If you have about 10 minutes to spare, and want to watch an angry Batman impersonator yell about crappy Batman games, then go ahead and watch this. It’s good for a few laughs, but it’s bad for a good time consuming option.

Technorati Tags: Gametrailers, Batman, Joker, NES, SNES, Video Games, Reviews, Atari, Commodore 64

Gameloft’s new mobile game, Chuck Norris: Bring on the Pain, lets “You and Chuck Norris Put the ‘Beat Down’ to the Bad Guys This Summer.” Play as either Ranger Chuck or Commando Chuck through several stages while beating down baddies. The real reason this game is in mobile form only is because gamers may actually believe they are Chuck Norris if they play on a console with better graphics. Seriously, this is what we have been told.

This game will have some multiplayer features, and will help prove the powerful statement, “if at first you don’t succeed, you’re not Chuck Norris.” Chuck Norris: Bring on the Pain will be heading to all major cellphone gaming stores soon.

Here is the full press release:

Gameloft’s ‘Chuck Norris: Bring on the Pain’ Mobile Game Lets You and Chuck Norris Put the ‘Beat Down’ to the Bad Guys This Summer

Mobile Giant Partners with America’s Coolest Hero

New York – Chuck Norris doesn’t have a chin under his beard. He has another fist and a new mobile game! Gameloft®, a leading global publisher and developer of video games for mobile phones, today announced a licensing agreement with America’s greatest hero, Chuck Norris, to produce a mobile game that will prove “if at first you don’t succeed, you’re not Chuck Norris.” Chuck Norris: Bring on the Pain will deliver a sweeping round house kick to all that is evil when it launches in August of 2008.

Chuck Norris: Bring on the Pain introduces mobile gamers to the hero that never needs an introduction, Chuck Norris. Play as either Ranger Chuck or Commando Chuck as he battles the combined forces of Fidel Castro and Kim Jong-il to defeat Communism here and abroad, with all of the subtlety of a Chuck Norris powerhouse takedown. But the enemy isn’t the only one feeling the wrath of Chuck as totally destructible environments allow Chuck to punch down houses with his fists or raze whole forests with his gun.

Chuck Norris: Bring on the Pain will not only break up the bad guys, but will also break the mold of how mobile games are played thanks to a cool avatar feature which allows players to insert their own face (or that of their friend) into the game via their handset’s digital camera and then place it on enemy bodies for Chuck Norris to mash into dust. As well, an innovative Zoom Perspective allows Chuck to throw vanquished enemies right at the screen, just like in his movies.

There are three reasons Chuck Norris decides to make a mobile game:
1. Chuck Norris decided to make a mobile game so he can hit the bad guys with so many lefts, that they beg for a right!
2. Chuck Norris fights evil on all screens. Movie screens, television screens and now the screen of your mobile phone.
3. When it comes to making video games, fighting bad guys puts Chuck in a good mood.

Chuck Norris: Bring on the Pain is inspired by Chuck Norris’ true persona and by the legendary cult website, ChuckNorrisFacts.com. The game will incorporate the site’s tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, as it draws from many of the ‘Chuck Norris factoids’ that fans have enjoyed online for years.

Chuck Norris: Bring on the Pain will blast onto mobile phones, hitting major US carrier decks in August 2008. The strategic partnership was formed with Gameloft by Chuck Norris’ exclusive business development firm, Brand Sense Partners. The two teamed up in the beginning of this year to develop this first ever mobile video game for Chuck Norris fans of all ages.

Technorati Tags: Chuck Norris, Gameloft, Verizon, Cingular, Cellphone, Mobile, Chuck Norris: Bring on the Pain

Battlefield has always been a multiplayer focused series, though obviously with the freshest entry, Battlefield: Bad Company, effort has been spent on both the single and multiplayer components. But at least in regards to the campaign mode, it seems DICE’s old habits die hard.

The story of Bad Company is surprisingly one of the driving points for advancement through the single player. You are the brilliantly named Preston Marlowe, part of Bad Company a four man squad, an expendable team of mildly unsavoury types, who due to the temptation of gold go AWOL. Perhaps you’d expect this lot to be part of a dark story, but it’s all light-hearted humour and cheesy action film clichés, that for once doesn’t have a cringe worthy script that liberally uses nasty and needless words, and it’s all the better for it.

Bad Company is an FPS with sandbox elements, which has an emphasis on vehicles, thus you can easily cover ground over the sizeable environments that make up each of the seven levels. The scale of these environments is impressive to say the very least, all the more so when you consider that each one has a high level of destruction (thank DICE’s wonderful Frostbite Engine for this). Apparently they’re around 90% destructible and for once this doesn’t seem to be too far off the mark. Buildings can be heavily damaged, craters can be left in the ground and even trees aren’t impervious to gunfire and explosions and will topple over convincingly. Suffice it to say, each level really does look like a war zone, once you’re done with them. Mention must also go to the audio of the game, all the chattering gunfire and booming explosions further draw players into the many battles, whilst the voice acting is solid and really fits the tone of the game.

The way your deaths and healing are dealt with in Bad Company are a bit controversial and obviously not everyone will be satisfied. To heal your wounds, there’s no recharging health here, instead you inject yourself with a magic needle which completely recovers your body almost in an instant. This in itself makes things a little too easy, but what’s more is that dying here has no more penalty than just driving or walking back some distance, as you’ll just simply respawn (just as you do in the multiplayer, old habits die hard, see?) with all the same weapons and tools in your hands, whilst all the enemies killed prior to your dying will stay dead. It doesn’t exactly encourage cautious play (though on this 360 version there is an achievement for staying alive in any level) and results in the campaign largely lacking in any form of challenge. This dampens the impact of what is an otherwise massively enjoyable offering.

The multiplayer side of things isn’t without its problems either, though nothing half as bad as the respawn problem of the single player mode. At the moment, there is just one mode available, which is Gold Rush, a team based mode where the attackers are tasked with destroying crates of gold, whilst the defenders must stop them. It may be limited in its multiplayer options, but Gold Rush is an excellent mode, whilst further modes (One of which, Conquest has been announced) are promised for some time down the line. The heavy destruction has also been carried into the multiplayer, which makes the online offering quite unlike anything else on the market, whilst in my experience games largely ran at a silky smooth pace.

Battlefield: Bad Company, with its excellent though flawed single player campaign and intense Gold Rush multiplayer mode is pure gaming gold (joke very much intended). Bad Company certainly makes for good company on this occasion, just don’t tell your loved ones.

Not an average. How our ratings work.

Words by Chris Wigham of ConsoleOB.

Technorati Tags: Battlefield, Battlefield: Bad Company, EA, DICE, Multiplayer, Gold, Xbox 360, PS3, Multiplayer, Online, FPS

Combat Arms has many things to marvel at, and one of them are the graphics. The visual style surpasses that of Call of Duty 4 and many other popular shooters out there one the market, and Combat ARms contains a good bit of uniqueness to each map. Boxes, barrels, and other generic shooter items are destructible, and the layouts of each map can be played over and over without getting boring.

Personally, I love the extreme large variety of weapons and modifications in Combat Arms. I can choose anywhere from an Ak47 Assault Rifle to the MP5 Sub-machine Gun. If I’m in a sniping mood, I can pull out an L96 sniper rifle. If I just want to have some fun and create large explosions I can pull out the LAW rocket launcher and terrorize other players. Having a good variety in any FPS is definitely a good thing, as gamers change their moods and change the way they feel like playing at a certain time.

Combat Arms doesn’t only have basic weapons, as the modification system can create many combinations of those weapons to your liking. If you think about it, there are 10 Assault Rifles each customizable with 4 different modifications. This allows upwards of over different styles just for those specific weapons. Not only are the weapons modifiable, the grenade types, other items, and armor are too. This all adds up for a different battle each and every time.

Thought Combat Arms is still very new, the overall gameplay is very smooth. Running and sprinting are included as they are with almost every other fps, but the inclusion of going prone is nowhere to be found. Nexon promises new features soon, and hopefully this ability is added.

The game modes vary from the standard deathmatch call “One Man Army,” to a team deathmatch called “Elimination.” The more popular gametype however, is “Search and Destroy” which is Combat Arms’ objective gametype. We have seen and played these modes before, so hopefully some more original types are added as the Combat Arms progresses through its life. However for now, the three are keeping many gamers busy.

Combat Arms is extremely strong in its community features. There is instant and private matchmaking, in-game private messaging, and a messenger/buddy list that operates just like it does in Valve’s Steam. What is also cool is that Combat Arms has built-in clan functionality, with mass group invitations and messaging. As a side note, I am the clan founder of “Clan Revengeance” so look us up when you get in game.

Also in Combat Arms there is a very in-depth experience system. You get experience just for playing, whether you win the match or not, so don’t worry if you join a round that’s about to end or if you have failed miserably. I have found that in One Man Army you get the most experience and not doing much. In the Elimination gametype, you get experience for killing each enemy and even more experience if your side wins. If you are playing Search and Destroy, you get experience for killing the enemy and completing objectives and ultimately winning the round if that happens. Overall, you end up earning “GPS,” Combat Arms’ currency, which can be traded for new gear or weapons.

Though we have seen a lot of these features and game mechanics before, Combat Arms is still very fun and Nexon promises a large future of updates and new features. Like I have previously mentioned, the game is totally free, so you really have nothing to lose, especially if you are in to first person shooters and are wanting something to play on your PC. Combat Arms combines excellent graphics, a top of the line weapon system, extreme level variety, and is a good and free competitor to those many online shooters that you have to would usually pay for.

Not an average. How our ratings work.

Technorati Tags: Nexon, Combat Arms, PC, Reviews, War Rock, Clans, Tournaments, Multiplayer, FPS, First Person Shooter, War, Steam, Valve

Side note: this is off-screen footage, but the game still looks stellar!

Technorati Tags: E3 08, EA, Mirror’s Edge, Sexy

Warning: Don’t watch if you are easily scared or HATE the “Twinkle Twinkle” song. You have been warned.

Technorati Tags: Dead Space, EA, Trailer, E3 2008

[Thanks to Andrew for the tip.]

Nintendo announced today that they will be releasing the Wii Motion Plus, a new Wii remote accessory addon that traces movements in 3d space more accurately. Though the Wii seems to do fine in terms of movement so far, this tiny accessory could supposedly work in conjunction with basic body movements.

There aren’t many details yet, but hopefully Nintendo will shed some more light on it soon. Hit the jump for the full press release.

NINTENDO INTRODUCES THE WII™ MOTIONPLUS
July 14, 2008
Nintendo’s upcoming Wii™ MotionPlus accessory for the revolutionary Wii Remote™ controller again redefines game control, by more quickly and accurately reflecting motions in a 3-D space. The Wii MotionPlus accessory attaches to the end of the Wii Remote and, combined with the accelerometer and the sensor bar, allows for more comprehensive tracking of a player’s arm position and orientation, providing players with an unmatched level of precision and immersion. Every slight movement players make with their wrist or arm is rendered identically in real time on the screen, providing a true 1:1 response in their game play. The Wii MotionPlus accessory reconfirms Nintendo’s commitment to making games intuitive and accessible for everyone. Nintendo will reveal more details about the Wii MotionPlus accessory and other topics Tuesday morning at its E3 media briefing.

[Via]

Technorati Tags: E3 2008, Wii, Wii Remote, Nintendo, Motion Plus, Wii Motion Plus, Accessory, Movement

It has just been announced at this year’s E3 that the already loved Xbox Live service will receive an update overhaul this holiday season. Expect Facebook/Myspace-like features, Mii-like avatars, and many other new features that the service should have already had. Sure, they may not be the most original, but it is all easily and happily accepted.

One of the smallest yet most anticipated features is the support for widescreen 16×10 VGA resolutions. This means players playing with 1680×1050 and 1440×900 will now have full support. Check the break for the full list of new features coming this holiday season.

From the official Microsoft Press Release:

· Play from hard drive. Copy your games from the game disc and play directly from the hard drive. Not only will the drive not spin, but load times are quicker, as well. Of course, you will still need the disc in the tray to prove you own the game.

· Access Xbox LIVE Marketplace on the Web. Browse and purchase Marketplace content whenever you want from Xbox.com and it downloads automatically to your console. Purchase that new map, television episode, the latest Xbox LIVE Arcade game or set up a movie to watch when you get home from work.

· Dashboard built into the new Xbox Guide. For everyone who loves the blades interface, it’s not going away; they are now built directly in to the new Xbox guide. Every feature and option is available right from the guide. You can even access your full games library at all times. No matter where you are (in dash or in game), immediately call up your games played list and directly launch a game.

· LIVE Party system. Create a party of up to eight friends, and stay with them from one game to another, or watch a Netflix movie together, or share a slideshow of your personal photos. It works with all Xbox 360 titles, not just upcoming games. LIVE Party allows up to eight people to chat in the dashboard, so you can meet up before playing.

· Xbox LIVE Primetime. This whole new category of games is going to give you more reasons to get online with your friends. Games will support everything you’d expect, like Achievements and leader boards, but many of these games will include real prizes. You can invite your friends, and even set a reminder for an upcoming show. Each game is broadcast simultaneously, so everyone is answering the same questions. Many events will have a live host, calling the shots as they happen.

· Avatars. Your online identity started as a Gamertag - it then grew into a personalized Gamercard. Now, it has evolved even further into avatars. You can express your style, check out new outfits and share this with the community. Avatars will also be integrated into Xbox LIVE Arcade games, LIVE Party, as well as retail games.

· New display support. Because you asked for it, we are adding 16X10 over VGA or HDMI, and support for 1440×900 or 1680×1050.

This is only the beginning. Over the next few months, we will share more details on the upcoming changes.

See you online,

Marc Whitten

[Read]

Technorati Tags: Xbox Live, Microsoft, E3, E3 2008, Xbox, Xbox 360, New Xbox Live, Xbox Live Gold, Social Network

Not only are the graphics looking spectacular, but the unique fighting engine is as well. Check out this newly released in-game demo for your very tiny taste at perhaps one of the best games of all time.

Technorati Tags: Bethesda, Fallout, Fallout 3, Bethesda Softworks, RPG, Xbox 360

Though the music isn’t totally blues per say, the “new” AT&T still should really get their things together.

Original music and lyrics by Leah D’Emilio.

Technorati Tags: AT&T, iPhone 3g, iPhone, Apple, Mac, Blues, Music, Media