Plan on picking up Activision’s re-imagining of N64 classic GoldenEye 007 on Wii? The publisher sent word today of pre-order and purchase incentives being offered across retailers GameStop, Best Buy, and Walmart.
There’s an Oddjob t-shirt up for grabs, along with early access to multiplayer modes. read more »
Adding to the growing list of artsy PSN and XBLA efforts is Ubisoft’s Outland, a stylized action-platformer that draws inspiration from the critically-lauded shoot ‘em up Ikaruga.
Developed by Housemarque, the same team behind Super Stardust HD, the title is described by IGN as a cross between Prince of Persia and Ikaruga, combining the best bits of both — platforming and polarity driven combat. Like in Ikaruga, foes are immune to bullet sprays of the same polarity, while opposite-colored bullets deal damage. Building upon this mechanic, players can also switch between light and dark forms to shield themselves from enemy attacks.
Also promised are large levels with “branching paths and secrets.” Backed by lush colorful visuals that resemble that of a watercolor storybook, this one looks like it’s shaping up to be a winner. With Ubisoft prepping a formal unveil at PAX, chances are gameplay footage will surface soon.
Outland Preview [IGN]
The fifth installment in Capcom’s action-centric Devil May Cry series has yet to be announced, yet the company is still babbling on about it. Not that we’re complaining. According to R&D boss Keiji Inafune by way of a 3DJuegos interview, Capcom is giving Devil May Cry 5 a “western touch.”
If that isn’t an indicator that significant changes are en route for the next chapter of Capcom’s demon hack-n-slash, we don’t know what is. Inafune has hopes the directional change will help spur sales in territories outside of Japan. read more »
Square Enix is continuing its remake frenzy with the release of Final Fantasy Legend III — also known as SaGa 3: The Ruler of Space – on DS. While details are scant, the title was recently shown off in a Famitsu magazine spread, as pictured above.
The fantasy RPG is receiving a proper facelift, complete with chibi-style 3D graphics, the same visual flair adopted by last year’s SaGa 2 remake. Making a return is the class-based system that allows players to completely transform their character. By consuming certain foods, characters will morph into a beast, monster, or robot.
There’s no word on when we’ll see a localized release of either, but here’s hoping. Both titles were originally released on the monochrome Game Boy.
Blizzard’s perpetually delayed StarCraft II is no longer considered a double-platinum hit. It’s escalated beyond that tier, breaking yet another sales barrier. The company gleefully announced today that the second installment its seminal RTS franchise has sold through 3 million copies to date.
Having already cemented its status as the bestselling PC title within 24 hours of availability, StarCraft II is well-positioned to take the no. 1 spot in total unit sales on the platform. Honestly, did anyone expect otherwise?
Update: A patched version of the initial PS Groove release has been made available with support for the Backup Manager. Grab the pre-compiled hex-code from our download section. As stated earlier, a programmable USB flash chip is required to run it.
True to their word, Mathieulh and the crew have released a open-source implementation of the PS Jailbreak exploit, coined PSGroove. The software is compatible with AT90USB and related microcontrollers. Grab a Teensy USB development board and you’ll be all set.
It’s worth noting that the PS Groove code is not a 1:1 copy of PS Jailbreak’s take, as it lacks support for running backups. The software is intended only to allow the execution of legal, third-party homebrew applications. To top it off, this rendition of the hack nixes references to the LV1 panic hypercall, meaning you are free to remove the dongle after installation.
Check out the PS Groove code repository here.
Homebrew developer and administrator of partner site LAN.st Mathieulh has confirmed that a group of devs he is working closely with have successfully cloned the yet-to-be released PS Jailbreak USB modchip. What’s more, is that they’ve ported over the code to a programmable USB chip known as the Teensy++.
In regards to when other USB chips will receive similar treatment, Mathieulh noted that there is “no ETA.” His full tweet is below:
Right now as far as I know the (original clone) code has been ported to the Teensy ++ There is no ETA as to any other devices so far.
Fun times ahead. For those interested, programmable Teensy++ boards are available at PJRC for the reasonable sum of $24, which comes out to approximately $30 after shipping dues. Certainly beats paying ridiculous amounts of money for the so-called “official” solution.
Xbox Live community manager Major Nelson revealed today that the blue hedgehog’s first-ever Dreamcast outing Sonic Adventure and PopCap’s addictive tower defense title Plants vs. Zombies will headline September’s lineup on Xbox Live Arcade.
Following the release of both titles, Microsoft is serving up a platter of four titles in a promotion it has dubbed “The Game Feast.” The initiative will run its course through September 29 to October 20, with a new title featured each week. Additionally, from September 17 to September 20, Microsoft is giving Xbox Live Silver members a free trial pass to several features reserved for the Gold membership tier, including online multiplayer, as well as Last.fm, Twitter, and Facebook integration.
For a full breakdown of what’s to come, hit the jump. read more »
The second downloadable add-on pack for crime-embroiled shooter Mafia II will see a September 7 release, publisher 2K Games sent word today. Entitled Jimmy’s Vendetta, the arcade-style outing promises a varied scope of ”more than 30 quests,” which cover assassination plots and explosive vehicle pursuits across the mobster-ridden locale of Empire Bay.
According to 2K, a new built-in online leaderboard system tracks player performance by gauging the brutality of finishing moves. Car stunts, such as lofty jumps and power slides, are also factored into your overall performance score, with added bonus points tacked on for multipliers and combos.
Jimmy’s Vendetta is due out across Xbox 360, PS3, and PC next month for 800 MS Points or $9.99.
[Update: As of writing this post, Major Nelson has confirmed the existence of the new controller and provided us with a video showing off the new controller and it's new functionality which can be seen above. The original post can be found after the break.]
Major Nelson just unveiled the new Xbox 360 controller to us with the all-new “transforming” d-pad. The controller will be made available on November 9th for $64.99, which also includes the Play & Charge Kit. Aside from the new “revolutionary” d-pad, the Xbox 360 controller will also feature slightly more concave analog sticks and grey action buttons. If you are in Europe however you will have to wait until early next year (February) before you’ll be able to pick one of these bad boys up.
