GRID Demo Now Up - No Problems Reported So Far
Posted by Stephany on Tuesday, May 13th, 2008 at 9:57 am under Gamer Life, Game Demos, Codemasters, Computer, Game Platforms, Games, Game Companies

Despite the issues reported with the first GRID demo released for the PC, Codemasters has fixed all blackouts and has submitted a new demo that is glitch free. You can get it by clicking on the badge below.
The Race Driver: GRID demo offers 3 events to compete in. The eBay Motors Muscle Cup sees you taking the wheel of a Ford Mustang GT-R and the streets of San Francisco, the Advan International Trophy hands you a Nissan S15 Silvia and your playground is Yokohama Docks, and the Euro Touring Car Series provides some old-school tin-top thrills with a BMW 320si touring car and the sweeping curves and hairpins of Jarama.
For more information on GRID check out our previous posts.

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The Week in Demos and Patches: May 4-10
Posted by Stephany on Saturday, May 10th, 2008 at 11:37 am under Patches, Game Demos, Gamer Life, Computer, Game Platforms, Games, Game Companies

So I am off work for a week due to moving and I come back hoping that my usual Saturday post would give me something actually exciting to write about. Sadly, I was mistaken because there are little demos that are new this week. Seems like a growing trend as of late, but I digress.
The only really hyped up demo that was suppose to hit this week was the GRID demo from Codemasters, but unfortunately yesterday after it was put up, it was quickly pulled due to blackout issues. We received an email stating that it would fixed by later that afternoon, and then another email saying that it will be fixed by Monday. Therefore, if you are still interested in the demo, check back with us Monday and hopefully any outstanding issues with it should have been fixed.
Here are the demos that hit FileFront this week:
- Dead Wake Beta 4: Dead Wake zombie survival game is in production. The game brings barricades, blood, and weapons to zombie fans. Headshots and physics play a major role when player attempts to survive against the zombie hordes.
- The Amazing Brain Train Windows Demo: Grubby Games has released a Windows demo for The Amazing Brain Train, a title that offers 15 different brain games in 5 categories, three different ways to play, 32 unique trophies to unlock, and more. Also available for Mac and Linux.
- Droid Assault Windows Demo: Puppy Games released the Windows demo for Droid Assault, a modern-retro arcade shooter game which is aiming to capture the raw feel of 8-bit games such as Paradroid and Quazatron, with a slick shiny sheen of modern graphics and sound. Also available for Mac and Linux.
- Overclocked: A History of Violence English Demo: Created by award-winning developer House of Tales Entertainment, players will delve into the world of Overclocked to explore the deranged minds of three of the five patients admitted to the Staten Island Forensic Hospital. This highly anticipated Adventure game on PC DVD-ROM is available in stores now.
- Lights of Dreams Demo V2.15: This is the demo version V2.15 of Lights of Dreams : The Angelical Blade… It is free to play…Play as Xylvan to find a way to save the future Earth of 3800…
- The Lost Cases Of Sherlock Holmes Demo: Legacy Interactive release a demo of The Lost Cases of Sherlock Holmes, a whodunit casual computer game of theft, espionage and murder in which the player must tap their own powers of observation to solve puzzles and identify the culprits.
- Bee Oh Bee Demo: LunaKite has released a demo for Bee Oh Bee, an adventure casual game where you play as a God-bee, bees that live above in the sky to help homeless cute earth-dwelling honey-bees.
Here are the patches that hit this week:
- Harpoon: Advanced Naval Warfare v3.9.2 Patch
- Battlefield 2142 v1.40 to v1.50 Beta Patch
- Fury v35256 to v35416 Client Patch
- Albatross18 S3 Revolution v4.14 Client Patch
- Conquer Online v5021 to v5023 Patch
As always, for the full list of demos and patched available, click here and here.
PlayStation Store 5/8: PixelJunk Monsters Encore and Haze Demo
Posted by Chris on Friday, May 9th, 2008 at 9:29 pm under Activision, Sony, Sony, Game Consoles, Game Platforms, Games, Game Companies
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The PlayStation Store has gotten a great update this week with three solid demos, new music for both Guitar Hero III and Rock Band, the expansion pack to PixelJunk, PixelJunk Monsters Encore ($5.99), and Rocketmen: Axis of Evil ($9.99). In addition to all that, there’s a number of trailers for games and movies, including an Iron Man trailer and one for WipEout HD and Mercenaries 2.
Check it all out after the break.
GRID PC Demo Delayed Due to Blackout Issues (UPDATE)
Posted by Stephany on Friday, May 9th, 2008 at 10:13 am under Codemasters, Gamer Life, Computer, Games, Game Platforms, Game Companies
The GRID PC Demo that was slated to be launched today has what looks like a serious multiplayer issue. A black screen, dead state has been seen about once an hour in online testing.
Due to this issue, Codemasters has asked FileFront to pull the demo and if you have already downloaded it we apologize for any inconvenience and will keep you updated with the latest news as soon as we have it.
Hopefully a fixed version will be released shortly, so check back often.
***UPDATE***
We just received word from Codemasters that the PC demo is being fixed and will be up and running sometime Monday morning.
Codemasters Secures Formula One Gaming License
Posted by Stephany on Friday, May 9th, 2008 at 9:12 am under Games Industry, Codemasters, Gamer Life, Portable, Sony, Nintendo, Sony, Nintendo, Games, Game Platforms, Computer, Game Consoles, Microsoft, Game Companies
Codemasters has secured the exclusive video game rights to Formula One in a worldwide licensing agreement with Formula One Administration Ltd. In turn, the developer/publisher will create a new generation of the multi-million selling Formula One game franchise across multiple consoles, handhelds and PC.
Here are some “gushing” quotes pulled from the press release:
“FORMULA 1 is ambitious in expanding its reach with more circuits planned beyond recent additions in the Middle East and China. It is also ambitious in expanding its reach via technology. The digital communities that computer and video gaming creates will play a key role in further growing the FORMULA 1 audience and connecting them globally,” said Rod Cousens, chief executive officer, Codemasters.
“As a world-leading creator of driving games, this alliance with FORMULA 1 is the jewel in Codemasters’ racing crown and creates an undisputed segment champion. FORMULA 1 has gone with the best, the segment leader. It has gone to the home of the EGO Engine for quality; it has gone to the company that can host FORMULA 1 Online, to the company that is streaking away from the pack.”
“Codemasters’ success and recent innovations in the racing game space makes the company more than appropriately tuned for the challenge,” said Chris Deering, chairman, Codemasters.“The combination of FORMULA 1’s new momentum of expansion and Codemasters’ contemporary technology and past experience is the breaking of a new dawn for the sport, on the track and on the HD game screen.”
This deal will provide Codemasters with rights to feature all Grand Prix circuits, Formula One teams, cars, and driver likenesses. In addition, the FIA Formula One World Championship games will be developed using the evolution of the EGO Game Technology Engine, Codemasters’ cross-platform middleware technology. The EGO Engine is currently being deployed in the creation of Race Driver: GRID, the latest in Codemasters Studio’s international circuit-based racing series which will be released on May 30th.
The first FIA Formula One World Championship game is set to launch in 2009.
Via: Press Release
Five Games to Boost Your Addled Brain
Posted by Stephany on Thursday, May 8th, 2008 at 3:02 pm under Nintendo, Gamer Life, Sony, Microsoft, Game Consoles, Game Platforms, Games, Computer, Game Companies

Over at the University of Michigan, some neuropsychologists have conducted a study that shows how mental exercise can make you smarter. Ok, but how does this apply to games? According to them, the more you play and the harder you play it, the “more smarter you’ll git”. Yes, I stated it that way intentionally.
During the study, participants were shown a computer screen with square patterns and if the pattern matched the same pattern that the participant was shown two squares earlier, they were suppose to hit a button with one hand while listening to letters being transcribed over a set of headphones. Just like the squares, id the said letter matched the one said two letters earlier, the participant would then hit a button with the opposite hand. One hand for letters and one for squares - basic multitasking I would think. The longer the game was played the longer the intervals - which means more squares and letters over time.
The study revealed to the neuropsychologists that 20 minutes of daily training over a period of time led to “significantly increased IQ vs. a control group”, and the “longer people played the game, the higher their IQ got”.
While this may sound a lot more boring than Brain Age, Christopher Null over on the Yahoo Tech Blogs has listed a few games that sound a lot less boring than the one the participants in the study were forced to endure. Null has listed five titles that will ” help you improve logical thinking, reaction time, and coordination”.
Here is the list pulled directly from his blog:
- Lumosity (Web): This browser-based game offers about a dozen mini-games, each designed to help with one area of cognition, including memory, processing speed, attention span, and “cognitive control.” Many games are surprisingly similar in design to the one in the Michigan study and some present a real challenge. ($9.95 a month, pictured)
- Brain Challenge (Xbox Live Arcade): Similar to Lumosity, this used to be a cell phone game that was ported to the Xbox. A series of mini-games asks you what comes next in a sequence of graphic designs, count items quickly, do basic math questions, and more. 30 types of rapid-fire games are available, and your progress is tracked by the game over time. (800 points)
- Rocky & Bullwinkle (Xbox Live Arcade): No, I wouldn’t have expected a game based on a hapless cartoon duo to be good for the brain, but this set of WarioWare-like micro games are great for those looking to boost reaction time and improve eye-hand coordination. Nothing here is too complex (quick: click the correct button in the next 2 seconds!), but it’s all good for working on the “twitch” reflex. (800 points)
- Blokus Portable: Steambot Championship (PSP): This challenging board game comes to the PSP, offering a grid in which you have to place your Tetris-like pieces in such a way that they touch only on their corners. It really works on your pattern recognition skills and gets exceptionally tough when playing with a group of four. ($20)
- Wild Earth: African Safari (Wii): No, it’s not a brain game at all, but really little kids won’t be able to manage the controls and strategies of most of the above titles. Still they shouldn’t be left out of the fun. Wild Earth isn’t exactly the most thrilling title on the market, but youngsters will enjoy looking at the animals on this virtual photo hunt while learning the names of all the beasts of the wild. Good for very small minds. ($30)
I guess this means that the more LotRO I play the denser I get. Oh well, at least I am in ignorant bliss.
Via: Yahoo Blogs
GameTap Thursday: Alpha Prime, Chameleon Gems, Flip Words 2
Posted by Stephany on Thursday, May 8th, 2008 at 11:44 am under Gamer Life, Computer, Games, Game Platforms, Game Companies

Today is Thursday, and as always we are happy to give you the latest updates on the games being added to GameTap.This week marks the addition of Alpha Prime, Chameleon Gems, and Flip Words 2 to the subscription games and the 121st title added to the free games list this week is Morning’s Wrath.
- Alpha Prime: Hubbardium is the most precious mineral in the universe. Unfortunately, it also drives anyone who comes in contact with it insane — by radiation or as a curse of Glomar the Greatest, whose very body is made of the stuff, depending on who you ask. And Arnold must now venture deep into the mines on Alpha Prime — while he’s immune to the effects Hubbardium, there’s plenty to be wary of there…
- Flip Words 2: You’ll flip over this word puzzle! Not only are you trying to build words out of a grid, you’re also assembling a secret phrase, letter by letter, in a fashion such as to make Vanna White green with envy. Guess the phrase and you’ll score some massive points!
- Chameleon Gems: You’ve done it with frogs and you’ve done it with crabs, but have you tried it with chameleons? Talking about matching colored gems as they zoom down a track toward a game-ending drain, of course.
- Morning’s Wrath: For centuries, the Leowyn Kingdom has been at peace. Now Ashidian invaders are at the door, and Leowyn’s army is weak. The castle is under siege as former allies betray the Leowyn cause. Princess Morning, descended from a line of noble warriors, must find her way into a dark world below the castle to purify the magic well and drive the invaders off. But the cost of victory may be her sanity…
Also, as an added bonus, on GameTap TV today, you can check out an exclusive interview on Plug and Play with award winning comic book author Brian Bendis talking about Halo Uprising.
As always, for more information on GameTap, check out the official website.
GRID Demo Goes Live on Xbox 360
Posted by Stephany on Thursday, May 8th, 2008 at 11:25 am under Gamer Life, Game Demos, Codemasters, Microsoft, Games, Game Consoles, Game Companies

According to The Major, the demo for GRID has gone live. Unfortunately the PC demo has been delayed, but it will be up tomorrow so check back with us for the link to download it.
In Race Driver: GRID, players are taken to beautifully realised and dramatic race locations over three continents to compete in an unprecedented variety of racing events. Packed with the most powerful race cars – new and classic, circuit and drift – players will compete to conquer the most prestigious official race tracks and championships and then go beyond to compete in challenging city-based competitions, through to road events and urban street races.
In Europe, race gamers will compete on the greatest official tracks in prestige Marques including Aston Martin, Koenigsegg and Pagani.
Iconic cities across the U.S. – including San Francisco, Washington DC and Detroit and each with their own atmosphere and events – play hosts to diverse street races. Here, high-performance V8 muscle cars set the pace in aggressive closely fought pack competitions.
In the Far East, Japanese racing culture sets the tone where night races, including Drift racing, take drivers through neon illuminated cities and to outlying mountain roads. There is also the opportunity to compete in races that operate on the fringes of legality in the back streets and industrial areas of Yokohama.
Content: GRID Demo
Price: Free
Availability: All Xbox LIVE regions
Dash Text: [ESRB: E (Everyone)] It’s time to get on the GRID as this superb demo showcases racing in the three regions playable in the full game; Europe Touring Cars at Jarama Circuit, U.S Muscle cars at San Francisco and Japanese Drift Racing at Yokohama Docks. Compete online in the European and U.S races and check out the time trial competitions for the chance to win a car and other ace prizes.
Thanks: Major Nelson
WiiWare and Super Smash Bros Brawl Get Dated for Europe; HUGE List of 2008 Releases for Nintendo Revealed
Posted by Stephany on Thursday, April 24th, 2008 at 11:24 am under Gamer Life, Portable, Nintendo, Nintendo, Nintendo, Games, Game Consoles, Game Companies

GoNintendo has revealed a list on upcoming Nintendo games for 2008. Some of these have already been released, but if you look past those you will see many a title that has not. Granted, the majority of them have vague release dates and are for Europe, but at least you get an idea of what to expectThe good news though is that WiiWare and Super Smash Bros. Brawl have been dated for Europe. WiiWare - May 20th and SSBB June 27th.
You can get the full list of Nintendo titles headed our way (and ones that are already available) after the jump.
Thanks: Videogaming247
Race Driver GRID Trailer
Posted by Shawn on Sunday, April 13th, 2008 at 3:08 pm under Videos, Codemasters, Games, Game Platforms, Game Companies
Codemasters has released a second video for its Race Driver GRID game. Chief game designer Ralph Fulton continues his explaination of some of the unique features of GRID. Players will be racing in Europe, the United States and Japan. Each of these regions has it own style of gameplay allowing them to experience classic racing circuits, street circuits and illegal street racing within the same game. take a look a the trailer for more details:
GRID is due out this summer
via FileFront
Codemasters and RTT to Share Tools
Posted by Shawn on Wednesday, April 9th, 2008 at 9:10 pm under Game Related Science, Gamer Life, Games Industry, Codemasters, Game Companies

Codemasters has entered in to a partnership with RealTime Technology to share software tools. RTT, an automobile and aviation visualisation specialist, brings DeltaGen and RealTrace tools to the table while Codemasters will be sharing its DIRT and Race Driver engine EGO.
“Both companies share common goals, including a passion for technology excellence and attention to detail and quality,” commented Bryan Marshall, chief technical officer at Codemasters.
“These goals are demonstrated equally in such executions as the beauty of realtime ray-traced light clusters in RTT’s DeltaGen software and the mesmerising race action and environmental detail in our own Race Driver: GRID. Any collaboration with RTT that delivers advantageous results for our development pipeline will be immensely valuable.”
RTT’s automobile clients are some of the most prestigious names in the industry including Audi, BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Dodge and Porsche.
“We are really happy to enter this partnership with Codemasters”, said Ludwig A. Fuchs, co-founder and member of the RTT AG Management Board.
“The cooperation is of mutual interest and benefit. Together we can utilise synergies and push forward the boundaries of the 3D realtime visualisation market,” he added.
The competition for the top racing game definitely just got a lot more interesting.
Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
Posted by Stephany on Thursday, March 20th, 2008 at 12:35 pm under Square Enix, Portable, Nintendo, Final Fantasy, Gamer Life, Games, Games Industry, Game Companies

Coming to the Ninetndo DS on June 24 is Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, the follow-up to the GameBoy Advance release which transports players to the world of Ivalice.
As the third entry in the Ivalice Alliance series, this release brings the tactical franchise to the Nintendo DS for the first time and will introduce newcomers to the turn-based, grid-oriented battle system as they make new discoveries alongside the hero in this Final Fantasy adventure. Long-time fans will notice newly added content and enhancements, including polished game mechanics, intuitive stylus control, and new jobs and classes.
STORY: School is out for the summer, but mischievous Luso Clemens must first face detention to make up for his misbehavior. Alone in the library, he stumbles upon an ancient book with magical powers that summons him to the mystical land of Ivalice. Warped into the middle of a battlefield, Luso joins Cid and his clan to set off on an adventurous journey looking for a way home.
FEATURES:
- Explore the fantastic world of Ivalice and join forces with famous heroes from FINAL FANTASY® XII – Vaan, Penelo and Al-Cid
- All-new content and enhancements, including polished game mechanics, new jobs, new classes, and a new clan system that enrich the Ivalice experience for fans and newcomers alike
- The North American release will allow players to command characters in battle and navigate through menus all with a tap of the stylus
- Witness vibrant and colorful visuals in dual-screen presentation, made possible by Nintendo DS
- Increased replay value with up to 400 available quests, allowing players to immerse themselves in a multi-faceted storyline
The official website should be fully operational soon, or if you are feeling froggy you can check out the Japanese site here. For more information on Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift please check back with us often.
Via: Press Release
The Analog Gamer: Passing Judgment
Posted by Shawn on Thursday, March 20th, 2008 at 9:29 am under Features, The Analog Gamer, Gamer Life, Blizzard, Games, Sony, Game Companies
Chocolate and Peanut butter might have sounded insane when first proposed but I think most of us would agree that it worked out alright in practice. Combining the Playstation 3 and a Collectible Card Game however.. well the jury’s still out on that one.
I can still remember sitting at the Sony E3 2006 Press Conference at Sony Studios when Phil Harrison walked onstage and introduced the Eye of Judgment and the upgraded Playstation 3 Eye camera accessory. I was a bit shocked to be honest that Sony wanted to get into the Pokemon game with the market in a decline but the concept of marrying a card game with the PS3 sounded interesting enough.
November of last year I finally got a chance to play Eye of Judgment. After years of CCG gaming I was hardly impressed by the simple mechanics, very limited tactics and dearth of expansion packs at retail for me to explore. I came into my playing looking for a sort of virtual Magic the Gathering – a game that was basically simple to teach but with a good deal of hidden depth for those who choose to master it. Judgment failed to deliver that.
Read the full article
Eurpoe Getting Soul Nomad and the World Eaters in June
Posted by Stephany on Tuesday, March 18th, 2008 at 8:35 am under Gamer Life, Sony, Game Consoles, Games, Game Companies
KOEI today announced the release of Soul Nomad for the PS2 which will expand upon the Disgaea games with a brand new innovative battle system. Soul Nomad combines the strategy of tactical RPGs with command based battles that put the controls at the player’s finger tips and is scheduled for release in June. While American gamers have been able to play the game since last year, the release was delayed in Europe.
Just in case you are unfamiliar with Soul Nomad, here is the full rundown:
When an enemy emerges that is far too powerful for the good guys to defeat you do the only decent thing and sell your soul to the devil. Well, actually to someone worse than the devil. You strike a deal with your old arch enemy. And in return for some truly awesome power you’re giving your soul away to him one little piece at a time. How much power you wield and how much of your own body you give up to the ultimate incarnation of evil is totally up to you.
With a full army at your disposal battles are now an exciting combination of vast grid based battlefields and nerve shredding real time combat. By making the best use of your battlefield recon reports you have complete freedom to place your squads and take advantage of the terrain and ultimately inflict embarrassing defeat upon anyone who stands in your way.
You have total freedom to create your own army of terror and bestow each unit with their own unique talents and abilities. You can even try to press gang innocent townsfolk into your army. The entire world is your playground and you can be as good or as bad as you like.
Soul Nomad follows in the footsteps of the titles Makai Kingdom, Phantom Brave, and the critically acclaimed Disgaea series.
Via: Press Release
New Details and Screens Emerge for Akellas Latest RPG 'Disciples III: Renaissance'
Posted by Stephany on Saturday, March 15th, 2008 at 5:53 pm under Gamer Life, Computer, Games, Game Platforms, Game Companies

Akella’s latest addition to the Disciples RPG franchise, Renaissance, will introduce a host of new features as well as the same style of gameplay that made the previous titles popular. This will be the first time in the series that the gloomy world of Disciples will be rendered in full 3D by using the Virtual Dream engine which will in turn allow players to experience this realm as it should be. The game combat in Disciples III is now based on a hex system where as a former square grid was replaced with a hex one which, in their minds was a more natural way for the game to be played. Along with these changes to the gamplay, Akella also sent us some information on the Elven Alliance and the Legion of the Damned that will be prevalent throughout the game. You can read up on them after the jump.
As a Lord of one of the fantastical races of Nevendaar, players must fight to restore their deity’s rule over the world by choosing one of three playable races: the Empire, the Elven Alliance and the notorious Legion of the Damned - each with its own unique units and city design. Advances have also been made in the gameplay which will allow increased fluidity in multiplayer games and less downtime when playing alone, while a new upgrade system allows the player to assign attributes to their leaders. The RPG inventory system in Disciples III has been tweaked and now includes player stats and abilities along with visual representation of character’s equipped armor, weapons and artifacts.
Hopefully soon we will have more on Disciples III: Renaissance, so until then check back with us often.
Details on Obsidian's Alpha Protocol
Posted by Shawn on Tuesday, March 11th, 2008 at 2:18 pm under Microsoft, Sony, Sega, Game Consoles, Computer, Game Platforms, Games, Game Companies
Details have been released on Obsidian’s new action RPG in development, Alpha Protocol. Game Informer featured the new title on the cover of the April issue. Here are some of the highlights of the story courtesy of NeoGaf.
“A modern day espionage focused action/RPG that takes you on a suspenseful ride in the vein of James Bond, Jack Bauer, and Jason Bourne. Take a wet-behind-the-ears greenhorn agent up through the ranks to become a bona-fide super spy.”
- Main character is Michael Thorton, a fully trained but inexperienced young operative who has the world turned upside down when a mission goes wrong.
- Title “Alpha Protocol” is a phrase that is used when operatives go underground to work off the grid. Usually reserved for senior agents.
- Battle system is similar to Mass Effect but have more in common with Uncharted. It revolves around real time combat with an emphasis on gun play and high tech gadgets.
- Third person perspective, action orientated gameplay
- Close quarters combat can be a last resort or primary method of fighting depending on how you spend skill points you have earned.
- Skill system is based most closely on Fallout. It’s classless, you have 10 skills and 10 ranks in each skill. Skills don’t simply improve things like accuracy, they improve the way your character will perceive situations.
- The game will suit all play styles from the run and gunner to the stealth assassin.
- Extremely in depth dialog system that is a mix of Mass Effect and Indigo Prophecy. Once conversations happen, that’s it, no revisiting the NPC to try to talk again and again. System is named the Dialog Stance System. You dictate your characters tone in a conversation by pressing a corresponding face button. Options can be cool and suave others can be brash/impatient.
- You can have multiple active missions in different countries and travel freely between them.
- Lots of girls and romance subplots. You’ll meet tons of different girls on missions and yes you can bag them all.
- Current control scheme for selecting powers and weapons is similar to Bioshock.
Sega has signed on as the publisher for Alpha Protocol. The title will be available for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 and is scheduled for release Spring 2009.
via NeoGaf
Wii-kly Update Brings DoRemi Fantasy and Puyo Puyo 2 to the US
Posted by Chris on Monday, March 10th, 2008 at 2:56 pm under Nintendo, Sega, Nintendo, Game Consoles, Game Platforms, Games, Game Companies
Nintendo has added two import titles to the Virtual Console today with the release of Puyo Puyo 2: Tsuu and DoReMi Fantasy: Milon’s DokiDoki Adventure. (No, I didn’t make that up.) You probably don’t need a degree in Japanese to tell that those games probably never made it Stateside, but now is your chance to try them out. Both games cost 900 Wii Points ($9).
The video above is footage from the early levels of Puyo Puyo 2.
DoReMi Fantasy: Milon’s DokiDoki Adventure (Super NES(R), 1 player, Rated E for Everyone - Alcohol Reference and Comic Mischief, 900 Wii Points): This is an action game where an energetic boy named Milon sets off on a great adventure in a cute fairy-tale world. Piccolo is a village in the country of Fantasia. One day, they hear from the fairy Alis that songs and music have disappeared from the forest. Suddenly, the wizard Amon appears, grabs Alis and vanishes with her. The brave Milon must now go on a journey to rescue his kidnapped friend, with his bubble shooter as his only weapon. Along the way, he’ll need to retrieve five legendary instruments and stars by defeating Amon’s minions. Get ready to enjoy the fun and comical action of this charming game.
Puyo Puyo 2: Tsuu (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 900 Wii Points): The object of this head-to-head puzzle game is to clear your grid of falling patterns called puyos by forming chains of four or more same-colored puyos in a straight line or one of several geometric patterns. What makes this a challenging two-player contest is the fact that when you clear a chain of puyos from your grid, it drops a random piece of filler onto your opponent’s grid. The more puyos you clear, the more you fill your opponent’s grid, and if you can clutter up his grid enough to fill it to the top, you’ve won the game. An intriguing backstory makes this an amusing experience for one or two players.
Details Emerge for Disgaea: Hour of Darkness for the DS
Posted by Stephany on Friday, March 7th, 2008 at 2:22 pm under Nintendo, Portable, Gamer Life, Games, Game Companies
Earlier this week, Famitsu reported that the highly popular strategy RPG title Disgaea was headed to the Nintendo DS but other that tidbit of information, not much else was known.
Today, however, we received a press release from NIS America that Disgaea: Hour of Darkness (NOT Prince of the Demon World and the Red Moon) will be released sometime in July.
In order to fully utilize Nintendo DS’s capabilities, several key improvements will be made to the user interface and game system, and while Disgaea for the DS will have the same basic concept as other strategy RPGs, many unique features and enhancements made to the game have been called “unprecedented”.
Following are some of the special features of Disgaea: Hour of Darkenss:
- Geo Panels – A group of stat altering elemental properties that are placed upon certain parts of the battlefield. When there are one or more colored panels on the battle grid, it means an element can affect that area. The effect can boost or reduce your unit’s stats.
- Geo Cubes – Geo Cubes are magic items that add more depth to multiplayer battles. You can use the various Geo Cubes to enhance your abilities, summon monsters, or even attack your enemies with them.
- Demon Gadgets – Randomly generated items that appear on the battlefield. By acquiring these gadgets, you can power-up your units. Some demon gadgets can level your unit up by 30 levels at once.
- Transmigration – A form of reincarnation that allows you to start over from level 1, but your unit will grow stronger than before.
This is great news for Disgaea fans. For more information check back often and enjoy the screenshots.
Via: Press Release
Disgaea 3 Set for Summer US Debut
Posted by Shawn on Wednesday, February 27th, 2008 at 4:38 pm under Sony, Game Consoles, Games, Game Platforms, Game Companies

NIS has announced that Disgaea 3 for the PS3 is headed to the US this summer. The twisted “tails” of angel in training Flonne; Laharl, demon prince and heir to the throne of the Netherworld, and his vassal Etna with her army of Prinnies (watch out they explode) have inspired manga, anime and a series of videogames. Disgaea 3 features an all new cast of characters and storyline; although it promises to keep the hardcore, turn-based strategy RPG style with plenty of black comedy.
Gameplay mechanics have also undergone some changes and additions. Players will use the Geo Block to alter terrain and initiate 3D battles rather than using the traditional 2D system from earlier games. It also allows characters to attack foes in those pesky hard to reach places.
Other New Features:
The Geo Panel - a group of stat-altering elemental properties that are placed upon certain parts of the battlefield. When there are one or more colored panels on the battle grid, it means an element can affect that area. The effect can boost or reduce your unit’s stats.
Item World - A special randomly-generated battle stage within each and every item you find. By defeating these special battle stages, you are able to strengthen your items.
Disgaea fans and first time offenders can look forward picking up Disgaea 3 in August 2008. While your waiting, check out the new screensavers available on FileFront. For more information on the darkly funny series visit the Official Disgaea Website.
via Press Release
Buku Sudoku Coming to XBLA
Posted by Shawn on Thursday, January 31st, 2008 at 5:55 pm under Microsoft, Game Consoles, Games, Game Platforms, Game Companies

Merscom announced it releasing Buku Sudoku to the XBox Live Arcade this spring. The title will be the first iteration of the addicting numbers game available for XBLA. Buku Sudoku ups the addiction factor by adding innovative competitive and cooperative play features.
“We are really excited about the release of Buku Sudoku, as it takes the proven and popular gameplay of Sudoku to a new level. It will appeal not only to Sudoku fans but anyone who loves a great gameplay experience,” said Kirk Owen, CEO at Merscom. “Given the popularity of Sudoku on other platforms and the quality of this game, we expect Buku Sudoku to be a phenomenal hit.”
Buku Sudoku promises to makes the best use of the Xbox 360 console’s strengths. Players will have a very easy to read grid and pencil marks thanks to the HD graphics, very fast entry via triggers and thumb sticks and multiplayer through XBLA.
via Press Release










