Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up Isn’t Fully Out Of Its Shell Yet

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Smash-Up” is shaping up to be a great game, whether you’re a Turtles fan, or not. We recently had a chance to check out the latest build of the game a few weeks ago in NYC, and the game is going to be a lot of fun. There’s a ton of characters, the gameplay is tight, and you’re going to be able to take your skills online. But that’s just the beginning. Even though the game is only a few weeks out from release, according to the game’s producer, Alex Offermaan, there’s a whole lot more to come that they have yet to release to the public. Check out Unit’s interview with him to get a glimpse at what’s to come from “TMNT: Smash-Up”. [Continue Reading]

E3 ‘09: Sony Preps For Their Biggest Year Yet

Yikes, I have a lot to get to, here. Yesterday, Sony followed up Nintendo’s mediocre conference with their own press conference filled with huge announcements. While I still think Micorsoft stole the show with their Project Natal, Sony came in at a very close second, and it looks like the PS3 (and PSP) have their biggest year ahead of them yet. [Continue Reading]

Sony’s Big Announcement is $100 PS2? Sony to Hold Press Confernece To Announce It’s Wednesday

Grrrrr, everybody. I’m a bit frustrated today, as word of Sony’s rumored big announcement has finally been revealed, and all it is is a $30 dollar PlayStation 2 price drop… bummer. I, like many other gamers who heard there would be a “big” announcement, was under the impression that a much needed PS3 price drop was on its way. Instead, Sony took a 9-year-old console, that’s past its prime, and tried to give it one last shock of life.

On Sunday,  multiple high-profile gaming websites were reporting that Sony were going to have a big announcement for us all on Tuesday, and many believed that it would have something to do with the PS3. Today, Sony shot those hopes down by dropping the price of the PS2 from $129.99 to $99.99. [Continue Reading]

BlazBlue and Guilty Gear at Aksys’ Comic Con Booth

I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I’m looking forward to Aksys Games’ “BlazBlue” as much as I am “Street Fighter IV.” Created by the famed Arc System Works, “BlazBlue” looks absolutely gorgeous, and I’m a real sucker for great looking 2D fighters. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not very good at them, and most of you would kick my ass, but I do love playing them. At last week’s New York Comic Con we stopped by Askys’ booth to get a look at the beautiful “BlazBlue” and its spiritual predecessor “Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus.” If you doubt my judgment on just how good “BlazBlue” looks… just watch the video, and then go get your PS3s ready.

Joining The Vintage Game Club!

I’m a fairly young guy, so it’s a sad fact that I missed out on plenty of good old games simply because of my age. But many thanks to the internet gods for Amazon, Game Tap, and GoG, because I have access to a bunch of these oldies but goodies for cheap (and occasionally FREE). The only problem I ran into was the awkwardness of playing these games by myself. I didn’t play these games because I loved them; I just wanted to experience them and get some knowledge on the evolution of games. However nice it was to see for myself that the industry is aging gracefully, I often felt something was missing like being on a beach with a tropical drink that doesn’t have an umbrella. Eventually, I figured out that missing piece was other gamers. Only a few old games have cult-like followings that still converse about them on a daily basis, so the possibility of finding that missing piece was slim. Then, I found out about the Vintage Game Club…

The Vintage Game Club is the brain child of three amazing video game writers: Micheal Abbott, also known as The Brainy Gamer; Dan Bruno, writer of an extremely interesting game music blog entitled Cruise Elroy; and David Carlton, who reveals his love for games in malvasia bianca. They created a little place where they facilitate organized vintage game playing, through both popular and obscure titles,  and participate in deep discussions about them. This generally happens in cycles, one game at a time, which is chosen by taking suggestions from the community and then by vote. So far, three games have been completed: “Grim Fandango”, “Dues Ex”, and “Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee” and they are moving on the their 4th game which starts on Sunday, January 25th. For this cycle the VGC community picked “Beyond Good and Evil”. If you are looking for a taste of what the Vintage Game Club is all bout, there are plenty of good preliminary thought posts to check out in the VGC forums already. 

Preview Impressions: Pipe Mania

Sometimes it doesn’t hurt to update a video game that’s been around for almost 20 years, as long as that game is good. This past year alone we’ve seen the reinventing of such classic franchises as “Bionic Commander,” “Pac-Man,” and “Space Invaders,” and this September, there will be another title to add to that list, “Pipe Mania.” If the name doesn’t sound too familiar, I promise you the gameplay will.

You may know it as “Pipe Dream,” or the hacking game from “Bioshock,” in fact, “Pipe Mania” has been released on at least 18 different platforms over the last 19 years. However, even with all those different versions, the fundamental gameplay mechanics (get the water or “flooze” from Point A to Point B without letting it flow out of a disconnected pipe) has stayed the same, and really, that’s the mark of a good game. As you may expect, the same holds true for the newest version, but, it adds on a handful of updates and tweaks to the formula that help breathe some new life into a classic franchise.

I had the opportunity to take a look at the upcoming DS version of “Pipe Mania” and realized that this could be one of the best incarnations of the game, since the original, simply based on the controls. Using the stylus to lay your pipe makes things significantly easier than using a d-pad to target you pipe position. The DS version also included an interesting additional feature that the Playstation 2 and PSP versions of the game won’t have called a wildcard piece. Basically, there are pencils mixed into the feed of pipe pieces as they scroll, and when the pencil comes up, you get to draw the piece that you want or need, which can come in very handy when the flooze is about to overflow.

The most noticeable changes to the game can be seen in the World mode, which is essentially the story mode. A variety of levels and boss battles really help the game feel like a unique “Pipe Mania” experience. No longer are you just trying to get flooze through the pipe, now you also have to move everything from trains to rubber duckys. It’s a great way to mix things up a bit, and it adds another level of challenge to the game. For example, instead of having to get a train from Point A to Point B, you have to get those trains pass through certain spots on the grid, so it actually ends up going from Point A to Point C and then to Point B.

Once you’ve made it through a series of levels in World mode you have to face the boss. The overall goal throughout the story is to defeat the “cowboy” plumber, and in order to do so, you need to take on all the challenges of each level, and then defeat the boss. In the level I played I not only had to complete the pipes, but I also needed to repair the ones that the boss damages. It’s proof that this isn’t the same game that you’ve been playing for years.

While the art direction in the game may skew a little young, the gameplay is still solid, but with the addition of a variety of different ways to play the game. If you’ve enjoyed any of the other versions of the game that have been available over the years, then you might want to keep an eye out for “Pipe Mania” when it comes out on September 30th for the DS, PSP, PS2, and PC.