I picked this game up a few days ago, on account of how rad the rest of the Nintendo DS Castlevania games have been and I was not disappointed. On the other hand it didn’t bring almost anything new to the series at all. The story is basically the same, someone is trying to bring Count Dracula to power, and you don’t want them to.

Well, it’s slightly more complicated than that. The main character in the game is a human broad named Shanoa and she has the unique ability to suck in “glyphs” and then use their powers. Someone steals the glyphs that contain Dracula’s power, and you are trying to get them back.

The trailers for this game were very deceptive, because it looked like the format was going to majorly change. The trailers were filled with magic spells that looked very unconventional, but radical, and there was very little weapon fighting, which seems to be what the other games are very much about. It turns out that this game was also very much about it, you are mostly using swords and maces just like the other games. So nothing much changed, but not changing from a winning formula is change we don’t need, right? They do introduce new ways to fight the same way though, and this somehow kept me very interested, amen.

That’s not change! That’s more of the same! –Slugtron & Joe Biden

This game is actually a pretty easy beat, you may get stuck at a few of the bosses at the beginning but by the end you have so much dope shit that you are practically unstoppable. So you are way more likely to die against the crab boss in the third dungeon than by Death himself. Which some might consider a flaw, but I had fun the whole time. I even had fun running through the game a second time on hard! Which was even easier then playing through on easy (because you get to keep all of your equipment.) On the plus side there is a harder version of hard, and also a different version of the game with another character, as well as all the other normal Castlevania extras like a boss rush mode.

All in all, I highly recommend this game to anyone that liked any other Castlevania game. But it’s simple enough for someone who hasn’t played any of the other games who wants to jump in and have fun. In fact as far as the revamped series goes starting from Symphony of the Night, this is about the easiest and most basic, even though I think the trailers would force you to believe something completely different.

As with all Castlevania games I would recommend jumping on it and buying it quick. Because for some reason they usually mysteriously stop producing them after the first week and seldom go down in price. In fact this game has an “out of stock” message at the creator Konami’s website.

Order of Ecclesia gets 143 out of 156 stars as well as a decree by me, Doctor Cyborg, that Castlevania rocks! But only until the movie comes out and embarasses the entire franchise. Apparantly written by Paul W.S. Anderson the mastermind behind such wonders as “Alien Vs. Predetor” and “Mortal Kombat”. Not that directing those movies wasn’t already a black eye, I would also like to point out that with nine films he has a 0% success rate on rotten tomatoes. Directed by Sylvain White the professor that gifted us with such miracles as “I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer” and “Stomp the Yard” also boasting an astringent 0% on rotten tomatoes. You better strap in and then hold on to your hats when these two come together. Also I don’t really care for the idea of a Castlevania fighting game that is slated to come out later this month.

Its official. Atari purchased the Ghostbusters game from Activision for a flat fee. It will be relased Q2 of 2009. You can read the story at ProtonCharging.com.

Superman: New Krypton Special

Writers- Geoff Johns, James Robinson and Sterling Gates

Artists- Gary Frank (Penciler) and Jon Sibal (Inks), Renato Guedes(P) and Wilson Magalháes(I), and Pete Woods (P/I)

Let me start by saying I hate specials and crossovers. I do not like to buy other books when crossovers happen for a myriad of reasons, but the big two being story and cost. Typically, when you read issue “A” of one series and the next part in book “B”, you loose something in translation as the two writers attempt to make the story cohesive and work. Not only that, but “Special” usually means a book that costs more and includes reprints or some kind of supplemental material (which is in reality padding any way you slice it), it’s usually a lose-lose situation.

“Superman: New Krypton Special” is both the end of the previous “Braniac” arc and the beginning of the New Krypton story. The book comes in at a stunning 40 pages of story (48 pages, do the math on the ads yourself) for an extra buck ($3.99). The story tells what is both the worst time and the best time in the life of Clark Kent, his father recently deceased (John Kent) and his “Kryptonian” family (Aunt and Uncle) arriving with 999,998 (that’s 1,000,000 all together) other Kryptonians. Unfortunately, these Kryptonians didn’t have the benefit of being raised by a kindly Kansas couple and see humanity as lesser beings.

Geoff Johns, James Robinson, and Sterling Gates all manage to mesh together in one cohesive story (their books being Action Comics, Superman, and Supergirl respectively). On the same note, not so much on the artists ends (through no fault of their own). The art of Gary Frank (of Action Comics) tells the story of the funeral of Clark’s father, and why Jonathan Kent was so important in whom Clark is. In an inner thoughts moment that is emotionally chilling, Johns and Frank tells us why it’s important that Superman not “act” the way we would want to given the circumstances, and what would happen should Superman drop what some perceive as a dated morality. Additionally, Frank manages to capture the essence of Christopher Reeves in appearance and mannerisms in both his renderings of Clark and Superman.

The art of Renato Guedes and Pete Woods seems to mesh pretty well in a drastic departure from Frank’s work. It doesn’t interrupt the flow of the story so much, but is a bit jarring to adjust to. The two artists manage to tie the story together with their respective writers. For the first time, I actually admit to myself that I want to read the three individual Super-books, and not for the crossover (New Krypton runs through Action Comics, Superman, and Supergirl).

From Telltale games:

We have just released chapter two of “Behind the Bad,” a documentary series that pulls back the curtain on our working relationship with the star of Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People. In this episode, Strong Bad gets fed up when his design demands are not met and goes a little nuts. Hilarity ensues.

Yes, you read right. Battle.net, source of infinite gamer joy, may cease to be what gave us a reason to us it: A free place to play great games with people all over the world.

Now, myself, I’ll never forget the sleepless nights spent leveling in the deepest depths of Diablo II, or getting overrun by some Korean kid’s twenty carriers before I had a single Barracks in Starcraft. That will possibly all change in the near future according to Blizzard’s Jay Wilson, who spoke at a Diablo III panel a few days ago. “We are looking to monetize Battle.Net so that we get to keep making these games and updating features,” Wilson announced, then continued: “We kind of have to.”

Nuh-uh. Not good enough. They’re telling us, with five year old or more games still flying off the shelves, (Starcraft STILL has strong sales) and the incomprehensible amount of revenue generated through WoW, they can’t keep Battle.net free? I call bullshit.

In Blizzard’s defense, however, I don’t think they are directly responsible for this move. With the Activision-Blizzard merger, all sorts of weird, non-sensical things have been happening. Starcraft II is now slated as a trilogy, (WTF?) and I have a feeling Activision is big in pushing these greedy techniques. After all, Wilson continued to say that Blizzard itself does not have a strong desire to make it a paid service.

So what will happen? Only time will tell… But it will be a side day for both human and robot gamers if this actually happens.

R.I.P.

This Week there were 4 games that were released 2 WiiWare as well as 2 Virtual Console.

World of Goo (2D Boy, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone—Comic Mischief, 1,500 Wii Points): World of Goo is an award-winning, physics-based puzzle/construction game made entirely by two guys. Grab living, squirming, talking globs of goo to build structures, bridges, cannonballs, zeppelins and giant tongues. The millions of Goo Balls that live in the beautiful World of Goo are curious to explore—but they don’t know that they are in a game, or that they are extremely delicious. World of Goo Corporation is contractually obligated to state that everyone is a winner, and is enthusiastic to celebrate everyone’s Goo building opportunities equally.

This is a really odd looking puzzle game that uses Goo to make structures to pass levels.  You can see a game play here. It looks fun as long your in to the weird.  I would have to say it is worth a try if you have the money.

Art Style: CUBELLO (Nintendo, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 600 Wii Points): Art Style: CUBELLO mixes the strategy and feel of a traditional puzzle game with the precision and reflexes required in a shooter. As each stage begins, various colored cubes form into one large object called a Cubello, which floats and rotates as you play. Launch additional cubes from your magazine and try to connect four or more of the same color, removing them from the Cubello and eventually leaving only its core. Take on the challenge of either Stage or Endless mode and watch what happens when Bonus Time is activated. The straightforward controls and goal ensure that anyone can play, while offering enough depth that even advanced players will find themselves quickly addicted to the unique world of Art Style: CUBELLO.

Another odd Puzzle game came out.  this game is all about Cube elimination; by shooting other cubes at them placing 4 of the same color next to each other.  This game seems fun but I would think if you have got any of the other Puzzle games that the Wii has then you still have more of that game to play.  you can see game play here.

SECRET OF MANA (Super NES™, 1-3 players, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older—Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, 800 Wii Points): Good and evil battle for a young warrior’s heart. There is one force in the universe that keeps good and evil in perfect balance. It is called the tree of Mana. But a magic sword has tricked a young warrior into upsetting this balance, spreading evil throughout the land. Thus, the warrior must undertake a dangerous journey to find the seeds of the Mana tree, which have been hidden for centuries. Only then can perfect harmony be restored. In this incredible adventure, things are not as they seem. Magic swords release evil as well as fight it. Treasure chests hold booby traps. Monsters are friends and friends are enemies. Potions give power, black magic takes it away. Dragons fly, weapons change. It’s a world turned upside down that you must help the warrior make right. And the only way to succeed is to solve the Secret of Mana.

This Game Rocks that is all there is to it.  But for all of you that might not got to this game back on the Super Nintendo here is some gameplay for you. This game is an action RPG that you can play with up to 3 players.  Each character has there own use the “Boy” is all about attacking,  the “Sprite” is all about Attack Spirits, and the “Girl” is all about Enhancing the party with Spirits.  This can be a fairly long rpg if you do not know the game very well.  The story and art are awesome.  I would recommend that anyone with time to play a great action rpg purchase and play this game.

STREET FIGHTER II’: SPECIAL CHAMPION EDITION (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, Rated T for Teen—Violence, 800 Wii Points): STREET FIGHTER II’: SPECIAL CHAMPION EDITION was the first STREET FIGHTER game released for the Sega Genesis console. The STREET FIGHTER series can be considered one of the first fighting games to popularize competitive video game fighting. This version of the game contains both the CHAMPION and HYPER rule sets, from the two editions released in the arcades. It also introduced an exclusive Group Battle mode that is now a general feature in most fighting games. Play as one of 12 different characters, each with their own distinctive fighting style. Try single-player mode or challenge a friend in this legendary, classic fighting game.

Although Street Fighter II is a great game.  It becomes very hard to discern the different versions.  This is going to be good for anyone that has not already bought a version.  It has a couple rule sets that can make it a better choice than some of the other versions.  If you need to see the game here is some game play.

At the end of the day this was a really good day for the Virtual Console.

Then maybe these couple of new videos will raise your spirits and get that bad taste out of your mouth… Well, at least if you like Spider-Man and video games…

If you play Halo, then you’ve probably already seen this, but none-the-less, here’s the Halo 3 Recon trailer:

And while you’ve probably already see that, you may not have see the official cover work for the game, so here you go!

I know Kill-Tacular-Tron and I are huge Halo nerds (I know, shocking that a robot named Kill-Tacular-Tron would like Halo), so we are extremely psyched about this. Here’s what’s known about the expansion so far, straigh from xbox.com:

To the delight of devoted fans across the world, at the Tokyo Game Show Microsoft debuted Halo 3: Recon, developed exclusively for Xbox 360® by acclaimed developer Bungie. This new chapter in the Halo saga lets you experience events leading up to the epic story told in Halo 3 through the eyes of a new hero in the Halo universe.

The stand-alone expansion, set to release in fall 2009, extends the award-winning Halo® 3 experience with hours of new campaign excursions and multiplayer gameplay. In addition, attendees were given an all-new glimpse of the Xbox 360 exclusive strategy game Halo Wars from Ensemble Studios. The campaign mode provided a thrilling taste of the revolutionary gameplay and new perspective of the Halo universe. Enjoy the full experience when Halo Wars hits retailers in early 2009.

Game Details

This new chapter in the Halo universe includes the following:

• All-new campaign content: The Halo 3: Recon campaign is an intriguing side story that takes place during the terrifying events leading up to the Master Chief’s return to New Mombasa in Halo 3. Experience the fate of Earth from the brand-new perspective of a special forces ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Trooper), adding a unique outlook and new gameplay elements to the events that unfold in the trilogy’s finale. While the feel of this new chapter greatly resembles that of previous Halo experiences, Halo 3: Recon will require you to employ more elements of stealth and cunning than ever before.
• Prepare to drop: Known for their courage, valor and, at times, insanity, ODSTs are among the fiercest UNSC soldiers, priding themselves on being the first unit deployed into hostile situations. While not as large or supernaturally gifted as their Spartan comrades, these “Hell Jumpers” more than compensate with their ferocious attitudes and unwavering nerve.
• Expanded multiplayer collection:No Halo experience would be complete without groundbreaking multiplayer content, and Halo 3: Recon gives fans more of what they love. With exclusive new maps and expanded Forge options, Xbox LIVE® Gold members will find more multiplayer content than ever before with Halo 3: Recon.
• Ever-growing community options: Enjoy all the great Halo 3 technological innovations, including Saved Films, screenshots, Campaign Scoring, and four-player co-op. All of the new multiplayer maps fully support the Forge editor, offering endless gameplay customization possibilities.

And if you would like to throw down against or with Kill and I and our cohorts, feel free to bring it…

This week Nintendo released 4 games 2 each WiiWare and Virtual Console.

Midnight Bowling™ (Gameloft, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): Plunge directly into the trendy and electric atmosphere of Midnight Bowling. With awesome playing sensations, prepare for ultra-fun gaming thanks to a new physics engine that lets you control your throws precisely and easily with your Wii Remote™ controller and make spectacular spins that will impress your opponents. Face up to three friends in the fun party mode, where your playing abilities will be put to the test. Whatever your experience level, launch yourself into the immersive career mode, where you will play in the trendiest bowling spots on the planet against charismatic characters that will give you a run for your money.

If you ask me this game just is not worth getting because you have a game that came with the system that is bowling.  I am sure it has extras on the game but it just does not seem worth it.

MadStone (Riverman Media, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): Time is short. Earth trembles as the forces of nature stir and grow restless. Can you turn the tide? In this dynamic puzzle game, you must clear the path for your elemental MadStones to reach the bottom of the screen. Blocks can be broken by striking them directly or by the force of falling objects. The novice tries frantically to break enough blocks, while the master sets up cascading collapses with only a handful of direct strikes. As two sides struggle for domination, titanic forces build, only to be unleashed in an earth-shaking final confrontation.  Experience the mystical single-player journey, or challenge a friend in competitive two-player mode.

This is yet another puzzle game using the pointing function of the Wii Remote.  You can see it in action here. If you like that style you will have fun with this game.  Overall there are other puzzle games I would get first such as Dr. Mario.

Mario Golf™ (Nintendo 64™, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): Mario™ takes a well-deserved break from his role as the Mushroom Kingdom’s busiest hero and returns to the links for some world-class golfing action. Since no one likes to hit the fairways alone, he’s brought along a group of friends-both familiar characters and brand new ones. Choose from 10 different modes of play and six 18-hole courses in a variety of environments for a golfing experience with endless replay value. Add in fun, colorful graphics with a Mario touch (a Boo indicates wind direction), intuitive controls, incredibly deep game play and multiplayer support (taunt your opponents), and you have a game anyone will enjoy-even if you’ve never played a round of golf. Fore!

if you did not already know what this game looked like you can see gameplay here. This game is going to be a fun game; but it might be worth waiting for the Wii or just getting the Gamecube Mario Golf.  If you like golf games this is a great game.  I’m sure children would play it, so it might be worth it for that alone.

Shining Force™ II (Sega Genesis, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): It’s a dark and stormy night in the kingdom of Granseal when a thief steals two jewels from the Tower of the Ancients. He sets in motion strange events that lead to the resurrection of Zeon, the Devil King. Granseal’s king falls sick, the princess is kidnapped, and a door to Arc Valley, the Devil King’s home, is opened. The young swordsman, Bowie, realizing the grave danger Granseal faces, must lead the Shining Force to find the Holy Sword and the stolen jewels, and protect Granseal against the invading armies of Zeon.

This is an old school turn based tactics game.  It might be worth trying out.  Although from what I can it seems pretty corny if that bothers you.  you can check out some game play here. Over all i would say this game looks fun and would be worth a try.  The cost seems about right.

These are some new game play photos of the upcoming Resident Evil 5, which I have to say looks really good.

*Click Photos to enlarge.

Here are some of the photos of today’s new expansion to Mega Man 9. The Proto Man pack.

And Finally the Cover art for Street Fighter 4!!!!!!!!

Street Fighter IV, I don’t want to just play it, I want to, you know……*wink wink!-Slugtron