Review: Batman: Arkham Asylum

Batman: Arkham Asylum
Eidos Interactive, Rocksteady Studios
Available for Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

Greetings The Girl Gamer readers! Joker here. I bet your wondering what I, the Clown Prince of Crime is doing writing an article for the good old Girl Gamer here, well sit a spell and I’ll tell ya. See Harley and I were in Canada picking up some lovely new chemicals to use on Gotham City and I just happen to hear about this new game starring my favourite target, Batman.

Of course, being a huge fan of the Dork Knight, I just had to steal me a copy of this Batman: Arkham Asylum, so I headed down to the local St. Catharines videogame store, EB Games and tortured the employees until they found me a copy. Apparently those guys really love their videogames but not so much when they become the disc slot. HAAAAA!

Anyway, I was already to send a bunch of exploding Joker gas bombs disguised as whoopee cushions to the jerks at Rocksteady for creating another homage to that flying rodent but instead I decided to let those maroons live when I saw they created a Joker Edition for the Playstation 3. “Jumping Jiminy Christmas,” I thought to myself, “I need to find me a local website to take over and get the word out about this amazing game.” And so I did and here we are. Oh and don’t expect to find Faith up and about any time soon, kids. She wasn’t exactly happy about my arrival, so I had to change her view – Joker style. *evil laugh*


So like I was saying, those wonderful developers were smart enough to make a game edition featuring me. How fantastic! Of course, the game still centers on old Batsie but the plot has him chasing me through Arkham Asylum after I escape the guards. I have him running through Arkham like a rat in a maze, so the game isn’t a total loss. Of course, my henchmen and I aren’t the only ones who get to beat up on old Fatman as there are tons of my fellow wackos in crime around to help throw a few punches like my sweet Harley Quinn and the Scarecrow. I would have appreciated a few more faces from Gotham's most wanted in the game to beat up on Bats, but I guess you take what you can get.

Though for all the henchmen I throw at that annoying freak, the developers felt it necessary to give all the perks to Batman in order to help him stay alive throughout the game. I really hate that about him. From his cool Bat gadgets to his easy to master fighting controls, Batman has everything he needs to take out all my henchmen and survive the big boss battles. It sucks. Though I have to say I even I liked the inverted takedown move and he was taking out my henchmen. :P

The game offered up combat challenges where Batman must either fighting a series of henchmen for points or take out the henchmen with a series of special moves, all for points. In the Joker Edition, they gave me my own challenge rooms and those were a blast. Nothing like sneaking up on an Arkham guard, shooting him, and then waiting to take out all his buddies with a Joker denotation toy when they come to check out him. KABOOM! HAAAAAA! Classic.

Along with the in-game plot, Batman also has a few side quests to distract him from catching me like solving a bunch of riddles around Arkham Island which were placed there by the Riddler. Attention stealer. And then Batman also has the Spirit of Arkham story to find and decipher – now there was a real ham. For the slower people of there, the Riddler does leave a map in each area to help you find all his items.


I must say those doodlers at Rocksteady did a fabulous job at making Arkham Asylum look and feel like home. From the creepy medical equipment to the padded cells, they almost made me wish I locked up again and scheduled for some shock therapy. Ah, memories. Too bad Batman gets the run of the place though. How dare they let him hide on gargoyles and crash through glass ceilings in order to take us out when he should be in one of those padded cells with us.

At least, they got my voice right in the game with that amazing Joker impersonator, Mark Hamill. Now that’s a guy I could listen to for hours. And Batman’s voice-over guy, Kevin Conroy, talk about dead on with his voice. I never thought anyone could sound that perfectly boring and dismal, but Kevin seems to pull it off wonderfully. You can even hear that lack of sense of humour that Batsie has in his voice too.

Well kiddies, I was all set to cause mirth and mayhem over this new Batman game but when the cards are down, the Joker is the real winner here. True, the game does make Batman look all shiny and new, but how could I hate something that focuses so much on me. So here’s my proposal to the puppets at Rocksteady: change the name from Batman: Arkham Asylum to Joker: Arkham Asylum because we all know who the real draw of this game is anyway. Do that and I’ll see fit to give this game a wonderful review. Don’t and I’ll bomb your studios.... and I will too. HAAAAA!

Rating: 9 out of 10
Buy it

Assassin's Creed II: Master Assassin’s Edition

Ubisoft has released the details on the Assassin's Creed II: Master Assassin's Edition and its contents. The release date for this pretty set will be November 17, 2009 just in time for holiday shopping and it will be available for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

The set will include:

* Ezio collectable statue (8.5 inches tall)
* Exclusive in-game map: Santa Maria Dei Frari – Limited Edition Exclusive
* The Art of Assassin’s Creed II hard-covered art book
* Additional Bonus Disc includes:
- Behind the scenes of Assassin’s Creed II
- Assassin’s Creed II soundtrack
- And much more
* Premium Collectable Tin

The suggested retail price will be $89.99 but I'm not sure if that's US or Canadian dollars. Probably US.

Everything in the set is nice but all I would really want out of it would be the figure. It would go nicely with all my other videogame ones.

Hello, Sexy Goodness! Guybrush vs. LeChuck Statue

Right now I wish I had a spare $90 plus shipping laying around because the Star Wars Shop has just opened up pre-orders for a wicked looking statue of Guybrush Threepwood fighting LeChuck the Ghost Pirate from the re-vamped version of The Secret of Monkey Island.

It's pretty damn sexy looking, though I would have preferred zombie pirate LeChuck to ghost pirate LeChuck. Zombies are just all the rage nowadays, you know.

The statue will set you back $89.99 if you pre-order now and it will ship September 10th. Don't wait either cause there's only 1000 of these puppies to go around. Grab the statue at StarWarsShop.com now or suffer the curse of LeChuck, ya scurvy dogs!

New Mirror's Edge Trailer: Faith's Story

EA and DICE released a new trailer that finally gives us more insight into the runner known as Faith. We find out a bit more about her family, her childhood and how the city came to be.

I love the animation style of the trailer and am so pumped for this game. As you all may have noticed I changed my banner to a newer depiction of Faith. I honestly don't think EA can get a better advertising for free.
While we're on the topic of Mirror's Edge, EA announced the game would be coming out on November 11, 2008 and there would be a special edition "Mirror's Edge Runner's Bag Bundle" that would feature a copy of the game and an exclusive Mirror's Edge runner's bag from Timbuk2. This bundle currently is available for pre-order on the North American EA website for $129.95

Nintedo Power 20th Anniversary Edition Nester Comic

Nester returns with his new son for the 20th Anniversary edition of Nintendo Power. Click the picture to see readable versions of the comics.

Nester was the long-time teenage mascot and comic strip star of Nintendo Power magazine, as well as a sometime video game character. His name is a play on the acronym NES, Nintendo's flagship system during the time period.

Nester was created by Howard Philips, "President" of the Nintendo Fun Club and an editor of Nintendo Power, to be the supporting character in his comic strip (though not actually drawn by Philips), Howard & Nester. (The Howard of the title is a cartoon representation of Philips.) The comic strips generally advertised new games, often by dream sequences where Nester was actually a given video game character.

In various strips, Nester has been Mega Man, Simon Belmont, Link, the Lone Ranger, the main character of Dragon Warrior, and many other characters. He has also met the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Scrooge McDuck, Luke Skywalker, The Tasmanian Devil, and Bill and Lance from the Contra series. In addition, the name "Nester" was almost always used in screenshots for games where the player named their character during the strip's run.

From 1989 to 1993 The Nintendo Power Awards (Nintendo's yearly reader-selected list of the best video games) featured Nester-shaped trophies and were referred to in the magazine as the "Nesters" as a reference to the Oscars.

In the early 1990s the real-life Philips left the company for JVC. Though Nester stayed in the strip, now retitled Nester's Adventures, he was gradually phased out as mascot in favor of Mario, already a more general Nintendo mascot. Nester's Adventures ended in Volume 55 (December 1993). Notably, a few issues following the name change (to be more exact, in November 1991), Nester aged from the pint-sized kid he originally appeared as to a fully-grown teenager, and would remain this way for the rest of the comic's run.

If you want to read the old Howard and Nester Comics, check out the Howard and Nester Comics Archives. There you'll find Nester's Adventures archived as well.

Nintendo Power 20th Anniversary Edition

With the internet slowly killing off the print media, its nice to see that Nintendo Power is holding strong long enough to see its 20th Anniversary edition.


Nintendo Power began as the several page long Nintendo Fun Club News (which was sent to subscribers for free). However, in mid-1988 Nintendo Fun Club News was discontinued and revamped as Nintendo Power.[1] The first issue published 3.6 million copies, with every member of the Nintendo Fun Club receiving a free one. Almost one third of the members subscribed.

The magazine was edited at first by Fun Club "President" Howard Philips, himself an avid game player. While the Fun Club News focused solely on games made in-house by Nintendo, Nintendo Power was created to allow for reviews of games produced by those licensed by Nintendo, such as Konami, Capcom, and the like. Nintendo Power's mascot in the late 1980s and early 1990s was Nester, a comic character created by Philips.


After Philips left the company, Nester became the magazine's sole mascot. Early issues of the magazine featured a two-page Howard and Nester comic, which was later replaced with the two-page Nester's Adventures, later reduced to one page, and eventually dropped altogether. Subsequently, Mario replaced Nester as the mascot of the magazine.

Later, during the early 2000s, the magazine made another mascot out of its Senior Writer, Alan Averill. Apparently very camera-shy, Averill himself never appeared in any photos; rather, he was represented by a plush toy of a Blue Slime from Dragon Quest. Fans often clamored to see what Averill actually looked like, but the magazine continued to substitute with photos of the toy, and even claimed that Alan was, in fact, a Blue Slime. Eventually, Averill retired from Nintendo Power, joining Nintendo of America's localization department.

To this day, most fans have never seen a real image of Averill. The inclusion of a photo of Mr. T in the Player's Pulse section became a running gag in the early half of 2005. More recently, running gags have centered around Chuck Norris references and jokes at the expense of writer Chris Shepperd.

During the early 1990s the magazine used what was a unique and very expensive promotion; giving away a free copy of the new NES game Dragon Warrior to every new subscriber. However, this promotion was in part a sly move on Nintendo's part to make money off a failure: Dragon Warrior (Dragon Quest in Japan) games had not sold nearly as well as Nintendo had anticipated, and it was left with a large number of unsold cartridges on its hands. The promotion both helped the company get rid of the unsold merchandise, and won the magazine thousands of new subscribers, including me.

During the Dragon Quest promotion, my Mother decided to subscribe to Nintendo Power for me and continued to keep my subscription going for another 5 years. I probably would have continued to keep my subscription longer but when Nintendo started previewing more Nintendo 64 games, I found myself left out in the cold with my old Super Nintendo system. So my Mom canceled my subscription.

Following the release of the Super Nintendo, the magazine featured lengthy, continuous comic stories based on Super Mario World and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. After these stories ended, they were replaced by similar multi-issue stories based on Star Fox, Super Metroid, and later on, N64 games such as Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire and Blast Corps. Comics based on the animated series of Pokémon and Kirby: Right Back At Ya! also made several appearances. More recently, short excerpts of comic books based on Custom Robo and Metal Gear Solid have been featured (as well as a very short Metroid Prime comic). Nintendo Power has concluded a comic based on the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games, which is translated from the original Japanese version and reads in traditional manga format.

I still continue to pick up a copy of Nintendo Power here and there, when I feel nostalgic and perhaps an little fanboyish. I especially love to pick up a copy when I feel sick or depressed, because somehow the magazine always brings me to a better place. I actually sold my 5 year collection of Nintendo Power about 9 years ago and today this day I'm kicking myself for doing it.

I still have my collection of Nintendo Power cards though.

The 20th Anniversary edition contains mostly the usually articles, reviews and previews, but for fans of the magazine, the Nester comic in the front is reason alone to pick up a copy of the magazine.


They only other special 20th anniversary features are a unique two sided Mario poster with NES version Super Mario Bros. on one side and the 3D Mario gang on the other, and a top 20 games list for all the Nintendo System created through the years. From NES to Gameboy to Nintendo Wii. Funny how the Virtual Boy is missing though ... did they even make 20 games for that system?

Finally the back page has a riddle hinting at a big announcement for the next issue of Nintendo Power.

"We're kicking off the next 20 years of Nintendo Power with more big reveals, including a top-secret cover story fit for a king. Its got a lot of heart. Just kidding. Its Mother 3. Just kidding. Please look forward to it."

I'm think Kingdom Hearts 3. What do you think?

Screw GTA IV Reviews: Best GTA IV Special Edition Contents Review Evar!

Still lingering in the community blogs over at Destructoid, I found this funny illustrated review about Necros for the Special Edition Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV. This blog was just too funny not to post about.

Because Necros is trying to win a clog contest he can't open his copy of GTA IV, so instead of reviewing the game like everyone else, he decided to review the contents of the Special Edition version. Best of all, he included lots of pictures for us.

Here's a small bit from the review:

So here we have the box. It's cardboard. It's white. It has a logo on it. And there's some angry Slavic man looking like he's going to kick my ass for smiling so much. If I didn't feel intimidated by his stare, I would almost consider keeping this box out in my room as though it were a promotional display in a store. PS3 owners take note: your box will not feature an Xbox 360 logo - something about licensing - and has a picture of some hooker (slut? ho'bag?) seductively licking a lollipop. I think I'd be more inclined to keep Sony's variant near my bed for...reference...but oh well

Head over to the Necros' Clog to read the whole piece.

Fallout 3 Collector's Edition has Creepy Bobble Head

Game Stop announced yesterday all the wonderful goodies that gamers will get along with the Fallout 3 Collector's Edition and so far it seems a pretty good deal for an extra ten bucks. For only $69.99US for PC or $79.99 for PS3 or Xbox 360, gamers will receive:

• Fallout 3: From the creators of the award-winning Oblivion comes one of the most realized game worlds ever created. Create any kind of character you want and explore the open wastes of post-apocalyptic Washington, D.C. Every minute is a fight for survival as you encounter Super Mutants, Ghouls, Raiders, and other dangers of the Wasteland. Prepare for the future.


• Vault Boy Bobblehead: Enjoy your very own Vault Boy with this collector’s item direct from Vault-Tec.


• The Art of Fallout 3: This hardcover book features nearly 100 pages of never-before seen concept art and commentary from Bethesda Game Studios artists.


• The Making of Fallout 3: Get an exclusive, inside look at Bethesda Game Studios and the team behind the game with this special DVD.


• Vault-Tec Lunch Box: The entire package comes in a fully customized metal lunchbox.

Not too shabby for the cost of two happy meals! I like the whole lunch box deal, though the Vault Boy bobble head is a little creepy. I'm jealous that Nick Chester, Editor in Chief at Destructoid got his lunch box and bobble head last year from Bethesda, but considering he's the only guy with an exclusive picture of these items, I'm glad someone has them at least so we could see what they look like.

Enjoy the swag, Nick! I personally would keep that bobble head in any room of my house but my bedroom to avoid nightmares.

[Picture via Destructoid]

Assassin's Creed: Director's Cut Now Available for the PC

Following the huge success that was Assassin's Creed on the Xbox 360 and PS3, Ubisoft has now released a version of the game for the PC, Assassin's Creed: Director's Cut.

The PC version will sport 4 new investigation missions along in addition to the original 5 from the console version meaning the player will never have to complete the same type of mission twice before proceeding to the next mission.

New challenges will include:

Rooftop Race Challenge: Upon meeting an informer, the player will have a set amount of time to reach a second informer. The reward for reaching the second informer on time will be information on the mission target.

Archer Stealth Assassination Challenge: The player will need to assassinate all archers, without being seen, in a certain zone to help other assassins carry out their missions.

Merchant Stand Destruction Challenge: An informer requires the player to break a set number of merchant stands. The merchants have ties to Altair’s target and their activities must be stopped.

Escort Challenge: The player needs to securely escort a fellow Assassin from point A to point B.

You can check out more details at the official web site.

SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA TO UNLEASH KRATOS

Package Includes “Deep Red” Slimmer and Lighter PSP (PSP-2000) with Kratos Silkscreen,
God of War®: Chains of Olympus, Superbad on UMD Video, and Voucher to Download
Syphon Filter®: Combat Ops – All for $199.99 CDN (MSRP)

DESTINATION PLAYSTATION, SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Feb. 26, 2007 – Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) today announced the God of War® PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) Entertainment Pack, a limited-edition offering that celebrates the debut of the best-selling God of War franchise on PSP. This special bundle will feature a limited-edition “Deep Red” PSP with the God of War himself, Kratos, silkscreened on the back of the unit; the highly anticipated God of War®: Chains of Olympus game; the hit comedy movie from Columbia Pictures, Superbad, on UMD™ (Universal Media Disc); and a PLAYSTATION®Network voucher to download
Syphon Filter®: Combat Ops from PLAYSTATION®Store for free*.

“God of War is one of the biggest PlayStation franchises, and with its portable premiere on PSP just around the corner, we wanted to offer something special that would appeal to both loyal God of War fans and non-owners who want to enjoy PSP’s multi-functionality,” said Scott A. Steinberg, vice president, product marketing, SCEA. “This bundle delivers great value, starting with the ‘Deep Red’ PSP – one of the most highly sought-after colors based on our consumer research – and the Kratos silkscreen. We’re also showcasing the diverse entertainment experience PSP offers, centered on a UMD game in God of War: Chains of Olympus that’s every bit as impressive as its console sequels, a free download of the award-winning Syphon Filter: Combat Ops, and a box office hit movie in Superbad.”

The standalone version of God of War: Chains of Olympus launches on March 4. The God of War PSP Entertainment Pack will be available for $199.99 CDN (MSRP) in June 2008 and includes the following components.

** “Deep Red” PSP system with an image of Kratos silkscreened on the back of the unit; this is the only time that this special PSP color will be offered in North America.
** God of War: Chains of Olympus, developed as a joint collaboration by Sony Computer Entertainment’s Worldwide Studios (WWS) Santa Monica Studios and the team that created Daxter™, Ready At Dawn® Studios, is a must-have for PSP owners, and retailer pre-order sales have been very strong. Developed from the outset as an original story, God of War: Chains of Olympus takes place before the events of the original
God of War, delivering yet another adventure in the dark and brutal world of Greek Mythology that fans of the franchise have come to know and love.
** Superbad UMD video – This 2007 box-office comedy hit from Columbia Pictures is a gut-busting coming-of-age comedy for a new generation.
** Syphon Filter: Combat Ops voucher – Download the PLAYSTATION Network exclusive title, Syphon Filter: Combat Ops, to your Memory Stick PRO Duo™ for free* with the included voucher. Developed by SCE’s WWS Bend Studios, this latest edition of the critically acclaimed stealth action franchise was named the 2007 PSP Multiplayer Game of the Year by IGN.com. The title is currently available for $10.99 CDN on PLAYSTATION Store (http://store.playstation.com).

Momentum for the PSP platform has soared since the fall 2007 launch of the slimmer and lighter PSP system and the introduction of new colors in the Daxter and Star Wars Battlefront® PSP Entertainment Packs. Over the holiday season, more than 1.4 million PSP systems were sold in North America, demonstrating strong consumer interest in limited-edition bundles that combine new colors and exciting content or accessories. The God of War Entertainment Pack will build on this trend, and SCEA will support the bundle with an integrated marketing campaign that ties into the God of War: Chains of Olympus software campaign. Dedicated print, online, and direct marketing, as well as public relations support and targeted promotional opportunities, will drive the God of War Entertainment Pack campaign. SCEA will continue to offer the PSP Core Pack.

New Xbox 360 Halo 3 Edition Console (Updated)

At tonight's E3 2007 Microsoft Press Conference, Peter Moore introduced the newest edition to the Xbox 360 console family, the limited edition Halo 3 Xbox 360 which will come with exclusive Halo 3 accessories.

Not much has been posted or said about the new console as to what comes with it and such but I expect Bungie to release more information about it over the week.

Peter Moore did say they plan to release the console for Christmas.

[Update:

Halo 3 Console Announced

Published July 10, 2007

In anticipation of this year's largest blockbuster game launch, Microsoft will offer the Xbox 360™ Halo® 3 Special Edition Console in September 2007. The console features an exclusive "Spartan green and gold" finish and comes bundled with a matching Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, 20GB Hard Drive, Headset, Play & Charge Kit, and exclusive Halo 3 Gamer Pics and Theme (available via Xbox LIVE® download).

Join the Halo Nation with the Special Edition Console.

Look for this new console in September. This new Special Edition contains these components:

• Halo 3 Special Edition Console
• Halo 3 Special Edition Wireless Controller
• Halo 3 Special Edition 20GB Hard Drive
• Halo 3 Special Edition Wired Headset
• Halo 3 Special Edition Gamer Pics and Theme (Exclusive download via Xbox LIVE)
• Component HD AV Cable
• Ethernet Cable
• HDMI Port
• Play & Charge Kit
• Xbox LIVE Silver Membership
• One-month Lbox LIVE Gold Membership
• Halo 3 game not included—sold separately

[Via Bungie.net/Microsoft Press Conference/Xbox.com]

Halo 3 Legendary Edition

The $120 Legendary version of Halo 3 comes with this Helmet and Stand. It's nice but can you wear it to the mall? Not sure I'd want to fork out double the cost of a game just for this big paper weight unless I could actually fit it on my head.

How about you, Halo fans? Are you going to buy it?

[Via You Newb - Digg]