Yes! We Have Bananas

September 10th, 2008 by hiphper88

Era só o que faltava. Em virtude de uma decisão da 17ª Vara Federal da Seção Judiciária do Estado de Minas Gerais, onde um juiz considerou imprópria a comercializ [leia mais]

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Penny Arcade looks at PS3 Bioshock “hate”

September 10th, 2008 by hiphper88

Do you “hate” Bioshock for the PS3?

We’ve all heard of Bioshock coming to the PlayStation 3 for the longest time. I’ve raised this issue at least a couple of occasions. When Penny Arcade brought up the notion that a number of staunch PS3 fans “hate” (or as the comic suggests, “feel a blend of semi-grudging acceptance and cautious enthusiasm”) the 2K-developed FPS, I was very surprised.

It wasn’t clear if the hate stemmed from being able to play Bioshock in the PC or Xbox 360 and not liking it because you fight the same types of enemies repeatedly, or if the feeling is just the after effects of sour grapes.

Since we’re talking about console-specific fanboys, I’m more inclined to believe that it’s sour grapes.

Does the PS3 version of Bioshock deserve this kind of reaction? Of course not. I may have a few complaints about the core game, but since I haven’t finished it yet (thanks to the headaches it gives me), I’m refraining from making any final judgments.

Speaking of Bioshock, maybe it’s time I install the game again on my PC. On the other hand, maybe not—at least until I finish Gears of War, which I moved to my backlog list since my PS3 and Liberty City demanded for more attention.

Tags: Bioshock, penny_arcade, ps3, ps3_games

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Age of Conan Links & Resources

September 10th, 2008 by hiphper88

Age_of_conan_02

For those of you flailing around for the latest information about Age of Conan, fear not. There’s plenty of resources out there in the Internets to keep you from drowning. Here are a few resources I’ve managed to scrounge up:

  • Name Generator – If you’d like to name your character something lore-appropriate, this name generator will help you on your way. You can select female/male, Stygian/Cimmerian/Aquilonian, and click to see what happens.
  • Conan Kave Feat Calculator – Conan Kave has an excellent feat generator for those of you who love to play with builds. The calculator has now been updated to include all classes.
  • Emote videos – If you’re dying to see what the emotes in Age of Conan look like, check them out at Ten Ton Hammer.
  • Ten Ton Hammer – Speaking of TTH, they are one of the leading sources of AoC news and information. Be sure to drop them into your bookmarks if you haven’t already.
  • Massively/AoC – Massively has an Age of Conan section that’s worth checking out
  • AoC at Curse – Curse, infamous home of WoW addons, now houses their very own Age of Conan section. This is a site to check daily!

I’m sure a lot more sites will be popping up in the near future (and be sure to link me if I’ve missed any!) Hopefully these will provide some insight and assistance should you find yourself lost in Hyboria.

 

Image courtesy of Eidos/Funcom.

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Poll Result: WoW Defines the Genre Definers

September 10th, 2008 by hiphper88

Leaving it off the list of possible selections would have biased the poll to an unacceptable degree, but at the same time, is anyone surprised that World of Warcraft came out on top in the latest Play-Girlz poll, which asked:

Who Best Epitomizes Their Genre?

Over a third of you (35% to be exact) felt that World of Warcraft best characterized its genre. To call WoW a game might actually be downplaying the influence and immense reach of the Blizzard title. Phenomenon might be a better descriptor. It single-handedly exploded the MMO genre and brought not only these online games into the mainstream, but brought renewed interest from different sectors of the popular media and pop culture to the video game industry.

Hot on the heels of WoW was Final Fantasy, which 26% of respondents felt best represented a “genre definer” for its continuing, impressive grip on the scene. The franchise’s incredible stamina, identifiable characters and high profile releases have made it come to mind almost instantaneously when RPGs are mentioned.

Third up was a tie between the most well-known game of all time, and one near and dear to my 80’s child gaming heart. Receiving 10% each of all votes cast Super Mario Bros. and Doom have obviously made their mark on the Action/Adventure and FPS genres respectively.

Rounding out the list were:

  • at 9% Command and Conquer (RTS) and Madden (Sports)
  • at 1% Bejewelled (Casual) and EverQuest (MMORPG)

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Phil Harrison talks Alone in the Dark, spotlight shines on game footage

September 10th, 2008 by hiphper88

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Adventure

The dialog may sound cheesy, but Alone in the Dark looks like it could be good enough (and given our hands-on, maybe even 3 million units good enough) to try when it releases in late June. In the video above, Atari/Infogrames Directeur Général Délégué Phil Harrison speaks to 1Up about being impressed after seeing AitD for the first time and enjoying the narrative structure of the title.

The real highlight in the video is the impressive amount of gameplay footage shown, which gives us a much better idea of what the title will actually be like. We’re not sure yet if Alone in the Dark will be “blow your mind” fantastic, but much like The Darkness last summer, it appears well suited in getting some attention from the consoles it’ll launch on during a less-than-crowded release time. Don’t fret PS3 owners, you should be way too busy with Solid Snake starting June 12 to care about little ol’ Edward Carnby.

Gallery: Alone in the Dark (2008)

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Review: LostWinds Is Sweet, but Very Short

September 10th, 2008 by hiphper88

Lostwindsreview

LostWinds is a great little WiiWare game. Emphasis on the little.

Arguably the premiere title for Nintendo’s recently launched games-on-demand service for Wii, LostWinds is in most every respect a model Wii game: It’s fun, it’s novel and it uses the Wiimote’s controls in a unique and fun way. Only problem is, about two hours in — just as I was getting into it and having a ball — the game ended.

It’s a shame, because I was completely engaged in the story and world. LostWinds is the tale of Toku, a young boy who as near as I can tell is cursed with the inability to jump. This is a crippling character flaw for a would-be hero of a 2-D platforming game. Luckily, he has help. The wind spirit, Enril, teams up with Toku to blow him hither and yon, up sharp cliffs and across wide gaps.

The clever conceit here is that you control both Toku (the charming young lad pictured above) and Enril (the blue square). You move Toku around with the joystick, and Enril is controlled like a cursor with the Wiimote. To make the wind blow, you hold down the A button and draw a line across the screen.

This will carry Toku away on a gust of wind, but it’ll also do a whole host of other things: Move objects, destroy enemies or activate switches, to name three. The gameplay thus revolves around using your powers to get Toku from place to place unharmed, finding new powers and upgrading Enril until the two of your are powerful enough to take on a boss monster.

It all works very well. The Wiimote control is accurate, and moving Toku around is just challenging enough at first that you feel like a total genius when you finally get the hang of it. Master LostWinds’ gameplay mechanics and you can easily move Toku (and anything else) anywhere you like, on the winds.

The graphics and music are fantastic. The art design is quite
reminiscent of Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, and the soundtrack is a
lovely, calming, flutes-and-things arrangement. LostWinds is on the whole an entrancing game experience, and I enjoyed every second.

But only for about two hours and 11 minutes, in my case.

It’s actually not the length that left me wanting so much more. It’s the depth. LostWinds sets up a whole variety of different powers for Toku and creates a few clever puzzles out of them. But the whole game feels like an extended tutorial: The puzzles are basic and simple, and you never even get to the more complex ones that your gamer-sense tells you are coming.

Really, I don’t mind short games per se. I just believe that games should only be as long as they need to be. The trouble with LostWinds, and with Penny Arcade Adventures, which was released earlier this week, is that the end comes just as things are getting exciting. These are both the inaugural episodes in ongoing series — developer Frontier has said that a LostWinds sequel is forthcoming — so we’ll be getting more soon. But it’s like eating an appetizer and then having to wait forever for dinner.

So, should you buy LostWinds? If you like games with beautifully crafted atmosphere and clever gameplay concepts, by all means. It’s only $10. But don’t be surprised if you finish it in a single gameplay session.

– Chris Kohler

WIRED Beautiful graphics and music, clever use of Wiimote, quite fun

TIRED 2:11

$20, Frontier

Rating:

Read Game|Life’s game ratings guide.

Images courtesy Nintendo

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KingsIsle casting MMO spell on kiddos with Wizard101

September 10th, 2008 by hiphper88

Filed under: PC, MMO, Casual

It seems like a day seldom goes by without news of one company or another vying for its own sliver of delicious crust from the MMO pie. The latest to take a bite is Austin-based startup KingsIsle Entertainment, which this morning officially threw its crown into the ring by announcing a new MMO titled Wizard101.

Designed for the younger set in mind, the colorful game plays on such things as Harry Potter and CCGs by casting players in the role of a youngster at a wizarding school where spells and combat play out in turn-based fashion using collectible online cards. While obviously not competing with the likes of World of Warcraft or Age of Conan, the game looks to offer tweens coming off of such things as Toontown or Club Penguin a game with a slightly more serious MMO flavor when Wizard101 casts its spell in the third quarter.

Gallery: Wizard101

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Danjo Double Bill

September 10th, 2008 by hiphper88

Copyright © 2008 The Caffeine Kid. Visit the original article at http://www.retroremakes.com/wordpress/2008/04/29/danjo-double-bill/.

Boom boom boom

You lucky, lucky people - right here we don’t just have a single remake we have two of the blighters lined up just for you. Danjo of ACODERS has been a busy bee and just informed us of his Asteroids and Lunar Lander games, both with a decidedly thrusty bent.

DebrisLunar Lander

Both games are entries into the “20 Event Competition” that Clickteam are currently holding, where a game has to be created within heavy restrictions, which always tends to bring the best out people, or at least get them thinking outside the box.

Good luck Danjo, and thanks for sharing your games with us, and thanks for informing us about the competition. If you want to enter the competition (or download the games) check out the links below.

Where do you want to go today?

Visit the Debris download page.

Visit the Lunar Lander download page.

Read the forum thread for the games.

Find out more about the Clickteam “20 Event” Competition.

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Blizzard Striking Down WoW Botters

September 10th, 2008 by hiphper88

Wownex1

More than a year after Blizzard officially filed suit against the creators of popular World of Warcraft botting program Glider, the company has begun banning large swaths of the WoW playerbase who had been using the program.

“Glider is a tool that plays your World of Warcraft character for you,
the way you want it,” according to Glider’s promotional page.

Unfortunately for those found to be using the program, Blizzard considers automated gameplay to be a violation of the game’s rules.

As a result, the company has begun a mass campaign to remove all players found to be using the program from World of Warcraft.

Many fans of Glider argue that Blizzard’s EULA, and its stance that players are legally bound to an agreement that many simply click through on their way to the actual game, is faulty and that use of the program merely enhances their own enjoyment of the game.

Blizzard, on the other hand, feels that using programs to artificially inflate one’s status in the game gives players an unfair advantage over their peers.

Additionally, the company cites the lengthy EULA as an airtight, legally binding agreement that functionally gives it the right to ban players found in violation of their terms at any time.

There’s no word on whether these most recent bans (and those we expect to see crop up in the near future) are of the temporary or permanent variety, but after the protracted legal headache Blizzard has had to deal with as a result of the Glider program, it wouldn’t be surprising if Blizzard was striking these botters down with the sort of righteous fury usually associated with Norse Gods and Samuel L. Jackson.

Mass bannings strike Glider users [WoW Insider]

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Dragon Quest V Case For Nintendo DS Lite, Transparent & Light

September 10th, 2008 by hiphper88

Dragon Quest V Case For Nintendo DS Lite, Transparent & Light

Dragon Quest V from Square Enix is coming to the Nintendo DS on 17th July in Japan. And Hori has came up with a transparent Dragon Quest V Nintendo DS Lite case that can snuggle the handheld effortlessly. No additional strap or stylus is coming with the case. $13.90 for one, ships on the same date as the game.

Where To Buy:

NCSX {Dragon Quest V Accessory}

Image: Hori


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