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    Atlus releases trailer for 101-in-1 game compilation

    March 10, 2009 - 6:15pm

    Mini-game compilations are rather commonplace on Nintendo systems, but Atlus' latest acquisition plans to trump them all. The excitingly titled 101-in-1 Explosive Megamix does exactly what its title suggests: offers 101 "games" in a single cartridge.Although the concept has dubious origins, this is no Chinatown bootleg scheme. The first trailer released by Atlus today shows some solid concepts, all taking advantage of the DS' touch screen. With a price tag of $20, the odds are good that at least one of the hundred plus games should warrant a purchase. Right?Permalink | Email this | Comments

    Marker Man Adventures draws near

    March 10, 2009 - 4:15pm

    It's been a long time since we heard anything about Glyphic Entertainment's DS platformer Marker Man Adventures, which combines character action with Crayon Physics (or more appropriately, Pocket Physics)-like environmental interaction, in the form of drawing shapes on the screen that turn into platforms.Since we last saw it, the Majesco-published Marker Man has undergone a bit of a makeover, with a colorful upper-screen display (featuring a nonchalant sun watching a line-art dog peeing, for some reason). It's still (intentionally) sparse on the bottom, of course. Marker Man has also been granted a new release date: June 2009. We're kind of suckers for DS platformers about drawing, so we're interested in seeing more of this one.
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    WayForward's new IP is DSiWare's Mighty Flip Champs

    March 10, 2009 - 3:05pm

    WayForward's new IP, teased last week in its newsletter, has been revealed: a DSiWare game called Mighty Flip Champs! Matt Bozon, director of Shantae and Contra 4, is in charge of the new puzzle game, which faintly evokes Away: Shuffle Dungeon.In Mighty Flip Champs, protagonist Alta navigates a series of mazes that flip from one to another like pages. Alta must position herself in one room such that she'll be in a safe position in the next (shown on the bottom screen). She then uses her Magical Warp Wand (which we are guessing represents the stylus) to trigger the flip.WayForward has yet to release the details of Mighty Flip Champs, like the pricing or date. Of course, Nintendo has yet to discuss the price structure for North American DSiWare games, so that will have to happen first.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

    Why High Voltage dropped MotionPlus from The Conduit

    March 10, 2009 - 2:10pm


    We've all been under the impression that The Conduit would feature MotionPlus, but it turns out that High Voltage has tried it, and decided to take it out of the game. Why, you ask? Well, High Voltage's VP and chief creative officer Eric Nofsinger tells 1UP that Nintendo provided them "with early hardware and good developer support," but when they put it into The Conduit, it "didn't really add anything for our primarily ranged combat." Nofsinger also got a bit more technical, adding that High Voltage hoped MotionPlus "would allow for better off screen IR tracking." Instead, Nofsinger says the device "seems to lend itself more naturally for hand to hand combat" and that it "doesn't feel like an optimal fit for how we had designed our moment to moment gameplay." Well, that explains it. Sure, we want as many features as we can get our hands on in a game, but if it doesn't improve on the experience and just feels tacked on for the sake of being a bullet point on the back of a box, it's not worth it. It looks like High Voltage agrees.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

    Video: This is how you snipe in GTA: Chinatown Wars

    March 10, 2009 - 1:00pm

    If the first trailer for Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars didn't supply enough in-game footage, perhaps this latest trailer will do the job.Embedded after the break is a new gameplay clip of Chinatown Wars, featuring the hacking process and the delightful act of sniping. We'll be the first to admit that having to actually assemble the sniper rifle is all kinds of awesome, though we remember the process being somewhat more challenging on our last trip to the grassy knoll.

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    VC/WiiWare Tuesday: Revenge of Clu Clu Land

    March 10, 2009 - 12:10pm

    It may seem like unimaginable luxury to us, but for Japan, a week with just two new games on the Virtual Console and one on WiiWare is light. The last time the releases were this sparse was three weeks ago, with an update that, coincidentally, also included a Sega franchise game (a franchise that also included a Shinobi game) and a WiiWare minigolf title. Spoooooky. We are quite jealous of The Revenge of Shinobi, which Japan gets this week as The Super Shinobi, and which we may never get.Virtual Console:

    WiiWare:

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    ExciteBots uses real-time pie-in-the-face technology

    March 10, 2009 - 11:10am

    ExciteBots: Trick Racing is certainly not a realistic "simulation" racing game. However, it's not a kart racer either. As this trailer demonstrates, its long, straightforward track designs and high speeds make it seem most similar to an F-Zero-like futuristic racing game. Except for the mid-race sandwich-making and giant clown face. Yes, in addition to the basic high-speed racing, the trailer gives us a look at the minigames involved. They're actually integrated into the race rather than separate events, and most of them are simply played by driving into them. And they are weird. We didn't realize how much we wanted to make a race car (which is also a mechanical insect) swing from a bar in the middle of a race, but it's a lot.

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    Rumorang: BBFC rates 'Silent Hill'

    March 10, 2009 - 10:10am


    We hope Konami may soon be ready to scare some truth out of earlier rumors of a Silent Hill remake for the Wii and PSP. The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) recently posted a '15' rating for Silent Hill, with a listing that contains an interesting breakdown of scenes from the game with titles like "ANKH ROOM" and "CYBIL'S DEATH." Last month's rumor laid dev duties at the feet of Silent Hill: Origins creator Climax, though Konami has yet to make anything official. We're trying to reach either Konami or Climax for comment ... but the lines are cut, and there's an unsettling noise coming from behind the door.Of course, this could just as well be a PSN re-release. And yes, we'll take one of those too.[Via Kotaku]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

    2D Boy examines creating a World of Goo [Update]

    March 9, 2009 - 11:10pm


    Independent game developer 2D Boy has begun to detail the early days of development for World of Goo. In a recent blog post (the first of seven), the team revealed its original version of what would eventually become the award-winning title. One week into development, 2D Boy had a basic idea of what to expect: A small game with simple physics and collision detection ... and which sported no music or animation at all.If a screenshot (pictured above) of 2D Boy's creativity coming to fruition isn't enough, the developer has also made the original version of the game available to download -- for free. 2D Boy warns players that the 2006 version "feels like you're dragging balls inside a jar of honey" and has stability issues but it's a great extra for fans of the final product. Also, it guest stars Chairry ... so it captured our Pee-Wee's Playhouse loving hearts immediately.Update: Part two of the feature, which includes a newer version of the 2006 build to download, is also available.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

    GH World Tour full band kit outsells guitar bundle, standalone game

    March 9, 2009 - 8:30pm


    Using figures provided by Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter, Gamasutra has put together a brief sales analysis of Activision's Guitar Hero World Tour. With three different bundles available at different prices, you might be surprised to learn the full band kit -- priced at $190 -- outsold both the guitar bundle and standalone game from October 2008 through January 2009. The full band package accounts for 41% of overall sales, with 35% going to the guitar bundle, leaving 24% for the standalone game. Taking the price of each bundle into account -- the guitar bundle is $90 and the game $60 -- Gamasutra points out that the full band bundle accounts for a full 61% of the revenue generated by Guitar Hero World Tour.As Gamasutra notes, the numbers seem a bit surprising given the number of compatible instruments already in gamers' hands when World Tour released, especially those of the original Rock Band, which released a year earlier. Impressive as the numbers may be, it's hard to believe Activision will be able to push as many full kits with future iterations of the franchise. That's what new instruments and accessories are for.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments