Now in my youth I was a fair skateboarder.  I would mind my own business whilst terrorising the old people at the local shopping centre or head down to the skate park to crack a few bones (ribs mostly).

As my years wore on, I made a superb discovery – that discovery was Tony Hawk’s Pro Skateboarding on the PS1.  No longer did I have to damage myself or go outside, instead I could do it all virtually! And so started the story of my spare chin – but I digress. Read more… »

It’s always been my dream to have a Mega Man versus mode that’s more fleshed out than Mega Man 7′s “Mega Man vs. Bass” secret. Today, I get the next best thing: Super Mario Crossover. Newgrounds user ExplodingRabbit has recreated the entire first Super Mario Brothers game, but with one huge caveat: Samus Aran, Link, Mega Man, Simon Belmont, and Bill Riser from Contra are all playable!

Each character controls exactly as they do in their respective games. For example, Mega Man can slide and shoot his buster – if he gets a mushroom, he’ll equip his helmet, and gain the ability to shoot a charged shot.

I’ve already used Xpadder to map the game to my Playstation controller (info on that is here), and I took the liberty of snapping some screenshots for your viewing pleasure after the jump. See you next week! Read more… »

With the NFL draft last week and Madden NFL 11 details revealed, the NFL season feels that much closer. And what would the NFL season be without a little Madden?

“Simpler. Quicker. Deeper.” This year’s Madden promise screams accessibility. But rest assured, these developer diaries shed some light in what will surely aid both the hardcore and casual fans. Enjoy the first two videos of a five-part video roundtable series from EA Sports right after the break. Read more… »

It’s tough being a student. The limited supply of loan money, the frequent spending sprees, the pressure to go out every night to prevent people associating you as some sort of weirdo recluse – sometimes it’s just too much to handle. Eventually, there comes a time when you need to sacrifice your most valued possessions in order to make ends meet; it’s a painstaking process that always seems to end up in tears.

Alas, I had to prepare for the inevitable. I sat down and reluctantly dusted off my collection, checking the value of each item on eBay, dabbing my eyes with my custom-made Super Mario Bros. handkerchief. And then it hit me. After close inspection, it became increasingly apparent that games aren’t as exciting as they used to be.

Read more… »

Today word got out that a made-for-TV movie based on THQ’s sci-fi action series Red Faction will be coming to the Syfy channel.

For those of you who aren’t familiar on the Red Faction series, let me fill you in. The games take place on Mars and revolve around class struggle between miners (extracting resources for Earth) and the oppressive Earth Defense Force (who are forcing the miners to work for next to nothing). The miners form a rebel group, dubbed the Red Faction, in an attempt to overthrow their task masters. Read more… »

With Captivate 2010 (Capcom’s industry showcase) having just come to an end, many are still awestruck by the announcement of Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, having been in development since 2008. In continuing with this ninja approach, Capcom has just recently trademarked Mega Man Universe with the U.S Patent and Trademark Office.

Speculation has been running rampant with what could be next for our blue robotic hero, but I know it can only mean one thing: Mega Man Hentai!

Wait! No! I meant MMO, I swear! Read more… »

If you’ve got a casual-game playing significant other, then come this fall, you better put a dozen or so padlocks on your console cabinet. Today, EA announced that their habit-forming, critically acclaimed “best-selling PC game of 2009,” The Sims 3, is strolling its way onto the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, and Nintendo DS.

It’s really not surprising, as previous iterations made it to the last generation of consoles, but if you don’t want your systems taken over by your Sims crazed girlfriend, I’d suggest investing in a set of blinders. Trust me, they work.

In the mean time, hit the jump to find out all the exclusives that are coming to each platform. Read more… »

Bloomberg recently reported that former News Corp. president Peter Chernin and Microsoft have discussed the creation of a television channel exclusive to Xbox Live. The channel would offer original shows and reruns aimed at the online service’s young male target audience. There’s been a fair amount of discussion on the benefits and drawbacks of such a move, but I believe the proposed cost offers more food for thought.

To support the establishment of a new channel, Chernin suggested increasing the cost of an XBL subscription by one or two dollars. After hearing about this proposed rate increase, I found myself contemplating the current subscription fee for Xbox Live. Read more… »

Microsoft’s sickeningly awesome PR machine is back in full swing as of late.  Their latest initiative?  A penchant for live action mini-movies to promote their game titles.  Last week saw the announcement of an Alan Wake live action short, this week they bring us the new promotional short for Halo: Reach.

Due for release on Tuesday the 27th (so tomorrow, fact fans!), the short movie has been produced by UK film director Noam Murro, runs for roughly a minute and can be viewed at the site www.welcometonobleteam.com upon release.  The mini-movie is being used to promote the upcoming Halo: Reach beta on May 3rd.  As you you should know, unless you have been living under a rock, the beta is accessed by having the original Halo: ODST disc – also an Xbox 360 would help.

Read more… »

Last month LucasArts announced that they were going to produce a Special Edition of the classic adventure title Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge. In this announcement, the publisher stated that the special edition would feature in-game commentary from “the game’s creators.” Today LucasArts revealed that the commentary would be coming from three legends of gaming: Ron Gilbert, Tim Schafer and Dave Grossman.

LucasArts released a statement saying, “Ron, Tim, Dave will be lending their trademark wit and humor to select areas in the game. When playing, players will be able to hear the three’s insights into key areas of the game and get insight into making the original game as well as their thoughts on the new Special Edition treatment.” Read more… »

It’s time for your Weekly Recap. I don’t know about you, but I’m really glad that this past week is done with. Why? Because we had two freakin hippy holidays back to back, that’s why. I did my best to ignore them both, and it worked pretty well seeing as how I work nights and never leave my apartment. But they still managed to work their way into my digital world, and I’m afraid the smell of pot and petuli will be stuck in my nostrils for weeks to come.

But enough with those horrible, traumatic memories… the faster we get this recap over with, the faster we can get to work repressing all the horrible hippy-ness.

Read more… »

Distinctly British sleuthing is taking place in the latest title to come from Brighton-based UK developer Relentless Software.  The studio is responsible for titles in the hugely popular family quiz series Buzz. Relentless are now turning their collective hands to a distinctly more Professor Layton-esque title with the release of Blue Toad Murder Files – The Mysteries of Little Riddle on the Playstation Network.

Set in the picturesque village of Little Riddle, this is a picture perfect representation of the quintessential English village, complete with comedic caricatures, flying ducks and steam trains.  You play the part of a voiceless member of the Blue Toad Detective Agency.  Taking a rest from the normal harrowing pace of crime solving, you are ordered to get some rest in Little Riddle.  Soon after arriving, foul deeds are revealed and it is up to you to track down the perpetrators of the various thefts, murders and nefarious criminal acts taking place.

Read more… »