News / by
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After months of slowly revealing artists one at a time for their new rhythm game, Activision has finally revealed the entire setlist for DJ Hero. DJ Hero will have 93 songs for you to play with, running the entire gamut of the rap and dance genre. From 1970s disco and funk music, to the 1980s and 90s, all the way to more modern fare.
DJ Hero comes out on October 27th. List after the break. READ MORE
With just about one month to go before Lego Rock Band is released, Harmonix has released the tracklist for their ‘family-friendly’ version of Rock Band. Lego Rock Band will feature a very diverse array of bands ranging from Queen and Elton John to All American Rejects and Counting Crows. As usual, all songs on Lego Rock Band will also be able to be exported to your hard drive (for PS3s and Xbox 360s) for a fee, to make them playable in any other version of Rock Band that you have.
Lego Rock Band is set to release on November 17th. List after the break. READ MORE
My son once described The Munchables as the game with the vegetable space pirates and the guys who eat everything. Oddly enough, that is probably the best way to actually describe the game to someone who has never played it. Taking on the role of Chomper or Munchy, the greediest Munchables, you have set out to retrieve the Legendary Orbs of Star Ving from the Tabemon space pirates who have stolen then. Let’s find out how a game with vegetable space pirates stacks up.
The game begins by allowing you to select either Chomper (for the guys) or Munchy (for the girls). The Munchables is broken up by different planets each with 2 levels and a boss level. You’ll progress through each stage battling pirates of varying levels. Combat is pretty simple as you can outright eat any pirates of a similar or smaller size by pressing the Eat button or you can break apart larger enemies into more manageable sizes by attacking them first. Your character grows and evolves as his/her stomach gets full as indicated by the on screen display and is able to eat higher level pirates. You also have a few special items at your disposal such as the vacuum that turns your Munchable into a sort of Dyson vacuum sucking up any nearby pirates. Along the way you will also be collecting hidden acorns. If your Munchable happens to take damage from one of the space pirates, the number of pirates you’ve eaten on that stage will decrease and you’ll shrink to your starting size momentarily. Taking damage in this shrunken size will end the game. Shaking the Wii Remote shortens the length of time you are vulnerable.
Surprisingly enough, Namco Bandai included the ability to use the Wii Remote + Nunchuk, Classic Controller, or even the GameCube controller. We opted to use the Wii Remote controller option. Your control scheme is determined by the controller you use to start the game at the title screen. An unnecessary option as the Wii Remote control scheme works very well, but a welcome one for fans of more traditional controllers. The controls were tight and responsive in every regard with the exception of jumping which could be a little frustrating at times.
Initially, the concept of the game sounds a little juvenile and may draw a parallel to a parent trying to get their kids to eat their vegetables, but The Munchables has been surprisingly entertaining to play. The combat is quick and easy and the levels are short enough that they don’t begin to feel cumbersome and drawn out. The replay value is also quite high as you replay older levels to try and increase your score and get the highest grade awarded for every level.
The Munchables is an interesting niche title that combines vegetable space pirates with aliens that eat their enemies and it just seems to work. It’s got a variety of controller schemes to please everyone and even though the story is shallow it’s a real blast to play. It is definitely a niche title that not everyone will want, but the upside is that it has already hit the bargain bin so I have no problem recommending you pick this up even for the occasional play. If you’ve got kids, it’s definitely something you’ll want to check out.
Plays Like: A common adventure game
ESRB: E for Everyone; Comic Mischief and Mild Cartoon Violence
Pros: Fun; Quirky
Cons: Shallow story; Jumping is a pain
Features / Interviews / by
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Tony Hawk is the king in two arenas: skateboarding and extreme sports games. We got the chance to ask him a few questions about RIDE, ultrarealism and its consequences, and…the White House?
Snackbar Games: The original Tony Hawk Pro Skater was released almost exactly 10 years ago. How much have you been involved with the progression of the game since it debuted?
Tony Hawk: I was involved less in the last few games of that series, mostly because Neversoft knew what they were doing by then. In other words, I no longer had to explain what a 360 flip to crooked grind looks like. They were submersed in the skate world after working on the series for so long. But for Ride, I have been hands-on since day one. We started from scratch on this one and I had to make sure it was done right.
SB: Musicians have cited the “Guitar Hero effect” as keeping people from taking up real instruments. Are you afraid that, with the addition of the new peripheral in RIDE, skateboarding is going to experience a similar trend of people not trying the real thing?
TH: Not at all. I think this game will encourage kids to try the real thing more than our last series.
SB: Are you prepared for the backlash when people inevitably start destroying their carpets/TVs/pets/couches/relatives with misguided trick attempts?
TH: All I can say is: keep a wide berth and move any sharp edges. Just kidding, I think people will realize what’s involved very quickly and play it safe.
SB: The board peripheral for RIDE could easily be mistaken for a real deck. What kind of research went into developing it?
TH: We tried many variations of blank skate decks, incorporating sensors, sonars, infrared, and even trackballs. The board was the most challenging part because it has to feel like a skateboard, but also be intuitive without using trucks or wheels. I would say that half the battle was figuring out the right hardware design.
SB: This kind of controller has never been done at home, but there have been similar things done in arcades. Did you ever play any of those arcade games?
TH: All of them, including Alpine Surfer and Top Skater. I own an Air Trix machine.
SB: We’ve heard about your trick challenges with developer Robomodo, and…frankly, you seem to be crushing them. Exactly how good are you?
TH: According to current high scores, the best. But I’m sure that will change quickly once the game is released. I am very good at holding manuals and steering towards obstacles, which is one of the hardest techniques.
SB: Besides the peripheral, what is your favorite new feature in RIDE?
TH: That you can approach each level with different goals (speed, trick, etc).
SB: Are there plans to include the White House or the OEOB into the game? You know, for the full Hawk experience.
TH: Aaha, not quite. I caught enough heat for that already.
SB: Any insight into what’s being planned for the sequel to RIDE?
TH: We have just begun to utilize this technology, so I envision a better skating game. But my overall dream is to have other spinoff games as well (snowboarding, surfing, etc).
Here were our ground rules:
-We couldn’t assume ownership of any game equipment. This means all the systems and accessories had to be included as part of the $750 total.
-To determine cost, we used the current Amazon price if possible. For downloadable titles, we used standard MSRP for the points and didn’t take into account any temporary sales.
-For simplicity, we ignored sales tax and shipping costs, since they’d vary by location.
-Prices are accurate as of October 11.
-Games must be released before December 25, 2009, and any games and systems must be for the current generation of consoles (PS3, 360, Wii, DS, PSP) or PC games released in the past five years.
Here were our choices:
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Nintendo Wii ($199.99, Amazon
No system gives more value. Also, includes Wii Sports, but that’s not really important as you’ll see in a bit.
Wii Remote Controller ($34.96 each, Amazon
Why only 2? Well…
Wii Play with Wii Remote ($44.49, Amazon
Might as well get a game with the 3rd, right?
Wii Nunchuk Controller x3 ($17.49 each, Amazon
That’s Nunchuks for everyone.
Wii Classic Controller x2 ($19.49 each, Amazon
You’ll rarely need 4 of these. 2 should be sufficient for most Virtual Console games. On that note…
Wii 2000 Points Card x2 ($19.49 each, Amazon
May I recommend Mega Man 9 and World of Goo? What you do with the rest is up to you.
Wii Wireless Charging Power Base Quad ($34.99, Amazon
Looked like a great deal for keeping 4 Remotes charged up.
Okay, other than Wii Play, Wii Sports, and a bunch of VC titles, what are we actually going to play on this thing?
Super Smash Bros. Brawl ($40.49, Amazon
Metroid Prime Trilogy Collector’s Edition ($46.99, Amazon
Limited-Edition Wii Sports Resort Bundle with Two Wii MotionPlus ($56.99, Amazon
That should keep you busy for a while, especially the three Metroid games. From here you can go in a Mario direction (Kart, NSMB Wii, Galaxy), get some Zelda (TP), explore some great but obscure games (Muramasa, Pinball Hall of Fame), or just do whatever. There’s a ton of good games, but these three give the best representation of what the Wii can do: there’s the frenetic party game, the hardcore gamer’s experience, and the casual waggle display.
Still got around $120 left over. Not enough to pick up a DS and games and really only two or three more Wii titles, but I bet I can do better than that.
Dominion ($34.25, Amazon
Race for the Galaxy ($27.53, Amazon
Zooloretto ($33.93, Amazon
SORRY! Sliders ($22.69, Amazon
Yeah… that should keep you busy when you’re away from your new Wii.
Total: $742.69
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Hmm. I have $750 and I am getting into the current generation of gaming without experiencing any part of it. So, what would gamer me buy sad alternate universe bored-because-he-has-no-games-to-play non-gamer me?
PS3 Slim ($299.99, Amazon
Why? Because if you’re going to play video games then you need a console to play them on, Sony has some great exclusives, and non-gamer me is scared of the Red Rings of Death.
The Beatles: Rock Band Special Edition – ($249.99, Amazon
Why? Because I love the Beatles, and the instrument build quality is (according to the reviews I have read) great. Beatles: Rock Band also has the best trophy system of all three games (more games need tracking a la The Orange Box), a soundtrack that hits far more often than it misses, and the dreamscapes are amazing.
Burnout Paradise – ($17.49, Amazon
Why? Because it is visually stunning, inexpensive, and appeals to both those who want a clean race (burning routes) and those who want to run their opponents off a cliff to gain a little extra boost. And when alt-me gets around to buying a PSN card Criterion has been great about supporting Burnout Paradise via DLC.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves – ($56.99, Amazon
Why? Because the original Uncharted delivered great gunplay, a cinematic feel, and a fun upgrade system through earning medals. Uncharted 2 looks to bring back everything that was great about the original while adding in three-player coop that is separate from the main story and competitive multiplayer that is tons of fun judging by the multiplayer beta.
Batman: Arkham Asylum – ($52.99, Amazon
Why? Because Batman: Arkham Asylum is to Barman video games what Batman Begins is for Batman movies. We finally have a Batman game that feels right. Batman feels badass and fragile exactly when he needs to. Beating up thugs feels great all the way through, challenge rooms add to replay value, and since we’re buying for the PS3 here alt-me will get to play as Joker as well.
Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty – ($14.99, PSN/Amazon
Why? Because Quest for Booty takes everything that Tools of Destruction did right and brings it back in a bite-sized chunk. Fun weapons? Check. Tight gameplay? Check. Neat story? Check. Pirate theme? Check. Quest for Booty added a couple wrench abilities to Ratchet’s arsenal and narratively joins the two future games together. It is also a great introduction to PSN games and the quality to be found on the service.
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time – ($56.49, Amazon
Why? I haven’t played this one yet, but the preview videos show me a weapon where I can take out my enemies by making my gun burp at them. Even if that is the only new feature then alt-me will have a great time. Insomniac makes great games and already has a powerful library on the PS3. Also, my doppelganger will want to know what happens after Tools of Destruction and Quest for Booty.
And that brings my total spent to $748.93. Here’s hoping that tax on this bundle only works out to be $1.07!
Xbox 360 Elite bundle with Pure, Lego Batman ($299.99, Amazon
This is pretty obvious for anyone who knows me, but the 360 is easily my favorite console this generation. Plus, with all of the games I want that are coming out the rest of the year, the majority of them are on the 360, so why not? It was between this and the PS3, and even if I bought the PS3 for the exclusives, I wouldn’t be able to get any extra games with the ones I already wanted. PLUS, the Xbox 360 controller rules, so yeah.
Brutal Legend ($56.99, Amazon
Played the demo, loved it, and am a huge fan of Tim Schafer.
Borderlands ($58.99, Amazon
Love the art style, the co-op looks great, and it seems to be a game that will last me quite a while.
DJ Hero with Turntable Controller ($118.99, Amazon
I guess I’m just a sucker for music games. It just looks incredibly fun, has a lot of great tracks and remixes, and it’ll be interesting to see where the series goes if this succeeds.
Dragon Age: Origins ($56.99, Amazon
BioWare has made a lot of fantastic RPGs, but one of my favorites is and has always been the original Balder’s Gate. This is the spiritual successor to that game/series, so how can I NOT be excited?
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 ($59.99, Amazon
Everything I see about this game blows me away. And with the multiplayer, it seems like it will last me a while as well.
Left 4 Dead 2 ($54.99, Amazon
L4D is a game I still play. L4D2 might be more of the same, but it’s more of an amazing co-op game. I think this, too, will last me quite a while, as the first game did (and still is).
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Xbox 360 Elite Holiday Bundle (LEGO Batman + Pure) ($299.99, Amazon
Xbox 360 Wireless Controller ($37.49, Amazon
Batman: Arkham Asylum – ($46.99, Amazon
LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga – ($19.99, Amazon
LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures – ($17.49, Amazon
Star Wars the Clone Wars: Republic Heroes – ($43.99, Amazon
LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues – ($46.99, Amazon
Tony Hawk RIDE Bundle – ($118.99, Amazon
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – ($59.99, Amazon
Star Wars The Force Unleashed : Ultimate Sith Edition – ($36.99, Amazon
Grand Total: $728.90
Despite great games on all three major consoles, the Xbox 360 is still the one that gets the most use and it has a library of games that appeal to the kids and to me and my wife. I opted for the Xbox 360 Elite Holiday Bundle because of the recent price drop and the inclusion of 2 games, with Lego Batman being a title I would likely pick up anyway. I added a single extra wireless controller because I don’t think we have ever actually had more than 2 people playing any game on our 360, ever.
Jumping right into the game list, you’ll see that I’ve got 3 of my 8 games as Lego titles. I really enjoy playing these titles on my own and they are games I can play with the kids too. Add in the fact that some of them are under $20 and it was a no brainer. Lego Indy 2 is on the list simply based on past experience with the Lego titles. I’m sure we’ll sink a good 100+ hours into that, so it’s a great value for us.
Looking at upcoming titles and recent releases, there were only a full that struck me as a great value to buy at full price and these were Batman Arkham Asylum, Star Wars: Republic Heroes, and Modern Warfare 2. Republic Heroes would probably be more for the kids, but the other 2 are definitely for when the kids get to bed and it’s time for me to enjoy a more mature gaming experience.
Rounding out my list are the Tony Hawk RIDE Bundle and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Ultimate Sith Edition. I’m very eager to check out RIDE simply because Skate It had such great potential and ultimately fell a little short of my expectations and I think this new controller could be amazing. The Force Unleashed was a game I passed on the first time around and I really want to check it out now that it has an updated release.
So there you have it. If I had $750 to spend on gaming equipment for this holiday season, this is what I would buy.
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For my list, I really tried to go with games with great depth and replay value. Not much here’s actually new for this holiday season, but I think much of it is good enough for every holiday season.
Nintendo Wii ($199.99, Amazon
Extra Wii Remote ($34.96, Amazon
Classic Controller ($19.49, Amazon
I started out with the Wii, because so much of what’s available really does have staying power. I just went with one extra remote. I adore local multiplayer, and cooperative modes in particular. Unfortunately, with the budget restrictions, I limited myself to just one extra. As for the Classic, I needed it for some things later on the list.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii ($46.99, Amazon
This is the only brand-new item on the list. I played a few levels at E3 on the first day. How was it? Well, I went back and played a few more on the second day. And the third. It’s great fun, and it also features cooperative local multiplayer.
Mario Kart Wii w/wheel ($46.99, Amazon
I keep playing this game, whether I’m alone and racing the world or on a couch with a group of trash-talking friends. With this, I’d have enough to play 2-player, at least.
Xbox 360 Elite bundle with Pure, Lego Batman ($299.99, Amazon
360 Wired Controller ($28.49, Amazon
Bundles are great additions to any shoestring list like this one. The Elite is a must-have upgrade over the Arcade for some stuff later in this list, and Pure and Lego Batman are actually solid, fun experiences, so I didn’t worry about finding a $250 360 Pro. And again, I can’t resist local multiplayer, and a few of these games are great with two players, so I sprung for the second pad. The wired controller, while inferior to a wireless one with a Play & Charge Kit, is cheaper, and we’re on a budget.
That gets us to $676.90. Now $73.10 doesn’t buy much nowadays…that is, unless you dip into the pool of games that I can’t get enough of: downloadables.
Castle Crashers ($15, XBLA/Amazon
An absolutely amazing game that had a few online problems at launch, but I didn’t care. I played it to exhaustion with two friends in my apartment. Now, of course, the problems are mostly solved, and you can enjoy it however you wish.
‘Splosion Man ($10, XBLA/Amazon
A platformer with one button. Twisted Pixel’s physics platformer is brilliant, and the co-op is even better.
Tetris Splash ($10, XBLA)
The Wii’s Tetris Party is a bit more full-featured, but you’re buying Tetris, and this delivers.
Penguins & Friends: Hey! That’s My Fish! ($8, WiiWare)
The tabletop classic has a faithful, if clunky, adaptation on the Wii. While I love Carcassonne and Catan on XBLA, I felt I had to recommend this hidden gem with an awkward name. Get past it and enjoy the strategic depth of such a simple game.
With $29.57 left, I felt it was time to dabble in some Virtual Console offerings, but I had to be careful to not go over my limit.
Paper Mario ($10, Virtual Console)
Intelligent Systems’ masterpiece was augmented by the brilliant Treehouse localization team. At $10, it still provides as much enjoyment as the $60 RPGs of today.
Secret of Mana ($8, Virtual Console)
River City Ransom ($5, Virtual Console)
Local co-op? Yep. Classic? You bet. Affordable? Indeed. These were no-brainers for me.
Okay, so I have $7.10 left. What’s the best thing available for that cash that fills a different need gaming-wise?
Bomberman ’94 ($7, Virtual Console)
Bomberman ’94 offered some improvements from ’93, Despite its age, it’s a solid experience, and offers a more authentic Bomberman experience at the expense of online play. I tend to take those trade-offs.
So that’s my list…all $749.90 of it. I guess I’d take the extra 10 cents and track down a gumball machine or something.
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Xbox 360 Elite with Lego Batman and Pure ($299.99, Amazon
The Xbox 360 is my system of choice right now as it has more games in the genres I love than either the PS3 or the Wii do. I could have gone with the $199.99 Arcade version, but I want the hard drive that comes with it because it gives me access to downloadable content from Xbox Live as well as allowing me to sign up for an Xbox Live Gold account to play games online. Luckily for holiday purchasers, Microsoft is bundling Lego Batman and Pure with the Elite this year. Lego Batman I would have bought separately anyway, so that saves me some cash, and Pure is a great racing game.
Xbox Live Gold 12 Month Card ($49.99, Amazon
While paying to play online is anathema to many gamers, I am perfectly happy to pay $4/month to play all the great multiplayer games the 360 has to offer. In light of the recent growth of the MMO genre, $4/month to play as many games online as I can get my hands on seems a small price to pay compared to $10-15/month for a single game.
Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition ($57.99, Amazon
Having loved the atmosphere and writing of Fallout and Fallout 2, and being a huge fan of Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, getting Fallout 3 is a must for me. Getting it with all 5 expansions for the same price as the original release is simply phenomenal.
Mass Effect ($19.99, Amazon
Mass Effect is nothing short of one of the best pieces of original science fiction in years. The fact that it is developed by Bioware adds amazing production values to what would have been one of my favorite games regardless. Bioware took all of their experience with Knights of the Old Republic and applied it to making a game that far surpassed its spiritual predecessor.
Halo 3 is one of the most played online games in console history, and for good reason. I’ve played more online Halo than any other online game I’ve owned, and the amount of fun I’ve had fragging and being fragged (mostly being fragged, to be honest) makes this a must purchase. However, if I had the money available, I would have totally bought Halo 3: ODST instead of Halo 3, since it includes the Halo 3 multiplayer and adds to it.
Civilization Revolution ($26.99, Amazon
Civilization on a console? Score! Civilization Revolution is a streamlined version of Civilization that takes many of the best parts of the PC versions and turns it into a much faster paced game that works very well on consoles. Also, a turn based strategy game that can be played online is like crack for me.
Elder Scrolls: Oblivion – Game of the Year Edition ($27.49, Amazon
Bethesda makes awesomeness with every release. Oblivion is the ultimate medieval action RPG. Even though I had never played an Elder Scrolls game before playing Oblivion, the back story, the world, the wealth of information and quests, and the sheer size of the game made it instantly one of my favorite games ever.
Tales of Vesperia ($27.99, Amazon
I have to admit that for a long time the only JRPGs I played were from Square Enix. I am very glad that I was willing to go outside my shell and play Tales of Vesperia. The story and the characters make it worth a purchase by any RPG fan. Even though my favorite series is, and always will be, Final Fantasy, my favorite character of all time is the game’s protagonist, Yuri.
Red Faction: Guerrilla ($36.99, Amazon
Destruction = Awesome. That’s the formula behind Red Faction: Guerrilla and it is a formula most gamers can agree with. It really needs no more explanation than that. Red Faction: Guerrilla is all about destruction and it does destruction better than any other game I’ve played. Thus, it is worth a purchase for anyone who loves destroying things as much as I do.
The Orange Box ($17.49, Amazon
The Orange Box is the ultimate in content for price. You get 5 games for $20. And not just any games, you get 5 Valve games. Half-Life 2 is one of the most decorated games of all time, yet it isn’t even the best value in The Orange Box. It also comes with the next two games in the Half-Life series, Team Fortress 2, and Portal. Team Fortress 2 is a very stylized multiplayer game that is very polished and very fun. Portal is the centerpiece of the Orange Box to me. It is one of the funniest games I’ve played, and the gameplay is very original and brain-twisting. All of that together should make it a purchase for anyone who likes comedy or shooting in their games.
Lost Odyssey ($27.49, Amazon
Lost Odyssey feels somewhat like a throwback to the original PlayStation’s Final Fantasy games. This feel is more than just an accident, as the creators of Lost Odyssey were the creators of Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger that left Square during the that era. The story and gameplay of Lost Odyssey also serve to make it one of the better RPGs to come out so far this generation.
Last Remnant ($19.99, Amazon
Last Remnant is a different style than most Square Enix RPGs. You don’t control individual people, and you don’t level up your characters as you normally do. Instead, you control squads of units against groups of enemy units. This gives you the feeling that you are commanding a small army in your attempt to save the world. It is also a design that gives way to a more strategic feel than you usually get in a RPG. It can take awhile to really get into Last Remnant, but it is very worthwhile if you give it a chance.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 ($59.99, Amazon
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is one of the two shooters that have taken up the majority of my online gaming time the past few years. It had one of the most robust and addictive multiplayer structures I’ve ever seen, the gameplay was second to none, and the story and cinematic way it was told made you really feel like part of the war. I realize none of that is about the game I’ve selected here, but from everything I’ve seen and heard about Modern Warfare 2, it will continue and surpass all of the things I loved about the first Modern Warfare.
Bioshock is probably the closest thing to survival horror I could ever stand to play. In fact, watching my brother play it when he first got it was somewhat creepy in and of itself. The atmosphere and sound design of Bioshock, mixed with the story, made Bioshock another game I had to have. Of course, being able to shoot fire and lightning out of your hand isn’t a bad way to get someone to want to play your game either.
(Total: $729.36)
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So what would you pick? What do you think of ours? Let us know in the comments!
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