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Console Downloads Feature Space Bounty Hunters and Also Giraffes
Posted by Paul Hamilton Categories: Adventure, Nintendo, Platformers, Retro, Third Person Shooters, Virtual Console, Wii, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade,
People with virtual currency burning pixelated holes in their alternate reality pockets can check out the Xbox Live Arcade and the Wii Virtual Console this week for some new (or perhaps old) titles. The most exciting offerings this week look to be the Jeff Minter shooter Space Giraffe and the wonderful SNES classic, Super Metroid.
Click to continue reading Console Downloads Feature Space Bounty Hunters and Also Giraffes
Read More 
| Nintendo Press Release
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California Extreme Channels a Simpler Time
Posted by Paul Hamilton Categories: Culture, Editorial, Retro,
Gamers of a certain age, if given half a chance, will gladly recount grand tales of smoky rooms, dimly lit by a few dozen cathode rays where the only sounds are the white noise of competing digitized soundtracks, crude speech sythesizers, blips and bells, pings and whistles and artificial arpeggios rolling down an electronic scale.
The misty sincerity of those gamers who cut their teeth on the quarter-munching cabinets of Space Invaders, Asteroids, Missile Command and Sinistar is almost enough to make one forget what a mess the modern arcade equivalent has become. The gargantuan interface machines with their elaborate weapon approximations and physical demands juxtapose over a likewise spectacular price per play resulting in a hollow shell of what the old guard knew so well. These are not arcades as exist in those guarded memories, they are interactive entertainment experiences: The kind of branded, marginalized speciality device that has been focus tested and trade-show marketed to get the premium floor space right out front in view of the mall concourse is showpiece here.
Even those arcade machines which can still accurately be described as video games compete for the higher-yield ticket-generating skill games (which ironically involve very little skill). Most of those who recall the days when 3D graphics referred to the vector lines of Tempest pass by these modern emporiums. Perhaps they shake their heads a little or make a disparaging comment. Kids these days. Get off my lawn. They don’t enter; inside is only heartbreak.
Perhaps what hurts the most is that it is a heartbreak we chose. We have no one to blame but ourselves, for while the arcade as it was may be dead, ultimately it is us who killed it.
We wanted the more valuable entertainment experience. We asked for and then demanded a perfect replica of our arcade favorites that we could play at home from the comfort of our couches. We pressed for more arcade-quality graphics on our home consoles until our set top boxes had visuals that outpaced anything showcased on a standalone machine. We asked for, and received, greater narrative depth in our games and as a casualty for our insistence we killed the arcade—the very entity we now mourn.
Click to continue reading California Extreme Channels a Simpler Time
AM2 Talks Virtua Fighter 5
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Fighting, PlayStation 3,
Gaming site Kikizo recently scored an interview with the Virtua Fighter 5 arcade lead and the designer of the PlayStation 3 version of the game, and they were able to discuss a lot about the console adaptation, the future of the franchise, and some of the reasoning behind the design decisions made for the home version of the game. Unfortunately, the two were unable to give any insight into the upcoming Xbox 360 version of the game, but they were able to talk at length about the series. The team doesn’t appear to be considering future downloadable content or microtransactions, but the team seemed open to the possibility of older versions and variants of the Virtua Fighter series becoming available, including Virtua Fighter Kids.
Read More | Kikizo
TMNT Confirmed For Xbox Live Arcade
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Action, Retro, Xbox 360, Xbox Live, Xbox Live Arcade, Xbox Live Marketplace,
Ubisoft has confirmed that the classic Konami arcade game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be coming to the Xbox Live Arcade in the near future. One of the best parts about the original arcade game was four-player support, and this will make its way over to the Xbox Live version, supporting co-op play locally or over Xbox Live. The game will sell for a mere 400 Points ($5) and should appear by the end of the month, to tie in with the upcoming movie release.
Read More | IGN
Alien Hominid HD To Hit Xbox Live Arcade
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Action, Xbox 360, Xbox Live, Xbox Live Arcade, Xbox Live Marketplace,
Last week Microsoft poked Xbox Live Arcade gamers in the eye with a delay of Worms, but this week looks a little better with the upcoming release of Alien Hominid HD this Wednesday for 800 Marketplace Points ($10). The side-scrolling Flash game has already hit a number of console platforms, including the Gamecube, Playstation 2, original Xbox, and Gameboy Advance. Now, the graphics get an HD makeover to 720P and the mini-games go online along with the related Achievements and Gamerscore for XBLA titles. While Alien Hominid HD will be great for those that haven’t experienced the title on other platforms, one still can’t help wonder how long it will be for Worms to show up on the Marketplace.
The full press release continues below.
Click to continue reading Alien Hominid HD To Hit Xbox Live Arcade
Read More | Gamerscoreblog
Tekken 6 Arcade Trailer Online
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Fighting, Namco, PlayStation 3, Screenshots, Trailers,
Namco Bandai showed off Tekken 6 via trailer at the AOU Arcade show in Japan, and now the same trailer is available for download on the official Tekken 6 Japanese site. The trailer shows off two of the new characters from the latest entry in the fighter franchise, Leo and Zafina, many of the environments, some development clips, and a couple of characters from previous games. Its still a little hard to tell how well this is going to look from the rather low resolution trailer offered, but one can’t help but get excited for the first fully HD entry in the Tekken series. Namco Bandai’s official site also offers up some screenshots and wallpapers for the new characters.
Read More | Tekken Official
AM2 Talks PS3 Virtua Fighter 5
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Fighting, PlayStation 3, SEGA,
Sega’s Virtua Fighter 5 for the Playstation 3 was recently confirmed for release in North America on February 20th, 2007, and 1up was able to talk with members of the AM2 team concerning the console release. The members of the AM2 conversion team were able to confirm that the Playstation 3 version would be based on the version “B” of the game, currently headed to the arcade. The team is hoping to include many of the items available in the arcade version; there are no plans for any kind of micro-transaction support, so these will be locked at launch and will likely trail behind the arcade version. AM2 will also not be supporting any kind of online play; they believe that lag issues will be too difficult to overcome. Given the highly technical devotion to frame counting and timing that many arcade fans have, this would seem to be a reasonable decision. The AM2 team also discusses some of the additional game modes that the console version will support along with rumors of an Xbox 360 version. An Xbox 360 version doesn’t seem likely, but there is some encouragement that AM2 is looking at the platform for other releases.
Read More | 1up
Hori Announces Two Joysticks For PS3
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Accessories, Hardware, PlayStation 3,
Premium controller manufacturer Hori announced that on February 8, 2007, the company would be offering two new joysticks for the Playstation 3. The sticks will be updated USB editions of their existing “Fighting Stick” and “Real Arcade Pro” series. Both sticks will offer turbo modes and button layouts ideal for a number of fighting games. With the upcoming release of Virtua Fighter 5 and Tekken: Dark Resurrection, gamers will need a solid joystick. While Hori’s Fighting Stick 3 will be cheaper at 5,229 Yen ($48), the hard core will want the durability and action of the Real Arcade Pro 3, retailing for 8,379 Yen ($72).
Read More | Game Watch
Virtua Fighter 5 Release Date, Price Set In Japan
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Fighting, PlayStation 3, SEGA,
Sega has announced the pricing and availability date for Virtua Fighter 5 for the Playstation 3 in Japan, according to a report from Game Watch. The latest entry in the Virtua Fighter franchise will be released on February 8, 2007, in Japan for 8,190 Yen ($70 US). In addition, an official USB controller for the game will be released one week later for 7,329 Yen ($63). Gamers that pre-order in Japan will get the Playstation 2 release of Virtua Fighter 10th Anniversary Edition as well.
Read More | Game Watch
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