Pads & Panels

Title: Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3

Platform: PS Vita

ESRB: T

Publisher: Capcom

Developers: Capcom, Eighting

Rating:

Review by: Matt Peters

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is an interesting place for the series to start on a portable system. The fact that it’s not only the third installment, but also an updated version should not threaten gamers new to the fighter, however. This is a perfect jumping on point for those grizzled fighting game vets, or those who just want to see who’d win in a fight between Wolverine and Frank West. (more…)

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Title: Zeno Clash: Ultimate Edition

Platform: XBLA

ESRB: T

Developer: ACE Team

Publisher: Atlus

Rating:

Review by: Dan Braun

For lack of a better description, this bizarre first-person fighter is like playing a Salvador Dali painting, if it were written and directed by David Lynch. Zeno Clash: Ultimate Edition is one of the most unique and creepily beautiful games available, and it is absolutely worth trying, despite some rather awful flaws. (more…)

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Title: “Drake’s Fortune Multiplayer Pack” DLC for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Platform: PS3

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer: Naughty Dog

Review by: Bill Jones

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is an absolutely fantastic game. It’s so good we gave it the #1 spot on our list of Best Games of 2009. So it’s hard not to want more. And given, it impressed more on the side of its fantastic story integration in the single-player campaign, but its multiplayer mode happens to be a lot of fun as well, so as fans we’ll definitely settle for more on the multiplayer side of the game. “Drake’s Fortune Multiplayer Pack” as its name implies brings gamers back to the first title with two new maps inspired by the first game – The Flooded Ruins and The Facility. The former features the focal point of the Customs House, and it’s smart to keep a vertical eye on enemies. The latter is almost symmetrical, working around a U-Boat in The Bunker. It’s fantastic for elimination games. The $5.99 total package also includes six skins based on characters or variations from the first titles, as well as 12 new Trophies. (more…)

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Title:  0 Day: Attack on Earth

Platform: XBLA

ESRB: E

Publisher: Square Enix

Developer: GULTI

Rating:

Review by: Dan Braun

In an already crowded marketplace of decent top-down, dual-stick shooters, 0 Day: Attack on Earth does nothing to help itself stand out from the crowd, and does enough wrong to turn gamers off of within the first few minutes of play.

The core of Attack on Earth plays like an old-school arcade shooter, with a choice of four different vehicles and weapon loadouts. As the game progresses, more vehicles are unlocked for use. Players are expected to fly around a fixed map in one of three cities: New York, Tokyo or Paris. In each city, the player is faced with seven days of battling an alien invasion and some boss-like monsters. These bosses must be dispatched within a certain amount of time, with players deciding whether or not they need to wipe out the lesser threats during the battle. Of course, the game provides incentive for attacking the smaller enemies, as they provide a bump in firepower to the player’s arsenal. (more…)

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In celebration of Wallace & Gromit‘s 20th year or existence, Telltale Games is giving away a free PC episode, Muzzled, of the series between today and Nov. 8. During that same time span, gamers can also purchase the entire series at the discounted price of $20 (normally $34.95).

In other news, the entire series of Wallace & Gromit from Telltale Games is being made available on Xbox Live Arcade today. The Wallace & Gromit Children’s Foundation and Penny Arcade are also kicking off a charity drive today. And finally, orders for the Wallace & Gromit collector’s DVD are being taken by Telltale starting, yes, today!

For those interested in the free game, www.freewallaceandgromit.com

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Title: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Platform: PS3

ESRB Rating: T

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer: Naughty Dog

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

Sometimes innovation comes out of nowhere with a striking new idea that blindsides us and changes an industry. But more times than not, innovation is a gradual effort, where no one thing can be cited as the sole instigator of change. But still, in those gradual instances, there is often a point when that change is realized and credited to the epitome of its ideal.

The original Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune marked an early display of PlayStation 3’s power and Naughty Dog’s interest in bringing their skills to a more realistic (visually) gaming experience. Its story played out like an Indiana Jones movie with a good sense of humor, as Nathan Drake, a descendent of Sir Francis Drake, set about on a modern-day quest to find the legendary treasure of El Dorado. Along the way, Drake teamed up and played betrayal games with a dynamic set of characters, with explosive third-person gun-fighting action every step of the way.

But that’s neither here nor there with Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. While fans of the first will have a slight edge and get a little bit more out of its sequel, Naughty Dog smartly creates an entirely new story, relying very little on the first, leaving Uncharted 2 accessible to new audiences, while also expanding on the characters people grew to love in the first installment. (more…)

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Title: Wet

Platform: 360 (Also on PS3)

ESRB Rating: M

Publisher: Bethesda Softworks

Developer: Artificial Mind and Movement

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

“Wet (Wetwork) – a euphemism alluding to hands literally wet with blood.”

If that opening text isn’t clear enough, gamers should know they are in for a bloody mess of a violent third-person action-shooter in Wet, the original IP from Artificial Mind and Movement. Luckily, that mindless violence is made acceptable by a unique video game style that reminds of a 1970s Grindhouse feature.

The visuals are overlaid with a film grain; the dialogue is ridiculous and filled with cussing; the game has a sense of humor about itself; the “story” breaks every once in awhile for concession stand commercials; and the original soundtrack belts out awesome rock tune after awesome rock tune as heroine Rubi takes out enemy after enemy with a selection of firearms and a deadly samurai sword, in a hail of acrobatic slow-motion awesomeness. Unfortunately, its other similarity with the Grindhouse films is that it often chooses style over substance. (more…)

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Title: Wanted: Weapons of Fate

Platform: 360 (Also on PC, PS3)

ESRB Rating: M

Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Developer: GRIN

Rating:

Review by: Dan Braun

This third-person shooter packs a huge dose of adrenaline into a rather small package for an entertaining, albeit brief and only slightly unsatisfying experience. (more…)

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Title: UFC 2009 Undisputed

Platform: PS3 (Also on 360)

ESRB Rating: T

Publisher: THQ

Developer: Yuke’s Osaka

Rating:

Review by: John Gustafson

The world of mixed martial arts, brought to the masses courtesy of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, is undeniably a major fixture in sports, as well as entertainment. Yet, due to a string of underperforming and underwhelming forays in video games last generation, mixed martial arts has not cracked the medium like it has television and pay-per-view. UFC President Dana White knew the criticisms of the past and set forth, waiting for the right time to emerge with a new title that he felt would not only represent the sport accurately and favorably, but also emerge with a decisive and victorious win.

UFC 2009 Undisputed does not come out with a thunderous KO, but it does pull off a win more akin to a panel decision with its solid fundamentals and expert representation of the octagon warriors in battle. (more…)

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Title: Velvet Assassin

Platform: 360 (Also on PC)

ESRB Rating: M

Publisher: SouthPeak Interactive

Developer: Replay Studios

Rating:

Review by: Dan Braun

Velvet Assassin is a weak, broken and frustrating title that should be avoided at all costs. Its only redeeming quality comes from its rather bold approach of explicitly presenting some of the horrors perpetuated during WWII, but this alone cannot save the game. (more…)

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