Shift 2: Unleashed game Review!!!!!!!!!!

Review: The Need for Speed series has left behind its arcade roots, but its influence can still be felt in the spiritual successor to the series in the best racing game of the year so far, Shift 2: Unleashed.

When it comes to the racing genre you have two options. You can go with the racing simulators— the Forza and Gran Turismo series games— where you can lose hours of your life fiddling with gear differentials, weight distribution and thousands of other things that most of us will never truly understand. Most importantly though is a realistic sense of physics in the actual driving. On the flip side of the coin are the arcade style racers, which drop you in places likeBurnout’s Paradise City, or Midnight Club’s Los Angeles and command you to go forth and race while trying not to hit a building at 200 mph. Both are racing games, but there is a massive gap between the two genres. Shift 2: Unleashed is a game that tries to fill this gap, and does a fairly decent job of it.

Shift 2: Unleashed is the heir to the Need for Speed series that has reinvented itself, and changed from the arcade style that had you running form cops through all environments, to a more simulated racer; but the vestigial traces of the original series remain, and in doing so they offer something that is a bit unique.

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Posted in: Forza,Gran Turismo 5,pc games,pcgames,Playstation 3,racing games 2011,Shift 2,Shift 2 Unleashed,Unleashed Review,Video Game Review,Xbox 360

Joyswag: Dreamcast Collection, soundtrack vinyl and 'Still Thinking' hoodie !!!!!!!!

How does one pay tribute to such a great console as the late Sega Dreamcast? With cool swag, of course. To celebrate the company's final console -- and the release of Dreamcast Collection -- Sega manufactured a limited run of the title's soundtrack on vinyl. This snow-white record was intended only for Australia, but we got our hands on a few to give to you (because we kinda, y'know, like you). Some really sharp Dreamcast hoodies were also made. They're zip-up, with orange hood lining and draw strings, plus an embroidered Dreamcast logo on the front and the Dreamcast swirl above the words "Still Thinking ... " on the back.

Four lucky readers will win a package consisting of one soundtrack vinyl, one sweatshirt and one copy ofDreamcast Collection for Xbox 360. Head past the break for the full contest rules, and good luck!To enter:

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Posted in: 3d,3d games 2011,dreamcast,dreamcast-collection,joyswag,microsoft,pc games,sega,xbox

Mortal Kombat 2011 review!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wait, you mean to tell us that even though the game hasn't actually come out yet, you're already bored with the roster of fighters included in Mortal Kombat? How is that even possible? Regardless, you don't need to worry -- Netherrealm's Hans Lo recently revealed to CVG that two new kombatants are already in the works for post-launch DLC: Series regular Kenshi, and "Scarlet," a fully fleshed-out character based on a glitch in the old Mortal Kombat arcade machines, which turned Jade, Kitana and Milena blood red.

Lo explained, "People always thought it was a hidden unlockable character and it wasn't, it was purely a programming glitch." He added, "She's no longer a glitch - she's an actual character, and she'll be coming pretty soon post-launch." We wish other developers were this sentimental about their earlier mistakes -- maybe then we could finally get that Laddergoat game we've always dreamed of.

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Posted in: dlc,kenshi,microsoft,Microsoft’s Xbox Live,mortal-kombat,mortal-kombat-2011,Netherrealm-Studios,pc games,playstation,ps3,scarlet,warner-bros-interactive

Sucker Punch Review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Review: Director Zack Snyder offers us Sucker Punch, his passion project which is a visually stunning and utterly soulless movie.

Sucker Punch is just not a good film. It is an interesting film, it is an original film, and it is definitely a visually stunning film, but it is also a seizure-inducing mess that laughs at the idea of depth and dares you to find anything more to it. At best it can be described as mindless fun, with a heavy emphasis on mindless. By the end of the movie, most will actually walk out of the theater wondering if they missed something—some key element that was deeply buried in the world of the film. Maybe a hidden metaphor, or some allegory. The answer is no, it is just a superficial and soulless two-hour music video directed by a guy that is almost certainly a victim of ADD.

Sucker Punch is actually a fairly hard film to review, mainly because it isn’t really a film. If you took all the actual plot elements and cut them together, the entire movie would be about 15 minutes long. The visual scenes are fairly impressive to watch, but there is nothing holding them together, and there is never any real sense of danger or accomplishment in their completion. But more on the plot later—don’t worry, that section will be brief.

But still, Snyder has to be applauded on taking the chance and trying something new–even though he fails on most levels. Snyder’s films are just somewhat soulless. There is such an emphasis on the visuals that everything else suffers. There is not a single shot in all of Sucker Punch where multiple things are not going on. Even in the most innocuous of scenes where someone is just talking—not even saying anything important, just talking — the camera will zoom in. It may even then cut to an overhead view looking down, before cutting back to the speaker and panning over them. Just leave the damn camera alone for one single second, Snyder!  It is not just distracting, it could almost be described as “twitchy.”

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Posted in: 3d fighting games,Man of Steel,Movie Review,pc games,Sucker Punch,Sucker Punch Review,Superman,Zack Snyder

Madden NFL Football 3DS review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Review: EA’s Madden franchise joins the list of launch titles for the Nintendo 3DS is an unimpressive and uninspired translation that can be downright dull.

It wouldn’t be a new video game system if there weren’t at least a few sports games to go with the launch, and EA has stepped up to fill that role with a port of the Madden franchise. With the multiple options that the publisher has to choose from, you would expect EA to have a sports game ready for the launch. You just don’t expect it to be this dull.

Madden for the 3DS is an attempt to cram a complex game into a simplistic package, and as a result the video game feels more like an interpretation of football rather than a playable version of it. The game is unrefined and feels more like something you might find on the Super Nintendo than a brand new system. The features are limited, and there just isn’t anything that really pops with this title. It is almost like the game grudgingly included any features other than a play now option.

Madden offers two types of football, either 5 on 5 or 11 on 11. Both options are available in the season mode as well as the play now, and that’s about it. There is no depth at all to this title, which is surprising compared to the massive amount of player data included with the console versions. Obviously you don’t expect to have anywhere near the same sophistication in a handheld game, but this title feels like it should have just slapped on a generic “Nintendo football” name and left it at that.

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Posted in: 3d games 2011,3DS launch titles,EA,football,Game review,latest 2011 games,Madden,Madden NFL Football 3DS review,Nintendo 3DS,pc games

The Sims 3 on 3DS review!!!!!!!!!!!

When I first loaded up the The Sims 3 on the Nintendo 3DS, I immediately experimented with new and creative ways to kill my Sim. After it did the equivalent of putting the lotion on its skin or getting the hose again, his walls became a tomb, and the Sim died slowly. It is horrible of me, and I am somewhat ashamed to admit my glee at the multiple ways I found in killing my poor, doomed Sim, but I was impressed at the several godlike abilities that the game offered. And then looked around and realized that I had spent several hours engrossed in this game.

The Sims is what it is. Some obsessively enjoy the simulation, and entire worlds crop up around the simulated world created by the users. Others cannot stand the fact that your video game character actually has to use the bathroom and think the whole thing is a massive waste of time. The Sims 3 on the 3DS has an odd issue because of that. The game does not offer anything new enough to convert people to the genre if they already dislike it, while fans are going to have a hard time sacrificing some of the features that they have grown accustomed to on computer, console and even smartphone versions of the game.

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Posted in: EA •,Game Trailer,Nintendo 3DS,Nintendo 3DS launch titles,pc games,The Sims 3,The Sims 3 on 3DS review,The Sims 3D

Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars 3D review!!!!!!!!!!!!

Review: Lego Star Wars III brings the unique Lego style to the Star Wars universe to the Nintendo 3DS in this mediocre port of the console game.

If you have never played the Lego style of games before, then you might want to start off with a different title and you should definitely avoid the handheld versions. Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars brings the unique  and generally very entertaining Lego style to the Nintendo 3DS, but it fails to capture the magic that makes these games so much fun.

If you have played the console version of this game, avoid this title at all costs. It is not a direct port, it is a severely cut version of it. The console version is a fun and original game using a style that has been proven. The 3DS version is not.

You play through the Clone Wars as several characters, each of which has their own ability that you must use to complete the section they are assigned to.  For example, early on you take control of Yoda as well as light and heavy troopers, and you switch through the three with the touch of a button. As you progress you will need to utilize each character’s abilities to progress. Some areas will require a Jedi, while others will ask you to shoot certain obstacles as a light trooper. The problem is that there is never any real challenge to this. You will come across an obstacle, use the appropriate character to interact with it, then move on.

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Posted in: 3d games 2011,Game review,Lego,Lego Star Wars III,Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars,Nintendo 3DS,nintendo 3ds game,Nintendo 3DS launch titles,pc games,The Clone Wars 3D review

Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition review!!!!!!!!!!!!

Review: Capcom brings its fighting series to the Nintendo 3DS, and in doing so offers one of the best launch titles for the new system.

By now after years and years of quality releases for the franchise, you know what to expect from a Street Fighter game. The controls will feel familiar, and many of the characters are among the most iconic in all of video gamedom. So you kinda know what to expect, at least in theory. Yet theory is all well and good, but the real question is execution, and Super Street Fighter IV 3D, or SSFIV3D as it is known to its friends, excels there.

The first thing that stands out is the graphics, which are fairly impressive for a handheld. The cartoonish style of the console SSFIV game return, and they look good on the 3DS. It isn’t the best looking game ever, but it is very good. Perhaps more importantly though is the quality of the character animations, which look fluid and natural.  The backgrounds and sound effects suffer a bit, but that is a minor concern and not all that surprising.

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Posted in: 3d fighting games,3d street figter,figthing games 2011,latest fighting games,latest street fighter game,pc games,street fighter 4,Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition review

Ridge Racer 3D review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Review: If you own a Nintendo 3DS and you are a fan of racing games, Namco Bandai’s Ridge Racer 3D is a must have launch title.

Namco Bandai’s racing offering for the Nintendo 3DS has two things working for it. It is easily the best vehicle based offering on the launch day of the new system, and more importantly, it is just a fun game to play. The gameplay is a bit on the arcade side for those that prefer the ultra-realism of the Gran Turismo and Forza franchises, but the drift based mechanics make the game continually feel fresh and entertaining.

Ridge Racer 3D doesn’t try to be anything other than what it is. You burn around tracks in a handful of cars through a use of speed, drifting, and race fundamentals. Many of the tracks will feel familiar to fans of the series, and they all are well designed. A handful of cars can also be augmented by three loadout options that you can purchase at the start of each race, including nitro and things like that. It won’t appease the racing simulator fans, but it makes the cars all entertaining to test out.

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Posted in: 3d games 2011,Game review,games2011,latest 2011 games,Nintendo 3DS,Nintendo 3DS launch day titles,pc 3d games,pc games,racing games 2011,Ridge Racer,Ridge Racer 3D review