When the original Bionic Commando was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System, I would have been too young to do well at it, even though I owned a NES. Now, almost twenty years later…how does the world of Nathan Spencer and his bionic arm hold up?

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The structure of morality and the paths that we choose to take are increasingly becoming more of a central plot and gameplay element. As gamers age, so do the concepts of our games, as we struggle with our futures and our growing responsibilities. But how complex should these elements become? Should they have the ability to shape the entire experience from an unchangeable in-game action?

Paul and James tackle the subject in the first of our Great Debates. Paul feels that the grey area of moral representation is an important part of the way humans react, while James thinks that going the black and white route of exacts makes for a better game.

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So you’re thinking of becoming a games developer in one of the numerous fields that go into creating a game. Awesome. So you’re pondering going to university to study at one of the many, and growing in number, campuses that offer a course in Games Design, Art, Programming or a similarly named course.

Fantastic. But what should you know about the university you are applying to? Gathered here is some advice that will hopefully land you on the best course available to you.

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Gran Turismo 5 Prologue marks Polyphony Digital’s first real leap into the next generation platform. With its usual array of exotic supercars, jaw dropping graphics and realistic physics work, does GT5 Prologue have what it takes to stand out from the increasingly crowded competition, or does it stall inches away from the chequered flag?

Since its initial launch some 10 years ago back on the original Playstation, Gran Turismo has worked up a resolute reputation of being the ultimate driving simulator. Whilst its punishing physics engine wasn’t for everyone, there was always an undeniable thrill about thrashing your favourite cars and pushing them to the limit around both real life and fictional circuits, whilst the complimentary and convincing driving physics worked its magic in completely immersing the player, as you are soaked into the visual flurry. Read more… »

Through intuitive use of the touch screen, GTA: Chinatown Wars offers the fast paced action, open-world exploration, and a merciless anti-hero that Grand Theft Auto is so well known for, all right in the palms of your hands. Yet, can it compete with its predecessors’ compelling story and ruthless criminal gameplay that has made the series so popular? Read more… »

If the first Army of Two game was a little too lads-on-tour/high-five/two dudes being douchebags-ish for you, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to hear that the second installment has been toned down a little on this front. If you enjoyed that aspect of the game, however, you may be a bit sad… sorry. But you’ll be delighted to hear that main gameplay features like ‘Aggro’ and blinged-to-the-nines guns are back. Yay!

Hit the jump for a few pretty screenshots from Army of Two: The 40th Day.

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After yet another hiatus, we’re again back to finish what we started sans Chris (due to an illness). But the boys have delivered and covered everything FF, from the movies, to the games and everything in between.

[The Retrocast is on an indefinite hiatus at the moment - we plan on bringing it back in the future, so stay tuned, and enjoy the current episodes!]

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Those of us that haven’t been living under a muddy rock over the last week or so have probably spent too much of our time staring at a muddy field, possible looking for distintive rock formations; a fox cradling a small snake or a monkey drinking a can of soda, perhaps. This exciting activity has been possible only on Hideo Kojima’s teaser site, which previously had some minor changes following a countdown or two.

Thankfully, things have just got interesting, with the appearance of what appears to be Metal Gear Solid 3‘s Big Boss aka Naked Snake. Furthermore, a magazine scan has surfaced that suggests Raiden could be next. Hit the jump for more details and the scan.

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For those of us in the PAL regions, its been a ridiculously long period of hoping, and waiting, for one of the most acclaimed RPGs of this gen, Tales of Vesperia.

A few weeks ago, the European Tales of Vesperia site was launched, saying a single line, “Coming June 2009″. Vague, but concise. Finally, the site updated with the exact date, so start your pre-orders! Check after the jump.

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2K Games has updated Bioshock’s official web page, The Cult of Rapture, and fans everywhere commence celebration. Bioshock 2 is set to hit international waters on October 30th, 2009, and November 3rd for the US. Are you ready to be a “Daddy”?

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Whenever a game is delayed it is a love-hate relationship. One one hand a delay means they recognize a need for continued polish. On the other hand, we have to use our patience gland and it does not work very well at all. 2K Games had to let us know that two highly anticipated titles are up for delay. It stung a little bit when I found out, but somehow I think I’ll recover.

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We all know that Reggie is still all about kicking ass and taking names, but what we did not know is whether or not Nintendo staples would be at E3 or not. However Nintendo is still confirming that Reggie Fils-Aime, Cammie Dunaway, President Iwata, and Mr. Miyamoto will all be attending, and appearing at their press conference for the Electronic Entertainment Expo.

The event, which takes place at Los Angeles’ Club Nokia on Tuesday, June 2, will focus on “information about upcoming products.” The doors open at 7:30 in the morning, I’m glad I’m not going to be there for that one.

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