RipTen Videogame Blog » Playstation 3

David Jaffe + Sweet Tooth’s Truck + 100,000 Full Metal Jacket Bullets + You = Twisted Fun

Michael Futter — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:00:51 +0000

A few days ago, we reported that David Jaffe would be leaving Utah developer Eat Sleep Play, of which he is a co-founder.

True to form, though, the madman behind the clown with the flaming head is not going quietly into that good night. No, not at all. Instead, in celebration of the launch of Twisted Metal, he’s out in the middle of the desert with Sweet Tooth’s truck, ready to blow the crap out of that thing with a big ol’ machine gun.

The best part? You can enter for a chance to join in the fun. Jaffe and friends are hooking up the sweet piece of weaponry to a camera and remote trigger so fans can fire at the hunk of metal from the comfort of their own computers. Think it sounds cool? Just watch the video to confirm your suspicions.

All you need to do is head over to the Shoot My Truck website and sign up before the game launches. If you’re one of the lucky winners, you’ll find out on the morning of Valentine’s Day. Nothing says love like a bullet-riddled carcass of a demonic ice cream truck.

If you were considering acquiring Twisted Metal through less scrupulous means, you might want to rethink your strategy. Jaffe’s got a gun.

Call of Duty Elite Releasing Third Xbox 360 Map, PS3 Owners Still Waiting for First

Rick Givens — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:30:46 +0000

Modern Warfare 3 players REJOICE! But only if you have Call of Duty Elite, and only if you play the game on the Xbox.

On February 21st, Premium Members will be able to access the third map, Overwatch, which is next in the line up for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3′s Content Season for Call of Duty Elite. This third map will be available to Xbox Live Members with the Premium subscription a full week before PlayStation 3 owners even get the first map. PC? No word on that; nor when Call of Duty Elite will be available for that platform, so uncross your fingers and exhale, otherwise you will get arthritis and die.

Overwatch will be set at a construction site atop a New York City skyscraper. Featuring two levels and a near symmetrical layout, a central bridge and side routes will allow players to approach from multiple angles, while the lack of safety barriers will make it easy for you to belly flop onto the pavement if you don’t watch your step.

While Xbox Premium members are getting what looks to be all the content first, Activision states that PS3 Premium members will get the content before non Premium members. Somewhere down the road, those that didn’t sign up for the service, or who are PC gamers will get the content, maybe, one day….Okay, so no one really knows when the hell that will be, but the standard has been about a month apart for each platform. So, sometime in March PC gamers might expect the DLC, at full price.

‘Final Fantasy X’ Remaster Is Not A Remake

Curt Hutson — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:30:43 +0000

Fans holding out for a remake of ‘Final Fantasy X’ are crying into their Yuna plushies today after Square Enix producer Shinji Hashimoto, answering Final Fantasy fan questions at the Taipei Game Show, confirmed that the upcoming PlayStation 3 and Vita rerelease is just a ”remaster”.

He tried to lighten the sobering news with a bit about the game stating, ”the screen is much prettier than the original,” something that kind of goes without saying. Before this, details have been nil since it was curtly mentioned at Tokyo Game Show 2011 and then left alone.

While the idea of a remaster isn’t a terrible thing (just look at the Shadow of the Colossus/Ico collection) fans are probably looking forward to more, such as bonus content and the like. Square Enix may be set on not doing a remake, but there are several improvements they could implement that wouldn’t necessarily require one, including better facial animations, a remastered soundtrack and perhaps minor script tweaks to reduce Tidus’ whininess — also, recasting his voice in the American version would be fantastic.

In a perfect world, Square Enix would put less work into sequels and a little more into remakes of their most popular titles, something fans are always requesting (no, the innumerable versions of Final Fantasy I-III don’t count.).

So, readers, is a remaster ok with you or were you really hoping for a remake; or do you care either way?

Follow me on Twitter @8BitBomb

Via: [Joystiq]

Take a Nice Relaxing Journey Later This Year

Michael Futter — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:24 +0000

Playstation 3 owners have been anxiously awaiting news of thatgamecompany’s third game, Journey. Following the success of both flOw and Flower, both relaxing games with lilting, lovely music and artistic visuals, much has been made of Journey’s mysterious motif. Jenova Chen, head of the development studio, has confirmed that, after three years, the game is finally complete. Sony has not yet disclosed a release date, though, but it would make sense to see it headline a big summer promotion.

In the game, your character, who is not expressly defined as man or woman, simply walks through a desert toward landmarks. Similar to the style of thatgamecompany’s first two endeavors, the beauty of Journey is in the discovery and exploration. There is a multiplayer component, but with no communication or specific identification, your nomadic character can simply choose to join fellow travelers or go his or her own way.

We’ll have more on Journey when we finally get a release date.

Uncharted 4: The Last of Us – Starring Jak and Daxter

Michael Futter — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:00:08 +0000

What do Naughty Dog’s Crash Bandicoot, Jak and Daxter and Uncharted franchises have in common? Naughty Dog stepped away, despite fans clamoring for more.

I hear you. We don’t know that Naughty Dog is moving on from the Uncharted series. It’s true, we don’t. However, given that they are starting to pass the reigns over to Sony Bend (Uncharted: Golden Abyss), it’s not too much of a stretch to speculate that the studio is getting ready to move on.

More credence was given during a recent interview with Game Informer. Naughty Dog co-President Evan Wells detailed that a new Jak and Daxter was under strong consideration, but ultimately passed up, in favor of The Last of Us, their upcoming not-zombie survival game. The team that would have handled a Jak and Daxter reboot? The crack team of commandos in charge of the Uncharted series.

“Even if we felt like we’re going to give the fans another Jak and Daxter, we felt we weren’t going to give them the game that they wanted. We would end up limiting the direction that the company had this passion for while simultaneously not creating the game that fans wanted. We just realised we were going to just do everybody a disservice. So at that point, the conversations started to move in a new direction.”

“I guess there’s a possibility the Uncharted team could move on to Jak and Daxter. It’s still up in the air, but I wouldn’t think that’s going to happen because I think we’d run into all of the same problems with that team that we did with this team.”

Rather than revisit old IPs and possibly disappoint the fans, Naughty Dog is taking their next big step with The Last of Us.

So, there you have it, folks. If you want to play more Jak and Daxter, you’ll have to play old Jak and Daxter when the HD collection (compiling the first three games in the series) arrives on the Playstation 3 tomorrow.

[source: Game Informer]

Sony: Re-branding the Way We Talk About the Way We Talk

Michael Futter — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:00:30 +0000

When you wake up on Wednesday, February 8, and stumble to your Playstation 3, you’ll notice something a little different on your XMB.

Sony recently announced a re-branding of the Playstation Network. The online service, which enables gaming over the internet on the PS3, along with music and movie streaming, will be re-branded as the Sony Entertainment Network. This change will impact only the Playstation 3 and the Vita , but not the PSP. It’s a confusing move for those that don’t plan on upgrading to the new handheld right away.

You won’t need to do anything. Your password, games and saves will all be exactly where you left them. The purpose, according to a Sony rep, is to unify the gaming services with other Sony products… except for the PSP.

I was struck, though, by how similar the name sounded to Nintendo’s first home console. Perhaps Sony is planning on dumping the Playstation brand for something else. Could the “Sony Entertainment System” be looming in our future?

Total PS3 Sales Close to Xbox 360 But Gap May Widen

Michael Futter — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:00:04 +0000

While it’s probably unfair to assume that no one wants the next generation of consoles right now, it’s undeniable that the majority of gamers are still quite content with their Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Recently, Sony hinted that they would be the last to reveal their plans for the next generation system (presumably named the PlayStation 4), with Microsoft being demure about what they would be bringing to E3 in early June.

The first Thursday of the month is typically “earnings call day,” and Sony revealed that their total PlayStation 3 sales have now reached 47.9 million units, compared to the Xbox 360′s 50 million units (as disclosed during Microsoft’s final CES keynote). While the numbers seem fairly close, it’s important to look at the trends.

In the quarter ending December 31, 2011, Sony moved 6.3 million PlayStation 3 units. This is down .2 million from the same period last year. In contrast, Microsoft is boasting 2.7 million Xbox 360s sold in the same period which is up a monster 70% over last year. The Kinect, which has disappointed core gamers but, clearly, found a place with the younger and casual markets, saw sales of 2.4 million and throttled past the overall 10 million unit mark. Microsoft continues to see growth, where Sony’s sales of gaming hardware has stagnated and shrunk.

There are some factors that might help explain away a portion of the sales figures, but nothing terribly significant. Microsoft is likely seeing a portion of sales from users replacing out-of-warranty, red ringed 360 consoles. On the flip side, Sony is experiencing very weak PSP sales as the Vita launched, though too softly, in Asia and will be in other major territories in a matter of weeks. Sony can turn the ship around with some clever marketing and bundles that tie a complete Vita experience to owning a PS3 (and vice versa).

Put up alongside Microsoft likely showing something about the next Xbox at E3 and Sony vehemently denying that they will match, one has to wonder if the positions should be reversed. Clearly, Microsoft knows that there is a lot of life left in the 360 whereas Sony might have too much faith in the PS3. With E3 quickly coming upon us, we’ll have all the news you can handle soon.

RipTen Review: BurgerTime World Tour (XBLA)

David Oxford — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 08:45:17 +0000

The original BurgerTime was released in 1982, and took its place as an arcade classic fondly remembered by many alongside the likes of other such icons of the day as Pac-Man and Donkey Kong.

The goal of the game was simple, yet something which could only ever make sense in video game logic: Chef Peter Pepper wants to make hamburgers, and does so my walking across the length of giant buns, patties, and other ingredients, causing them to fall down a layer until they are all neatly stacked up on the plates at the bottom. Unlike the cows you see at Chick-fil-a, however, there are other foods (a hot dog, a pickle, and a fried egg) who seem a bit jealous of Pepper’s burger-stacking, and wish to put a stop to it. Fortunately, the wily burger chef is able to stun them with a shot from his handy pepper shaker, allowing him to pass safely by until he can squash them between the giant burger parts.

It’s a weird concept, but sitting alongside a yellow dot-munching circle and knights riding ostriches over hot lava, BurgerTime was relatively mundane and endearing.

However, despite being ported to various platforms over the years, from the Atari 2600 and 7800 to the Intellivision, Colecovision, Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, and more, occasionally with some slight updates or enhancements, BurgerTime and its cast never really quite managed to move on to become a universal gaming star like those from Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Mario, Frogger, and more. The game did manage to be featured in a portion of the 1990 season 2 premiere of Captain N: The Game Master, but never really rose any higher than that.

Fast-forward a few more years to 1994, as Nintendo released Donkey Kong (affectionately known to some by its production title, Donkey Kong ’94) for the Game Boy. Perhaps this was to re-familiarize its audience with their then-dormant character Donkey Kong before releasing Donkey Kong Country to the world in the holiday season of that year; regardless, they had not only brought back the arcade classic, but remade it.

Taking advantage of the extra storage space of newer game cartridges (as well as the extra boost in capability provided by the Super Game Boy adapter for the Super NES), Donkey Kong not only managed to remake the game with improved graphics and sound (well, in a sense– it was a Game Boy game, after all), but evolve it. 100 levels awaited players with countless challenges across numerous landscapes and a variety of moves and abilities virtually unimaginable to those who had played the original in arcades over a decade before.

And now, we come to 2011 and the release of BurgerTime World Tour, developed by MonkeyPaw Games and published by Konami for WiiWare, the PlayStation Network, Windows PCs, and Xbox LIVE Arcade, which is the version played for this review.

BurgerTime World Tour feels as though the developers took a good, long look at how Nintendo remade their arcade classic, and tried to apply the same formula to BurgerTime… with the benefit of an extra 17 years of technological advancement, of course.

The premise, as noted above, is largely the same: you take the role of Chef Peter Pepper (who now has a new design, not that his was ever very consistent) as he sets out to create giant burgers. Or, in the Xbox LIVE Arcade version, you can instead choose to play as your Avatar instead; the downside to this, though, is that the cutscenes still depict Pepper, which leaves one to wonder what the point is. Nonetheless, it’s not a bad thing to have the option; no harm, no foul.

As for the cutscenes, BurgerTime World Tour does have something of a story, as Peter Pepper sets out to stop a rival chef who has apparently taken over a burger-making machine. Precisely why this is necessarily bad isn’t particularly clear, though we assume it’s to make a statement about the superiority of handmade burgers versus those prepared in assembly-line fashion.

The core gameplay of BurgerTime World Tour is very much like its namesake, with Peter Pepper climbing ladders and running along burger toppings to make them fall, blasting foes with pepper in the process. But that is largely where the similarities end.

Taking advantage of newer technology, World Tour is more of a 2.5D game, with levels based around blocks of different cities, from New York to Paris and from Mexico to Tokyo and more, with 50 levels in total (though only 30 for the upcoming Wii version). The platforms essentially wrap around these settings, making each stage like a very large cylinder; you not only move left and right (in addition to up and down), but also around the levels as well.

This actually makes things a little interesting when projectiles come into play, as they follow the curve of the stage as well, defying logic and physics; such is the nature of video games. But with that said, it provides a unique and interesting twist on the normal perspective presented in platforming games.

And indeed, this is a platforming game, unlike the original, as Peter Pepper has now learned the art of jumping. Furthermore, he can now also pick up an enemy stunned by a shot of peppper and carry them to the burger ingredients, where he slams them down to force the pieces to fall further than they normally would.

Other items provide further new abilities, including a spatula which handily rids you of enemies outright, and rocket packs which blast Pepper off to new heights; in some cases, you’ll need to blast your rocket up to another rocket and continue the climb. Unfortunately for Pepper, he can only carry one item at a time (not counting his trusty pepper shaker).

And he’ll need all the help he can get. Mr. Hot Dog, Mr. Egg, and Mr. Pickle have all returned, and unlike the originals, whose behavior made them largely interchangeable, they each have new names and characteristics. Frank Furter will seek you out, wherever you go, and climb ladders to reach you, much like the original; Sonny the fried egg can climb, too, but tends to stick to certain areas, and will charge upon spotting you; Ruthless Dill the pickle sticks to certain areas as well, but now jumps when you do in order to prevent you from getting by.

Three new characters also appear to stop Peter Pepper from making his rounds, adding even more variety to the original formula.

Each city culminates in a boss battle, which plays similarly enough to the rest of the game, though there are some twists, such as repeatedly making the same jumbo burgers while dodging condiments to jam a burger-making machine, or dodging the blows of a massive luchador wrestler in the background.

If there is one word we would use to describe BurgerTime World Tour, it’s “unforgiving.”

Make no mistake about it: Despite the silly premise, this game, much like its forebearer, is tough. But even so, we would never go so far as to describe it as unfair; the controls work well, and you’re given plenty of tools with which to go about your burger-making business.

If there is any real problem that we could cite, it is that everything is so colorful and busy that sometimes you might not even see an enemy who is right in front of you… to be unable to see the trees for the forest, one might say. In addition, there’s a certain lack of “impact,” for lack of a better word, to the game’s physics; on the occasions where we would die, we weren’t even quite aware of it for a moment.

But even then, as you play, you develop a certain rhythm and become in-tune with the game, and that’s when it really becomes fun. In an age where “brown” seems to be the go-to color for so many games, we aren’t about to complain about something as vibrant and animated as this; it just takes a little getting used to.

To help with that, the developers have also included a handy Easy Mode. Interestingly enough, this does not seem to change the gameplay in the slightest; rather, you are given more lives with which to tackle each stage, as well as more shots from your pepper shaker to deal with your fried foes.

And it does make a huge difference if you’re having trouble. The only problem is, you cannot save your scores in this mode, and for some reason, the developers make it a point to tell you… at the start of every. Single. Stage.

Incidentally, one mechanic which thwarted us over and over again was when flat moving platforms would crush Peter Pepper to death. In most games, platforms like this are harmless enough, often even letting you pass through them, which just makes these all the more treacherous if you’re not paying attention. Frankly, we think that part seems a little like overkill, as the game is challenging enough without that bit.

Rounding out the game is the inclusion of multiplayer modes, which include simultaneous split-screen and online modes for up to four players. Here, you can unlock new characters, and even use your own as you race to complete the burgers first. In addition, you can even tweak which enemies and power-ups will or will not appear, how many of them there are, and how long the matches run.

Earlier in this review, we likened BurgerTime World Tour to Nintendo’s Donkey Kong revival, which leaves the question of whether or not the game succeeds in that regard.

And we definitely think so; while BurgerTime World Tour may not necessarily surpass Donkey Kong for the Game Boy (despite having an extra 17 years to do so), it has certainly done an admirable job bringing an arcade classic into the 21st century and updating it accordingly. If you love old-fashioned arcade-style gameplay, then this title is a must-play, especially if you were a fan of the original game.

Or, more simply put: this burger is well done.

Here’s The Rundown:

+ BurgerTime lives again!

+ The gameplay is very challenging, yet doesn’t tend to be unfair

+ It is to BurgerTime what Donkey Kong ’94 was to Donkey Kong, or Super Castlevania IV was to Castlevania; this is a sterling example of how to update a classic arcade game

+ Online and multiplayer modes extend the longevity

- While not quite floaty, some of the physics lack “oomph”

- Right, you can’t save scores on Easy mode, we get it… just like we got it the last 82 times you told us

- It’s sometimes hard to remember that moving platforms will squish you; was that part of the obstacle really necessary?

- No Avatars in cutscenes? But I wanted to watch myself get angry at a speeding cab driven by a weenie…

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

BurgerTime World Tour was developed by MonkeyPaw Games and published by Konami. It was released on Xbox LIVE Arcade on November 2nd and the PlayStation Network on November 15th, 2011, with PC and WiiWare versions forthcoming. A review copy of the Xbox LIVE Arcade version was provided by Konami, and was played until our reviewer was full, though he now has the craziest craving for some Johnny Rockets…

Afterfall: InSanity Demo Now Available

Catherine Cai — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 06:30:19 +0000

The name Afterfall: InSanity not bringing anything to mind?

I’ll point you here to help you jog your memory a little bit.

With only 9 days left before Afterfall is supposed to launch, Nicholas Games has quite a ways to go to get to 10 million preorders. In fact, somewhere in the ballpark of 9.98 million preorders to get to their goal.

Maybe to get a few more preorders under their belt, Nicholas Games and CD Projekt Red have released a demo featuring the second and the 9th level of the game.

The demo features the main character Albert as he faces monsters in an apocalyptic world… oh and his own… insanity.

I haven’t had a chance to try out the demo just yet, but hell, if I were you, I’d throw Nicholas Games a bone and donate $1. Sure, the likelihood that they’ll get to 10 million preorders in 9 days is akin to Valve releasing Half Life 3 in the next year… but you never know.

Bethesda Announces Skyrim Has Uber Successful Launch, Ships Way Over 9000 Copies

Catherine Cai — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 06:10:14 +0000

Really, is anyone surprised that Skyrim is doing well?

According to Bethesda: in just a week, Skyrim has shipped a whopping 7 million units for just the Xbox 360 and the PS3 and it’s expected to make somewhere in the ballpark of $450 million in retail sales alone.

Concurrent with its financial success, Skyrim has also snagged over 50 perfect review scores, including RipTen’s.

Hell, I’d say a mark of Skyrim‘s success are the Skyrim horsie defying gravity posts plastered all over the Reddit Gaming front page.

Alright, you can go back to your regularly scheduled dragon slaying now.

RipTen Review: Sonic Generations (Xbox 360)

David Oxford — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 22:30:57 +0000

June 2011 marked the 20th anniversary of everyone’s favorite cobalt Erinaceus europaeus, and SEGA has decided to mark the occasion in style with the release of Sonic Generations for the Xbox 360 (the version reviewed here), PlayStation 3, and PC platforms. There is also a release coming soon to the Nintendo 3DS, but that is its own separate version, and one we will hopefully have the opportunity to look at for you soon.

Sonic Generations is a celebration of Hedgehog history, for better or worse. Sonic Team has gone to the effort of taking one zone from several of the Blue Blur’s games and remaking them for a new generation of consoles. Not every game is accounted for, though some are represented in other ways; you won’t find levels from any of the portable titles here, nor anything from the “Storybook Series” of games released for the Wii, though they are often accounted for in other ways, be it an unlockable music track or a reference in the characters’ dialogue.

The story, for those interested, is that Sonic’s friends are throwing him a party when a mysterious force swoops in and attacks the group, sending Sonic’s friends through time portals and leaving the hedgehog himself in the middle of a white void. There, he winds up teaming up with his past self, the shorter, rounder, and some would say cuter version from the titles which helped the SEGA Genesis stand toe-to-toe with the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (itself celebrating 20 years) for the majority of the 16-bit era.

Together, they set off through the void, or “White Space,” finding areas from different eras of Sonic’s history and racing through to restore them to their original full-color glory.

The void acts as the hub world for the game and, after clearing the initial Green Hill Zone stage, becomes the place where you will start the game each time. Like time itself, progression here is linear — you may get a peek at some upcoming stages, but you’ll still have to travel through each stage as it comes chronologically… or rather, in order of each game’s release, given that a couple of stages, such as two of the Rival Battles (more on those in a bit) and Crisis City from 2006′s Sonic the Hedgehog (we did say for better or for worse, and that game definitely falls into the latter) are technically in the future, but are still placed a bit before the end of this interactive timeline.

You can switch between either Sonic at any time and use who you prefer to navigate the White Space, which itself is very much like a 2D stage. This hub is divided into three “eras,” each of which feature three games/areas, one Rival Battle, and one boss to represent them (plus the game’s final boss): the Genesis era (containing Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles, which is acknowledged in its Lock-On form here. There is also a nod to Sonic CD here, the Dreamcast era (Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2, and Sonic Heroes, despite the latter not appearing on SEGA’s ill-fated final console), and the “Modern” era (2006′s Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Unleashed, and Sonic Colors).

In addition to the stages, the White Space also contains Omochao’s Skill Shop, where you can purchase upgrades for each Sonic using the points earned just by playing the game. These, of course, allow them to do all sorts of things, from having higher speed to braking on a dime to using shields from the Genesis Sonic games. The downside is that you only have 100 Skill Point slots to allot to these abilities.

You can also purchase 1UPs from the shop, which is handy at times, or a Genesis controller, which allows you to play an emulated version of the original Sonic the Hedgehog on the Genesis console found in the Green Hill’s portion of the White Space.

But that’s not all! There is also an information booth and a “house” of some sort, where you can view cutscenes you’ve seen before, bios and 3D models of the characters, concept art, or even listen to the music you’ve unlocked. The game’s main stages are filled with red rings, similar to those seen in Sonic Colors, and the more you get, the more there is to see.

The one downside to the cutscene archive, however, is that it does not store the scenes where Sonic frees his friends. YouTube notwithstanding, the only way to see them all is to finish each area with each Sonic, requiring two playthroughs of the game. If you don’t have the time or patience for that, we recommend finishing with Classic Sonic in each area, as the reactions most of the characters have to his altered appearance are generally more amusing than those given to the Modern Sonic they all know and love.

That said, there is a fair bit to do without even entering the stages.

Of course, the stages are what Sonic Generations is all about, and are what people have waited for each new trailer to see what would be revealed as the release drew ever closer. Sure, all the other stuff is nice, but this is the meat and potatoes right here — for a lot of people, everything else is secondary.

The main idea of Sonic Generations is that you’ll get to experience one stage from one “main” game as both Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic. Classic Sonic’s races through stages are 2D-styled gameplay affairs, while Modern Sonic utilizes the mix of 2D and 3D gameplay first pioneered in the daytime portions of Sonic Unleashed and perfected in Sonic Colors.

However, contrary to what some people think (including those hailing from once-respected publications), none of the stages are directly lifted from any of the source material, nor are the Modern Sonic stages merely Classic Sonic’s stages played with an over-the-shoulder perspective. Sure, the themes and some elements may be familiar, but spend any amount of time playing, and those with at least a little familiarity should recognize Sonic Team’s attempt to remake these settings, even going so far as to combine elements from other stages which did not make the cut into the final product. One example of this can be seen with the corkscrews in Sonic the Hedgehog‘s Green Hill Zone, which did not debut until Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

For those who grew up with the series or are simply longstanding fans of Sonic the Hedgehog, it is a sheer delight to see the stages of yesteryear recreated with the technology of today; for that matter, even some of the more recent levels seem to have a newfound attraction, too. If you’re old enough to remember playing Super Mario All-Stars when it came out, and the thrill of seeing all the new sights afforded by the marvel of more advanced technology, seeing the updated Sonic stages here provokes a similar sensation, but with the benefit of about three more generations’ difference.

The developers clearly had some fun with the redesigns, as you can see a lot of neat little touches in several of the stages, such as roadsigns named for characters, or “Missing” and “Wanted” posters for characters who have been long absent from the franchise.

Call of Duty Elite May Not Come to PC

Catherine Cai — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:00:26 +0000

Activision has stated that it can no longer guarantee that the Call of Duty: Elite service will come to the PC. Initially, after the service had already launched for both the 360 and the PS3, Activision made the decision to delay the PC version. Chacko Sonny of Beachhead Studios, the developer behind CoD: Elite for the PC platform, stated that they didn’t wish to release the service without making sure that cheaters are deterred:

“We’re as committed as ever to the PC, but the need to ensure a safe PC environment is greater than ever.

“It’s really extensive. We need more time to get there, so Elite on PC will not launch on Day 1.

“We’re working our butts off to make it happen, but we won’t release it until we know that PC gamers can enjoy Elite as it’s meant to be.

“The issue here is that the PC is an insecure platform. Without a central, trusted resource for stats, a lot of our competition features become unfair. We can’t give away prizes when people can easily cheat their stats. Leaderboards are less fun when a lot of the users are there unfairly.”

However, a recent tweet on the Call of Duty: Elite Twitter shows that Activision may plan on scrapping the project altogether, stating,

We are working towards a universal Elite experience but we cannot guarantee if or when a version will be available for the PC.

Plenty of PC gamers are going to be up in arms hearing this news, as it hasn’t been the first time that Activision has spurned the platform. I can’t help but think of the many botched Call of Duty launches, where many CoD fans booted up the new game on launch day, only to find it unplayable and are forced to wait a day for a patch. I understand that cheaters would defeat the entire purpose of CoD: Elite, but at the same time, Activision already has many PC customers who have paid for the service who will be angry. If you decide to announce a service for the PC platform, it probably isn’t a good idea to backpedal a few months after. I expect those who already have pre-purchased the service for the PC version will be getting full refunds as well as some sort of bonus for Modern Warfare 3.

Stay tuned to RipTen. We’ll let you know as soon as we hear more about CoD: Elite‘s future on the PC.

In the meantime, check out the RipTen Review of Modern Warfare 3… we loved it.,,

[Via Eurogamer]

PS Home ‘Social Games Plaform’ Update Launches Tomorrow – What Will Change

Garrett Hartman — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:04:47 +0000

Sony has announced it will to launch its ‘Social Games Platform’ reboot of PlayStation Home tomorrow. The changes are designed to convert PlayStation Home into a viable social games platform.

The update will include four new theme-based districts :

Action
Sportswalk
Adventure
Pier Park – Nearby the Home Theatre and Home Mall.

Sony will also provide five new Free-to-play games for Home. They include:

Bootleggers ’29 – Set in the seedy underbelly of the Roaring Twenties, this PlayStation Home exclusive first-person shooter found in the Action District pits cops vs. criminals in a Prohibition-era game of Capture the Cask. Boasting real-time multiplayer action, a variety of vintage weapons and unlockable rewards, and the unique ability to play as your PlayStation Home avatar, Bootleggers ’29 is a 100% free-to-play game that introduces a classic narrative to the modern shooter genre.
PlayStation Home Hold ‘Em – A series of backroom poker tables hosted in the brand new Sportswalk district, PlayStation Home Hold ‘Em squares players off in a no-holds-barred, winner-take-all battle of the bluffs. Only the best of the best will progress to the high stakes tables and collect all the prizes in this free version of the wildly-popular Texas Hold ‘Em card game.
PlayStation Home Sports Trivia – Test your sports expertise against the PlayStation Home community and unlock a series of themed rewards in this massive sports trivia game, found in the Sportswalk. Packed with over 10,000 trivia questions, this game will challenge the memories of even the most die-hard sports fans.
RC Rally – Build and customize your own remote controlled car and race against friends over multiple courses, performing stunts and tricks and unlocking numerous upgrades along the way. This fast-paced PlayStation Home original game can be found in the new Pier Park.
Cogs – A 3D version of Lazy 8 Studios award-winning Steampunk puzzle game, Cogs can be found front-and-center in PlayStation Home’s new Hub. Build a variety of machines from sliding tiles and unlock exclusive PlayStation Home rewards in this highly-addictive puzzler.

Check out all of these exciting new changes in the video below:

New PlayStation Advertisement “Michael” Is Brilliant

Aaron Alexander — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:05:26 +0000

Ever wondered what Cole from Infamous, or Nathan Drake from Uncharted would get up to when you’re not controlling them? Well nothing, they don’t exist.

If they did however, it would probably go a little something like this;

To Michael! To Michael! To Michael!

Atlus Extends Demon’s Souls Server Support Into 2012

Aaron Alexander — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 03:19:08 +0000

Demon’s Souls boasts some of the greatest revolutionary online features. Whether it be reading notes left from other players, watching their final moments before they die, or invading someone’s experience and just being a complete dick, the online component of the game helped shape Demon’s Souls into the unique experience it’s known for. Aram Jabbari, Manager of PR and Sales at ATLUS had this to say;

“While it comes at significant cost to us and although it has been over two years since the game revolutionized the notion of multiplayer and online functionality in an RPG,Our commitment to the game and the fans that turned it into an incredible success remains as strong as ever. While the reality is that one day the servers will ultimately close due to operation and maintenance costs, that day is not today, nor will it be this year. We’re excited to continue to support one of the most significant, influential games in recent memory into its third year, and we’re planning to hold more tendency events for our loyal, beloved fans. If you’ve been waiting to try Demon’s Souls or held off with concern that it was too late to join in, the truth is that there’s never been a better time to see what all the talk and awards are all about”

So it’s good news that Atlus has decided to extend the games server life right into 2012 at cost to them. It’ll be a shame when it finally goes offline, but by then we’ll all be getting our asses handed to us by Dark Souls anyway.

PlayStation 3 Uncharted 3 Bundle Coming At You Soon

Aaron Alexander — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 04:19:24 +0000

Another PlayStation exclusive, another console bundle. Fortunately this time, it’s a game well worth buying a new PlayStation 3 for. The Uncharted 3 PS3 bundle includes a sizable 320GB hard-drive, of course a copy of Drake’s latest adventure and a one month subscription to the PlayStation Plus service, which allows you to download free games and other nifty perks. The console bundle will launch alongside the game on 11/1/11, for $299 USD. Not a bad price if you’re in the market for a new PlayStation 3, so if you haven’t got one yet, there’s never been a better time.

You should probably get one, if you haven't already.

Via [PlayStation Blog]

Battlefield 3 Beta Code Redemption Page Appears, Then Vanishes

Aaron Alexander — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 09:21:44 +0000

UPDATE: THE BETA IS COMING ON SEPTEMBER 29th!!

Being one of the many people vastly interested in the Battlefield 3 beta, any tidbit of information on the upcoming play-test is exciting and intriguing. With rumors circulating about the Battlefield 3 beta launching this week on all platforms, the screenshot shown below seems legit, and if so, we’ll all be playing EA’s upcoming shooter in no time!

As of right now, the page has been taken down by EA , but luckily Battlefieldo were able to take a few snapshots before the link went dead. With people such as “Zh1nt0″ (Battlefield’s community manager) tweeting such things as “This weeks going to be off the hook #BF3″, it’s not hard to imagine that the beta is primed and ready to go. Expect continuous coverage including video and in-detail text about my impressions on the anticipated sequel right here on RipTen as soon as the friggin’ beta goes live.

Firmware Version 3.72 Incoming For PS3

Aaron Alexander — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 08:12:45 +0000

Get ready to watch your progress bars fill once more, as a new firmware build is on it’s way to your PlayStation. Don’t expect anything feature heavy at all, as it’s only a minor performance update;

A new PS3 system software update, v3.72, will be released soon. With this minor update, system stability during use of PS3 format software and network services has been improved.

I think I speak on behalf of all PS3 owners by saying, yay…

Via PlayStation Blog

Konami Drops More Details on the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection

Catherine Cai — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 01:00:28 +0000

Snake…?

Snake?

SNAAAAAAAAAKE…

…is getting a HD facelift. As you already know, Konami intends on bringing old Metal Gear titles from the PSP and the PS2 together into a HD collection for the 360 and the PS3. These titles include: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (MGS3), and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.

Here’s the rundown:

・Remastered from the ground up for PS3® & Xbox360®
・Stunning 1080p graphics
・60 frames-per-second graphics
・Icons, sound effects, and all fonts upgraded for HD
・User interface rebalanced for HD
・Added right analog stick input and force feedback*
・Features Trophies on PS3® and Achievements on Xbox 360®
・Worldwide matchmaking for multiplayer (tentative)
・TRANSFARRING (save data sharing) compatible with PSP® version*

METAL GEAR SOLID HD COLLECTION brings together HD versions of the PlayStation®2 hits METAL GEAR SOLID 2: SONS OF LIBERTY (2001), METAL GEAR SOLID 3: SNAKE EATER (MGS3) (2004) and METAL GEAR SOLID: PEACE WALKER (2010) which debuted on the PSP®, in one package. In addition, METAL GEAR SOLID HD EDITION contains the ports of METAL GEAR and METAL GEAR 2: SOLID SNAKE for the MSX2 that were included with the complete version of MGS3, METAL GEAR SOLID 3: SUBSISTENCE (2005).

Is there a pricetag for this package? Not yet, so stay tuned.

Former F1 Driver Beats GT5 Players on Top Gear Test Track

Sam Naylor — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 14:01:07 +0000

David Coulthard took on a handful of Gran Turismo 5 players on the Top Gear test track this week, beating all comers.

Driving a (6.3 litre V8) Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, the former Formula 1 driver set a blistering 1’16.32 time around Dunsfold Park in Surrey, England. Fans of the show will know this is a fantastic time, beating the Stig’s 1’16.5 set in a Lamborghini Aventador.

Jason Birt, a seriously good Gran Turismo 5 player, managed a 1’16.868 on the virtual track, just half a second off the real-life time. He said:

I only got the call on Thursday to say that I was taking part and so I am really happy to have won the virtual race and be going to Brazil. Shame I didn’t get to beat DC, but he is a real pro and it would have been quite a feat to beat him. A massive thank you to Mercedes-Benz and PlayStation for making this happen.

You can join in the fun on your own PS3, too, by having a go at the special event “Mercedes-Benz Driving Event” like nearly 80,000 people have already done.