We love it when old-school games get a re-release, for a number of reasons.  The sheer joy that the games themselves bring, the fact that we don’t need to hook up an old-school console (from a dusty closet) and a blown-out cartridge to play them, the fact we don’t need to pay hundreds of dollars for the original game and instead invest just a few bucks to relive them…and the list goes on.  Sega has been well known as a company that loves their classic library, and over the next couple of weeks, they’ll prove it with five upcoming release packs for PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade.

While Disney Interactive Media Group continues to develop new games like Brave and Disney’s Epic Mickey 2, the Walt Disney Imagineers are expanding interactive entertainment at sea. Bob Zalk explains how games are influencing the guest attractions on board the Disney Fantasy cruise ship in this exclusive video interview below.

Atari has been digging into its classic catalog as of late for a new generation of games.  A few months back, it brought out the entertaining Asteroids Gunner, a twist on its rock-shooting classic from the 80’s.  And just recently, it broke out the old ball-and-paddle for Breakout Boost, complete with new modes and features.  Now another classic gets a remake, and this time it’s Circus Atari.  A game that originally started out on the Atari 2600 as a humorous collaborative effort, where you had to balance two people on a bouncing see-saw as they collected balloons, it has since been turned into a variation of Doodle Jump for the iPad.  While that’s bound to entertain a few folks, I can’t help but think what might’ve been had Atari taken the development in a different direction.

To be honest, Nintendo did manage to do fairly well with the Wii.  Not only did it finally nail down using a typical CD format for its games (shying away from the cartridge and mini-discs it used previously), but it also effectively introduced motion gaming to the scene, with such favorites as Wii Sports and Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2.  And while it is on its last legs with the upcoming Wii U slated for release this fall, that doesn’t mean the party is completely over for it.  In fact, there are five games that will still make it worth playing this summer – that is, if the Wii is the only option you have.

When Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 1 came out for Xbox Live and PlayStation Network a couple of years ago, it answered the prayers of dedicated fans seeking a 2D fix of their favorite hero, in favor of the forgettable 3D endeavors.  But at the same time, it didn’t quite “feel” right, with game mechanics being just a little bit off and the level design not quite being as good as the classic Genesis games.  So the developers did some tinkering and have come back with Episode 2, a game that’s much closer in nature to those classics.  But is it the ultimate Sonic experience?  Sadly, it comes up just short, but in different areas than the first game.

I love the Game of Thrones show.  Though I admit I still have to get around to finishing the A Song of Ice and Fire book, I’m just so intrigued by what’s happening between the first season and this current one on HBO.  I can’t get enough of it.  That said, I was a bit excited to see how Atlus’ video game adaptation would turn out, especially with direct involvement from series creator George R.R. Martin.  Well, after playing through it for hours on end, I can see where the appeal would lie for some – mainly in the story – but it’s trudging through the rest that will leave you wondering if this game was worth bothering with.

Gamers can register for beta access to CCP Games' upcoming free-to-play first person shooter, DUST 514, set to launch later this year exclusively on PlayStation 3. The registration page is now live and players can register at www.dust514.com/beta The developer talks about the new game in the exclusive video interview below.