Torchlight has next to no story, and any story that it does have is presented through scrolling text windows. Let me make this clear though, if you’re coming into Torchlight with the expectations that it will contain a story deeper then Inception, well find another game. However, if you’re looking for one of the best dungeon experiences, one of the best loot hoarding games, one of the best RPG games, well Torchlight definitely has you covered.

You see the gameplay in Torchlight revolves heavily around loot and gold. You’ll always want that extra set of armor, the better jewels and you always feel like you’re that much closer to getting it. Torchlight plays so well on the MMO-esque feeling of; “Only one more level!” or “I’ll try for the armor once more”. It’s a deeply rewarding and engrossing system that is made even better by the fact you know there’s always better gear out there.

Players have access to three types of characters, whether it be someone who favors swords, magic or staffs. Not only do you get your character but you also get a pet that can be decked out with spells and rings itself. Your cute and loving wolf will soon turn into an extension of your fighting self, allowing you a friend you can rely on in the dungeons.

And on the topic of dungeons, the environments in Torchlight look fantastic. That being said the Xbox 360 definitely can’t keep up with the on-screen action – but I will bring that up shortly. The lighting and mood of the dungeons in Torchlight was something I picked up on as soon as I started playing on both PC and Xbox 360. The level design is a tad bland at times and some of the levels feel heavily repetitive of environments that you’ve covered before.

As I mentioned in the last paragraph, the Xbox 360 has trouble keeping up with the intense flashes and bursts of light that occur at frequent intervals, specially during heavy combat. As you level up more you unlock more spells and your weapons will unleash more power, which is fun because it allows you to destroy your enemies and smite your foes, but the downside is that it slows the console down and really makes you aware of the aging hardware.

The controls from PC to Xbox 360 have converted extremely well and it only took a few minutes before I had adapted to the controller. Potions are bound to the left and right bumpers, standard attacks are controlled with the X button, and every other face button and trigger are usable as hotkeys for spells and abilities. Managing your in-game inventory has also been heavily refined and whilst it’s still clunky on the Xbox, it doesn’t interrupt the general gameplay.

In summary Torchlight has been successfully ported to the Xbox 360, albeit with poor framerate issues at times and a still stark non-existance of co-operative play (Thank the lord for Torchlight II). If you can put these issues aside and see Torchlight for the awesome dungeon experience that it is – well you might just have a new favorite game.

The Rundown:

+ Great PC to Xbox 360 translation
+ Controls work and gameplay is still fun
- Poor framerate at times
- Interface is difficult at first

Torchlight XBLA was released March 9th on the Xbox LIVE Arcade for 1200 MSP ($14.99). Our copy was provided for review by Runic Games. Singleplayer was played for 15 hours over all three character classes.

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Reports are coming in from downtown New York City that the famed Chinatown Fair Arcade will be shutting it’s doors in just a few weeks.  Known as one of the last bastions of the East Coast fighting game scene – CF has been in business for decades.

However, in the last few hours reports have been coming in from that arcade manager Henry Cen is telling gamers CF has lost it’s lease and will be closing on March 23rd.

UPDATE:

Valentino Ventura, who also works at CF, had this to say last night (2/20):

apparently henry has to much time on his hands. its not cool to spread unsubstantial information. folks, its all rumor perpetuated by a hater who wants to see a successful, bustling business fail. the truth is, that cf maybe relocating to williamsburg, brooklyn if disputes with the landlord r not settled. CF IS NOT CLOSING. sam, benny and myself genuinely love our customers (including the smelly ones) and this business. SPREAD THE WORD, FOLKS.

The first reports came in via Twitter.  Arturo Sanchez, a CF regular, had this to say:

The Sam he’s talking about is the owner of Chinatown Fair.  After seeing this, I reached out to my friend and Editor in Chief of EmpireStateGamer Ashley Faro who is also a regular down at CF.  She confirmed this sad news to me via Facebook, Text and Twitter:

The Joe she’s speaking about is LI Joe – the tournament veteran who you may remember previewed Marvel vs. Capcom 3 for RipTen just weeks ago.

Reports are still coming in about a possible move to Brooklyn, the Bronx or possibly other parts of NYC – and we’ll be sure to keep you updated as this story unfolds.

Now, while I’m no competitive fighting gamer, I have spent time down at CF and was there just a few weeks ago for the MvC3 preview I mentioned above.  While the CF regulars are clearly hit hardest by this news, I can’t help but be reminded of when CBGB’s closed down back in 2006.  As a punk rock drummer, I saw how having a venue like CB’s close down hit the local scene hard.  If you ask me, it doesn’t matter if it’s about music, games or even sports – all people want is a place to play.

Hopefully Chinatown Fair can renew their lease or relocate soon.

In the meantime, check out this video where Henry talks about how hard it is to make money running an arcade like CF in today’s economy:

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X-Men Arcade was a widely praised classic in the early and mid 90′s.  After all, what other game could you play with 5 of your best friends and PLAY AS THE X-MEN.  For those of you too young to remember, the X-men were hard to find in the early 90′s.  At the time when this game came out, X-Men were restricted to comic books.  This was a few years before the popular Saturday morning cartoon.  X-Men Arcade was a big deal with killer graphics, amazing co-op and many of your favorite X-men characters.

Story

X-Men’s plot is simple – Magneto is up to no good and has an immense army of sentinels, armored warrriors, robots, and several of the of the mutants’ more popular foes (Mystique, The Blob, Pyro, The Reavers, The Wendigo). As one of six heroic mutants (Wolverine, Storm, Colossus, Cyclops, Nightcrawler and Dazzler), it’s your job to save the day.

Gameplay

X-Men Arcade is a classic 90′s brawler and follows the rules of that genre.  Each hero comes with different ground and jump attacks complimented by a signature special attack that takes energy from your health bar with each use.   Some of the special moves are work really well (Colossus), while others are less effective and seem boring (Dazzler).  Each character has their own distinct moves, powers and are interesting enough to warrant a replay.

Enemies get repetitive and won’t hesitate to use cheap tactics.  Boss enemies are the star of the show and repeat catch phrases, for example, “Nothing can move the Blob” and “Wen-di-go”.  In typical retro fashion, bosses flash red when they’re weak

Health powerups are a curious omission in the US version (guess they were going for maximum quarters) which are included in the optional Japanese version.

Co-op is the main draw and you can play with friends on one Xbox or online via Xbox Live.  The game is also playable in single-player – but decidedly less fun.

The length of the game is something to consider.  It’s 30 minutes for an entire playthrough.

Presentation

Sound and graphics are what you’d expect from the early 90′s: Voices are muffled but audible, and the sprites are large and clear (although very pixelated in HD). Nothing to complain about considering  this is a retro arcade port.

Verdict

X-Men is fun but definitely shows it’s age.  It’s short but you have to remember, it’s an arcade game.  The one thing about this game that bothers me is a lack of features.  Sure you can adjust the screen size, and play the nearly identical Japanese version, but you have to think Konami could have added more. Furthermore, as a 30 minute playthrough it just gets hard to justify the price of 800 MSP.   A similar game ( TMNT arcade) costs 400 MSP, which would make more sense for this game.

However, I’m not in any way saying this is a bad game -  If you’re a retro gamer or an X-Men fan looking for an arcade co-op game, X-Men Arcade will satisfy.

The Rundown:

+ 6 player Co-op fun
+ An arcade classic
+ It’s the X-men
-  Showing it’s age
-  30 minute playthrough
-  A little pricey for what it is

X-men Arcade was developed and published by Konami and release for Xbox Live and PSN on December 14th, 2010.  A download code was provided to us by the publisher for the purposes of review.  The game played on XBLA to completion by several members of the RipTen staff.  It is available now for 800 MSP or $9.99.

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The latest trailer for the arcade version of Super Street Fighter IV has revealed two additional characters: Evil Ryu and Oni Akuma.

The two characters have already been shown in some leaked Xbox 360 Achievement images, so it wouldn’t be a stretch to see these two appear on console versions. DLC?

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Angry Birds has been like a plague upon the iPhone and Android scene. But it’s a good plague. Similar to that “It’s Raining Men” song, but instead it’s raining an addictive and insanely simple game upon the world. Peter Vesterbacka, the CEO of Rovio Mobile (The developers of Angry Birds) told PocketGamer that console gamers would be getting their fix soon enough. He also hinted that a “surprise” version of the game was slated to tell the story from the pigs perspective.

The game is likely to feature multiplayer reminiscent of “old School worms,” although none of this is set in concrete. There is no rough release date, or even any details nailed down, but we will be sure to keep you informed. Something I can’t help but wonder though was summed up perfectly by x360a user “Edable Giraffe” when he said;

“The problem is, if it does come out it’ll be at least 800 MSP. Can you really justify that when it’s 59p on iPod and free on Android?”

Source: [x360a via PocketGamer]

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Hope X-Men fans are ready for some old school 6 player beat-em-up action. At Comic-Con New York, Marvel has revealed Konami will port the 1992 arcade classic to both Xbox Live and PSN.

It’s been reported this port will feature drop-in online multiplayer and support up to different players! It will also feature the classic X-Men cast of Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops, Colossus, Nightcrawler and Dazzler.

No details on a release date have been given, but you can be sure Ripten will let you know when they are.

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In a move that has possibly blocked the education of virgins the world over (Obviously a joke), Zombie Cow’s sex education title “Privates” has been banned from the Xbox LIVE Arcade. Set in a number of body parts, including genitals, was set to educate people about sexually transmitted diseases and other body related problems. Dan Marshall, from Zombie Games said:

Ultimately Microsoft advised that the game wouldn’t pass the Indie Games Peer Review process, purely due to its inherently sexual nature.

It’s always amusing to realise that we have a civilization built on the back of sexual intercourse and reproduction, yet any film or form of entertainment that includes references to said act is extremely taboo.

[Source: MCV]

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