The game features NVIDIA 3D Vision support, and stunning high resolution visual effects make the hell of Raccoon City even more graphic. Resident Evil Operation Raccoon City for Windows PC includes all the same features as the console version including the ability to compete in an eight player online team versus battle and four player campaign mode.

Capcom will support the release of Resident Evil Operation Raccoon City with a DLC offering that expands gamers’ experience of the events unfolding in Raccoon City. Arriving shortly after launch will be a US Spec Ops Mission, available for consumers to download at no charge. Experience the horrors of Raccoon City through the eyes of the good guys as you are deployed to the city to obtain evidence of Umbrella’s involvement in the outbreak.

Let’s take a visit to Raccoon City:

RESIDENT EVIL: OPERATION RACCOON CITY Spec Ops DLC Trailer

Undoubtedly, something here will jog your brain into convincing your body that you’re having fun. Hijinks created as a rogue batch of ’50s era-ish robots invade the living room in an AR mini-game is marginally smile inducing. Never mind the 3DS did the same thing with Face Raiders, except there it was free.

Deviants is the sort of thing cooked up in a board room during a tense all-nighter, where the non-game design competent suits see a hole in their game lineup for fresh hardware. The weird thing about Deviants is that the Vita already comes with something that serves the same purpose: Welcome Park.

Vita users are treated to a series of motion controlled, touch screen tapping, camera toying mini-games when they first boot up the unit. Everything Deviants is trying to do is done in Welcome Park. The cynical side of a gamer’s psyche undoubtedly wants to say Park does it all better, and cynicism isn’t always wrong.

Deviants is simply souless, wherein the creatures themselves are sprawled onto the screen not unlike the Rabbids in the Rayman spin-off. Aliens with eyes and mouths that spew gibberish are super hot right now so say the marketing execs, so that’s what the community gets. Hooray.

Very little involved in the creation of Deviants can be called a good idea, let alone a decent one. It’s easy to feel bad for a development team that knew they were crafting shovelware at the request of higher powers who insisted both the touch screen and touch pad be used in tandem. Players must “tug” on a Deviant (proper name too?) in a wrestling ring to slingshot the critter into roving zombies during one mini-game. One immediately questions why there’s any sense in using both screens as opposed to just the front, and how zombies fit into any of this mayhem.

Maybe it’s the first impression. After all, Deviants intros with a putrid rear touch pad game where rolling hills are created to push a ball-like alien around a small level, avoiding robots and/or other hazards. That’s all well and good until the player realizes they can’t see what they’re touching to make the inclines; the Vita isn’t transparent, although that would be super futuristic. Imagine a version of Super Monkey Ball mixed with Pac-Man if the concept was created by someone who was choked as a child. Here, it’s a system designer pleading for someone to find a use within the rear pad so his idea is justified.

If the world were a kinder place… well, we wouldn’t see Little Deviants on store shelves. But, beyond that, the terrain deformation is clean, and if you don’t mind a child playing with $250 portables, they might enjoy the colors. It’s just kooky enough to keep them involved, although probably not for long. You’d still be better off buying the handful of iOS or Android games that revolve around these exact same design ideals for a few bucks total.

Donkey Kong Country‘s strong point isn’t story, as one would expect, but it doesn’t have to be, and serves the purpose: giving Donkey a really good reason to go out and beat up other animals. Some “King K. Rool” character stole his bananas! And with Donkey comes Diddy, his faithful sidekick/nephew, and in my opinion, the more fun of the pair. And that brings me to one of the unique gameplay elements. The player is able to switch between playing as Donkey and Diddy, and is able to salvage a life if being hit with the other character present, by taking control of the latter. This works really well, and Diddy seems to be superior because of his smaller size and improved speed and agility. With these two Kongs come a whole cast of other, memorable characters: Cranky Kong, Candy Kong, Funky Kong, Rhambi the Rhino, and Enguarde the Swordfish, among others. All these characters, as well as their surrounding environments, are presented quite well in the then-revolutionary pre-rendered 3D graphics, giving the game a unique feel, even today. The music is also quite memorable, and the opening title screen numbers among some of my favorites. Donkey Kong Country presents a unique setting, characters, and graphics, and for those that played the game when they were younger, a very nostalgic experience.

But, of course, the game’s defining element is its gameplay. As I’ve mentioned, the player is able to switch between both Donkey and Diddy Kong, provided you have found a DK barrel. And, as I said, Diddy seems to be superior, but it isn’t always the case. Diddy isn’t able to kill every enemy, and sometimes Donkey will have to be brought in to deal with the opposing forces. This provides a very small level of platforming strategy, and that platforming strategy is seen in a larger role in level memorization. This game is very difficult. You will die fairly often, but level memorization is key, with many of my successes, and failures, stemming from my ability to remember the location of enemies and hazards. Despite the almost overwhelming frustration that comes from failures, the accomplishment of completing a level you’ve been stuck on for a week still feels very satisfying. Beyond this seemingly impossible difficulty, though, is a great, if fairly standard platformer. Both Kongs can jump, roll, run, pick up barrels, and the like, and provides a very satisfying platforming experience if done right. The player can also come upon animal helpers, such as the previously mentioned Rhambi the Rhino, who each have specific abilities that allow the Kongs to traverse through the levels. The game also features two two-player modes: “Contest” and “Team”. As one could suspect, Contest pits the players together, with the goal being completing the level the fastest. Team is a co-op mode, with the two players switching between Donkey and Diddy. These only add to the package, and while I didn’t necessarily ask any of my friends if they wanted to play Donkey Kong Country, it doesn’t mean it’s not a nice addition.

While the game is great, it isn’t without its few faults. One is the location of save points in a world, and the inability to save until reaching about halfway through the world, made even worse with inability to go back to previous worlds until just before halfway through the world. This, coupled with the strange phenomenon with the first two levels of a world being extremely difficult, provides a frustrating design issue that has nothing to do with player’s skill. However, Donkey Kong Country is still a unique and entertaining platformer, and one that everyone should play. And I’m betting a lot of people have. It’s only sold over nine million copies.

Here’s another racing game that will certainly boost your adrenaline:

Classic Game Room : SUPER SPEED RACING Sega Dreamcast review

Braid is a fantastic looking game. It really is. The very artistic design of the game gives it most of its charm, and sprites and animations are all done really well. And the music fits this really “high class” art style, with a calming, orchestral soundtrack. It all creates this sense of mystery that really fits the story. This “mysterious” story seems pretty straight forward at first: Tim, our hero, is after the Princess, who was kidnapped by some form of a monster. But the story continuously gets a little…strange, and I won’t say anymore at the risk of spoiling it. But this of course leads him to traversing beautiful landscapes reversing time as he goes. And coming across an awesome dinosaur at the end of a level that pulls a Toad, and informs Tim that the Princess is in another castle. But Braid‘s fantastic presentation is only half of the unique package.

The gameplay, of course, is that second half. While the game may, at first glance, appear to be a typical side-scrolling platformer, there is much more to it than that, although the platforming is definitely present. But this game is more of a puzzler, as Tim is able to rewind time, and as you can imagine, this provides all sorts of opportunities for unique, and very challenging, puzzles. At first, the game provides fun, simple puzzles, but quickly ups the ante. The puzzles are entirely optional, however, as they mostly lead to puzzle pieces, that you’ll eventually have to use to solve a physical jigsaw puzzle; although, as I said, you can still get through the level without collecting any of these jigsaw pieces. But that would mean you would never complete the game, as you have to solve each puzzle for each world in order to access the final world. Each world also has a unique time phenomenon associated with it; the first allows Tim to rewind time, as usual, but the second introduces items that are immune to Tim’s time manipulation. This keeps the game fresh, and increasingly frustrating, as you advance through the game, which is actually fairly short when you know what you’re doing.

Despite Braid‘s short length, it still presents a very unique, fun, and challenging experience, on both the presentation and gameplay fronts. Although this is a fantastic puzzle game, it won’t do much to bring over people who dislike them, especially if difficulty is an issue. However, anyone looking for a good indie or puzzle game should check this one out. And seriously, that dinosaur at the end of a world, he’s just too cool.

You could defend it as a memory concern, NOVA designed with smartphones in mind first. That would also explain a record setting overuse of only a handful of assets, requiring a constant arrow placed within in the HUD to give direction. The hallways, forests, and mountains blend together without physical orientation.

Stage design becomes the only element that differentiates the Gameloft knock-off to the original “source” material, that of Bungie’s uber-popular first-person series. You’re given control of a space marine clad in legally dangerous familiarity, with a blue AI construct leading the narrative. Aliens dubbed Xenos come in the miniature “grunt” type, the crafty “elite” type, and the “brute” force type. The only thing missing is a hyper-powered pistol to complete the illusion. The unlimited ammo handgun here is as worthless as this digital content will be in the future.

In NOVA, the shotgun becomes the beacon of impenetrable offense, given a spread and punch that whallops intruding extraterrestrials. Part of that is to work within hardware confines, wherein both the smart phone touch screen nor the PSP were designed with modern gameplay attributes in mind. A little assist from a spray pattern doesn’t hurt. Current Vita owners have a small beacon of hope with the right analog mapped as look buttons, although NOVA’s inherent stiffness does the style no favors. Gameloft never released the title on ideal hardware.

For an on-the-go, throw-away shooter, NOVA could have found a mark. Who doesn’t want the essence of Halo sans bulky hardware? But, where Halo redefined the idea of enemy encounters, NOVA programs them to run forward and hope for the best. There are no strategic layouts, the easy route letting Xenos warp in on the fly to cut back on development time. Covenant forces perform a wartime dance to create instability and unpredictability. Xenos combatants run through their routines with each spawn.

Sprucing up -or attempting to- the product is a hacking mini-game, the laser/mirror type which crack open ammo drops where power-ups would otherwise be stingy. It’s a break from the cheapened, cardboard cut-out like combat, where even if the guns have some bite, you’ve seen it all after the first corridor. Challenge is boosted from the hacking as the game progresses, the only test of the mind NOVA will offer.

It’s impossible not to laugh as NOVA puts its own spin on the infamous Halo warthog run, here the player running turret duty on the back. A driver is never seen short of the image on the HUD. Xenos pop into the perspective, waiting around to be shot while the driving six second loop of music blares in the background. After a minute or two, it loads. Repeat five times, and you have a technical dud with no energy, life, or charisma. Or, in other words, NOVA as a whole.

The series’ first collector’s edition for the North American market is housed in a KINGDOM HEARTS-branded magnetic box. It will include a copy of KINGDOM HEARTS 3D [Dream Drop Distance], a branded clear hard case skin cover and 12 art cards. It also contains five augmented reality (AR) cards that allow players to unlock rare Dream Eaters such as Meowjesty, Frootz Cat and Kab Kannon, and a 360° viewing stand that allows players to take a closer look at their Dream Eaters from all angles. The Mark of Mastery Edition is an excellent opportunity for fans to commemorate the groundbreaking franchise’s 10th anniversary.

About KINGDOM HEARTS 3D [Dream Drop Distance]

In preparation for an impending threat, Sora and Riku enter the Sleeping Worlds to complete the Mark of Mastery exam. They will encounter new enemies and make new friends in worlds they have never set foot in, and if successful in their quest, they will become true Keyblade Masters.

About the KINGDOM HEARTS series

KINGDOM HEARTS is a series of role-playing games created through the collaboration of Disney Interactive Studios and Square Enix. Since the first KINGDOM HEARTS was released in March 2002 for the PlayStation®2 system, the series has expanded with several additional entries, and has shipped over 17 million units worldwide.

Let’s check out Kingdom Hearts on GBA:

CGRundertow KINGDOM HEARTS: CHAIN OF MEMORIES for Game Boy Advance Video Game Review

Replete with the authentic political intrigue and complex narrative the acclaimed fantasy series is known for, this captivating interactive adventure gives fans a new and exciting way to lose themselves in the world of Westeros.  With an original story written under the watchful eye of George R. R. Martin, who recently stated, “I’ve sampled the work Cyanide has done, and I’m largely happy with it. I think many of my fans will share that feeling,” the “Game of Thrones” RPG is filled with characters and locations straight from the pages of the beloved fantasy novels.  Moreover, the game includes the likenesses of fan favorite characters from the television adaptation.  “Game of Thrones” promises to deliver the ultimate interactive roleplaying experience for fans of the series and its gritty, sophisticated medieval drama.

Here’s a look at the game:

GAME OF THRONES “This is War” Trailer

PixelJunk Shooter is a beautiful looking game. That’s definitely one of the first things you notice when you start up the game. Actually, scratch that. It’s the music. The cool, techno beat theme stays throughout the game, and you hear it before the title screen comes up. After hearing the music and witnessing the artistic graphics, there’s no denying that PixelJunk Shooter is a stylish game, and only enhances the gameplay and feel of the game. And part of that feel comes from the premise and story. At some point in the future, we have run out of resources to power our world. Do I detect a hint of social/environmental commentary? Thankfully, that’s not the agenda of the game, although it does come up a couple of times later in the game. So, being the greedy humans we are, we start mining on a new planet, and when there’s no more communication from the miners, a ship (or two, if one desires to play co-op) goes in to investigate, and save the discovered miners. The fairly simplistic story is enhanced by an underlying threat, and at times, funny dialogue from the special miners you save. All these elements, the graphics, music, and story, bring the game’s charm, and only enhance the gameplay.

PixelJunk Shooter is, as I briefly mentioned earlier, a two-stick shooter. When a friend described its genre to me, I immediately thought of something like Super Stardust HD, even though at that point I had not even played that game. But it is definitely not as simple as that. PixelJunk Shooter has more of an adventurous element, with secret areas and treasure, and very well-designed levels. Most of these levels revolve around the game’s use of liquids, whether it be lava, water, or later in the game, oil. The physics surrounding these liquids are done really well, and as you could imagine, they create a good opportunity for some puzzles, albeit with relatively simple solutions. Your mortality also depends on your ship’s heat meter, and as you could imagine, lava might be a determining factor in the outcome of that heat meter, but the game even changes that up a bit later on in the game. The way the liquids interact are also quite interesting, and these interactions are usually the solution to reaching the next area. The game also has a fairly impressive length for a downloadable game, with three worlds with five stages each, and a boss battle at the end of each of these worlds. These boss battles are also some of the most fun parts in the game, and made me wish there were more. The game is also quite addictive, and going back to pick up the treasure you missed, or to play it again with a friend in co-op, gives it a measure of replay value.

PixelJunk Shooter is fantastic. Notice how there’s no inclusion of “for a downloadable game” in there. In fact, it was so well received and fantastic that it spawned a sequel, one that I plan on purchasing, as well as other games in the series. You know you did something right when you make a good game that makes a player want to buy more of your products.

Oh how Asphalt tries, shining a hearty sun on the track to accentuate the curves and tar covered tracks below. All that contrast does is hide additional flat, gray scale textures that the coding didn’t allow the Vita to handle smoothly. Not only is Asphalt limited in resolution, the frame rate is uncooperative too.

The heart of the series lies in nitrous; without it, the player simply doesn’t win. Actions, i.e. drifting, smashing, or driving in the wrong direction, spill fluid into the meter on the HUD above the action. Vintage-esque floating power-ups spring the nitro into life too, scattered and respawning around the course with each lap. Without juice, the vehicle’s sense of speed is sedate. With it, well, it still is.

Despite gauges indicating numbers that would make a NASCAR driver blush, Asphalt has no intensity or pep. In actuality, the game is dreadfully dull, clinging to life with wholly artificial opponents who decide whether they win or not, despite a best effort from the home driver. Skill is relative to predetermined AI patterns.

Everything feels like that, artificial that is. Cars have no inherent physics applied to them, the original Pole Position carrying a better sense of weight and connection to the road. Collisions have no breaking point, repeatedly slamming chasing police cars having no effect; an indirect bump on the other hand sends them careening into a pitiful particle effect-stricken flip.

For its efforts to be fancy and free wheeling, Asphalt is disastrously ill-equipped to compete in the genre dominated by high-end simulations or grand arcade nonsense racers. For something desperate to be seen fitting in with Need for Speed or Ridge Racer’s ilk, those games bludgeon Gameloft’s miniscule knock-off.

Let’s break Asphalt down into one element: drifting. Hammering the brake sends the car careening into a stiff, sluggish slide, where the drift is better indicated by the sound of screeching tires than the feel of the controls. Speed counts drop heartily, and with the physics able to compensate for any corner without slipping, the benefit to the player is nill. Nitrous is earned through other means with greater ease, and the funds are doled out with extensive multipliers.

Drifting here is merely for show, but representative of Asphalt’s wider expanse of concerns.

There is the potential to waste time within these stunted driving confines, the career mode hefty on the content, lean on the course count. Fattening the piece is a myriad of race types, including the retro themed collection mode wherein the AI will undoubtedly dominate with its fictional abilities. The person in first has a free ride to leaderboard glory.

Wandering online assumes there’s a community left holding down the server fort, but at least there’s a chance of spotting legitimate competition. It’s a break from the solo monstrosity, which despite the appearance of being rich, is entirely broke.

Separately, two of the best-selling Wii games of all time will be getting new prices: Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Donkey Kong Country Returns each will be available at a suggested retail price of $29.99.

Pikmin 2 has updated controls optimized for the Wii console as players help brave Captain Olimar and his assistant, Louie, salvage treasures and return them to their home planet. In addition to the original red, blue and yellow Pikmin from the first game, players can also take command ofpurple and white Pikmin, creating a wealth of new strategic options. Additionally, Pikmin 2 features a frantic, two-player split-screen multiplayer battle mode, for which additional accessories are required and are sold separately.

Mario Power Tennis lets players power up their tennis game by swinging the Wii Remote to smack powerful forehands and backhands. Players can take on the role of their favorite Mushroom Kingdom characters and play on imaginative courts not possible in the real world, including a court littered with Mario-style power-ups. As players win tournaments, clear minigames or challenge Gimmick Courts, they unlock new characters, courts and challenges. Up to four players can compete in wild multiplayer action.

The fan-favorite Super Smash Bros. Brawl features dozens of characters from numerous Nintendo games and franchises in a battle royale. Up to four players can battle in the same room or over a broadband Internet connection.

Donkey Kong Country Returns is a new take on the classic platforming, barrel-blasting and banana-hoarding franchise. The game features the first simultaneous cooperative game-play mode for the series, allowing both novice and skilled players to play the game together. Players run, jump, climb and defeat enemies through diverse environments until they retrieve Donkey Kong’s stolen banana hoard.

Other games in the Nintendo Selects collection include Super Mario Galaxy, Mario Strikers Charged, Punch-Out!!, Super Paper Mario, Wii Sports, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Animal Crossing: City Folk and Mario Super Sluggers.

Here’s a look at Pikmin on the GameCube:

CGR Undertow – PIKMIN for Nintendo GameCube Video Game Review

Classic Game Room – Zuma’s Revenge for Nintendo DS Video Review >>

Find on eBay! >>

Classic Game Room – Prototype 2 for Xbox 360 Video Review >>

Find on eBay! >>

Classic Game Room – Nintendo PlayChoice-10 Arcade Machine Review >>

Find on eBay! >>

Classic Game Room – Dead Space 2 for PS3 Video Review >>

Find on eBay! >>

Classic Game Room – Street Smart for PS3 & PSP Video Review >>

Dishonored is set in Dunwall, an industrial whaling city where steampunk- inspired technology and otherworldly forces coexist in the shadows. You are Corvo, the once-trusted bodyguard of the beloved Empress who has been murdered. Framed for the crime, you become an infamous assassin, known by the disturbing mask that has become your calling card. In a time of uncertainty, when the city is besieged by plague and ruled by a corrupt government armed with frightening technologies, dark forces bestow supernatural abilities upon you – but at what cost? The truth behind your betrayal is as murky as the waters surrounding the city, and the life you once had is gone forever.

Here’s a look at the debut trailer for the game:

DISHONORED Debut Trailer

In terms of pacing, it’s the only Ninja Gaiden console edition akin to the original arcade beat-em-up (except for a direct Lynx port of course), treating time as a non-precious commodity. Miniaturized Hayabusa isn’t pushing for a driving pace, or running with a vengeance here. His wandering through exterior and interior bases becomes more in line with an adventure title than an action one.

Shadow isn’t the only Game Boy treatment to settle down. If nothing else, developers found a work around to the smearing wonders of the original unit’s screen while keeping familiar platforming intact. Placing a direct port of any NES Ninja Gaiden on the portable would have been disastrous. This is the adjustment, a smart design that now well into an unplanned future may carry negative connotations in certain circles.

Minimizing threats means the last boss is the only enemy of consequence. The dry patterns of previous encounters are quickly conquered, and routine placement -in tandem with hardware limitations- crimps the number of foes on screen during the general push through the stages. Ryu’s magic skills have dampened to at least give an impression of being overwhelmed, the singular flame wheel shot given en masse via power-ups, creating an allowance to squeeze cheaply out of tightly defended corridors.

Maybe magic is a space hog, Ryu ditching the wonders of flame for a grappling hook. Utilized within the stage designs, it creates an allowance for perilous maneuvering. It creates motion beyond the stunted jump, and flipping acrobatically on predetermined ledges gives a sense of freedom. Without the hook, Shadow is tightly under the grip of precise controls, responsive although with little wiggle room. Think of the grapple as a go-between to make up for the scrunched level designs.

Shadow isn’t allowed room to play, part of that being the lower resolution to work with, and certainly squished memory capacity. Filtered to the bare essentials, the game breezes by, even with the pull back of the pace. Five stages are refined to their purest, creating the type of vintage experience that excels in drawing the player back into its grip. Knowing it’s over in a half hour is part of the appeal, and you’ll feel like you’ve accomplished something, sans typical series frustration. Shadow is a superior “bad day” game, where real life failings are tossed to the wayside to conquer in-game problems.

Some of identity is stolen from the NES counterparts, namely the music which with the pacing, doesn’t necessarily suit the lighter feeling being pushed in front of it. Still, the hard driving tunes carry an impact, giving scale and franchise authenticity to a brief ride through the realm of machine guns, electrical hazards, lava pits, and flame throwers. And, at the end of the day, isn’t that all we ask from our digital ninjas to conquer?

Classic Game Room – Mario Bros. for Atari 5200 Video Review >>

Find on eBay! >>

A MESSAGE FROM KEN LEVINE
 
When we announced the release date of BioShock Infinite in March, we felt pretty good about the timing.
 
Since then, we’ve come to realize that some specific tweaks and improvements will make Infinite into something even more extraordinary. Therefore, to give our talented team the time they need, we’ve decided to move the game’s release to February 26, 2013. We wanted to let our loyal (and very patient!) fans know this as soon as possible.
 
I won’t kid you: BioShock Infinite is a very big game, and we’re doing things that no one has ever done in a first-person shooter. We had a similar experience with the original BioShock, which was delayed several months as our original ship date drew near. Why? Because the Big Daddies weren’t the Big Daddies you’ve since come to know and love. Because Andrew Ryan’s golf club didn’t have exactly the right swing. Because Rapture needed one more coat of grimy Art Deco.
 
The same principle now applies to BioShock Infinite.
 
What does this mean for you? It means a bit more waiting, but more importantly, it means an even better BioShock Infinite. The great can be made greater, and we owe it to both ourselves and to you, our fans, to take this opportunity. Irrational Games is one of those rare developers lucky enough to ask the people who sign the checks: “Hey, can we have a few more of those checks?”
 
We are also going to hold off on showing BioShock Infinite at the big events of the summer, like E3 and Gamescom. That way, the next time you see our game, it will be essentially the product we intend to put in the box. Preparing for these events takes time away from development, time we’re going to use instead to get the best version of Infinite into your hands in February.

Let’s revisit the world of BioShock with this review:

CGR Undertow – BIOSHOCK 2 for PS3 Video Game Review