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RipTen Review: EA Sports NFL Blitz (XBLA)

Drake Hess — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:30:21 +0000

EA Sports NFL Blitz is a 7-on-7, no penalty calling, football game that lives for exaggeration. A first down will cost you 30 yards, instead of the customary 10. You’ll be able to Mike Vick a touchdown pass half the field with a flick of your wrist, and stiff arm would-be tacklers like Minnesota Vikings beast of a back, Adrian “All-day” Peeeeeterson.

Classic code inputs let you do funky things like super-size the player heads so they’re more in line with their bank accounts, though I always found this feature more visually gratifying in NBA Jam where the players face was fully exposed. While the graphics have been updated, it would have been nice to see the occasional camera perspective shift for some variety in-game. I’m all about the spice of life. Animations are fluid looking, and player response time left me with no complaints. Nothing really stood out in terms of music or sound effects, but the announcer comments were often funny and easily one of the highlights in the game.

The controls are a bit on the simple side, and someone like myself, used to the decade or so of gameplay advancements with a title such as Madden, found it a bit of a repetitive drag after a few head-to-head contests. However, if EA’s goal was to create an easy to use, pick-up-and-play format, they definitely got the job done. Going with that assumption for a moment, the on-screen “this is how you play” pop ups that kick off every game, and continue to pop until you tell them otherwise, were mildly annoying, especially after you’ve been playing for a few hours.

You won’t be able to hit other players out of bounds anymore, but frankly that didn’t bother me one bit. The other hits you are able to perform in the game are so brutally punishing and without penalty that James Harrison would be proud to pull out his own wallet and cover the non-existent tab. Despite the heavy hits, the defense, much like the modern NFL in reality, still manages to feel more like an afterthought. I would have liked to see more innovation brought to the table on the defensive side of the ball. Why not give us a Troy Polamalu-esque line jump that sends you into the QBs grill before he has the chance to cradle the snap? A man can dream.

Unfortunately, while most of the unexplainable gravity defying feats are entertaining, some of the “did I really just see that happen” moments will frustrate you to no end, assuming you actually allow yourself to become emotionally vested in a game that features seven walking hotdogs in a 100-yard boss encounter. Of course I’m talking about quirky flukes such as forward passes that sometimes get called fumbles and receivers that decide to waltz out of bounds for no good reason. These carry over from previous generations and prove that not everything should remain true to the original.

The Gauntlet mode allows you to create your own dream team and pits you against one NFL team after another, with creative boss battles against teams made up of cowboys, clowns, etc, sprinkled throughout. It was a nice change of pace, but ultimately even that didn’t hold my attention for very long. Multiplayer was smooth, and this is where I was finally reminded of what makes games like NBA Jam and NFL Blitz fun, in my opinion. I consider titles like this, “buddy games.” If you’ve got a friend that you enjoy trash talking with, this is a great alternative to a more complex Madden. It allows you to focus more of your energy on zingy one liners and less on the picking perfect play to call. If you’d rather play with your friend than against them, co-op will feed your need. In the end, though, playing Blitz online head-to-head with a friend quickly brought back memories of the arcade, and that alone was worth fifteen bucks.

EA Sports NFL Blitz is colorful, over the top, filled with unlockable goodies, and fun for the price point. Beyond that, I’d say that your decision to purchase this game should be based on what you’re looking to get out of it. If you grew up exchanging dollars for coins to play the original, and long for another shot at your sworn arcade nemesis, then give it a go, but if you’re looking for something that’s comparable to a modern day 7-on-7 version of Madden, you will be disappointed.

Here’s The Rundown:

+ Enjoyable multiplayer experience
+ Zany unlockable content
+ Over the top comical animations
+ Entertaining and humorous announcers
- Dated arcade gameplay that feels as if time has passed it by
- Several familiar and frustrating quirks
- Short on gameplay customization features

7 and 7.5 represent a game that overall manages to be worth a playthrough, just not worth the full price at launch. These scores are for games that are relatively good or even really good, but generally worth waiting for a sale or picking up as a rental when possible.

NFL Blitz was Developed and EA Tiburon and Published by EA Sports for the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade. The game was released in North America on January 4th, 2012 with an MSRP of $14.99. The copy used in this review was provided to RipTen by the publisher and played both online and offline for approximately 10-12 hours.

2013 Madden NFL Cover: EA Sports Allows Fans to Vote from 64 Players

Chad Lakkis — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 01:00:25 +0000

You know that copy of Madden 2012 you have with Peyton Hillis on the cover? The one you took to your local FedEx Kinkos to have blown up into a life-size wall decal? No? Well, if you’re wondering how the Cleveland Browns running back earned the coveted spot, the answer is simple. Last year, EA Sports concocted an internet poll, asking fans who they thought should grace the cover. However, they weren’t allowed to pick any player from their favorite team, because the list was already narrowed down for them, meaning each team was represented by one player that EA Sports picked in advance. In the end, Payton Hillis beat out Mike Vick for the 2012 cover, a small victory for dog lovers everywhere, unless of course they wanted one more shot at cursing him.

Madden 2013 will have the same voting process for the cover with one small twist. This year, fans will have the opportunity to select from 64 players instead of the 32 they had the year prior. It appears we still won’t have the ability to pick our team favorite, instead, we’ll likely have a choice of two stars from each team. My vote will be for Raven’s Kicker, Billy Cundiff. Sure, he missed a chip shot of a kick that would have sent his team into an overtime period with the New England Patriots, but his daughter still loved him just the same. That tells me that he and his family have the ability to endure through anything — even the Madden Curse.

Madden Bowl XVIII Kicks off 2012 Super Bowl on Ustream/ESPN3 Tonight

Drake Hess — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:30:51 +0000

The Super Bowl, it’s the Christmas of the NFL season, and the build up to the big day usually means picking up beer, soda, chips, a new flat screen television, and figuring out just how many friends your house can fit without the floor caving in.

But what if you want more than the big game? What if you want to see grown men playing the same game they play in real life in a virtual arena instead? Say no more. EA Sports has you covered with the “Madden Bowl,” a 3-on-3 single elimination tournament style matchup combining atheletes, musicians, and celebrities in a race for the coveted Madden Bowl trophy. It started in 1995 as a one-on-one event and remained that way until last year, when the online team play feature turned it into a family affair. Last year’s winning team consisted of Patrick “Baby Ray” Willis, Chad “Thank God for Tom Brady” Ochocinico, and the beautiful Maria “Medford Massachusettes born” Menounos.

The festivities will be broadcasted on ESPN3 and Ustream tonight, with “Blue Carpet” coverage at 6 PM EST, and the main event itself following directly after. If you still aren’t convinced this is worth your viewing time, think of it as an MTV Rock N Jock meets Bud Bowl meets video games mashup. Not sure if that helps seal the deal but it sure brings back lots of memories. Who else remembers watching the old Bud Bowl commercials like the one below?

I personally think EA Sports should expand the Madden Bowl concept and take over the Pro Bowl, allowing each selected player to control their virtual self in a televised 11-on-11 event. Think about it. In home camera crews monitoring the athletes as they sit on their plush leather couches, controller in one hand, mobile trash-talking twitter device in the other, Bud Bowl half-time show, and most of all, no more “season related injury” bail out. That’s right, they can all just sit their ass down and entertain us with slick analog swiveling and bumper mashing moves. One thing I know for sure, it would be one thousand times more entertaining than the actual Pro Bowl is.

EA Sports NFL Blitz is Ready to Roll with Ray Rice Running for the Ravens from Rutgers!

Chad Lakkis — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:44:41 +0000

I can still remember the arcade release of NFL Blitz in 1997. My serious arcade playing days ended a year or two after the release of NBA Jam in the early 90s, but NFL Blitz still coerced a few quarters from my pocket from time to time.

The HD remake video looks sick, and despite having a player from a team I despise on the cover, I may just find myself dipping into my pocket once again to play this bad-boy. You can get a hold of it on Xbox LIVE Arcade for 1200 points and PlayStation Network for $14.99. Video and press release below.

EA SPORTS NFL BLITZ NOW AVAILABLE
HD Version of the Arcade Classic Hits

PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE Arcade for Only $14.99

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – January 4, 2012 – Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ: EA) announced today that the all-new HD version of NFL Blitz™ from EA SPORTS™ is now available via digital download on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for 1200 points and PLAYSTATION®Network for $14.99. A remarkable value, NFL Blitz features the arcade-style gameplay that made the original game a hit, but takes the experience to a whole new level with immersive online* game modes in high-definition.

The recharged NFL Blitz offers fans the opportunity to battle rivals 7-on-7, fight their way through the Blitz Gauntlet, take over the online leaderboards in Blitz Battles, or create a true dream team by collecting player cards in Elite League. Featuring the twitch gameplay and ultra-responsive controls of the original game, combined with all-new single-player and cooperative game modes, NFL Blitz hits the virtual gridiron with blazing 60fps/60Hz gameplay. Challenging to master, yet easy to pick up and play, NFL Blitz is reborn as the ultimate arcade football experience for a new generation.

“We look forward to introducing the over-the-top football action that made NFL Blitz a classic arcade hit to a new generation of gamers,” says Cam Weber, General Manager of American Football for EA SPORTS. “And we are excited to deliver to fans of the original game, the new NFL Blitz complete with online features and in high definition for the first time.”

Fittingly, with NFL Blitz entering into a new era, fans were given the opportunity to choose the NFL player who would become the first-ever digital cover athlete for an EA SPORTS game. Fans exercised their right to vote for the NFL Blitz cover during the 2011 Spike “Video Game Awards”, choosing Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice over fellow Pro Bowlers Roddy White and Patrick Willis. NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice announced the news, revealing Ray Rice as the fan-voted winner at the end of the award show.

First released as an arcade game in 1997, NFL Blitz quickly became one of the most memorable football titles in video game history. In 1998, the first console version became available for the Nintendo 64™ and PlayStation® computer entertainment system, with several console editions released between 1998 and 2003. The new NFL Blitz by EA SPORTS is the first version of the game to carry the NFL license since 2003 and is the only version to be released for HD consoles to date.

NFL Blitz is developed in Orlando, Florida by EA Tiburon. NFL Blitz has been rated “E10+” by the ESRB. For exclusive NFL Blitz news and assets please visit: http://www.facebook.com/EASPORTSNFLBlitz. Be a part of the discussion on Twitter® by using #NFLBlitzisBack.

All player participation has been facilitated by National Football League Players Incorporated, the licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFL Players Association.

EA SPORTS™ is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, global videogame competitions and breakthrough digital experiences. EA SPORTS delivers experiences that ignite the emotions of sport through industry-leading sports simulation videogames, including Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA basketball, NCAA® Football, Fight Night boxing, EA SPORTS MMA and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® golf, and EA SPORTS Active.

For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visit www.easports.com to connect, share and compete.

* Internet connection and EA/Origin account required.

Buyer’s Remorse: The Problem With Online Passes

Justin Carter — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:09:25 +0000

You go to Gamestop. You buy your copy of Battlefield 3 and get ready for some long hours of multiplayer madness. All the updates are downloaded, and you’re ready to go. Right? Wrong. The game asks you to put in the code from your online pass. But you don’t have one, you bought it used. And you spent all the money you had, so you can’t spend $10 on the pass. Looks like you’re screwed.

The online pass system has been pretty aggressive this past year. First came EA Sports Season Ticket, which gave subscribers their sports game three days earlier than the competition. A great idea which should be replicated. Then came the PSN Pass for Resistance 3 and Uncharted 3. Buy the game new, get online access. Standard multiplayer shooter affair. But here’s where things get complicated.

September 20, 2011: Gears of War 3 launches. In a first for a Microsoft game, there’s a Season Pass for 2400 Microsoft Points, which translates to $24 (aka, over 1/3 of a regular game). The Pass nets you the first four DLC packs the game puts out, with the first two already on the Xbox Live Marketplace. That may not sound like a big deal, until you learn that some of the maps for DLC may have been scrapped from the game when they were all ready to go. The Pass also doesn’t cover weapon skins that all show up in the game. You have to pay $3 each, which makes no sense. The same thing goes for unlockable character skins as well; chances are that you’ll have to wait for those to go on the Marketplace to buy them.

October 18, 2011: Batman: Arkham City launches across the 360 and PS3, with resounding critical and sales success. Not surprising, given that Arkham Asylum was nothing short of amazing. The shit really hit the fan when gamers found out that Catwoman would be a playable character. It wasn’t that they were upset, in fact, people were excited. It’s more of how late to the game WB was forthcoming about the issue. Buying Arkham City new nets you playable Catwoman, just type in a code and you’re done. Used owners have to fork over $10 to play one of three characters that was, up until that point, touted as having a story that fits in neatly with the Dark Knight’s. Nothing was given to say otherwise until a few weeks before the game came out, and people were pissed that WB held that information back from them for so long. Hell, it may not have been that big of a deal if WB hadn’t screwed the pooch and shipped games with leaflets that contained invalid codes that didn’t work or had no code to begin with.

November 15, 2011: Saints Row:The Third bo-duk-ens its way onto stores, with an added twist. It comes with a Season Pass for $20 that takes 15% off future DLC. Fifteen. Percent. That’s pretty ballsy, considering that Saints made the mistake of going up against Skyrim, Halo Anniversary, Assassin’s Creed, Modern Warfare 3, and Skyward Sword within the same week. With those six games all going against each other, it’ll be interesting to see how much Saints sells. Something tells me it won’t be good.

I get that game developers and publishers want to get more money. Really, I do. But they’re going about this all wrong. Take a look at the aforementioned EA Sports Ticket. If EA extended that into other games like Mass Effect 3, where you could get the game on March 3 because you forked over an extra $5-10, I can say that people would eat that up in a heartbeat. I mean, KMart broke the street date on Modern Warfare 3 days before it was supposed to be sold. Just don’t penalize people, and everything would be sweet. Even with no job, I’d go to some lengths to fight the Reapers a few days before the rest of my friends got to. And since I have a PS3 and would need to install it with my crappy connection, that would certainly be a win-win for me and for EA.

This year proved that, more than anything else, the online system is broken. Gears 3 cracked the mirror, Arkham City obliterated it with a baseball bat, and Saints threw the shards at passerbys. The backlash from Arkham alone proves that a new method needs to be done. Ball’s in your court, publishers. You gonna throw it back, or do I have to pay $10 for that, too?

RipTen Review: NHL 12 (Xbox 360)

Aaron Alexander — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:24:53 +0000

Let’s get this out of the way. I like to play and write about videogames. Real sports aren’t my forte, but I always enjoy a good sports title when it comes my way. If you’re looking for a super sport-head review of NHL12, which gives insight into what players and teams are featured here – this isn’t the place for you (sorry!). However, if you’d like to read about a good videogame, continue reading.

Reebok!

Yes that’s right, NHL 12 is a superb videogame. When it comes to sports gaming, you need great presentation, realistic physics, a superb social experience and tight contr0ls. NHL 12 gets a tick for every box, as it literally has all its bases covered. From the get go, you’re presented with a slew of different modes – from play now, “be a legend” or take on the NHL Winter Classic (which pits you in outdoor stadiums). Also complimenting the experience is the full range of licensed music. The new Dropkick Murphy’s anthem for the championship Bruins “Hang em High” is featured proudly as are metal classics like Judas Priest’s “You got another thing coming.” NHL is full of tunes that ultimately get the adrenaline pumping. When put together, it leaves a great impression. You have enough modes to last until next year’s inevitable title, and some fantastic tunes that never grow old. Game on.

No longer is the Goalie impenetrable

As for the game itself, well it plays brilliantly. The controls feel perfectly tuned, gliding around the ice feels natural with the left stick, whereas the right stick controls everything done with your hockey stick. Pull it back and swing it forward for a shot at goal, or swerve it sideways to confuse your opponents with left/right dekes. When you aren’t in control of the puck, these commands will cause your player to do satisfying tackles and shoulder barges. The bone crunching animation is really worth seeing – it’s immensely satisfying sliding straight into someone, then crushing him against the barrier, or even throwing him over. Aggression like this really sets the game apart, and it’s also good for a few laughs with your friends. Not only humans like aggression apparently, as the AI would often push me around for causing a foul, or completely smacking the stick out of my hands and even smashing me so hard that my helmet flew across the way. The fighting is also good for laughs and good times with friends. FIFA needs a fighting minigame now that I think about it…

Another point worth mentioning is the Goalie. In previous titles, the Goalie is often perceived as a giant mechanical wall. In NHL 12, he’s a dynamic human-like player. You can slide on up, bunt him around, or confuse the hell out of him by using stick manoeuvring. Inevitably however, the Goalie will miss simple goals thanks to this refinement, but it’s a lot better than being frustrated by obvious mechanical issues. What you can’t do is jump around in front of him like Sean Avery, that’s illegal now… and also not physically possible in the game.

Vicious check in 3..2..1

Complimenting the aggressive and tactile feel of the game are the superb visuals. The Stadiums are lifelike in scale, and absolutely smooth to the eye. Players appear blurry for the most part when perceived closely, are modelled quite well from a distance, and the crowd dynamically reacts to what’s happening at any given moment. When the camera pulls in too close to the action however (especially during replays), the frame-rate can often choke up, and slow to a stuttering pace. Luckily, it never lasts for more than a few seconds, so it’s only a minor grievance. Yet when it all works as intended, the ice will kick up at player’s heels, glass barriers will reflect the action and players will literally sweat, often reaching for a bottle of water during various breaks.

Though the presentation of NHL 12 is good, it’s still not up to par with that of the 2K licensed sport games. The commentary is solid, albeit a little boring at times – but you won’t hear any of that nasty robot dialogue. Before penalties or after goals, the camera will cut to the crowd, players in the sin-bin, or even other players on the bench, really giving the game a live broadcast feel. However, these cuts and slowdowns can feel annoying, especially with the amount of penalties you (or your opponents) will inevitably concede. Of course you can skip through these moments, but constantly having to do so can break up the action.

"Yay, I put the puck in the net"

All of this carries over perfectly to the online segment of the game as well. You can play online with local players sharing the same console, or battle it out solo against the world, in damn near all of the modes. Nearly all of our games worked flawlessly with national opponents, but when playing worldwide it got a little choppy here and there – it’s best to play with your fellow countryman. The camera-cuts were still present when playing online, and it took a little longer than usual to skip through them, so prepare for a little waiting when playing over the internet.

Extra points for Ballerina dancing!

All in all, NHL 12 is a great step forward for hockey games in general, it’s fast paced, a damned good social experience, and it’s one of the more aggressive sports games on the market. EA has clearly learned some great presentation mechanics that can be improved upon with future titles, but what you get with this year’s game is simply unmissable for sports fans.

Here’s the Rundown:

+ Aggressive, fast-paced gameplay

+ A step up in terms of presentation for EA’s sport titles

+ Great licensed soundtrack

- Camera cuts can slow gameplay

- Occasional frame rate drops

Learn more about the RipTen scoring system and what this score means. Visit our review scoring page.

NHL 12 was developed and published by EA Sports. It was released on September13th, 2011 for Xbox 360 and PS3 for the price of $59.99USD. A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for the purposes of review. Aaron was upset he couldn’t do triple axels in a pretty pink dress as Sidney Crosby, but he loved the game anyway.

EA Unveils Premium Program “Season Ticket”

Chris Carlson — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 21:30:01 +0000

EA has announced its exclusive premium program, “Season Ticket”. This all-new program provides premium benefits for a better gaming experience on five participating EA SPORTS™ titles. EA’s Season Ticket is available today. Here’s the rundown:

FAST FACTS:

Annual fee of $24.99 or 2000 Microsoft Points
Full access to participating EA SPORTS™ games three days before launch
20-percent discount on downloadable game content
Free premium web content
Exclusive membership recognition
Participating EA SPORTS titles at launch: Madden NFL, NHL Hockey, FIFA Soccer, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR and NCAA Football
Available for Xbox 360 (North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand) and PlayStation 3 (North America)
GameStop exclusive retailer marketing partner in North America

FEATURES & BENEFITS:

Download and play full version of five participating titles three days early

Keep in-game achievements and transfer to retail version
Play against other EA SPORTS Season Ticket subscribers
Download expires on day of retail launch and subscribers need to purchase at retail to continue the experience

Twenty percent discount on all available downloadable content for participating EA
SPORTS titles

Enhances and refreshes the core game experience
PDLC items such as Ultimate Team packs, accelerator packs and gear upgrades
Discounts begin with Madden NFL 12

Free premium web content extends the game experience beyond the console to a web
browser

Free premium web content to subscribers beginning with premium Creation Center packs for FIFA Soccer 12
Available for the duration of the subscription
Easily-identifiable membership recognition
Exclusive membership recognition badge displayed in-game and on EASPORTS.com profile.

E3 2011: 4 EA Sports Titles to Recieve Kinect Support for 2012 Editions

Matthew Sims — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 17:02:33 +0000

EA Sports announced today at Microsoft’s E3 keynote that it will be offering Kinect support for their 2012 titles. The 3 titles Tiger Woods PGA Tour, Madden NFL, and FIFA will allow the player to have unprecedented access over their in-game characters.

The titles will allow players to do everything from calling audibles to physically controlling their in-game avatars.

Stay tuned to Ripten as we bring you continued coverage of E3.

Peyton Hillis Beats Michael Vick To Madden 12 Cover In Landslide Victory

Dave Oshry — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 21:31:28 +0000

The ASPCA can sleep soundly tonight, knowing that Michael Vick will not be gracing the cover of EA Sports Madden 12.

The Cleveland Browns running back has taken the fan voting in a landslide victory with 66% to Vick’s 34%. There were over one million votes cast in this final battle for cover supremacy, but Hillis ran over Vick like a dump truck.

This also means that Aaron Rodgers and the Packers have avoided the dreaded Madden curse… but we already knew that.

Look for the official box art soon.

Cleveland rocks!!

Source: ESPN

Madden NFL 12 – Won’t Be Sacked By An NFL Lockout

Garrett Hartman — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 23:50:19 +0000

Worried about the ongoing NFL lockout dispute which could cancel football this year? EA Sports isn’t. EA Sports President Peter Moore made sure to make clear Madden NFL 12 will be released regardless.

“We’ll be shipping this year, regardless of what the labor issues are, whether they’re resolved or not,” Moore told a group of journalists during an EA Sports event in San Francisco. “Madden 12 will be shipping on August 30th 2011, regardless of what happens with the league itself.”

Good news? Sure, but did you really think EA would miss an installment of their annual cash cow? At least if we’re left without the NFL we can still create amazing football moments in the comfort of our homes.

Fight Night Champion to be EA Sports’ First Mature Rated Title

Matthew Sims — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 20:22:37 +0000

The ESRB has released a rating summary for the next installment in the Fight Night franchise. The game got slapped with a Mature rating, making it the first title in the EA Sports catalog to receive a rating higher than teen. The game was described with the following tags: Blood, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes and Violence. None of these are particularly novel, except for the Strong Language tag, because it is a boxing game. It is definitely clear that EA is heading in a more realistic direction with the franchise on every level. The full rating summary is below.

This is a boxing simulation game in which players can fight boxers from the past and present in regulation-style matches. Players follow the standard rules of boxing as they hit opponents with a series of head and upper-body shots. Knockout punches are replayed in slow motion, with crunching sounds and skin-rippling effects; repeated punches can draw splashes of blood on players’ face, chest and shorts. During one cutscene, a brawl breaks out in which large amounts of blood are splattered across a character’s body and the floor. Ring card girls are depicted in tight clothing or bikinis, and the camera occasionally lingers on their chest or buttocks; players can also choose tattoos for their character—a handful depict women in revealing outfits. The words “f**k,” “a*s,” and “sh*t” can be heard in the dialogue.

Fight Night Champion is slated for release March 1^st for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

How to Stay Fresh In Fight Night Champion

Matthew Sims — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:34:52 +0000

EA is changing the way boxing games will be played in Fight Night Champion. Remember how you always had that one friend who would throw the same punch repeatedly until your boxer dropped to the mat? The days of that are over.

As EA’s Bryan Hayes explains, there are 4 separate stamina meters that correspond to the left and right arm, torso, and legs. The meters will all fluctuate based on how much you use that part of the body, or how much you get pummeled. The rest is explained in the below video, but let me say hallelujah for not having to fight online against an Ali who only throws haymakers anymore.

NBA Elite 11 Officially Canned

Dylan Duarte — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 22:10:15 +0000

NBA Elite 11, EA Sports’s latest foray into the virtual basketball arena, was announced back in June. The game was poised to kick off the NBA Elite series, the successor to the NBA Live series. After some pretty big delays, going from an October 5th release date all the way to March 31st of next year, it seems that the game has been slam dunked right into the trash can.

According to EA CFO Eric Brown, EA Tiburon in Orlando will handle the series in the future. Let’s hope they don’t also alley oop the entire series right into the waste basket.

With NBA Elite 11 gone, that means that EA’s only basketball game of 2010 is NBA Jam. It’s a sad day for people who like too many sports games.

Kotaku

RipTen Review: NBA Jam (Wii)

Rangebar Merani — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 20:29:45 +0000

While the current sports gaming generation has introduced gorgeous HD graphics, incredibly deep franchise modes, and vast online gameplay, NBA Jam doesn’t need any of those perks to show gamers how to have a good time.

NBA Jam is a lot of fun, especially when playing with friends and spending several hours performing high-flying dunks, nasty blocks and draining three pointers to win games. It plays almost exactly like the old school Jams you may have grown up with and EA Sports even hired original Jam announcer Tim Kitzrow to re-record classic lines like “Boom-shaka-laka” and “He’s on fire”. It’s still the game you know and love with simple, fast-paced, arcade style fun, but now with new players and better graphics.

It’s impossible not to have fun playing NBA Jam. From tip-off to final whistle, EA has done a spectacular job re-creating Jam’s glory days, and you’ll be flying around the court performing insane dunks in no time. The player models look amazing (especially the digital photo faces that change expression) and the backgrounds are pretty legit too.

Controls take only a few minutes to get used to, but it turns out they’re great. I spent my time playing using the standard Wiimote-Nunchuk setup, and it couldn’t be simpler. But if you don’t like the feel of that setup, the game also utilizes the Classic Controller, for you old-school players. Regardless of which controller you use, after a few minutes you’ll have no trouble draining threes and dunking on your homeboys.

While the offense in Jam is fast-paced and high scoring, playing defense is just as much fun and a key element to the game’s strategy. Taking risks to try and shove down an opponent or steal the ball won’t work every time, but when they do, it can really turn a game around. While I had some trouble mastering shot blocking (and got called for goal tending numerous times), it was hardly the controller’s fault, but more of my own for not being quick enough.

Jam is always more fun playing with or against a buddy, with both co-op and head-to-head game modes available. That’s always been NBA Jam’s best quality, the ability to bring everyone together, whether or not fans of basketball. Just select a two-man team, hit the court and try to outscore your opponent by any means necessary, even if it means shoving him to the floor.

However, that’s not to say the single-player game modes aren’t thrilling. First off, there’s the old-school Campaign mode that takes you on a mission against every team, advancing until you’ve defeated the entire league.

There’s also the Remix campaign mode, which introduces power-ups, non-traditional modes like Elimination and 21, and Boss Battles that place you against a number of different NBA Legends. Some of these modes switch up the view, offering a distinctly different look, challenge and style of play.

It wouldn’t be Jam without tons of secret unlockable characters (athletes and other surprising characters), and it won’t be too long before you’re playing with and against NBA Legends you played with back in the day such as Dennis Rodman, Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Larry Johnson, just to name a few.

One of the few complaints I had with the game is the cheap AI. At times it’s nearly impossible to get on fire or blow out the other team, as the computer always seems to manage its way back into the game with miraculous plays and highly aggressive defense, even on the medium difficulty setting. There were times I was up twelve at the beginning of the fourth quarter and then I would suddenly find myself down two with under a minute to play.

My other big complaint is obviously the lack of online play for the Wii version, but EA Sports is planning on releasing NBA Jam for the 360 and PS3 on November 17, complete with HD graphics and online play.

Even without the online play, Jam is still one of my favorite sports title of the year (especially on the Wii). Yea, I know it may be a lot of the same as it was in the 90’s, but that’s what I love most about Jam. Being able to easily pick up a controller and immediately get sucked into the game without all the advanced controls and steep learning curves. All I must say is “Boom-shaka-laka” is most definitely back!

Here’s The Rundown:

+ Simple, yet addictive gameplay
+ Great multiplayer fun
+ Tons of unlockable characters
- Cheap A.I. at times
- No online play

NBA Jam was developed by EA Canada and was published by EA Sports for the Wii. The game released in the United States on October 5, 2010. The copy used in this review was for the Wii and given to us by EA Sports. It was played through various game modes, both single player and multiplayer, for about 10-12 hours.

NBA Elite 11 Demo Now Available

Rangebar Merani — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 03:42:25 +0000

The demo for NBA Elite 11 from EA Sports is out now on both the PS3 and 360, and gamers can now get their first chance to try the all-new Hands-On Control system.

The demo consists of three different modes in the form of regular gameplay with the fourth quarter of game seven of the NBA Finals between the Celtics and Lakers, the Jordan Showcase game in the Become Legendary career mode, and a tutorial practice mode. Gamers can also switch between the new analog-heavy control scheme and the standard control scheme of year’s past, if they choose to do so.

“Like putting in time at the gym, there’s a learning curve with Hands-On Control, says David Littman, Creative Director, NBA ELITE 11. “But once you feel the difference between Hands-On Control and the traditional button configuration, you’ll understand why we chose the direction we did.”

NBA ELITE 11 will be available for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on October 5, and both will include a downloadable code to redeem NBA Jam.

No Online Multiplayer for NBA Jam on Wii

Rangebar Merani — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 22:41:38 +0000

EA Sports Vancouver has confirmed today that there will be no online multiplayer for NBA Jam on Wii, not even through Nintendo’s Wi-Fi connection.

A surprise for some, but many have come to expect this sort of thing with Wii titles because of Nintendo’s bad rep for gaming online. NHL Slapshot, the Wii hockey title also made by EA Vancouver, also does not have online multiplayer. But other current EA Sports Wii versions of Madden NFL, FIFA, Tiger Woods PGA Tour and even last year’s Grand Slam Tennis do have an online multiplayer.

Those purchasing a new copy of NBA Elite 11 on PS3 or Xbox 360, will be provided with a free one-use download code for NBA Jam, which will actually feature online multiplayer. Unlike the Wii version, that version will not have the Remix Tour, which has boss battles and unique challenges in single and local co-op matches.

All versions of the game will use the same lineup of players, secret characters, and NBA Legends.

NBA Jam ships for Wii October 5, and NBA Elite 11 for Xbox 360 and PS3 ships the same day.

Is Kingdoms of Amalur The New Elder Scrolls? Can Reckoning Be Bigger Than Oblivion?

Dave Oshry — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 04:56:55 +0000

When we arrived at the panel for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning during the first day of Comic Con 2010, we had no idea what to expect. Up until only a few days prior, the game was still shrouded in secrecy and referred to only as, “Project Mercury.” But we knew some very important things. 1. It was going to be an epic RPG and 2. There were some seriously talented individuals behind it.

As you may already know, the creative forces that have come together to bring us Reckoning are indeed some serious members of their respective fields. There’s Ken Rolston, who was the lead designer of Morrowind and Oblivion; R.A Salvatore, NY Times Best Selling author and creator of some of the most legendary works of Dungeons and Dragons fiction; Todd McFarlane, legendary artist made famous for his work on Spider-Man and for creating Spawn via Image comics, and last but not least; CEO Curt Schilling, world series winning and future hall of fame pitcher for teams such as the Boston Red Sox and Philidelphia Phillies.

Now you may be thinking, ok … ok … ok … wait, Curt Schilling? The pitcher? What the hell is he doing heading up a gaming company. Well, if you don’t already know, then let me tell you. Curt Schilling is a bigger nerd than you. Hell, he’s almost a bigger gaming nerd than me … almost ;-) Ask the guys at Sony Online Entertainment and they’ll tell you, Curt has played more Everquest than most hardcore MMO gamers would care to admit. He’s played more Ultima Online than you have, and he may have even played more WoW than Ripten. (We still wield Shadowmourne however)

I'm Curt Schilling, and I Approve of this Demon

Let’s just say that Curt is a serious gamer, so serious in fact that he decided to form his own gaming company, so serious that he’s assembled this A-Team of visionaries to bring his own personal vision of what an RPG “should be” to life. Let’s just say that I believe in Curt Schilling, let’s just say that I believe that 38 Games (twas his MLB number) is capable of creating one of the greatest RPG’s in recent history, and as a complete PC-RPG fanboy, that’s saying a lot.

But getting back to the panel, (after bumping elbows with Curt himself) we had a front row seat, and I filmed the whole damn thing. Enjoy.

Front Row At The Comic Con 2010 RECKONING Panel – Ripten.com from Dave Oshry on Vimeo.

After the panel, (and getting killed hard by Todd McFarlane) I managed to catch up with Ken Rolston as well as Todd (They autographed some epic loot) and they were clearly excited about the reaction to the game.

I'm Ken Rolston, and this is my Happy Face!!

Yes, Todd signed our swag, and NO you can't have any!!

If you still don’t believe that all four of these talented individuals are “all in” on Reckoning, then I don’t know what to tell you. If you haven’t yet seen the cinematic trailer for Reckoning, then check it out right now!!

Great, fabulous, wonderful. The only problem is that along with that trailer and a few screenshots, we haven’t seen or been told much of anything yet!! Not that I don’t believe in what this game can and will be, it’s just that I’m clamoring for more!! More information!! More screenshots!! More anything!!

You may be saying, “Ok, I get it, Reckoning is going to be a giant epic RPG the likes of Oblivion, but what the hell is Kingdoms of Amalur?”

Well, according to 38 studios:

Kingdoms of Amalur is an original fantasy universe that serves as the setting for both Reckoning and 38 Studios’ upcoming massively multiplayer game, codenamed Project Copernicus. Amalur’s cultures and expansive history were created by R.A. Salvatore, and the world is being brought to life through the artistic vision of Todd McFarlane. Legendary game designer Ken Rolston provides players their first journey into Kingdoms of Amalur through the hero’s journey in Reckoning. The story of Amalur will continue to expand through comic books, novels, toys and additional games.

However, Reckoning itself has been described as follows:

Reckoning is an epic, open world role-playing game that gives fans their first experience with Kingdoms of Amalur, a new universe imagined by R.A. Salvatore, brought to life by Todd McFarlane, and designed by Ken Rolston and his team at Big Huge Games.

R.A. Salvatore is the creator of the immortal Drizzt Do’Urden and author of The New York Times best-selling Forgotten Realms series. Todd McFarlane is a Grammy and Emmy-award winning artist, writer and toy designer best known for creating the fantasy series Spawn. Ken Rolston served as the lead designer of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion before joining Big Huge Games development studio, the Baltimore, MD-based wholly-owned subsidiary of 38 Studios, based in Maynard, MA.

So first comes the giant single player RPG, Reckoning, only to be followed up by the massive MMO set in the Kingdoms of Amalur. Can they really pull this off?

Oblivion was a great open world RPG, but it lacked story and substance. One can only hope that R.A Salvatore can solve this problem for us. He says he will create a world that is beautiful, one that is “worth defending” with a threat that is “worth fighting.” Oblivion was a great “looking” RPG, but it lacked that visceral design and art style that would make it feel “real.” One can only hope Todd Mcfarlane will solve this problem for us. He says they will kill things in this game “better than anyone has ever killed anything!!” Ken Rolston clearly knows how to make a great RPG, but it seems that he is more excited than I have ever seen him before (and Ken gets pretty excited) about Reckoning.

I know, I know it all sounds too good to be true for us RPG gamers. But with all the money and talent behind this game, and the fanatical nerd-dom of Curt Schilling, how can things go wrong!? You tell me!! I’ll try to believe you!! ;-)

In fact, if you can convince me that things can possibly go wrong, I may even send you a limited edition Reckoning Poster than we were privelaged enough to get our hands on at CCSD 2010. Good luck!!

NBA Jam gets Bundled with 360, PS3 Copies of NBA Elite 11

Rangebar Merani — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 22:38:04 +0000

Looks like NBA Jam isn’t exclusive to the Wii after all, well, not entirely at least. Today Electronic Arts announced that all new copies of NBA Elite 11 will include a one-time download code that will allow gamers to access three modes of NBA JAM – Play Now, Classic Campaign and Online.

Now seeing that the three modes included with NBA Jam “demo” are the only ones that really matter, it’s actually a great deal for those who were wanting the game on 360 and PS3, and even better for those already planning on getting NBA Elite 11.

“NBA ELITE 11 is going to change the way basketball videogames are played,” says Jordan Edelstein, Vice President, Marketing, EA SPORTS. “The addition of three free downloadable modes of the award winning NBA JAM is an unprecedented value add to a product that is already set to revolutionize the basketball videogame category”

I’m guessing EA will eventually sell NBA Jam on Xbox Live and PSN, but not anytime soon seeing that this will most likely boost sales for NBA Elite 11. And seeing that 2K Sports’ NBA 2K11 has Michael Jordan on the cover and has been the better basketball sim the past few years, EA is doing whatever it takes to be number on the virtual hardwood once again.

NBA Elite 11 is scheduled to hit retailers on October 5.

Daily Deal: Madden NFL 11

Brandon Fenty — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 22:14:20 +0000

I’m a sucker for a good deal on great games, and when I find a good deal I try to pass it on.

Today’s deal is for Madden NFL 2011. The game hits stores on August 10th, and Amazon is offering a preorder credit of $20. With Amazon, you get a price guarantee, so you can order today and still get the best price. You can even get launch day delivery. Check it out!

ESRB Lists NBA Jam for Xbox 360 and PS3

Rangebar Merani — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 22:26:35 +0000

Earlier today, the ESRB had a listing for NBA Jam on the Xbox 360 and PS3, but the listing was eventually taken down due to reports from different websites.

Although the ESRB listing has been pulled, you can still take a peek at it through Google Cache. The listing clearly states the game is for Xbox 360 and PS3, but EA has been saying that the NBA Jam remake would be exclusively for the Wii. This could very well be evidence that NBA Jam will eventually be coming to other consoles, most likely after the game is already released on the Wii.

But why did the ESRB remove the listing, you ask? Most likely because EA had noticed the reports going on today and had them take it down. I guess we won’t know for sure until we get some clear cut answers from EA, but if I had to bet on it, I’d say that NBA Jam will not be exclusively for the Wii, at least not in the long run.

NBA Jam is set to be released for the Wii on October 5.

Source: Shacknews