Mortal Kombat certainly seems to be on the comeback trail. Not that it ever really went away, but the recent reboot has taken it back to its wonderful roots and reinvigorated the fan base. What better way to capitalize on that than a re-release of the original trilogy. I first mentioned the announcement of Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection in VGQH several months ago with a promise to update as soon as I hear more. They’ve now announced a confirmed release date of August 30 on PSN, XBLA, and PC for $9.99 (800 points). The Kollection includes Mortal Kombat, MKII, and Ultimate MKIII. The games aren’t exactly in their pure form though. They’ve added online play and leaderboards. And, in case your an achievment/trophy whore, here’s what you can earn (2oo total achievement points):
- Arcade Kompetitor, Kombatant, and Konqueror (finish MK, MKII, and MKIII, respectively)
- The Chosen One (complete all three games)
- Finish Him (first Fatality)
- Goo Goo Ga Ga (first Babality)
- Beware of the Beast (first Animality)
- Can’t We All Just Get Along (first Friendship)
- Perfect Strangers (ranked Kombat Flawless Victory)
- Konnected Kill (win one online 1v1 match)
- Elder God (win 2oo online matches)
- Flawless x2 (double flawless against AI)
If Suda 51 has shown us anything over the years, it’s that he’s a seriously weird dude. The CEO and founder of Grasshopper Manufacture has been responsible for such bizarre titles as Killer7, No More Heroes, Shadows of the Damned, and the upcoming Lollipop Chainsaw. At Gamescom last week it was announced he has another brain bender coming to PSN and XBLA this winter in the form of Black Knight Sword. The easy way to describe this is 2D hack and slash platforming. But this is Suda 51, so there’s clearly more to it. Here’s Grasshopper’s official take on it:
Black Knight Sword is a fresh, modern and interactive interpretation of a dark fantasy fairy tale: The Black Knight is led by the sword fairy through a whimsical world of eye-catching environments filled with curious looking creatures, only to discover who really caused the nightmare tragedy that he now finds himself trapped in…
A throwback to the classic platformers for the 8 and 16-bit era of games, Black Knight Sword harkens a simpler time when simple yet addictive and challenging gameplay dominated the scene.
Does this sound like an insane take on Ghosts ‘n’ Goblins to anyone else? Take a look at these screens to help you make sense of it. What’s with the stage curtain effect?
For all of you mixed media types, the third and final issue of the Rage back story comic is in stores now. This is your chance to learn about the crazed mutants and antagonistic (and well-armed) Authority before the game releases the first week of October. For some reason I actually have no interest in this game, despite it being post-apocalyptic, a favorite theme of mine. But, the comics are interesting. I’d be inclined to continue reading them if they developed it into a regular series.
If you still haven’t gotten enough Fallout: New Vegas, and who can ever have enough Fallout, you’ll be thrilled to know the fourth DLC chapter, Lonesome Road, has a real release date. Not only will you be able to get this chapter for $9.99 on September 20th, there are two more packs coming on September 27th. The “Courier’s Stash” ($1.99) collects all of the various pre-order packs (Caravan, Classic, Mercenary, and Tribal) into one bundle. The “Gun Runner’s Arsenal” ($3.99) “increases the range of unique weapons, weapon mods, ammo types and recipes waiting to be uncovered in the vast Mojave Wasteland.” Huh? I can take this so many ways. Does it actually increase the weapon’s effective range? Does it mean you’ll be able to buy unique weapons from the Gun Runner faction? Hopefully not, those guys shoot me on sight. Or does it mean there will be more unique weapons scattered throughout the landscape and in the hands of NPCs? As soon as I have more details on this point you’ll be reading it here. Meantime, check out this mustachioed freak with what could be one of those new unique weapons (I haven’t noticed a Nuka-Axe in my 130+ hours with the game):
One of the best Sonic the Hedgehog games is getting its HD re-release. Sonic CD is scheduled to hit XBLA, PSN, PC, and mobile devices later this year. This game has been much-loved since its original 1993 release, but has received lackluster effort for an update until now. The original Japanese soundtrack is now included and parts of the game have been reworked for widescreen presentation. If you’ve been wanting to fight Robotnik through time in HD, your time is coming.
Tuesday’s VGQH mentioned SEGA’s Binary Domain was releasing next year on Valentine’s Day. Gaming on Valentine’s Day has its own built-in jokes so I’ll leave them out this time. Instead, I would like to introduce SEGA’s new game to the reason it will get its ass kicked in sales: Twisted Metal. Having recently been delayed from its scheduled October release date, David Jaffe’s reboot of the car combat series is now set for February 14, 2012. And, while shooting everything in sight is probably a good way to spend Valentine’s Day, ramming a missile up someone’s tailpipe is a little more appropriate.
There are plenty of excellent games coming this fall, but one of my most anticipated titles is Assassin’s Creed: Revelations. There are several different specially bundled versions of this game floating about at various retailers around the world, but GameStop has just announced their “Ultimate” bundle. This version is priced at $99.99 and comes with all of the signature edition add-on stuff plus a 7″ Ezio figure with over 30 points of articulation and a replica of DaVinci’s Flying Machine that just happens to fit a 6-7″ figure. If you’re into collectibles, these detailed pieces are perfect for your gaming room. [Sorry for the small pic. I lifted it straight from GameStop and trying to blow it up looked terrible.]
That looks to be it for today. PAX Prime is this weekend. That one’s pretty hit or miss on the news quantity, but check back here on Tuesday for all the best updates from the show. And, if you’re looking to watch a couple of free movies this weekend, head to Brewvies Sunday night. Starting at 5pm, our friends from the Geek Show Podcast will be showing The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. Last I heard they may even be recording the next three episodes of the show in the bar earlier in the day. Assuming I survive the rest of the weekend at Rockport I plan to be there. [Seriously, I’ve had a string of stupid accidents lately that have caused me just enough bodily harm to be miserable, but not enough to go to a doctor. Spending a couple nights at a reservoir seems like a good way to cripple myself.]