[New releases is your weekly look at all the hot new titles coming out this week.] This week’s big title is Atlus’sShin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portablefor the PSP. Why is it the biggest? Cause we gave it a huge score! Check back tomorrow for aPersonarelated contest! Other than that,Crackdown 2is another biggie this week. Our review just went up and it may not be what you were expecting....
We have some new screenshots of the upcoming World War II shooter,Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad, to show off. InRed Orchestra 2, you will always be playing from first person, even while taking cover. You’ll have to fire blindly over walls and hope that you get lucky enough to hit something. You’ll even get to see the interiors of the tanks you drive around, and other players will be inside with you reloading the guns....
Sony and developer Clap Hanz have a new “Hot Shots” game in the works for the PlayStation Portable, and it’s not what you’d expect. According toSiliconera,Minna no Sukkiri(“Hot Shots Party” or “Hot Shots Festival,” when translated) is a compilation of mini-games, designed to be enjoyed in short bursts.Minna no Sukkiriwill feature 12 games, including “Vegetable Chopper,” “Boxing,” “Racing,” “Pie Toss,” and — are you sitting down? — “Book Organizing.” There’s a demo for the thrilling “Book Organizing” mini-game on the Japanese PlayStation Network right now, and will be available through July 30....
If you haven’t already bought a Nintendo DS, chances are it’s not because of the colors its available in. Regardless, today Nintendo has revealed a new color scheme for the mega-popular handheld, Cobalt/Black. Nintendo describes the unit’s color scheme “like a black T-shirt with a splash of color,” and quite honestly, I have no idea what in the Hell they’re talking about. Other than aesthetically, there will be absolutely nothing different about the new Cobalt/Black DS — is still weights 218 grams, and one of its hinges may still crack....
You know that new, smaller fancy Wii that wasjust announced for Europe? The one without the GameCube backwards compatability? Well, it’s not coming to North America, Nintendo of America told us today. “Nintendo of America does not currently have any plans to release the Wii bundle that was announced by Nintendo of Europe on Aug. 17,” said a spokesperson. “Consumers in the United States can currently purchase a Wii console bundled with the Mario Kart Wii game and Wii Wheel accessory for a suggested retail price of $149....
The official PlayStation 3 backward compatibility page is nowupon the U.S. PlayStation website. Apparently, Sony doesn’t want people to see the entire list of games that don’t play properly on the PS3, so all this page has on it is a Search function which requires you to input the title of the game you’re looking for. However,CVGreports that there are about 200 games that don’t function correctly on the PS3 as of now....
Patapon is back and I couldn’t be happier about it — I love the catchy war cries of these fierce little warriors! If you want to check out what’s new withPatapon 2:The Art of War, you can actually give it a shot with thisflash demoof the game before forking out your money for the real deal. it will only be available March 9th-16th, so don’t delay if you want to see what it’s like....
Slender necked Phil Harrison, head of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios, shall beleaving his poston February 29. He is due to be succeeded by Kaz Hirai, who will be keeping his role as Group CEO of SCEI as well as assuming the new duties. Anyone who follows gaming should be aware of Phil, who is no stranger to public events such as E3. The Brit has been with Sony through the launch of all of its gaming systems and is credited with being a huge driving force behind the company’s online market....
When Visceral and Electronic Arts announced theDante’s Infernodemo for December, I breathed a sigh of relief. It was not, as many demos seem to be these days, tied in to a pre-order bonus. Instead,Dante’s Infernois getting something a bit better — a Dante’s figure.GameStop is offeringup the collectible figurine with pre-orders of the title. The figure looks pretty detailed and posable, but there’s no indication as to how big it is....
The Orange Box, an impressive collection of Valve games includingHalf-Life 2,Half-Life 2: Episode One,Episode Two,Portal, andTeam Fortress 2,can now bepre-purchased on Steam. As an added incentive, you’ll save $5 and will get access to theTeam Fortress 2beta starting September 17. Hell, they’re even throwing inPeggle Extreme! I’ve got no idea what that is, but I suppose it’s the thought that counts. Remember, this offer is gooduntil October 10, the game’s release date....
Most of the PSP owners I know had been struggling to find a reason to turn their handhelds on for quite some time. But Sony’s leading the charge with potentially great software in 2009 —LocoRoco 2was released in North America last week, torave reviews, andPatapon 2will be out here in early May. Insomniac’sResistanceseries is arguably the flagship franchise for the PlayStation 3, and now, Sony is downsizing it for portable play withResistance: Retribution, due out on March 17th worldwide....
During a press event ta their offices in Liverpool, Bizarre Creation revealed that a demo forProject Gotham Racing 4was complete and ready to go. Unfortunately, the demo is currently stuck in the dreaded “certification process,” and as Bizarre put it “just waiting for a slot.” The demo seems pretty fat, with Nurburgring and a few Arcade mode chapters playable. No word on what cars (or motorcycles!) will be playable, but we should find out when the demo hits on or before the game’s October 12 release....
Ever sit back and wonder about the cultural effects that videogames have on us? Here’s some food for thought. According to theAnime News Network, researchers at Japan’s Osaka Bioscience Institute have named a unique protein after Pikachu. The protein is called Pikachurin and “plays a role in the efficient transmission of kinetic vision information from the eyes to the brain.” Apparently, the protein is fast like a Pikachu, hence the name....
