Stick shooters are another one of those old genres that would seem to be a natural fit for Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, where MicroBot has been released for $10.  More importantly the better technology that comes with today’s consoles offers ample room for old genres to improve themselves and showcase potential that might have been hampered on primitive arcade machines.  MicroBot grasps some of this potential but get past the excellent presentation and it’s just a sparse shooter with occasional memorable moments buried in repetition.

MicroBot starts off on a high note when a syringe forcefully injects you into the environment, you being a nanite tasked with destroying infectious nanites inside a human body that have gone haywire.  The layered backgrounds of human tissue teem with life and the microscopic perspective of the human body is beautifully presented.  Fleshy walls and glands intermingle and feel corrupted by the mechanical scourge of the nanites that you are tasked with destroying.   Little touches like moving bits in the foreground and background really make this feel like a living organism. Read more… »

Yesterday publisher Ubisoft announced that two of its most popular franchises will be getting re-released after they get HD makeovers. Both Prince of Persia and Splinter Cell will be arriving in stores on March 22 for $39.99. On top of remastered HD graphics, both collections will also feature stereoscopic 3D.

Each collection will contain three games. The Prince of Persia Classic Trilogy HD will include: The Sands of Time, Warrior Within, and The Two Thrones. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Classic Trilogy HD includes Splinter Cell, Pandora Tomorrow, and Chaos Theory. Read more… »

Quagmire: more than a character in The Family Guy, it is also a term that means “a situation from which extrication is very difficult”, according to dictionary.com. Monday, Capcom found itself in a quagmire with leaks appearing all over the internet. Ultimately, they failed to extricate themselves.

First, news popped up on Gaming Bolt announcing that some lucky son-of-a-gun got hands on an early copy of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and leaked the full opening trailer online. Like Rockstar with the recent L.A. Noire trailer leak, Capcom swiftly ducked the blow. It turns out this leak was only one hand of a double-punch, however, and the knock out blow was soon coming. Spoiler alert.

Read more… »

Many gamers were up in arms after Modern Warfare 2‘s policy of providing three new maps, and two old ones in their DLC packs. Thankfully, in a step away from Infinity Ward’s repackaging strategy, Treyarch has opted to provide four brand new maps and a new zombie stage in their first DLC pack, entitled First Strike.

Considering a lot of Call of Duty fans are on edge, I’m sure many are wondering “is the First Strike pack is worth my hard earned $15″? The answer is pretty simple if you’re a fan of Black Ops: yes. Read more… »