World of Warcraft My Little Ponies

More wicked My Little Pony customs, this time done as World of Warcraft creatures like the Elf Hunter, Gnome Warlock, Imp and Tiger mount.

This piece were created by BlackAngel-Diana who has quite a few custom ponies to her name on her Deviant Art page. Though not videogame related, I do like her Harry Potter pony which features characters from the series riding on her back.

To think I use to just play and brush the hair of these ponies.

History of Videogames: The Musical?

The history of early videogames as sung by Game Jew to the tune of Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire".

Neo-Heartless and Dusk Nobody My Little Ponies

The newest trend on the net is the creation of custom My Little Ponies and I've been finding quite a few cool videogame themed pieces like Xylia's Kingdom Hearts pieces.

His Neo-Heartless (Pictured above) and Dusk Nobody (Below) are pretty sweet looking. He has unfortunately sold the pieces already, so you won't be able to own this pieces yourself, but he does have several mini versions of the Dusk Nobody available for $20 a piece.

Check out his original post on Livejournal's Girl Gamers to see the mini versions.

Review: Price is Right

Price is Right
Ubisoft, Ludia, Fremantle Media
Available for the Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS and PC

Call me a sucker for nostalgia but when it comes to the Price is Right, nobody in the world can turn down the chance to “come on down and be the next contestant on the Price is Right”, even if it is in just in a videogame. Ubisoft has brought to the pixelated screen after a long hiatus (the last Price is Right game made for a console system was for the Commodore 64), the Price is Right videogame, so those of us at home can finally put our pricing skills to the test instead of just yelling at the TV screen while we’re watching. And don’t tell me you don’t do it because we’ve all watch the Price is Right at some point during a day off or sick day and commented the whole way through that we could do better that the dumb college kid that just lost at cliff-hanger.

Both the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS have single player and multiplayer mode that allow you to play through the game show by yourself or with 3 other players. There is no online in either game and in the Wii version, you have to share a controller between all four players which is good, I guess for single remote families.

Each game has the 3 strike mode which allows you to play through contestants’ row, the pricing games, the showcase showdown and the showcase on a constant loop collecting as much prize money as possible until you gain three strikes. Strikes are obtained when you lose at contestants’ row or the showcase showdown and if you lose at the showcase down, you won’t go on to the showcase, which is weird, because if you lose at contestants’ row, you still get to play a pricing game.



In the Nintendo Wii version though, you do have a choice to play classic mode which plays like a real version of the game show, where you must win on contestants’ row to move onto a pricing game and so on.

The stylus and Wii remote controls are pretty much limited to point and click use and pulling down on the wheel. Hole in one does use the Wii remote as a putter but the accuracy is completely off and if you win, you do so by luck. I think the developers probably could have figured out a few more uses for their unique control options like using them to mix up the bag in three strike pricing game.

The Wii game has 17 pricing games while the DS version has 12, all from the actual Price is Right show and most of the classic favs are here like plinko, cliff-hanger, punch a bunch, hole in one (or two), etc. Each game has a challenge to full fill which increases your score and in the Wii version unlocks the game to play at any time and a video from the show which features Bob Barker. Most challenges just have you winning the pricing game at the highest value possible.

While the graphics look badly like something out of the days of the Nintendo 64 or Playstation, the atmosphere of the Price is Right has been captured by the developers in the colours, backgrounds and screen setups. Each item up for bid is shown as a video from the actual show though it would have been nicer for the videos to be shown in full screen instead of just tiny picture in picture.

Your avatar choices are very limited and don’t look anything like people would on the show. Miis would been so much cooler to use in the game instead of the token black women, the random old lady, and anonymous guy in military uniform. I’m surprised they didn’t include goofy college kid with stupid t-shirt.

Fans of the show will be happy though to hear the announcer from the Price is Right covering the announcing and a little bit of the host’s job through the game. Sure, the game would have been so much cooler with Bob Barker or even Drew Carey as the host, but having at least the announcer from the show makes this experience so worth the time to play it.

The game opens the same as the show does and it actual makes you want to clap and scream along side the multi-cloned audience. The theme song for the show and all the classic sound effects are in the game too, so expect to get the “waa-waa” when you lose at a pricing game.

There were a few issues with the announcer getting his lines cut off and his item descriptions not matching the item up for bid. Also each bit seemed a little hurried during the pricing games which along side the other sound glitches were really started to kill the mood of the game.

It’s hard for me to rate this game because the critic in me sees this as bit of mess but the Bob Barker lover in me finds this game to be too friggn’ cool. For anyone looking for a game to play against friends or family, I wouldn’t necessary pick this as my first choice especially with so many other good mini games and trivia games saturated the Nintendo Wii market right now but if you’re really a fan of the show, I would have to say this is not a bad representation of the game show. A couple of Mii avatars and maybe an appearance from Bob Barker and this game would have been the best game show videogame out there.

Rating: 6 out of 10
Rent it

Custom Ryu Hayabusa Figure

This custom Ryu Hayabusa figure was created by DeadGearHead. No much on how he made it, only that he plan to make some more weapons for it from Ninja Gaiden II.

[Via Paint Stik]

What a Wonderful Super Mario World!

Sung to the tune of "What a Wonderful World", Brentalfloss has created a neat song called "Super Mario World", where he basically has redone the lyrics to talk about Super Mario World.

BrentalFloss has created several other videogame themed songs like the popular Mega Man 3 title screen song with lyrics or the gregorian chant style Super Mario Bros. theme.

Obama Girl? Screw that. She's All About the Ackerman

She was hot and heavy into politics and now she's loving PC gaming.

Apparently the Obama girl has been swayed from the arms of Obama and now backing Ackerman of Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 fame.

At first I thought the video was a fan-made spoof or something, but it's the actual Obama girl and she's been grabbed by EA (Official Red Alert 3 website ad at the end) to promote the game.

Gotta love viral video.

Animal Crossing: City Folk Pet Costume Contest

With the new Animal Crossing: City Folk game coming out so soon, Nintendo decided to create a contest to promote the new game and torture animals at the same time. Those clever marketing people, always thinking!

The Welcome Waggin' Costume Contest wants fans of the Animal Crossing series to send in a picture of their pet in a cute costume. Nintendo will then pick 50 pictures from those entries to receive a prize pack which includes a Nintendo Wii, two copies of the Animal Crossing: City Folk game and two copies of Wii Speak.

Not a bad prize for just putting your pet in a costume and taking a picture.

I submited a picture already of my little dog, Rossi. Nothing special, just thought I'd throw him into the contest for the fun of it.

The Fallout Retrospective

In honour of Fallout 3 hit store shelves today, I decided to post Gametrailers' Fallout Retrospective, so gamers like me who have never played the series before can catch up on the back history of the game before they just into the fray.

Enjoy and Happy Mutant Killing!

Guy Proposes by Hacking ChronoTrigger

And Square Enix sues. Just kidding.

Phill aka TheRealPfhreak wanting a creative way to propose his girlfriend decided to use his amazing hacking skills to hack a level inside his girlfriend's ROM version of ChronoTrigger.

He changed the level to tell the story of two lovers and their epic affair in order to tell the story of their own lives together. He fixed it that when his girl would finally reach the end of the level there would be a knight who would reveal himself to be none other than Phill, who would then propose to his girlfriend using her name so she knew it wasn't part of the game.

At that point, the real Phil would be down on one knee with the ring waiting for his girlfriend to look over at him.

Of course, she said yes. Not before calling him a totally nerd, but ultimately she said yes.

Congrats to Phill and his new fiancee!

This makes that hacker who proposed using the Bejeweled game look pretty dull now, compared to Phill.

[Via Destructoid C-Blogs]

Populous DS Goes Gold!

Based on the original Populous PC classic from Electronic Arts, XSeed Games' Populous DS brings a re-imagination of the classic game which pioneered the God simulation genre.

Featuring touch-screen controls that utilize the dual-screens, players manipulate 5 elementally-imbued gods, each with their own unique miracles, within an extensive single-player campaign. Within the multiplayer wireless mode, up to 4 players can unleash earthquakes, tidal waves and raging volcanoes onto rival players’ lands.

The sweet new Populous DS will be hitting store shelves on November 11, 2008 for $29.99 MSRP.

Penny Arcade: Episode 2 Hits Xbox Live This Week

Guess what comes out this week on Xbox Arcade! Yep, it's Penny Arcade: On a Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode 2.

I reviewed and loved the first episode and can't wait to play the second episode. The new game hits the marketplace on Wednesday.

Box Art Revealed for Mad World

Sega revealed the official box art for their upcoming game, Mad World and boy, does it look violent ...

Perfect for this game, if I say so myself. Looking forward to checking this unique and artsy game when it comes out.

The Warcraft Retrospective: Part One

Gametrailers.com is the one of the best sites for putting together complete history lessons on epic game series. From Metal Gear to Final Fantasy, they've covered some great titles so far, but now they've started a retrospective on Warcraft.

Check out part one.

Playstation Store Downloads for October 23, 2008

Downloadable Games
Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One ($14.99)
The first installment in the RPG-adventure game series based on the web comic Penny Arcade. Create your character in the classic comic style, and join Gabe and Tycho in the alternate 1920s universe of New Arcadia, where you’ll combat savage enemies, solve mysteries, meet bizarre new characters, and discover their distinctive adult humor for a 100% authentic Penny Arcade experience!
ESRB Rated M
File size: 215 MB

Prince of Persia Classic ($9.99)
The original action adventure game comes to the PlayStation Network! Rescue the Princess from the clutches of the evil Jaffar in a redux of the original 1989 action-adventure that redefined the platform genre. All set for the HD-era, this enhanced and updated version features new character designs, animations, visuals, and lighting effects, all brought to you in glorious 1080p!
ESRB Rated T
File size: 117 MB

Add-on Game Content
BUZZ! Quiz TV Horror Pack ($5.99)
Scare away any challengers to your trivia crown with horror movie questions. This BUZZ! Quiz TV quiz pack features over 500 new questions about horror movies to play in any of your favorite BUZZ! Quiz TV game modes. Download this quiz pack today and turn your party into the ultimate trivia showdown. Challenge your friends and family with new questions and “Show ‘em Your Trivia!”
File size: 176 MB

High Velocity Bowling
All Hallow’s Eve Ball Pack ($0.99)
This High Velocity Bowling All Hallow’s Eve Ball Pack download contains six balls inspired by the fear and fun of Halloween! Add these downloadable balls to your High Velocity Bowling selection. It’s time to bowl – High Velocity style!
File size: 6.76 MB

Foxy ($0.99)
It’s time to bowl – High Velocity style! Add Foxy Powers, a retro revolutionary, to your High Velocity Bowling roster. Foxy hails from Oakland and has a powerful shot with good spin. Download includes Foxy’s special ball The Revolution, plus her new lane Foxy’s Den, styled with funky 70’s disco ambiance and music!
File size: 45 MB

Chastity ($0.99)
It’s time to bowl – High Velocity style! Add Chastity Falls, a talented and enthusiastic dancer, to your High Velocity Bowling roster. Chastity hails from South Carolina and puts some decent spin on the heavy balls. Download includes Chastity’s special Spare Change ball, plus the new Redneck Mansion lane, set in a rundown trailer park with unique audio.
File size: 46 MB

SOULCALIBUR IV Additional Character - Yoda ($4.99)
Play as Yoda who has appeared out of the blue in the SOULCALIBUR universe. His objective remains unknown…
File size: 7.13 MB

Mega Man 9 Superhero Mode ($0.99)
Superhero Mode will be added to the Special Games Section.
This mode is above and beyond Hero Mode in difficulty.
File size: 100 KB

Mega Man 9 Special Stage ($0.99)
Special Stage will be added to Time Attack.
You will be able to play the Special Stage.
File size: 103 KB

Mega Man 9 Hero Mode ($0.99)
Hero Mode will be added to the Special Games Section.
The enemies in this mode are much harder to defeat.
File size: 100 KB

Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution Scenario Pack: Survival ($1.25)
Go to the extremes of civility with the Survival Pack! Includes three map-based scenarios: Ice Age, Global Warming and The Eye.
File size: 32 MB

Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution Single Player Map Pack 2: Surreal (free)
Visit unique worlds with the Surreal Single Player Map Pack. Includes Atoll, Patterns, Mountains of Madness, and Paisley.
File size: 43 MB

Guitar Hero World Tour
“Hot Blooded” by Foreigner ($1.99)
“Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield ($1.99)
“Rock and Roll Band” by Boston ($1.99)
Guitar Hero World Tour Classic Rock Track Pack ($5.49) - Downloadable Track Pack featuring “Hot Blooded” by Foreigner, “Rock and Roll Band” by Boston, and “Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield. Please Note: Many songs are available both as singles and as a part of a Track Pack, so please carefully consider your purchases before downloading. For all song credits please visit www.guitarhero.com
File sizes: 32 MB - 36 MB (singles), 101 MB (track pack)

Guitar Hero World Tour: Guitar Duel Track Pack (free) - Downloadable Track Pack featuring the Zakk Wylde and Ted Nugent Guitar Duels from Guitar Hero World Tour.
File size: 62 MB

Guitar Hero World Tour Neversoft Track Pack (free) - Downloadable Track Pack for Guitar Hero World Tour featuring “Anything” by An Endless Sporadic and “Electrorock” by Sworn.
File size: 80 MB

Rock Band
Build your Rock Band library by purchasing these song game tracks. For song credits, visit www.RockBand.com.

“Dr. Feelgood” - Mötley Crüe ($1.99)
“Kickstart My Heart” - Mötley Crüe ($1.99)
“Rattlesnake Shake” - Mötley Crüe ($1.99)
“On a Plain” - Nirvana ($1.99)
“Polly” - Nirvana ($1.99)
“Something in the Way” - Nirvana ($1.99)
“Stay Away” - Nirvana ($1.99)
“Territorial Pissings” - Nirvana ($1.99)
“Breed” - Nirvana ($1.99)
“Lounge Act” - Nirvana ($1.99)
Nirvana Pack 01 ($10.99) - this track pack includes all of the above singles.
File sizes: 13 MB - 24 MB (singles), 140 MB (track pack)

Game Demos (free)
Valkyria Chronicles Demo
Valkyria Chronicles downloadable demo offering a full skirmish from the game. Preview the breathtaking graphics, meet some of the key characters in the game, and experience the exciting “BLiTZ” technology that combines strategic maneuvers with 3rd person action.
ESRB Rated T
File size: 581 MB

LEGO Batman: The Videogame Demo
Play the Demo! Fight the mayhem as superheroes BATMAN and ROBIN, or spread anarchy as one of GOTHAM CITY’S many supervillains such as THE JOKER, TWO-FACE and MR. FREEZE…all in LEGO form! Use new gadgets and weapons, and take control of classic Batman vehicles such as the LEGO BATMOBILE as you battle your way through Gotham!
ESRB Rated E10+
File size: 645 MB

Game Videos (free)
PAIN: The Hoff Trailer
File size: 52 MB (HD)

PAIN: Movie Studio Trailer
File size: 65 MB (HD)

SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation Behind the SEALs - Part 1
File size: 156 MB (HD)

Dead Space Animated Comic Issue #6
File size: 83 MB (HD)

Disney Sing It Trailer
File size: 34 MB (HD)

Guitar Hero World Tour MC5 Vignette
File size: 49 MB (HD)

Guitar Hero World Tour Motorhead Vignette
File size: 53 MB (HD)

Legendary Behind the Scenes Episode 5
File size: 143 MB (HD)

NHL 09 David Littman Producer Video
File sizes: 101 MB (HD)

NHL 09 Be A Pro Video
File sizes: 59 MB (HD)

Tom Clancy’s EndWar Theater of War Video Briefing
File sizes: 89 MB (HD)

PS3 Themes
Wipeout HD All Teams #3 Theme (free)
File size: 4.02 MB

Mega Man 9 Premium Theme (x5 @ $1.99 each)
File sizes: 1.37 MB - 1.64 MB

Videogame Movies: The Good, The Bad & The Uwe Bolled

Gametrailers.com counted down the worst videogame movies of all time this week, probably in honour of Max Payne flopping in theaters this weekend. While I personally have given up on all modern videogame based movies on actually being a good watch, I thought I would take this opportunity to list my favorite videogame movies from the past.

1. Mortal Kombat
2. Tomb Raider
3. The Wizard
4. Cloak & Dagger
5. Silent Hill
6. Super Mario Bros. (I totally disagree with Gametrailers on that one.)
7. Resident Evil
8. Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
9. Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life
10. The Dungeonmaster
11. Grandma's Boy
12. The Last Starfighter
13. Pokemon: The First Movie
14. Pokemon: The Movie 2000

I highly suggest The Wizard, The Last Starfigher, Cloak & Dagger and The Dungeonmaster for the retro gamers out there.

And just to give you an idea of the crappy videogame based movies that are in store for us, here's a list of movies that are either in production or pre-production right now:

* Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li
* Tekken
* Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
* American McGee’s Alice
* Area 51
* BioShock
* BloodRayne III: Warhammer
* Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars
* Castlevania
* Citizen Siege
* City of Heroes
* Clock Tower
* Cold Fear
* Deus Ex
* Devil May Cry
* Doom 2
* Driver
* Earthworm Jim
* Eternity’s Child
* EverQuest
* Fatal Frame
* Fear Effect
* Gears of War
* God of War
* Halo
* Hunter: The Reckoning
* Kane & Lynch
* The Legend of Spyro
* Lost Planet
* MechWarrior
* Metal Gear Solid
* Metroid
* Mortal Kombat: Devastation
* The Neverhood
* Nightmare Creatures
* Onimusha
* Pac-Man
* Rainbow Six
* Return to Castle Wolfenstein
* Silent Hill 2
* Siren
* Sonic the Hedgehog
* Soulcalibur
* Spy Hunter
* The Sims
* The Suffering
* Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell
* Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
* The Unforgettable
* Warcraft

We've also got three direct to video movies coming out real soon:

* Dead Space: Downfall (October 17, 2008)
* Resident Evil: Degeneration (October 18, 2008)
* Alone in the Dark II (2009)

So much crap to look forward to, expect Resident Evil: Degeneration - Capcom is making that movie much like Square Enix created Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, so that movie should be friggn' awesome.

Epic 8-Bit Art: Lucas Arts Golden Oldies

I've been wanted to make some Lucas Arts sprite pieces for a while now and I've finally finished 4 big pieces from 2 of the best games in the Lucas Arts franchises.

The two pieces up above are Le Chuck and Guybrush Threepwood from Monkey Island 2.

These two are Sam and Max from Sam & Max: Hit the Road. I've already posted Sam on my site but I just finished Max a week or two ago and wanted to post them together.

Next I want to do the main characters and the tentacles from Day of the Tentacles but I can't find any more sprites than just Bernard to work with. If any one has any or can pull sprites from the game for me, that would be great.

Review: Spore

Spore
EA, Maxis
Available for PC

After years of success with games like The Sims and SimCity, Will Wright has finally managed to pack all those sim game concepts into one and create a game so fantastic on the galactic level that it will have you feeling every bit like a God. Originally titled Sim Everything, Spore was designed to include aspects from all of previous Sim games and but for the first time include a sort of plot and goal like structure unlike its previous Sim brethren.

Based on intelligent design, Spore has you modifying a creature’s life from cell stage to space stage, all in hopes that it will survive the world around it. You control everything about your creature from its food choices to how it moves to what it sounds like and all this just based on what type of hand you give your creature or what type of mouth. The combinations of parts you can give your creatures are endless too, so every evolution can bring about a whole new creature type.

In the cell stage, you start off as a tiny single cell creature which emerges from a fallen comet into a pool of ooze. From here, you must direct your creature to feed on plant cells or bacteria depending on what you chose it would eat in the beginning. The DNA you collect from the food will advance you towards the next stage, cause you to grow bigger and give you points to add on new parts to your creature.



As you swim around the pool eating, you will have to avoid or attack other creatures which are trying to survive and eat just like you. Depending on the size of the other creatures around you, you’ll be able to eat or attack them, or maybe they’ll just be able to eat you.

As you eat your way to bigger and better things, you will soon develop the ability to call for a mate who once met, will help you produce an egg and open up the creature mod screen. Here you can use your DNA points to add on parts to enhance your creature and help him survive. Remember to choose wisely though as each part can decide which your species thrives or ends up extinct.

Once you finish modifying your creature with some new parts, colouring and maybe even use the editor to test him out and take a few pictures, you can release the new creature 2.0 into the pool again to continue eating, attacking and growing. As you grow the background becomes the foreground, creatures around you reduce in size and new creatures emerge to hunt you. The eating, modifying, and growing will continue until you finally collect enough DNA to develop a brain which suddenly tells you to take a walk on the surface.

This starts the creature stage which gives you the opportunity to add legs to your creature before its heads off into its brand new world. In this stage, your creature will develop social and aggression skills which allow it to interact or kill other species. To impress and ally other species, you must learn how to dance and sing which come from new parts on your creature. Once you learn these skills, your creatures must engage in a “Monkey See, Monkey Do” mini game with the other species to make them happy and have them ally with you and even join your pack.



You can also learn new attack skills like bite and strike which help you attack and wipe other species out of existence. Whether you choose to use your social or aggression skills, both will earn you DNA points towards new parts, a bigger brain and the next stage, Tribal.

The creature stage is also a key stage because you get to interact more with other people’s creatures which you can receive via an online connection. Each creature, vehicle or building you come across during your game experience is added into the Sporepedia, so you can keep track of it and even use it later for your own game. You can even bring your creations from the Spore Creature Creator and creations from your friend’s planets too.

The Tribal stage changes the format of the game to more of a real time strategy game. Your creatures have now settled into a camp and here you must order your people collect food in order to survive and grow. You can also create costumes for your creatures, but no longer change their body. Buildings and babies are created from food supplies and now your tribe must compete with other tribes to ascend to the next stage, Civilization.

Your tribes must choose to attack or make peace with the other tribes that pop up. Peace can be made by developing instruments and ordering members to complete a mini game of musical “Simon Says”. War is made by developing weapons and ordering members to kill other tribes. With each triumphant over a tribe, your tribe will receive another costume piece, building and room to expand their amount of tribe members.



Once you erase all the tribes or make peace with them, you can advance onto the civilization stage, where you now must conquer the entire world. Your key to advancing here is by capturing cities through force, religious conversion or buying them. Starting with only a single city and a single land unit, your creatures must now capture and harvest spice (nice Dune reference) from the land to support purchases and upgrades. Here you get to create and purchase different buildings and vehicles, all in order to keep your people happy, take out other cities, generate revenue, and finally ascend through complete world domination to the next stage, Space.

The Space stage is probably the most complex stage of all, as you now have a giant galaxy filled with planets to explore. Here you can fly through space and visit other planets which can be barren or hold other life forms in various stages. Your creatures can build colonies on new planets, kidnap creatures from other planets and bring them to yours, get into intergalactic space fights with other advanced species, change other planets to support life, and tons of other cool options. Here you can do it all or start the game all over again with a new planet and a new life form.

With difficulty settings and such easy to use controls, Spore is perfect for anybody to pick up and play. The level of skills needed to get through the easy setting isn’t much, but you will need your wits about you to make it through the game on the normal setting. That is where my little carnivore, Gibbly kept dying at the hands of the other planet’s species and one giant moose monster.

The menus and environments are very easy to navigate and the game gives you a tutorial at the beginning of each stage to ease you into your new surroundings. The user content in Spore makes it very easy to take pictures of your creature to send to friends or take video of your creature dancing and upload it to You Tube.

The graphics in this game were fantastic, minus a disappearing tree or two. Armed with only the mod screen and your imagination, creatures can be moulded into anything you want and its parts coloured exactly how you want. Sure it takes a bit of time and know-how to get your creature’s skin or fur to look exactly the way it should, but with time, it’s any design is impossible.

My first planet was like something out of a Dr. Seuss book with its multi-coloured fruit, purple oceans and trees with tentacles and eyeballs, but each world is created different to provide a different atmosphere. On each new world, you’ll find yourself taking a moment to look around at your surrounding once you ascend into the creature stage.



The audio will immerse you in your world like you were living in the jungle or the future city yourself. Each creature is given a mating call, song, and dance beat to match each of its modifications and those sounds will evolve over time to fit each stage. My second creature, when it developed speech, sounded like a cross between Jabba the Hut and Greedo from Star Wars. The other creatures each have distinct sounds as well, so when you get your allied creatures get together to impress other species, it’s so cute to watch them sing and dance together.

I could spend hours taking about how incredibly imaginative and innovative this game is, but really you have to experience it for yourself to truly see how cool is game is. Will Wright has really out done himself this time and if he never makes another game ever, I would be happy with this as his final game. With so much game for your dollar and easy to meet system requirements to run the game, there is no reason not to pick this game up today.

Rating: 10 of out 10
Buy it!

New BioShock 2: Sea of Dreams Trailer

Looks like the PS3 version of BioShock has more on it than just a few extra levels. One user has revealed a secret trailer for BioShock 2: Sea of Dreams that unlocks when you complete the game on the good ending.

Looks like the trailer shows a little sister slightly grown up and holding a big daddy doll. She appears to be causing the sand to create a mini Rapture. Oh spooky.

Could this mean the little sisters you brought with you to the surface have passed something onto their daughters? Something sinister?

And what's the significance of the butterfly on the title screen at the end?

So many unanswered questions, but I'm just happy to see a trailer for this new BioShock game.

New Mirror's Edge Trailer: Run Story

Once you become a runner, there's no turning back.

My Week of Vacation: Part One

For the first time in my life, I actually have a week of paid vacation and I have been spending most of it playing video games. I mean what else would I do? Especially when I'm broke.

Anyway, this sweet vacation has been full of cool toys and games for me to check out as I spend my days watching Batman: The Animated Series, eating finger foods and wearing my comfy clothes.

On my list of games to check out this week are:

World of Goo: This wiiware title put to use your bridge building skills and knowledge for the laws of physics as you use little balls of goo to build structures to bring the balls over to the pipe on the other side of the stage. Great game so far and a well worth the 1,500 Wii points.

Secret of Mana (Virtual Console): Yes, I know I bought this game already for the Super Nintendo, but I haven't got the actually console to play it on and since Nintendo released it on the VC this week, I couldn't help but use the extra 800 Wii points I had to download it. Final Fantasy fans will love this series and I personality think it is one of the best RPGs out there.

Lego Batman: If everyone doesn't know already that I am a huge Batman fan, then allow me to throw this out there now... I love the Dark Knight. I have loved Batman since I discovered the Adam West version on old reruns when I was a kid and then the whole love for the Batman was solidified when I saw the Tim Burton movies.

This cute lego version of the dark knight's adventure is much like the lego Star Wars games but with less freaks in it. The humor of the previous lego games is in there too, but there is still the serious tone of the Batman comics mixed in as well. I personally can't wait to get to the villain stages so I can play as Harley Quinn or Poison Ivy.

Hellgate London: I know this title was released last year, but I got a new toy to play with for 30 days that finally allowed me to run a hardware heavy game like this: Area 51 Alienware Desktop.

Yep, the nice people at Alienware have set me up with one of their sweet gaming rigs for the next 30 days in order to review it for the Pulse Niagara. Being that my PC gaming collection stinks, they sent along Hellgate London and Call of Duty 4, so I could see how the Area 51 rig handles the big games.

So far, Hellgate reminds me a lot of Diablo but more in a 3D world. Characters give you quests in exchange for loot or gold and you plow through the post-hell stricken world of London killing monsters in search of loot and new missions. Character creation is pretty limited but the controls are easy to handle.

Infinite Undiscovery: New jrpg from SquareEnix on the Xbox 360 and surprisingly its a great and different game so far. The main character isn't the same bruiting emo guy as most rpgs and the combat system is somewhat like Final Fantasy XII. Lots of promise for this game.

I have a few others I'm yet to crack into yet, but I still have 4 more days to go.

More to come on:
Mario Super Sluggers
Dead Space
Crash: Mind over Mutant
Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen
Buzz Quiz TV
Civilization IV: Colonization
Igor
Mercanaries 2
Soul Calibur IV
Too Human
Chocobo Dungeon

Also I have a few products I have to review as well. Look for part two of vacation week for information of those.

Playstation Store Downloads for October 16, 2008

Downloadable Games
SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation ($39.99)
Alone I am Lethal. As a Team I Dominate. SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation deploys you online into intense and unpredictable 32-player battles where it’s better to fight as a team than it is to be a hero. Battle teams across the world, earn your Community stripes and become the ultimate Spec Ops squad.
ESRB Rated M
File size: 2.65 GB

PS1 Classics
Sno-Cross Championship Racing ($5.99)
Welcome to Sno-Cross Championship Racing! Join extreme sled racers from three different leagues as they hit some of the toughest snow-covered slopes in the world! Featuring 12 real Yamaha racing sleds and seven racing locations with changing weather and daylight conditions. Customize your sleds and even make custom track layouts!
ESRB Rated E
File size: 174 MB

Add-on Game Content
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09 Spyglass Hill Golf Course ($7.49)
Discover Pebble Beach’s hidden gem, Spyglass Hill. This course is consistently ranked as one of America’s Greatest Public Courses and is known for having some of the toughest holes on the PGA TOUR. Watch out for holes 6, 8 and 16 in particular and be ready for a great challenge.
File size: 242 MB

THE EYE OF JUDGEMENT: Biolith Rebellion 3 (Expansion Set Three) ($14.99)
Take your game to the next level with this new download for THE EYE OF JUDGMENT. Add 100 more new creatures, spells, and abilities that come to life with cards from Upper Deck (sold seperately).

THE EYE OF JUDGEMENT: Biolith Rebellion 2 & 3 Expansion Bundle ($19.99)
Take your game to the next level with this new download for THE EYE OF JUDGMENT. With this bundle you can add both Set 2 and 3 expansion packs to your EOJ collection. That’s 200 more new creatures, spells, and abilities that come to life with special EOJ summoning cards (sold separately).

Rock Band
Build your Rock Band library by purchasing these song game tracks. For song credits, visit www.RockBand.com.
Dr. Feelgood” - Mötley Crüe ($1.99)
Kickstart My Heart” - Mötley Crüe ($1.99)
Rattlesnake Shake” - Mötley Crüe ($1.99)
“Same Ol’ Situation (S.O.S.)” - Mötley Crüe ($1.99)
“She Goes Down” - Mötley Crüe ($1.99)
“Slice of Your Pie” - Mötley Crüe ($1.99)
“Sticky Sweet” - Mötley Crüe ($1.99)
“Time For Change” - Mötley Crüe ($1.99)
“Without You” - Mötley Crüe ($1.99)
“Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)” - Mötley Crüe ($1.99)
“Dr. Feelgood” Album ($15.99) - this track pack includes all of the above singles.
File sizes: 27.8 MB - 38.8 MB (singles), 341 MB (track pack)

Game Demos (free)
MotorStorm Pacific Rift Demo
Download the demo for MotorStorm Pacific Rift and experience Raingod Spires. The Demo includes:

Dramatic Cliffs and Gravity-Defying jumps
Choose one of the available three vehicle classes
Race in both single-player and multi-player split screensolo or against to the finish
Lunatics Unite!
ESRB Rated T
File size: 617 MB

Game Videos (free)
LittleBigPlanet: Making Fun
File size: 59 MB (HD)

MotorStorm Pacific Rift Vehicles Trailer
File size: 76 MB (HD)

SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation Launch Trailer
File size: 78 MB (HD)

wipEout HD Behind the Scenes
File size: 350 MB (HD)

Eternal Sonata Trailer
File size: 26 MB (SD), 95 MB (HD)

Far Cry 2 Who’s Who Trailer
File size: 87 MB (HD)

Guitar Hero World Tour Billy Corgan Vignette
File size: 59 MB (HD)

NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja Storm September Trailer
File sizes: 93 MB (HD), 129 MB (1080)

PS3 Themes
Valkyria Chronicles PSN Theme 01 (free)
File size: 4.53 MB

Silent Hill Homecoming Theme (free)
File size: 5.42 MB

Eternal Sonata Theme (free)
File size: 4.06 MB

SAW Legacy Theme ($1.99)
File size: 6.62 MB

PS3 Wallpapers (free)
Eternal Sonata Wallpapers (x6)
File size: 226 KB - 1 MB

Silent Hill Homecoming Wallpapers (x4)
File size: 149 KB - 753 KB

PlayStation Store for PSP

PSP Game Download
* DEAD HEAD FRED ($14.99)
(also downloadable via PS3)

* PQ2: PRACTICAL INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT 2 ($14.99)
(also downloadable via PS3)

PS1 Classics
* Sno-Cross Championship Racing ($5.99)
(also downloadable and playable via PS3)

Game Demos
* LEGO BATMAN: THE VIDEOGAME DEMO
(also downloadable via PS3)

New PSP-3000 is Finally Available in North America in Bundle Pack

Sony Computer Entertainment America today announced that the new PSP-3000 system is now available as part of a family-friendly bundle.

The Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters PSP Entertainment Pack hits store shelves today for $199.99. This limited-edition bundle marks the first-ever North American availability of the PSP-3000. This updated PSP system features a more vibrant LCD screen with a wider color gamut and anti-reflection technology, as well as a built-in microphone to enhance both multi-player gaming and Skype calls.

The Ratchet & Clank PSP Entertainment Pack offers great value to consumers looking to get the most for their money, providing both the PSP hardware and content that the whole family can enjoy.

The bundle includes:

- “Mystic Silver” PSP-3000 system
- Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters PSP game
- National Treasure 2: Book Of Secrets UMD video
- echochrome™ PlayStation Network voucher
- 1GB Memory Stick PRO Duo

Review: Hail to the Chimp

Hail to the Chimp
Gamecock Media, Wideload Games
Available on PS3, Xbox 360

Hail to the Chimp? I don't think so.

Wideload Games and Gamecock Media have released another one of their independent game titles, Hail to the Chimp, a strange little party game with a humorous political twist.

The King of the Animal Kingdom, the Lion has been caught in a massive scandal and has decided to step down from office. With his leadership position now open to all the animals, the kingdom has decided to have an election to vote in the next leader of the animals. You could be that animal!

Hail to the Chimp gives you several different animal characters like a chimp, hippo, octopus, all who have unique personalities, to play through each mini game and ultimately win the election. The game has 10 characters for you to choose from each with their own unique power moves.



Single player, multiplayer and online modes are available which allow you to play against other players. The single player mode has a campaign which allows you to unlock cartoons, new areas and other fun stuff, all while you peruse the role of Commander in Chief.

The mini games have you running around different boards like a volcano, dock or island paradise while collecting clams (votes), fighting off other competitor and dodging bombs. Problem is that mini games are so chaotic that it’s hard to control your character or even know what's going on in the game. Plus I found that even though the goals for winning the mini games changed, the basic game mechanics were always the same - collect clams and fight your opponents. This made each mini game repetitive and boring after a while.

The game's cut scenes and menus sport a CNN spoof that really brings out the political humour that missing in the game play itself. The unlockable "Hot Coffee" cartoon is especially cute, but honestly this humour was not enough to distract you from the boring game play.

The graphics are a cute and cartoon but I didn't really find any of the characters that appealing. Their voices were either stale or annoying and generally I didn't want to root for any of these animals in their run for office.



While the developers were shooting for an older audience with its political humour, the goofy mini games seem like they would be much more appealing to kids and this all makes it really difficult to determine what demographic this game was aiming for. This is suppose to be a party game but I couldn't find one friend willing to play it with me and even online there was barely anyone to play a game or two with.

While I've heard drunken friends discuss game ideas where they could pit polar bears against shaved gorillas, I don't think Hail to the Chimp is even close to animal kingdom game they were hoping for.

Rating: 3 out of 10
Forget it!

Dead Space Arrives with Creepy Picture

Usually when games come in the mail they have boring press releases, but when Dead Space arrived today it had some creep art for me.

This scary looking picture got a little torn though when I ripped into the package, so I had to tape the piece back on. Oops. :(

Dead Space hit store shelves yesterday just in time to freak us gamers out during the spookiness time of year. Election time.

Wait ... No, I mean Hallowe'en. Though John McCain and Sarah Palin are pretty darn scary when you think about them running the United States.

Look for my review of Dead Space on The Girl Gamer in the future.

Too Funny Not to Post

[Via Live Journal Girl Gamers]

Rabbids Running for Parliament in Canada?

So yesterday Canadians voted and we ended up with pretty much the same government we had before we spend millions of dollars on a stupid election. How wonderful.

I just want to say I actually wanted to see change in the Canadian government, so I voted for the guy in the picture above, Mr. Jack Layton from the NDP party.

But now that the horrible attack ads are over, we can get back to the more important issues like ...

RABBIDS!!!



Ubisoft has created another Rabbids viral video and this time they are running for office in Canada. Check it out as Rayman Raving Rabbids TV is out on store shelves November 18, 2008 in North America.

New Trailer from World of Goo

World of Goo launches this week on the Nintendo Wii's Wiiware line up after long wait and I personality can't wait to check it out. This unique title has you using balls of goo to build structures to make your way to far away exits.

Check out the latest trailer from this cool title.

System Lynk Goes Live Again Tonight!

Due to a few hiccups over the last couple of weeks, System Lynk has been pre-recorded rather than live for the last 2 shows, but tonight we're back with a brand new live show!

Tune in tonight at 8pm EST on the Fan Network's The Sound Off and hang out in the System Lynk's chatroom to get interactive with the show.

Playstation Store Downloads for October 9, 2008

Qore
Qore Episode 5 ($2.99 for episode / $24.99 for Annual Subscription)
Episode 5 celebrates Halloween with a scary game roundup. It also includes exclusive access to SEGA’s Valkyria Chronicles demo, some spooky/creepy artwork and new shooting galleries.
File Size: 1.68 GB

Games
Linger in Shadows ($2.99)
Linger in Shadows is a unique interactive digital art experience that uses the SIXAXIS controller to manipulate the very fabric of time and reality. Groundbreaking graphics and interactivity raise the bar for what is possible on PlayStation 3. Download Linger in Shadows and experience a truly unique journey that will change the way you think about games and art.
File Size: 100 MB

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords ($14.99)
Building upon the addictive and easy to- learn gameplay of a puzzle game by integrating story and character progression elements found in RPGs, Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords delivers a brand new type of game that pushes the puzzle genre to a previously unseen level. The PSN version of the game also includes the content from the ‘Wrath of the Plague Lord’ expansion pack.
File Size: 242 MB

Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket Powered Battle Cars ($14.99)
Get ready for non-stop action as you take control of a rocket-powered super car! It is a sport like no other, where supersonic cars jump, flip, and rocket boost their way to victory!
File Size: 177 MB

Add-on Game Content
Hot Shots Golf Fall Fashion Line ($2.99)
Spruce up your Hot Shots Golf Fall wardrobe with a collection of playful and funky new outfits ideal for golf wherever you play. Five new costumes come your way with 6 variations for each new costume giving you a total of 30 new outfits to dress your favorite 5 players in Hot Shots Golf Out Of Bounds. So now matter where you play, you’ll certainly be the best dressed player on the course.
File Size: 101 KB

Dead Space Obsidian Suit (Free)
Download the exclusive Obsidian Suit now, available only for the PLAYSTATION 3! This amazing Level 5 suit features the jet black PLAYSTATION 3 colors, upgraded toughness, and extra inventory slots.
File Size: 10.4 MB

Note: Free for a limited time only.

Dead Space Scorpion Suit ($2.49)
Download the exclusive Scorpion Suit now! Equip Isaac with this stunning Level 5 suit featuring enhanced armor and extra inventory slots.
File Size 9.31 MB

FIFA 09

All Leagues Pack ($19.99)
Barclays Premier League English Pack ($6.99)
Bundesliga German Pack ($6.99)
Liga BBVA Spanish Pack ($6.99)
Ligue 1 French Pack ($6.99)
Primera Division De Mexico Pack ($6.99)
Serie A Italian Pack ($6.99)
File Sizes: 100 KB

Mega Man 9 Endless Attack Mode ($2.99)
File Size: 216 KB

Mega Man 9 Protoman Mode ($1.99)
File Size: 100 KB

Rock Band
Build your Rock Band library by purchasing these song game tracks. For song credits, visit www.RockBand.com.

The Offspring Track Pack 01 ($5.49; includes tracks below, also offered individually)

Gone Away - The Offspring ($1.99)
Pretty Fly (For A White Guy) - The Offspring ($1.99)
Self Esteem - The Offspring ($1.99)
Various Tracks

All Right Now - Free ($1.99)
Bad to the Bone - George Thorogood ($1.99)
Cream and Bastards Ride - Harvey Danger ($1.99)
Nearly Lost You - Screaming Trees ($1.99)
Push It - Static-X ($1.99)
Stop! - Against Me ($1.99)
File sizes: 21.7 MB - 38.9 MB (singles), 91.7 MB (track pack)

Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution Single Player Map Pack: Brave New Worlds (Free)
New Single Player Maps for Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution! Includes 4 new maps, each with its own unique geography providing uncharted new challenges.
File Size: 42.1 MB

Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution Scenario Pack: The Victory Pack ($1.25)
Three new scenarios that are variations on classic victory conditions.
File Size: 104 KB

Super Stardust HD Game Bundle with Solo & Team modes ($14.99)
In Super Stardust HD, your mission is simple: destroy everything in sight! Visit different planets and fend off giant asteroids and waves of enemies by utilizing three upgradeable weapons to save the solar system from total annihilation. Download this bundle today to get the hit game plus the Solo and Team add-ons, all together at a discounted price.

Super Stardust HD Add-on Bundle (Solo & Team) ($7.99)
This is an upgrade pack for Super Stardust HD. You must already own the full title to make use of this upgrade.
File Size: 377 KB

Download this bundle today to get both the Solo and Team add-ons at a discounted price.

Demos (Free)
Warhawk
Download the Warhawk Demo today and check out the award-winning online gameplay expereince - “Online Battles Await.”
File Size: 855 MB

Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket Powered Battle Cars
File Size: 160 MB

Game Videos (Free)
LittleBigPlanet Life in LBP Ep. 2 (Play)
The second in a series of documentary-style videos exploring the wonders of LittleBigPlanet. In this episode, we see how SackBoys play! Alone or in a pack, these little guys know how to have a good time!
File Size: 157 MB

LittleBigPlanet Playtime
“Rockstar or Nerd? Pirate or Ninja? Whoever you are, when you come to LittleBigPlanet, its time to PLAY! Play alone or with friends and Jump, Race, or Slap your way to victory.
File Size: 52 MB

MotorStorm Pacific Rift Crashes & Carnage Trailer
In MotorStorm Pacific Rift, race first and think second. Anything goes when trying to reach the finish line and not every racer makes it. Watch these spectacular crashes as the Stormers reach for the goal. Stormers Unite!
File Size: 53.2 MB (720p) / 87.9 MB (1080p)

NBA 09 Trailers (x4)
NBA 09 The Inside and the makers of MLB 08 The Show bring you The Life. Could you step into the shoes of an NBA player in The Life? See if you’ve got what it takes to play three different story-lines in your bid to go from the streets, straight to the NBA. Pre-order today through GameStop and get an officially licensed NBA cap. Specially marked boxes can also get you one year FREE subscription to Vibe Magazine. Nothing Gets You Closer.
File Sizes: 38.4 - 46.5 MB

SOCOM: Confrontation - Desert Glory Flythrough
Fly through Dersert Glory, a classic map from the SOCOM universe rebuilt for SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation.
File Size: 72.2 MB

Bioshock Official Trailer
No gods or kings. Only man. Welcome to Rapture. Caught between powerful forces and hunted down by genetically mutated citizens you come to grips with a mysterious and fascinating world that not only challenges your capacity to adapt and survive, but brings to question your values and commitments to the inhabitants of Rapture. If your life was the prize, would you kill the innocent? Would you sacrifice your humanity? Opportunity awaits.
File Size: 68.5

Legendary: The Box Behind the Scenes 3 & 4 (x2)
Download and watch part three of the behind the scenes series looking at the making of Legendary. In this episode, we catch up with the dev team as they reveal their thoughts on the two main enemy creatures of the game: the mighty griffon and the savage werewolf.
File Sizes: Scene 3 (216 MB) / Scene 4 (166 MB)

Mercenaries 2 World In Flames Payback Trailer
Watch what others have been saying about Mercenaries 2!
File Size: 94.1 MB

Soul Calibur IV Character Gameplay Combos Trailer
This SOULCALIBUR IV trailer introduces some of the fantastic fighting moves executable in the game.
Check out these moves to pull them off in your next battle!
File Size: 181 MB

Tom Clancy’s End War Command Points Video Briefing
Leverage your points: This video will teach you the basics of command points and how you can use them to get access to a range of powerful mission support
File Size: 65.9 MB

Tom Clancy’s End War Mass Destruction Trailer
Demolish your enemy: This video will show off the most devastating weapons in your arsenal and give you tips on when to use them.
File Size: 70.2 MB

Starting today, PlayStation Store will begin to offer premium themes for purchase. These include themes from our partners Smobile and Disruptive Media Publishers as well as some game publishers.

Paid Themes
Kicks Theme ($0.99)
File Size: 2.71 MB

Bioshock Exclusive Theme ($0.99)
File Size: 5.41 MB

* Disruptive Media Publishers Paid Themes (x20)

Auburn University ($1.99)
File Size: 5.11 MB

Florida State University ($1.99)
File Size: 5.03 MB

University of Georgia ($1.99)
File Size: 4.93 MB

University of Miami ($1.99)
File Size: 5.02 MB

University of Michigan ($1.99)
File Size: 4.95 MB

University of North Carolina ($1.99)
File Size: 5.10 MB

University of Tennessee ($1.99)
File Size: 5.09 MB

University of Texas ($1.99)
File Size: 5.01 MB

Beach Sampler ($1.99)
File Size: 5.32 MB

Summer Down Under ($1.99)
File Size: 5.06 MB

Digital Techno ($1.49)
File Size: 4.55 MB

High Voltage ($1.49)
File Size: 5.57 MB

Horror Eyes ($1.49)
File Size: 5.53 MB

Refracted Revolt ($1.49)
File Size: 3.94 MB

Bad Girls ($1.49)
File Size: 3.58 MB

Halloween Vixens ($1.49)
File Size: 4.75 MB

Golden Retriever ($1.49)
File Size: 6.02 MB

Man’s Best Friend ($1.49)
File Size: 5.81 MB

Nordic Majesty ($1.49)
File Size: 5.84 MB

Seaside Sunsets ($1.49)
File Size: 4.77 MB

* Smobile Paid Themes

Elven-X ($0.99)
File Size: 4.72 MB

Iron Guard ($0.99)
File Size: 2.08 MB

Themes & Wallpapers (Free)
WipEout HD All Teams #2 Theme
File Size: 2.44 MB

Fallout 3 Brotherhood of Steel Theme
File Size: 1.43 MB

Fallout PIP-BOY 3000 Theme
File Size: 856 KB

Linger In Shadows Wallpapers (x2)
File Size: 235 - 412 KB

ATV Pure Wallpapers (x4)
File Size: 670 - 965 KB

Valkyria Chronicles Wallpapers (x2)
File Size: 1.42 - 1.57 MB

PLAYSTATION Store for PC
Here is this week’s content release for the PLAYSTATION Store for PC. To download these games to your PSP, navigate to http://store.playstation.com. There you’ll find descriptions of the content and directions on how to get started.

PSP Game Downloads
* Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow (UMD Legacy) ($24.99)
* Guilty Gear Judgement (UMD Legacy) ($5.99)

Add-ons
* echochrome level pack add-on ($4.99)

Videos (Free)
* Neverland Card Battles Trailer

Themes & Wallpapers (Free)
* NBA 09 PSP Theme 2
* Neverland Card Battles Wallpaper

TGS '08: New Resident Evil Trailer x 2

2 new Resident Evil 5 trailer has appeared in the wilds of the Toyko Game Show which started this week. These sweet new trailer gives more information about the storyline and best of all, it has my favorite Resident Evil badboy, Wesker!

The second trailer below is recorded with shaky cam though and has subtitles so bare with it. Keep watching all the way through as there is a disturbing image at the end which will have veteran fans of the game upset as I am.



I can't wait for this game to hit store shelves. Expect this game to be in my hot little hands on launch day.

Play Arts' New Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Figures

For those rabid action figure collectors and Final Fantasy fans out there, Play Arts has released details on a new set of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII figures to be available for sale in January 2009.

The collection will include Zack, Cloud and Aerith, all in their Crisis Core forms. The figures will be made of PVC and stand about 7 inches tall. They will be available for pre-order at $19.99 each or in a set for $58.39, which is 20% off the retail price after the figure official hit store shelves.

You can pre-order these figures at Kid Nemo.com

LittleBigPlanet User Created: To Zanarkand Tribute Level

Little Big Planet Beta 'To Zanarkand' clip

While I was completely impressed with one user's creative use of the LittleBigPlanet level creator to make a level that played a small portion of Guns & Roses' "Sweet Child of Mine" as you used your Sackboy to run a small motor vehicle across a bunch of perfectly placed sound points, Kirathian's level rendition of "To Zanarkand" is much better on a huge scale.

He actually created the entire song with the sound points and though he had his Sackboy pull a block through the entire song to set off the notes, it was worth working the little guy like a mule.

[Via Destructoid]

Review: Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise

Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise
Microsoft Game Studio, Rare Ltd.
Available on Xbox 360

Once an avid Pokemon trainer, I have since moved onto a more mature game that insists that I "catch them all". Rare's Viva Piñata series hit the Xbox 360 console last year with so much love and candy goodness and now the studio is back with a sequel, Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise.

Why is there trouble in paradise you may ask? Well, the happy people at Rare have allowed Professor Pester and his Ruffians access to the garden this round and they have managed to destroy Piñata Central records. Now it’s up to you to invite piñatas into your garden, fill them up with candy and send them off to parties around the world in order to restore the missing files.



Fans of series will love the improvements made to the controls and menu systems in order to streamline planting seeds and finding your piñatas. New piñata central goals have been added and mini games have also been added so you can show off the talents of your best piñatas. Also several new types of piñatas have been added to the roster and two new regions, Dessert Desert and Pinartic have been created to trap snowy and desert piñatas in.
Local and online multiplayer have been added to the game, so you can now share you gardening experience with others, if you so choose. If you don't fully trust your online friends though, you can limit their access to viewing your garden only. A card function added into the game allows you to print off rare piñata cards from the official website and scan them on your Xbox Live Camera to download them into the game.

Just for fun mode has also been added for younger gardeners to finally get a chance to tend to their own garden and earn piñatas at an easier level. Personally I found the requirements way too easy for my taste and since I can't even move anything from this mode to gardens in the regular mode, I figured this was really just a waste of time for a seasoned gardener like me.

Graphically the game hasn't improved much over the original except now the game doesn't chug anymore especially during auto save. However the game looked pretty darn good before for a bunch of paper piñatas, so expect some colourful environments and detailed paper piñatas in this sequel.



The sound is very cute and upbeat in this game. I personally love the theme song in Viva Piñata and tend to sing it while in the shower or while waiting for the elevator. The voices are all the original actors from the first game and cartoon, so fans will be happy with the continuity. I was very happy to hear Professor Pester cry "Victory is mine" during game play even though he had just destroyed one of my piñatas. Bugger.

Ultimately I think anyone who loves Pokemon or the previous Viva Piñata series will love this game and will be especially happy with the improvements in the game. I expect newcomers to the series will also love trying to catch them all as well as working on their digital green thumbs.

Rating 9 out of 10
Buy it!