Lloyd Hannesson

In today’s episode of the iOS Pulse, Jared brings you his review of Saving Yello ★★★★, Angry Birds take to the fish bowl.

We are still hoping for a lot of feedback on the show. Tell us what you like, or dislike about the iOS Pulse! Stay tunes for a Touch of Gaming podcast on Tuesday, then 2 more iOS Pulses on Wednesday and Friday! Podcast overload!

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We are a few days late with this week’s ToG due to some Skype issues, but we hope this episode was worth waiting for! In this episode we have a lot of news for you, including a hot off the press story involving Zynga stealing a game design and idea from NimbleBit… not cool Zynga. We review a couple games in this episode as well, namely Hero Academy ★★★★★ and Wooords ★★★ Enjoy!

Keep the great iOS Pulse feedback coming guys, we love hearing from you!

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Video

None for this episode!

Show Notes

News

• Zynga rips off Tiny Tower
• Jumble Royal contest win an iPod Touch
• iBooks 2 and iTunes U
• iProjection
• Dance Central 2 gets an iOS companion app
• Mario Kart clone ‘Mole Kart’ Free
• Eufloria hitting the iPad next month!
• Reckless Racing 2 hitting the App Store next week!
• Scribblenauts updated with DLC. First pack gets you 20 levels for $0.99

Reviews!

• Hero Academy – FREE (IAP) – 5/5 Stars
• Wooords – $1.99 – 3/5 Stars

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In today’s episode of the iOS Pulse, Jared brings you his review of Space Frontier. ★★ a take on the Sim City genre in space. Enjoy!

We are still hoping for a lot of feedback on the show. Tell us what you like, or dislike about the iOS Pulse! Stay tunes for a Touch of Gaming podcast on Tuesday, then 2 more iOS Pulses on Wednesday and Friday! Podcast overload!

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It’s week two of our iOS Pulse podcast and so far the feedback has been positive! I’m trying something out for episode 4, a longer review. Be sure to let me know what you think!

In this episode I bring you my review of Smash Cops – $2.99 by Hutch Games. I enjoyed it thoroughly, even though it’s quite short, and ended up giving it a ★★★★.

We are still hoping for a lot of feedback on the show. Tell us what you like, or dislike about the iOS Pulse! Stay tunes for a Touch of Gaming podcast on Tuesday, then 2 more iOS Pulses on Wednesday and Friday! Podcast overload!

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Jared is back with the next iOS Pulse review. In this episode he talks about Continuity 2: The Continuation – $0.99 by Ragtime Games LLC. ★★★★

Also, still hoping for a lot of feedback on the show. Tell us what you like, or dislike, about the iOS Pulse!

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Welcome to the Skylanders gush episode of the Nintendo Pulse podcast! I picked up a copy of Skylanders this past weekend for my kids, and enjoyed it so much that I grabbed a copy of the 3DS version for myself! Besides the fun I had with Skylanders, we talk about some great news items. Enjoy the show!

We had some technical difficulties with Edgars connection this week, so please excuse the high pitch whine and audio dropouts. Will try to have this fixed for future episodes.

Audio

Show Notes

What We Are Playing

• Lloyd Hannesson: Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure, Super Mario 3D Land
• Edgar Furse: – Super Mario 3D LAND, SWAPNOTE

News

• New Club Nintendo games available for Coins
• 3DS Games lead 2011 sales charts in Japan
• Rumour of new Zelda double release
• Zen Pinball DLC in 2 to 3 months
• 3DS eShop finally getting 3D screenshots
• Sony giving Nintendo props for 3DS sales?
• Kid Icarus hurts, comes with a kick stand
• Fatal Frame Spin Off to 3DS
• So, just how last minute was the Circle Pad Pro?
• Pushmo level editor for PC released

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We are back with the second episode of the new iOS Podcast! In this episode I review the great micro-platformer Run Roo Run – $0.99 ($1.99 for HD)by 5th Cell Media. I really enjoyed this title, let us know if you have played this game as well! ★★★★

Also, still hoping for a lot of feedback on the show. Tell us what you like, or dislike, about the iOS Pulse!

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It’s TOG Time! In this episode Anthony joins me to talk about all things iOS! First we chat about the iOS Pulse show, and what it is and will become. Then we kick into the news talking about some Free and NOT-SO-FREE apps, rumour-a-palooza and then dig into our reviews of Lunar Racer and Justin Smith’s Realistic Summer Sports Simulator! Enjoy!

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Video

None for this episode!

Show Notes

News

• Apps Gone Free
• Ray Force comes to the App Store is $11.99
• Soul Caliber coming Thursday
• iPad 3 Rumors: March / LTE / Quad Core / Retina
• iTunes App Store add Pop Up Info Windows
• iPhone 4s in China

Reviews!

• LLOYD: Justin Smith’s Realistic Summer Sports Simulator – $0.99
• ANTHONY: Lunar Racer – $0.99

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We just launched a new show here on the VGPodcasts Network, that being iOS Pulse. Even though we already do a show about the iOS platform I was talking with Jared Schultz (TheQuacko) about the network and we both agreed that it would be cool to do a 2-3 times a week short form review show to go along with the Touch of Gaming podcast. After a few months of talking and pseudo planning, the iOS Pulse was born!

For the next couple of months you can look for 2-3 shows to come out a week until we have the format down, settling on a Mon-Wed-Fri release schedule. Unless we get enormous push back from the listeners that is!

like all of our other shows we would like to get a lot of feedback from our listeners on what they would like this show to become. Is 3 shows a week in addition to the standard ToG too much? Is the show too static? Should we do video as well? These are all things that we will be exploring over the next little while, so you can thing of the iOS Pulse as a show in flux.

We’ve already identified that the show was sounding a little flat, and will try to get the game’s theme songs as a sound bed to go under the reviews… and the first group of shows haven’t even been released yet!

I sincerly hope that you all will dig the show as much as Jared and I, and hope that you like the first change in 2012 that we are making to better the network. That said, would you like to help out with the iOS Pulse? Have another show idea that you would like us to work on (or work with us on?)? Please let us know! I’m going to push to change the network for the better in 2012, and hope to have a lot of you along for the ride!

Take it easy, happy gaming.

Dasme

Welcome to the birth of a new show, the iOS Pulse! Jared and I have been talking for a while and thought that a quick 5-10 minute show done 3 times a week would be a good thing for the show and the listeners… so iOS Pulse was born! We are aiming to eventually bring you 3 shows a week, but that could fluctuate for the first month or so as we work out the kinks.

With all new shows here on the VGPodcasts Network we want to hear from YOU! Please let us know what you think of the format, and also what you want to see out of this show. More content? less content? Let us know! Do you like these episodes being in the Touch of Gaming feed, or should they be on their own… or Both!?

In the first episode of the iOS Pulse Jared brings you his review of Evertales – $2.99 by Crescent Moon Games. ★★★

Please submit your feedback, and let us know if you would like to do some reviews on the Pulse! Our great theme music was by D-VoLVE!

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Hello 2012! And hello Nintendo lovers everywhere! Edgar joins me to talk about our holiday gaming time, the 3DS pulling a DS in Japan, new models and more! in 2012 we are trying to get more listener feedback happening, so please send us your recordings on what you’ve been playing on the 3DS, DS or Wii and loving!

If you would like us to setup a Mario kart racing community let us know!

Audio

Show Notes

What We Are Playing

• Lloyd Hannesson: Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, Pushmo
• Edgar Furse: – Super Mario 3D LAND, SWAPNOTE

News

• 3DS kicking ass in Japan.
• 2011 in Japanese sales
• 3DS up to 4 million in US, Zelda break 1 mil
• Metal Gear Solid gets special 3DS
• Like Pushmo? Want more puzzles? DAILY PUSHMO
• UK finally gets Netflix, and a Wii channel to watch it with
• Zen Pinball hits the eShop on Jan 12
• Fire Emblem gets paid DLC a Nintendo first
• Don’t forget to check for 3DS app updates!

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It’s been a while. The reason for our long delay is at the start of this show. Lets make 2012 kickass! Be sure to call in with the answer to our question, what is your favorite game on the iOS devices! In this episode Jared an I talk about what we have been playing for the last little while (and there has been a lot!), and get right into reviews. For this episode we review Super Crate Box, Rebuild, Dungeon Hunter 3 and Squids! We hope you enjoy this episode, be sure to let us know what you think!

Audio

Video

None for this episode!

Show Notes

• LLOYD: Super Crate Box – $0.99
• JARED: Rebuild – $2.99
• LLOYD: Dungeon Hunter 3 – FREE
• JARED: Squids – $1.99

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After some major life issues have kept us away for the past two months, we are back with the podcast love. I briefly explain why I haven’t recorded a show in the last 2 months, and then get right into the games that I’ve been playing and news. It feels good to be back, thanks for your patience and well wishes.

If you would like us to setup a Mario kart racing community let us know!

Audio

Show Notes

What We Are Playing

• Lloyd Hannesson: Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, Pushmo, Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, 3D Classics: Kirby’s Adventure — Skyrim
• Edgar Furse: – Uncharted 3

News

• New 3DS firmware: 3D video recording, New StreetPass Mii plaza fun
• Platinum rewards shipped, Buttons!
• New My Nintendo rewards coming soon, including the ability to get downloadable games for coins
• Circle Pad Pro addon out in Japan – 480 hrs on one AAA
• 3DS actually not doing too bad
• Miyamoto retiring
• Deadmau5 Tattoo
• PETA Tanooki Suit Drama
• Mario Kart 7 handle accessory… exists
• And.. ? Mark block game case is cool

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We are back with a new episode of the Nintendo Pulse podcast! In this episode we talk about why it’s taken so damn long to get this episode out, and talk about games games GAMES!

Update: Just noticed a popping throughout the video. Will investigate why that is there for next episode

Audio

Video

Show Notes

Game/App Reviews

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And we are BACK! It’s been a long time coming but we are here with the ToG Episode #93! We have lots to chat about in this episode including some great reviews of Shadowgun, Where’s My Water, Eden World Builder and Jetpack Joyride! It feel good to be back, more shows will flow in the coming weeks!

Update: Just noticed a popping throughout the video. Will investigate why that is there for next episode

Audio

Video

Show Notes

Game/App Reviews

• JOINT-REVIEW: Shadowgun – $7.99
• LLOYD: Where’s My Water – $0.99
• ANTHONY: Eden World Builder – $0.99
• LLOYD: Jetpack Joyride – $0.99

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Touch of Gaming Episode #92 is finally up and ready for your listening pleasure! Sorry for the delay guys, more info on what was up for the past month in ToG #93 coming up soon…

Show Notes

Game/App Reviews

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The Nintendo Pulse Episode #18 is finally up and ready for your listening pleasure! Sorry for the delay guys, more info on what was up for the past month in ToG #93 coming up soon…

Show Notes

Game/App Reviews

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Touch of Gaming Episode #91 is finally up and ready for your listening pleasure! Sorry for the delay guys, more info on what was up for the past month in ToG #93 coming up soon…

Show Notes

Game/App Reviews

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Touch of Gaming Episode #90 is finally up and ready for your listening pleasure! Sorry for the delay guys, more info on what was up for the past month in ToG #93 coming up soon…

Show Notes

Game/App Reviews

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In this episode Anthony is back! In this episode we review Zombie Gunship, Dr. Who: The Mazes of Time, and X-Baseball.

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Show Notes

Game/App Reviews

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In this week’s Nintendo Pulse, Edgar and I get together to talk about the poor financial report from Nintendo, stocks dropping, and the 3DS doing some dropping of it’s own. All is not rosy in the land of Nintendo, but we are hoping that this new move will help kick things up a little bit!

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Show Notes

News

• Nintendo LOSES 25.5 BILLION Yen
• IWATA taking a 50% pay cut
• 3DS Price Drop
• 3DS Ambassador program
• Game names and release months for new 3DS titles
• Ocarina of Time sells a million worldwide
• Netflix hits the 3DS
• 3D Video Player on the 3DS
• New Club Nintendo Rewards
• Capcom cancels Mega Man Legends 3
• Assassin’s Creed 3DS cancelled
• Metal Gear Solid 3D…. Delayed

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Hey all, just wanted to let you know why this episode was so delayed in getting posted. I had an undetected issue with my setup that was adding in a .5 second echo to the recorded audio version of the show. I tried unsuccessfully to remove this echo and was planning on re-recording the whole episode until I realized that a recorded version of this episode was up on ustream! This is the audio ripped from this video file. Echo has been fixed on my end as well, so all should be smooth sailing from here on out.

In this episode chatroom regular Jared Schulz joins me to talk about some awesome games! We review Pocket RPG, Reckless Getaway, Robotek HD and Ticket to Ride!

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Show Notes

Game/App Reviews

• LLOYD: Pocket RPG – $2.99
• JARED: Robotek HD – Free with IAP
• LLOYD: Reckless Getaway – $2.99
• JARED: Ticket to Ride – $6.99

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With Edgar out for his 4th of July celebrations, Trevor Whatman joins me to discuss the latest Nintendo news! We chat about the Nintendo Club Gold/Platinum rewards, DSi Firmware, Bethesda, Cooking Mama and more!

Show Notes

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Another week, another episode of the Touch of Gaming podcast! This week Trevor Whatman joins me to talk about all things iOS. In this episode we review Army of Darkness Defense, 1-bit Ninja and Sword & Sworcery EP. It was a great episode, we hope you enjoy.

Video versions of our shows can be found on our Youtube page, please check it out and like/comment! VGPodcasts now has a Facebook page to Like and a Forum to chat in. Come join the fold!

If you like what you hear, please Subscribe via iTunes and leave a review! And while you are here, Please send in your questions so we can reply in future episodes!

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Nintendo admits that their 3DS launch plans weren’t perfect, Zelda: OoT was purposely glitched, new game protection/”DON’T BUY USED GAMES” protection and more in this week’s episode of the Nintendo Pulse podcast!

Show Notes

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After an unexpected hiatus (are they ever expected!?) Anthony and I are back with a new ToG! In this episode we cover some of the games that we’ve been playing these long long weeks and give you our reviews of Tiny Tower, Velocispider and Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing! We hope you enjoy the show, as always let us know!

Video versions of our shows can be found on our Youtube page, please check it out and like/comment! VGPodcasts now has a Facebook page to Like and a Forum to chat in. Come join the fold!

If you like what you hear, please Subscribe via iTunes and leave a review! And while you are here, Please send in your questions so we can reply in future episodes!

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Not a lot of news this week on the Nintendo Pulse Podcast, so instead Edgar and I talk about a little game called The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D!!

Show Notes

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We continue our E3 coverage now that Edgar is back and all rested up. Hear his thoughts on the Wii U, Super Mario Bros. 3D, Starfox 3D and more! We recorded video of this episode as well, and that will be up on the Youtube channel soon!

Show Notes

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Some say that Nintendo won E3 again this year, listen in to see what WE say! It’s no doubt that Nintendo was firing on all cylinders. The hype coming into theis presser revolving around their new console was crazy, but Nintendo showed off more than just the Wii U (yeah….). Loads of 3DS games were also hilighted giving us gamers hope that their $250 handheld would again be used. Listen in to see what Edgar and I have to say about all of this, and Nintendo’s new console the Wii U.

This is also the first VGPodcasts episode that we also recorded in video form! Unfortunately until Youtube allows me to post videos greater then 15 mins, it’s broken up into 4 chunks. If you would like to assist us in fixing this, please watch the video on youtube, like and comment on the show. It will also help if you subscribe to the VGPodcast channel on youtube. All of that will help to list this limitation making these videos better in the future.

Waterfield, one of the best case manufacturers I have come across is now selling cases for Nintendo’s 3DS.  They have three choices: the 3DS Case (pictured), the 3DS Suede Jacket (a soft pouch with an optional pocket) and the 3DS Travel Case (holds 3DS, dock, charger and more).

Prices start at $11 for the Suede Jacket and top out at $58 for the Travel Case with optional shoulder strap.  The Travel Case and Suede Jacket are available now and they are taking pre-orders for the 3DS Case, which will ship on 4/22/11.

Colourful! It’s the one word I would use to describe de Blob 2 above all others. Everything about the game revolves around being artistic with your palette and spreading the vibrancy to anything in your vicinity. As with its Wii exclusive predecessor, Blob must bring the colour back to the world by bouncing across buildings like a paint covered Space Hopper. Does the sequel take this basic idea to new heights?

If the original game taught us anything, it was that a well conceived art style can do wonders for player’s first thoughts on a game. de Blob attracted a lot of press attention due to its joyous use of bright tones, and the cutesy stylings of the main characters. Reminiscent of PSOne era platformers, the game’s light-hearted nature made it one of the Wii games to really look forward to in 2008. Cut to 2011, following disappointing sales of the game, and we have a sequel appearing on all 3 platforms in order to improve profit. That cutesy feel is even more prominent on PS3, the colour coming to life even more in HD. As such, the first time you boot up de Blob 2 will undoubtedly be a happy moment. Just like games such as LittleBigPlanet which draw a player in with a cutesy art style though, de Blob has a lot more to give than just looks.

The gameplay in de Blob 2 much resembles that of the original game, albeit with the Wii Remote functionality replaced in some respects by the Playstation Move. You must paint yourself various colours in order to pass on that colour to your environment which is now stark white. It’s a mix of Okami, and colouring by numbers, the various buildings in your vicinity requiring specific colours to complete your missions. Each area will have different combinations of paint available for you to use, mixing the basic primary colours together is vital for completing later challenges for instance.

The platforming element of de Blob appears when you have to traverse the buildings you’re trying to paint, wall running and jumping between surfaces becoming two specific moves vital as you progress. Outside of this, the game incorporates 2D sections when you go underground into the sewers, where you must hit colour specific switches and navigate elevators. It’s never extremely clever, but the platforming in de Blob 2 is always enjoyable.

On the surface, de Blob 2 may seem extremely linear, but it takes a novel approach with its mission structure. You enter each world and have a single linear mission to complete, each section activated by rolling onto Red glowing checkpoints. You have a time limit to complete this, but the time is extremely generous, upwards of 30 minutes usually, meaning you have time to do everything else that you can get up to in that world. You can paint every single building for instance, or for collecting the entire myriad of collectibles the developers have incorporated into the game. Most of these are pretty meaningless, though the light bulb ones do let you upgrade your attributes, sort of Levelling up Blob. It adds an extra dimension to what would otherwise be a disappointingly straightforward title.

de Blob 2 is definitely a worthy sequel to the original game, the only problem I have is that its very one note once you get to grips with the format. As fun as colouring the world can be, and no matter how many twists the developers add in, it never really goes anywhere. de Blob 2 is a fun game, but when comparing it to other Colour the world (Okami) and platform (LittleBigPlanet) titles, it never really stands out from the crowd.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Game Of The Year. The title has weight.

It is the first day of a new year and with the passing of 2010 it is time to anoint a single, solitary champion of the year in gaming. It takes a lot to stand out amongst what have been a banner year for good games. There are contenders aplenty and several that stand out as things of beauty and art…  But only one can be left standing.

What criteria shall we judge it on?

Value for money? Which games takes your $60 and gives you the absolute last penny? A subjective point at best, something like Farmville eats millions of man-hours but none of us would consider that a contender for game of the year.

No – the standard for this year should be art. Which game has advanced the cause of video-games-as-art more than any other. Which one will make Roger Ebert eat his words?

Read on for the contenders and winner.

Halo: Reach (360)

To be honest, the game most played in our consoles has been Halo: Reach. The multiplayer inside it is a thing of beauty and almost perfectly balanced. Almost every game is fun for everyone, regardless of who’s on top or on bottom.

The story eclipses just about every other game in the franchise and the campaign is far more interesting and thought-out than the previous entry, ODST. Everything inside the box, from the campaign to Forge to Multiplayer to Theater to Firefight… the game has something for almost every play style.

If this award were given for dollar value, Reach would certainly walk away with the crown but there’s a lack of polish around the corners and fundamentally, few playing Reach weren’t going to be inserting the disc on launch day.

For that, it doesn’t win… can’t win.

Call of Duty: Black Ops (360, PS3, PC)

The game that took our hearts away with visuals is Treyarch and Activision’s next entry in the Call of Duty franchise held nothing back. A punishingly difficult and immersive campaign created a compulsion to complete it. The wide open and fantastically well-created multiplayer added longevity to the game.

How pretty it looked though… Moments looked like scenes ripped directly from a blockbuster movie. The game clearly pushed the graphical limits of today’s machines, console and PC alike.

Alas, it wasn’t really all that fun. No kind of matchmaking made multiplayer punishing and fruitless as people just picking up the game and using basic weapons were pitted against merciless sharpshooters with expensive, highly accurate, man-stopping weapons.

Most disappointing of all, Black Ops wasn’t innovative. It was a change of setting from Modern Warfare 2 and World at War but little else. While it might have made a great movie, it’s certainly not Game of the Year material.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)

Nintendo has been doing a couple of things great for a very long time and Mario games are one of those things. Super Mario 64 is still considered to be one of the greatest platform games of all time and the fat plumber’s SNES outings are what got an entire generation into gaming.

The game oozed creativity and for a Wii game was astoundingly pretty. It’s no surprise Nintendo works its underpowered pony better than any other developer and it shows. Interest and beautiful game mechanics make perfect use of the Wii’s control system. It is almost art.

So why is this game so far down the list? The game described above could equally well describe the original Super Mario Galaxy and for that, Galaxy 2 can only come so far. The original Galaxy was fantastic game and Super Mario Galaxy 2 mainly stands upon its shoulders.

For that, it really can’t win. Nintendo may one day try something truly innovative again, but until then – they’re not taking home any Game of the Year Trophy.

Mass Effect 2

Mass Effect‘s franchise may well win for franchise of the millennium if things keep up. The plot is well put together and the gameplay improves from game to game. The visuals get upped to just above par with each installment and alternate media tie-ins are done better than almost any other game.

Back in 2005, GlyphX and Majesco tried to create an epic sci-fi trilogy for history, a Star Wars or Ender’s Game for video games. They even hired Ender’s writer Orson Scott Card to write the games. The game flopped, utterly failed an any plans to complete the franchise vanished overnight.

The cool thing is that the Mass Effect trilogy might be just that – A Star Wars for video games. Succeeding where others have failed is what developer BioWare does. Overall the trilogy is pure art and beauty, but standing alone, the second installment feels like it’s filling shoes too big for its daddy, but has outgrown its hand-me downs.

And the winner is….

Red Dead Redemption (360, PS3)

The first time RockStar tried to make a wild west game was mostly a failure. Red Dead Revolver was a game that filled a small niche and was picked up by a few interested parties, despite good reviews.

Red Dead Redemption was a risk. The 360 launched with GUN, a game that attempted to be Grand Theft Old West and fell flat on its face, showing its previous-gen roots and disappointing pretty much everyone who played it, though the story was quite good.

The story of revenge and justice RockStar crafted was beyond reproach. The world John Marston created is both beautiful and filling. New Austin is huge and despite vast tracts of open air and a real desolate feel at times the world never feels empty. It’s populated with real, honest characters that all feel genuine and well thought out.

Multiplayer is a nice tack-on that wiles away the time swiftly and with huge levels of fun. If you haven’t played this game yet, you have zero reason not to. It pulls you in and doesn’t let you go until you’re done.

John Marston’s saga is pure cinema. The control scheme is perfect. The visuals are polished and pretty for a game that handedly uses two different consoles with almost no effect. It’s art style is beyond top-notch, balancing pure style with realistic flare. It has absolutely no unforgivable flaw. It has top-notch production, almost perfect voice-acting. It’s difficultly curve is fascinatingly balanced.

Red Dead Redemption is the natural progression from GTA IV. It is almost art. Played with direction and purpose, it would suck in even the stodgy Roger Ebert. It will make a gamer of many non-gamers.

Red Dead Redemption is Nukoda’s 2010 Game of the Year.

Welcome to the current generation of consoles. Now you can put away that PS2 you’ve been lovingly keeping alive all these years and start gaming for real. Nowadays, it’s rare not to have a couple of games in your stocking, especially if your loved ones are any kid of coordinated but that doesn’t mean they’re worth playing…

Maybe you’ve just updated your old console with a fancy new slim version of the 360 or PS3 or just added to your existing collection – whatever the reason, there are some games you need to play.

So what should you hope you got? What should be your first exchange tomorrow morning?

Read on for more.

Halo: Reach (360) – Bungie/Microsoft Game Studios

If you own an Xbox, you are obligated to own a Halo game. Master Chief may not make an appearance in this prequel, but the gameplay is better and the story more engaging than any of the core trilogy despite some narrative pitfalls.

The multiplayer is what you buy the game for and ultimately what you stay for. If you have any relatives over, ages 8-35, chances are they’ll leap at the opportunity to play shoot each other on-screen.

God of War III (PS3) – Sony Computer Entertainment

Kratos’ final installment (maybe?) is done. Finished. Equal parts street-brawler, hack-n-slash, adventure game and puzzle platformer, the God of War games are always held up as pristine examples of what Sony’s console can do.

It is an excessively pretty game, easily showing off the graphical prowess of Sony’s multi-core system. They’re also a blast to play and the third installment is no exception. It is an extremely, extremely mature game and should not be played by minors or those with weak constitutions.

Violence, nudity and language all feature heavily. Both this game and Halo: Reach share M-ratings, but this one truly deserves it.

If the women in your family are not allowed to wear pants, this game is probably not for you.

Kirby’s Epic Yarn (Wii) – Nintendo

Kirby and Mario are both staples for Nintendo and both had new games appear on shelves this year. Epic Yarn makes Mario’s previous two outings stand out as stale and stagnant. The bright and fun platformer may not break any barriers in the graphics department but more than makes up for it with it’s fun, simple attitude that harkens back to the old days of gaming.

For a game so old-school, it feels brilliantly innovative.

The story mode levels are a bit too easy but it’s hardly a game for hardcore gamers. It’s one of the year’s only stand-out entries on the Wii, now lagging behind the Xbox 360 in sales.

Kids will love it and older members of the family will enjoy the relaxing zen of it all, though it’s not without challenge.

Red Dead Redemption (360, PS3) – Rockstar

A good contender for game of the year by any standard, the sprawling, massive land of New Austin (read: Texas) awaits you in this adventure game from Rockstar studios. Red Dead is essentially Grand Theft Auto set in the old West.

The 360 launched with a game called Gun that tried desperately to be what Red Dead Redemption IS. Those of you who waited in line for 360s or who got one for Christmas back in 2005… Forget that game and pick up this one if you haven’t already.

What’s not to love? Though it lags in places, the narrative pace is cinematic and the visuals are stunning. If there were a case to be made that video games can be held to the same level of art as films, this would be a prime contender.

If you do not own it, this is a must-add. It’s fairly priced now as well and the zombie DLC is a blast as well.

There are a huge number of other games you could use today, including some awesome XBLA and PSN games like Sonic the Hedgehog 4 and Braid, as well as all of the old virtual console titles for the Wii.

With all those downloadable titles and the suggestions above, there’s no way you’ll be bored while you’re waiting for the turkey to roast. 2010 was a great year for games and it’s your present to yourself to enjoy them.

Got any other suggestions, leave them in the comments below!

So you’ve opened that new present you’ve been waiting for all year – a brand new shiny (or perhaps, hand-me-down) iPod touch, iPhone or iPad. No doubt your loved ones scrimped and saved and pooled their money for this revolutionary and/or magical device.

Now what to put on it?

If you’ve got an iPad, Virgin Media’s Project Magazine is a must have. All iPods touch and iPhone NEED Facebook… What about GAMES?

Whether you’re using your own hard earned money or that iTunes gift card your least favorite cousin sent, your choices are many and all purchases are final – we’ve  put together a quick list to give you a good starting point.

Read on for the advice!

Rage/Rage HD – id Software

Rage is a showcase of what kind of graphical prowess the iOS devices can throw forth. Sure Epic’s Infinity Blade is slightly prettier but it had a full team of guys working day and night for months to create it.

Rage for the iOS devices (Rage for 3G and 3G S, Rage HD for iPhone 4 and iPad) was made basically on a whim by John Carmack and polished by a handful of guys over the course of a week or so before release. It’s a testament to id Software’s ingenuity and a brave new direction for the company. And it’s pretty, oh so pretty.

Angry Birds - Rovio

Everyone has it. Everyone else has already beaten it. The game is a simple tower defense game with an addicting difficulty curve and fun, eye-catching graphics. It’s a nice way to wile away your time. With the new Mighty Eagle in-game purchase insta-win button, it can even relieve all that stress it’s been creating for you!

There’s even a festive, seasons version with snow and holiday things.

Fruit Ninja – Halfbrick

Fruits fly across the screen and you swipe your finger to cut it. Simple right? Think again. Fruit Ninja is amazingly addictive and has several different modes and challenges, as well as multi-player.

It’s an easy way to relax with something simple in Zen Mode but switch over to classic or Arcade and you will curse yourself for not looking closely enough or swiping just too far. It’s a brilliant little game. Kids love it, too.

Words with Friends/Words with Friends HD - NewToy Inc.

Addictive, spare time, turn-by-turn scrabble. All your friends have it, why not prove once and for all that your vocabulary is bigger than theirs? The folks at NewToy have created one of the most per

sistent Apps on the App Store because it’s so simple, and has changed little. Everyone knows how to play, everyone can play. The HD version is exclusive to the iPad.

Warning: Do not play with loved ones.

Plants Versus Zombies - PopCap Studios

Skip the iPhone version, which is scrunched and hard to aim. The iPad is what this game, originally a flash-based browser game, was created for. It’s a bizarre premise: horrifically mutated plants shoot things at hordes of approaching zombies, but it’s maddeningly addictive.

On the nice, big, beautiful screen of the iPad the entire game pops. The best we can liken it to is playing with a cartoon. It’s on the expensive side, but the challenges, sense of humor and addicting gameplay make it well worth it. Every family iPad should have it, and “professional” ones too! (Admit it… You’re going to play games!)

Enjoy your holidays – be careful and don’t let your new toys consume your focus. If you have any stories or other suggestions be sure to leave them in the comments!

Telltale Games’ episodic video game version of ‘Back to the Future’ for PC and Mac finally has a release date of December 22 according to the developer’s blog.

Telltale has gone for a more cartoonish look for these games and it look to be a fresh, interesting take on the series after it first premiered 25 years ago. Telltale Games is best known for employing many talented former LucasArts employees and the most recent set of Sam and Max games.

If you purchase the BTTF game direct from Telltale you also get a free DVD when the series of games ends. Preordering will also donate a dollar to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and a free copy of Puzzle Agent, also from Telltale Games.

Uncharted Developer Naughty Dog has today announced that Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception arrives Nov. 1, 2011. The video premiere debuted at last night’s Spike TV VGAs is entirely in-game says the studio.

Mark your calendars.

There will be a movie, Microsoft’s Frank O’Connor said at a Halo panel at the Future of Television East conference last week.

“We want to have Halo on any screen we have access to,” said O’Connor. After the panel, a high level network executive came up up to O’Connor and said, “We want to do something with Halo,” and O’Connor shot back, “Bring piles of money.” The executive responded, “For Halo, we will.” Someone’s been reading Nukoda.

Someone from the New York Video Game Critics circle approached O’Conner after the panel, the first thing O’Connor said was, “There will be a Halo movie.”

O’Connor is adamant when he says Microsoft would allow high-profile directors to make Halo their own.”If Danny Boyle wants to make a Danny Boyle-style movie, that’s great. Let Danny Boyle be Danny Boyle. We would not constrain a director.”

O’Conner reiterated: “There will be a Halo movie. We don’t need a movie. But we’d like a movie. We’d like the moms of gamers to see the movies because they would love our characters. Maybe we’ll even fund it ourselves.”

Despite all the false starts, O’Conner says there were no creative disagreements holding it up. “It was the lawyers,” said O’Connor. “When they went behind closed doors with the contracts, things fell apart.” The primary sticking point, O’Conner said, was the fact that Microsoft owns all rights to Halo, and that means licensing as well. “The problem was that the movie company couldn’t make any money beyond the movie.” It’s easy to see why movie studios didn’t want to pay for a movie they wouldn’t see extra money from licensing, traditionally a big earner for franchises.

Like we said, the best place for a Halo project would be at a network, like SyFy or even HBO (though a premium tier would likely alienate much of the audience). “We’d love to see Halo as a television series. Look what HBO did with Band of Brothers or even Rome. Something like that would work because the Halo universe is so vast,” O’Conner said. Look at what SyFy/Sci-Fi did with Battlestar Galactica or what ABC did with LOST, it is possible.

Our best case scenario? Niell Blomkamp and Peter Jackson get another stab at it.

Turbine have announced the next major expansion to Lord of the Rings Online will be paying Saruman a visit with the aptly named Rise of Isengard, appearing sometime in 2011.

Considering that the fellowship have to deal with the White Hand forces in The Two Towers this comes as no surprise but nonetheless the prospect of a siege upon the tower of Orthanc has promise for the MMO.

In this expansion The Grey Company are making their way south through Dunland and are met by resistance from Saruman’s rising army.

“This is going to be another outstanding year for the game as we progress on our journey toward Mordor and it all begins with our upcoming November update,” said Kate Paiz, Executive Producer of Lord of the Rings Online. 

“The journey will carry through 2011 ending with our arrival in the epic region of Isengard where players will confront the raging war and shadow that has spread across Middle-earth.”

As can be expected the level cap will be raised along with a variety of new traits, virtues and moves at your disposal. The better news is that Monster Play is getting another region to fight in as well as receiving a revamp to accommodate for the new wave of free-to-play players.

Here is the official, yet brief, trailer. Try not to cringe at the voice of Saruman, few people can have a voice as powerful as Christopher Lee’s.