Mario Tennis Open is now available for the Nintendo 3DS hand-held system, inviting players to step onto the court with Mario and his Mushroom Kingdom pals for fast-paced singles and doubles tennis matches, skill-building Special Games and new online modes that let friends and family members with wireless Internet access compete together. The game also features new ways for players to customize their Mii characters and interact with other players via the built-in StreetPass feature.
With The Amazing Spider-Man set to hit Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in a matter of weeks, Activision will be introducing the best of both worlds when it comes to the web slinger’s gaming adventures. On the one hand, the development team at Beenox is handling the game, and you already know about the work they did on Shattered Dimensions and Edge of Time. On the other, they’re going with the open level design that worked so well in previous Spider-Man games before that. You can’t lose.
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 Nintendo presented its big showcase last year before the Electronic Entertainment Expo took place, it shocked the world with the announcement of the Wii U, a new game console that would take advantage of an innovative new touch screen controller. However, when it came to hitting the floor and seeing the Wii U in action, most people think it came up a bit short, despite the interesting presentations. This time around, Nintendo has a chance to really show attendees what their next-gen system is made of. So how can they capitalize? We’ve got a few ideas…
While news continues to circulate around the possibility of Kingdom Hearts III for new consoles, Square Enix is busy promoting another title in the series, the upcoming Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance for Nintendo 3DS. Though not the "epic" sequel that many gamers will be hoping for, it will nevertheless be a great new game for the handheld, featuring another wonderful adventure that combines the universes of Square and Disney almost seamlessly. And we've got some great new details on the game, via a video interview.
The Electronic Entertainment Expo is only a few weeks away from happening, and gamers everywhere are gearing up to hear more about the event, including upcoming game reveals and details on big hits. But not everyone gets to share in the fun, as the event is strictly for industry only. So if you were hoping to get in with your fan-made website, you might have a problem. But not to worry. There’s still plenty to do around the event…
Every year, video game companies go all out at one specific event – the Electronic Entertainment Expo, which takes place every year in Los Angeles around June. Here, companies like to show off what lies ahead in the next twelve to fifteen months, big projects, small uprisings, little advancements to their hardware…that sort of thing. We’ve been to a lot of shows now, and they’ve been impressive, but E3 2012 should be an even bigger year, thanks to what the companies are bringing.
Gamestop continues to ride the success of its Nationwide NASCAR driver Joey Logano. The young driver plays all the games that are featured on the cars that he drives. Logano beat out Danica Patrick, Kyle Busch and other Sprint Cup drivers at Talladega Superspeedway. Logano talks about the games he like to play off the track in this exclusive interview below.
While only half of the respondents to ABI Research’s Technology Barometer survey claimed to rent video games, which are usually game console centric, as compared to DVD and Blu-ray movies, these respondents averaged a considerably higher monthly spend rate at $23, compared to $16 for DVD and Blu-ray. This average spend also eclipsed monthly premium Video on Demand rentals from pay-TV service providers ($20) – only monthly expenditures at movie theaters and restaurants (“eating out”) were higher amongst respondents who participated in those activities, at $27 and $67, respectively.
There was something about the Fatal Frame games that was utterly spectacular. The series, which ran on PlayStation 2 across multiple releases, raised some genuine scares while avoiding the pratfalls of most survival/horror games, arming you with a special camera rather than a powerful array of weaponry. The concept worked quite well over the years, prompting Tecmo Koei to give it another shot, this time on the Nintendo 3DS with the mostly unrelated Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir. It was a great idea, but from the first moment it tries to take advantage of the system’s built-in augmented reality, things fall apart rather quickly.
Kart racers are usually a dime a dozen, especially back in the old days, when it seemed like every gaming company wanted to make its own version to capitalize on the popularity of the Mario Kart games. But Sega did it quite effectively several months back with Sonic & Sega All Stars Racing, a smorgasbord of racing goodness stemming multiple characters and tracks inspired by various Sega classics, including the House of the Dead, Samba de Amigo and more. The formula worked extremely well for both the company and players, so it should be no surprise that the long-rumored sequel was finally announced today.
Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) is taking a page out of Nintendo’s popular Super Smash Bros. blockbuster with an exclusive PlayStation 3 game. PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, developed by SuperBot Entertainment for the PS3, gathers some of the biggest names from first-party franchises together for four-player fighting action. Check out the exclusive video interview below.
With Nintendo announcing that development has just begun on the next iteration of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS, it doesn’t look like we’ll be getting the game this year, as the team makes time to really have everything balanced. So what’s a hardcore player to do while they wait for that brawlathon? Well, how about engage in another? Today, Sony announced that it is bringing its much-rumored PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale out for the holiday season, with a slew of fighters from the 15-plus year Sony gaming legacy and a smorgasbord of levels. The company recently invited us to an event to go hands-on.
Throughout the history of video games, the oldest stereotype surrounding the industry has always been do violent video games affect player behavior and personality. It is a known fact that people who play games are exposed to more violence than the average consumer. From nuking entire civilization to obliterating players online, it’s has become more and more common now that games are more focus on squarely providing violent action. For this reason alone, parents have long held an underlining negative attitude towards the industry and those who stand by it, but is this criticism injustice or have developers gone to far? Should government step in?
Mario has some new games heading to Nintendo 3DS and Kirby is celebrating his 20th birthday. Nintendo will launch New Super Mario Bros. 2, a new side-scrolling Mario adventure for Nintendo 3DS, this summer. Later in the year, Nintendo will mark the 20th anniversary of the Kirby game series with a special compilation game disc for the Wii system. Other content on the way includes a system update for Nintendo 3DS, re-runs of the popular Kid Icarus anime videos as well as the May 20 launch of Mario Tennis Open.
LAS VEGAS – Dragon Ball Z has been released on every game console since Nintendo entered the game industry. Now game publisher and developer Namco Bandai Games America is bringing Dragon Ball Z for Kinect to the Xbox 360 this October. All of the classic action and intensity of the Dragon Ball Z universe will be felt with an unprecedented sense of immersion when players learn to deliver over 100 moves, including the legendary Kamehameha with their own fists as they charge their way to victory in this ultimate evolution of the classic franchise.
The organizers of Classic Gaming Expo announced today that the 2012 Classic Gaming Expo will be held August 11 and 12 at the recently renovated Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show’s historic ties with Las Vegas, and specifically the Plaza Hotel, made it the obvious choice to play host to this year’s convention.
Dolby Laboratories and Royal Philips Electronics unveiled Dolby 3D, a 3D HD format and suite of technologies designed to deliver full HD 3D content to 3D-enabled devices, including glasses-free displays. Dolby 3D is being demonstrated at the NAB Show (April 16–19, 2012). The two companies have undertaken the joint project to improve the 3D viewing experience on displays of all sizes, including smartphones, tablets, PCs, and televisions. Dolby 3D is a complete system designed to work throughout the chain to deliver clear glasses-free 3D content that operates over existing distribution systems. This will enable content to be created for Nintendo 3DS and the growing number of 3D smartphones.
Over the weekend, Nintendo held an event at San Remo Hotel in San Francisco showcasing there upcoming handheld title, Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir. Spirit Camera is a new horror – themed game for the Nintendo 3DS, which integrates the 3DS, full capabilities into this horrifying adventure.
When Epic Mickey came out for the Nintendo Wii a couple of years ago, it introduced an interesting alternative style for the legendary Walt Disney character, one with a vivid new world for him to explore and compelling new gameplay elements that let him change the world. And though not everyone was crazy about the game being exclusive to Nintendo’s console, he certainly shook things up, opening the door for a hit franchise. Now, in 2012, it’ll reach its fullest potential, with Epic Mickey 2 set to hit various systems, including Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. But that’s not all – it’s coming to the 3DS as well, and is set to be better than you could ever expect.
You know, there was a Rayman legacy before he appeared in the stellar Origins last year. For over the last decade or so, Ubisoft has produced a number of games featuring the limbless hero, starting on the PS One with an artful side-scrolling classic and continuing onward with the incredible Rayman 2: The Great Escape for Dreamcast and Nintendo 64. Since that time, though, the sequels felt a little tacked on rather than feeling like in-depth tales, as you’ll see from Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc, which was recently given the digital HD treatment for Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network.
The Tekken series has been brawling for years now, but over the last few months, Namco Bandai has really been pushing the series hardcore. Last year’s Tekken Hybrid turned out to be a cool little collection of stuff, including Tekken Tag Tournament HD and a demo for Tekken Tag Tournament 2; and this past week’s release of Street Fighter x Tekken has gone over moderately well with the hardcore crowd. But let’s not forget the portable front, where Tekken 3D Prime Edition has left a little dent as well.
TRANSFORMERS fans won’t have to wait for a fourth film from Michael Bay to get in on the action. In fact, they won’t even have to wait until the new TRANSFORMERS: Fall of Cybertron game from High Moon Studios. Activision is bringing the ultimate TRANSFORMERS video game experience to kids of all ages with the TRANSFORMERS PRIME video game. Based on the hit animated television show produced by Hasbro Studios and currently airing on The Hub television network in the U.S., the game lets fans play as their favorite AUTOBOT characters and embark on an action-packed adventure to save the earth from the evil MEGATRON and his new secret weapon.
Nintendo and GameStop invited fans of multiplayer video game action to face off in an epic tournament. The tournament was held at GameStop stores in San Francisco, Orlando, and Los Angeles to celebrate the March 23 launch of Kid Icarus: Uprising on Nintendo 3DS. Gamers in LA competed for a trip to New York, where three winners from each regional tournament will compete in the finals to be crowned the nationwide champion. This tournament was open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis with the finals to be held March 22 in the Big Apple.
SAN FRANCISCO – Nintendo had a strong showing at the Game Developers Conference (GDC 2012). The game maker abandoned Wii U for Nintendo 3DS and featured some brand new games. On display and playable was Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir, Mario Tennis and Kid Icarus: Uprising.
