Bioware's Mass Effect 2 named 1st big Blockbuster of 2010

Imagine the new resume Bioware can roll out for Mass Effect 2;

-40 perfect scores

- 2 Million plus copies sold

- Overall average score of 96

- Second Highest rated game of all time on the Xbox 360

- Over 30 Editor Choice Awards

- Was on the cover of more then 45 magazines

This is just the start of Mass Effect Mass Mania. I coined it first all :D

Bioware, a division of Electronic Arts, INC, has created a top notch, blockbuster experience with this gem. This game will stand the test of time as well as make everyone crave the end to the trilogy. When the game was released, Mass Effect was in the top ten trending topics on Twitter as well as the most searched phrase on Google. Mass Effect 2 is just another masterpiece and proving that Bioware does what it does best. Creates a game with Story, Character development, visuals, and most of all, Gameplay.

For all of you that have not read a review (like that is possible) then check out the extremely well done review by fellow Mashbutton writer Dom and get this game as soon as possible.

PSN: Dicegod

XBOX Tag: Dice2thagod

Metro 2033 Release Date Confirmed

It's time once again, to stack yet another potential great game on the list of what appears to be "Game-o-rama 2010". Yes, this is our official title for the fact that, the first three months of 2010 is seeing a plethora of game releases usually reserved for the hot, hot holiday buying season.

THQ's Xbox 360 console-exclusive Metro 2033, will release for the North American public, on March the 16th (March 19th for the European market). Sandwiched between the likes of Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Final Fantasy XIII, and Blur (to name just a few), we kinda hope this one doesn't get lost in the shuffle.

We're a pretty big fan of the pre-order, usually due to all the potential bonus's retailers offer.  In this case, you can pre-order either the Standard or Limited Editions and you'll receive free Metro 2033 themed Avatar items.  Not the greatest of pre-order bonus, but a bonus none-the-less.



Stay tuned to Mashbuttons.com for more coverage of this title as it's released

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Demo baby! | Xbox first

Okay, Okay - so not that it matters who gets it first, but we all know that people like to keep records of exclusives, even if it's just a timed-exclusive.  EA announced today the availability of the demo for DICE's latest Online Warfare title Battlefield: Bad Company 2.  Go and queue it up now on your Xbox 360.  If you have a PC, you can also get in on the action right now, if you pre-ordered.  Sadly, if you're waiting for your turn with the PlayStation 3, you'll have another two weeks (only one if you're in Europe) on your hands to play that Dante's Inferno demo you got earlier than those Xbox fans.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is out in stores March 2nd.  Don't forget, you can get the Limited Edition for the price of the regular edition here.

Check out the demo and let us know what you think.  Does this have the potential to dethrone the Modern Warfare series?

God of War 3 News

Hail fellow Mashbutton readers. I have come across some news for the hotly anticipated God of War 3. Finally, the box art as been revealed (above) as well as some other little tidbits about the game.

The length of the game has been revealed by game director, Stig Asmussen, to be in the length of 15-20 hours of game play. Depending all on the difficulty you choose to play it as. There is also the anticipation of two new weapons that have not yet been revealed. Could one be the Gauntlets of Zeus as seen in the PSP version?

It was said that during the course of the game, Kratos would receive a gift from Hermes, his famous shoes. This is suppose to enable Kratos to run along the walls a la Prince of Persia games. There is also suppose to be a sex mini game (as in the PSP version), OH LA LA!!!

There is also suppose to be an area of the game that takes place in the Garden of Eden, I highly doubt this is where the sex mini game will take place but who knows. I have added some screen shots of the actual game below.

The game is officially going to be released on March 16th, 2010. The God of War 3 Ultimate Edition will release the same day and retail at $99.00 of hard earned smackaroos. Ultimate edition will include a sculpted replica of Pandora's Box, art book, soundtrack CD, and additional digital content.

Well I hope this enough to saturate at least some of your Kratos Blood thirst. I know I can't wait for this game as this franchise is one of the soul reasons I purchased my PS3. Mashbuttons will keep you all updated on any more information that becomes available.

PSN: Dicegod

XBOX Tag: Dice2thagod

Tatsunoko VS. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars | Game releases

Amidst the Mass Effect 2 excitement yesterday, another little title was released that for the most part, we feel will just go unnoticed.  So that's why we feel it important to educate your brains so you can start warming up your thumbs in preparation for Capcom's Tatsunoko VS. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars is now available at a local retailer (or online e-tailer) of your choice.

A Wii-exclusive, you can pick it up for only $49.99, and it's rated "T".  If you're a fan of fighting games, and love the Capcom brand (who doesn't), walk, don't run (it's dangerous, and lets face it, that'd be a LONG run), so you can soon be playing with the likes of legendary Capcom characters, Ryu and Chun-Li, Frank West, and even MegaMan.  If you even know what Tatsunoko is, then you'll recognize such characters as Ken the Eagle and Jun the Swan. 

We hope to have a review up soon of our play-time with the game, in the meantime, let us know what YOU think! 

"X10 is back in the US" says the interwebs | Conventions

We're seeing buzz all over.  Whispers, from the corners of the interwebs, that Microsoft has sent out information on an upcoming "X" event taking place in San Francisco next month.  Apparently, an invite-only media alert went out Monday about the event on February 11th. *Fun Fact - there hasn't been a US-based Xbox Media event since X06 (since then it's been a Canada-only affair).  *Not so Fun Fact - we've not been invited :(

Though not 100% confirmed, expect to hear about such titles as Alan Wake (from a Remedy tweet), Fable 3, Crackdown, maybe a little Halo: Reach goodness.  Project Natal and Microsoft's Game Room (first unveiled at CES earlier this month) are also big possibilities to be on the docket. 

It's not much (yet) in the way of news, but stay tuned and circle ya calendars for Feb 11th - where there's smoke, there's fire!  (Where there's a convention, you'll likely to find some more news about the things we talked about above.  Stay with us!)

EA still has love for the Tiger, as do we |Tiger Woods franchise

Because Tiger has been in all the news since Thanksgiving, it's good to see that EA is unwavering in their support of the upcoming '11 year of the Tiger Woods Golf franchise. 

First up is the launch of Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online with an open beta, you can get a preview of the title, and invite others via Facebook to check it out as well.

Click after the break to see more details and the trailer for Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle Review

Synopsis: Travis Touchdown returns with his crude, over the top action and comments in this sequel, No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle. This is the latest review copy we received from the very generous folks at Ubisoft, Kudos to them. Travis returns to the United Assassins Association on his bloody quest to reach to top of the charts and exact revenge. No More Heroes 2 (NMH2) has received many much needed tweaks that prove that director Suda51 was listening to what the gamers really wanted and improved on the outrageously successful No More Heroes.

Praise: Much has changed in NMH2 and most of it for the better. Gone are the open world maps that provided most of the game play in the first and moves everything into a stylish looking map that lets you choose the location and the game opens up at that destination. This greatly helps out with your revenge missions and going to various locations to beef up your weapons and character as you are instantly there. Also a great change is there are no more Entry Fee's into the UAA to progress, making the side jobs in NMH2 a great change of pace and a way to just relax and play some mindless game. Also, the side games come in a stylish form that really uses imagination. They come in 8-bit adventures giving a sense of nostalgia to old time gamers. They even have a slightly vibrating sound with the one word dialogue that really reminds you of early Nintendo days.

Another great change are the graphics. They have a great cell shading feature that is becoming more common in Wii titles, and the cell shading cause the characters and action to jump off the screen and in your face. The intelligence of your enemies has been increased which is great as this will keep Travis on his toes as enemies will block and dodge more. Also the addition of two new characters, a school girl looking deadly assassin Shinobu and Travis' twin sibling, Henry get thrust into the mix.

Unchanged is the basic formula for success in the hack n slash of Travis' Beam Katana. Blood and gore fountain up in a crazy over the top style as you slash enemies in half, throw your katana into the air, body slam them and your beam falls into their back or stomach. All in all great moves and great animation. Since you start the rankings in 51st, there are plenty of wacky, not of this mold style bosses that will leave you laughing or shaking your head thinking WTF. Each boss battle brings something new and also is very fun to watch the characters interact. All in all a great experience.



Moans:There were a few in this game but not too many, and none of them really draw anything away from this title. One of them is that you may start the rankings in 51st place on the list, but Travis will take major jumps in the rankings which completely shorten the game. (One jump is from 50th to 25th place) The game is around 9-10 hours of play to the distress of most fans, but at least they are filled with blood, gore, sexy women, and Beam Kantanas. The extent of time you get to play as the new characters is short and would have been nice to have some more time with them. Once again, a minor thing. There were certain places that had lag when some of the more crowded fight scenes occurred. Nothing too bad and really doesn't draw away from the total game play aspect. Another is the sometimes shotty camera angles that can be a pain sometimes. However these things are minor in reality.



Overall: Blood, Babes, Gore, Babes, Beam Katana, and oh ya did I mention, Babes? This game is a hit and a very successful follow up to No More Heroes. I look forward to more games from Grasshopper Manufacture and directer Suda51 as they are becoming heavy hitters. This game is solid from start to finish with only a few minor tech issues that are minor in comparison in this huge action packed game.



Mashbuttons give No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle a 9 of 10.

Mass Effect 2 | Review

Synopsis: My most recent review copy is from our friends at Electronic Arts, who have provided us with the review copy so that you, our viewers, have day one impressions on the second chapter to the blockbuster trilogy which is Mass Effect. For anyone new to the series, Mass Effect is a science fiction shooter RPG from the award winning development team at BioWare. The sequel will once again put the player in the shoes of Commander Shepard, to seek and lead the most dangerous crew members that the galaxy has to offer, taking on a mission so risky; most would say its suicide. Character interactions and space exploration still play a key role in the futuristic storyline, delivering another blockbuster experience. A new feature to this entry is the ability to import your save file from the first entry to continue the story with the decisions made in the original effecting events players will encounter in the sequel, while new players to the universe will be able to create a Commander Shepard to their own liking choosing the character’s sex, appearance, and personality to uncover the events that happened in the original game, before taking on the new adventure. So after much anticipation, here is your spoiler free review of Mass Effect 2.

Praise: To start, I have not completed the game; I am fifteen hours into the story using the sentinel character class. From the story to the gameplay, BioWare took an already great game and added to story, character classes, arsenal of weapons, and new supporting characters to make playing through this game feel like an adventure I do not want to end. Unfortunately, I managed to have lost my save file from the original, so I was unable to see how importing my save file would affect my play through, but the detailed character customization and new character classes had me easily forgetting about my original Shepard and spending about a half an hour making a newer improved Shepard to save humanity. Action sequences are still played from the third person view, but the new location based damage system provides a stronger sense of control to shoot off targeted body parts or exploit enemy’s weak points, to disable or destroy all that stands in your path. So far, the galaxy seems to be a lot larger than in the first entry to the trilogy with both familiar and new planets and solar systems to recruit team members and probe for resources to improve weapons and armor. This did not seem like it would be a major addition to the sequel, but I found myself spending a lot my time resources on nearby planets whenever I completed a story mission. Choosing conversation responses still require thought as your actions have a reaction to how the story plays out and how NPC’s interact with you, and a new conversation system allows you control the conversation, sometimes with much appreciated force.

Gripes: This may be the first time in which I had to look for things that were not user friendly to the player or gameplay aspects that took away from the experience, but in terms of Mass Effect 2 it was hard with a game of this caliber. My first issue in which I just experienced was, having to change disks at certain points of the play through. I felt this wasn’t a big deal until I realized that even if you install the game to hard drive, you still have to swap disks, and you have to swap more than just once, depending on the order in wish you choose to complete the story. I was unable to take advantage of the Cerberus network as the content is made available on the launch date, but once redeeming the code, I was able to see three pieces of content to go in and download. The only nuance I came across with the gameplay was with the cover system, the issue was that at times I would not be able to enter cover to avoid getting shot and killed behind objects that appeared to be useable as cover, and other times I would be taking cover and not be able to aim, making it so that I would have to leave cover to aim at enemies, making my character vulnerable to gunfire.

Overall, Mass Effect 2 is a well polished, graphically enhanced experience that plays like an interactive blockbuster movie, leaving me yearning for more each time I had to turn it off and return to real life. While the original was a revolutionary entry to the RPG genre, this sequel proves that the Mass Effect universe still has a lot to offer. While some may not have played through the original, it is nice but not necessary before playing through Mass Effect 2, as it provides newcomers a background to what took place leading up to the sequel. Lastly, there is a lot of replay value to this title, as stated my review is based on the fifteen hours I have currently invested, and I am already thinking about how I want to play through the story on my second time. Well done EA and BioWare, you have done it again.

Mashbuttons.com gives Mass Effect 2 a 10 out of 10

Mass Effect 2 is available now on the Xbox 360 and PC.

Devil May Cry Bayonetta (A Review)

Hola mi amigos,

I had the extreme pleasure of playing Bayonetta and here is my humble review for you, the most esteemed loyal fans.

Synopsis:

Have you ever though, "Man, Devil May Cry would be so much better if Dante was a Sarah Palin look a like that spouted of sexual innuendos left and right and totally kicked ass to some rocking oldies." Well your in luck with the new release of Bayonetta. The player takes on the roll of Bayonetta, a witch that is on a mission to unlock the secrets of her past that she cannot remember. Your enemies are not what you would think, they are Heavenly, Divine figures. Now let me get this straight now, these are not the angels that the bible speaks about, from which I mean, white robes, snow fallen white wings, harps, so on. These are bad, evil looking, deformed beings with some seriously bad mojo. Like Devil May Cry, beating enemies gives you a form of currency, called, Halos, that you can trade at the local shop for more moves, better weapons, items, etc.

Praise:

If you like Devil May Cry, then you will love Bayonetta. This game is action packed, adrenaline fueled carnage. You beat the crap outta everything and anyone that gets in your path. Gather Halos to buy cooler moves that home girl will use to beat upon Divine characters of light but not so much good.

A cool feature to this is when you beat a boss, you get a golden LP that you can trade at the underground shop (and I mean underground literally) named "The Gates of Hell" The bartender is a Bad Ass demon who talks in a deep voice almost like Berry White. He will sell you your goods in exchange for Halos, give him a Golden LP, and he will go get you a new weapon forged from the remains of the enemy...sweet.

You have guns on all four extremities and you use them regularly. When doing moves, you will bust out in a windmill then strike pose at the end of your bullet ridden rampage. You can kinda slow time down in a bullet time type of format where you will get to rotate Bayonetta and shoot at on coming enemies in slow motion. There an insane amount of combos you can do, and every time the game goes into a load time, you get to practice your combos with a button press list on the right hand side.

The animated scenes are extremely well done when they are actual motion cut scenes (more on that later) and the story line is overall good but kinda hollow as it seems Bayonetta is more interested in kicking the crap outta everyone then really unlocking the secrets. Replay value on this game is good as there is absolutely no way to unlock every thing and get enough Halos to actually buy all the upgrades on your first time through, so playing through a second time is a must for Completionist.

Complaints:

Remember when I said I would get back to the Cut Scene issue, well here it is. The game will sometimes take on a kinda slide show with stills instead of actually doing a cut scene, these times feel really lacking in the imagination department. They are injected and almost feel forced and really draw the character from the hack n slash game that this is and tries to do an artsy feel to it that doesn't fit with everything else in the game.

Another complaint is that the game resembles Devil May Cry way too much. It seems they just took the basic concept, made Dante a chick, and kept just about everything else the same. Even the shop you go to, The Gates of Hell, resembles where you buy your goods in Devil May Cry and the sign is basically the same as the sign for the Devil May Cry office in that series. Granted these things are minor things and really do not draw from how good the game really is.

Results:

The game is good, and if you were let down with Devil May Cry 4, as most people were, then this is a good addition to the genre of hack n slash. Completionist will love it since you will need to play through a couple of times to get everything.

Overall, I give the game a solid 8 of 10

The latest Aliens vs. Predator trailer will kill you | metaphors

For obvious reasons, the title of this blog is not true.  No trailer can actually kill someone.  Oh crap, unless it's an ACTUAL 18-Wheeler jack-knifing towards you and there's no runaway truck ramp to stop it.  In that case, yes, a trailer can kill you.

We, however, are referring to the latest trailer from SEGA's upcoming Aliens vs Predator from developer Rebellion. Check it out below!



Alien vs Predator is available February 16th on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.  Pre-order and save!

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers | Review

Synopsis: Square Enix is the latest company to fill our mailbox with a review title, this time for the Wii, in the form of a really, really long title, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers. The recent entry to the Final Fantasy franchise comes to fans in the form of an Action RPG, taking on the role of Layle, a mercenary that is a crystal bearer, which possesses magical abilities that is looked down on by the public. The Crystal Bearers is the first Final Fantasy game that has been developed exclusively for the Nintendo Wii, incorporating motion-driven gameplay, intuitive controls, and open interactive environments. The crystal bearer powers help the player take on enemies, move objects, and navigate through the interactive world. With an extra remote, spectators can jump in and help out during special areas of the game.

Praise: Finally, a Final Fantasy title I can play on a console rather than on the Nintendo DSi and is not a remake. The Crystal Bearers is different from the previous entries that were predominately turn based but still includes most of the elements that make Final Fantasy stand out from other RPG titles. The game starts with an action sequence and then the game’s story truly takes off, while there is still traveling and fights against familiar and new enemies, the boss fights and interactive story sequences had me hooked. The animated cut scenes looked amazing and were exactly what I would expect from a Final Fantasy game, full of action, airships, and a conflicted main character teamed up with a band of misfits. The gameplay is more of a real time action game, so rather than waiting to attack, you use the remote to aim at, pick up, and throw enemies OR use objects to throw at enemies, which may use less strategy than playing the typical jRPG, but added more of a challenge. While the story is great and the soundtrack being equally good, there are also more than three hundred medals to achieve for those looking to discover and complete all that the game has to offer.

Gripes: The first thing that I noticed missing from this game is the inability to level your character up, learn new abilities, and equip weapons, however there are three accessory slots to equip items made from the loot of your fallen enemies. The camera controls haunt the player throughout the entire game, as the player has to use the directional pad on the remote and it is awkward when you are mid fight using the “B” button to lock onto and throw baddies while trying to adjust the camera. Navigating to the next point of interest can be difficult at times with the map available in the menu screen being of little help, if the map was a little more detailed or an indicator to help guide you to the next location, there would have been a lot less time spent looking for where I had to go next. Lastly, the length of the game was a lot shorter than previous Final Fantasy and Crystal Chronicle titles, being that it took just shy of ten hours to complete, and that was with getting lost and not trying to complete my medal collection.

Overall, The Crystal Bearers was a fun game with a good story, memorable characters, and unique gameplay. Though it was not what I expected from a Final Fantasy title in regards to the style of gameplay, I do not feel that this takes away from the experience, as it is a fresh take on the series. It takes a little bit of time to get used to, but once you get the controls, the game becomes enjoyable and extremely interactive, from navigation and battles to the cut scenes. Though there is not a lot of replay value, but I still felt this title was a solid entry to the Final Fantasy series pleasing both die hard fans and newcomers to the Final Fantasy universe.

Mashbuttons.com gives Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers a 8 out of 10

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers is available now on the Nintendo Wii.

Vancouver 2010 | An Olympian Review

Ah, the Winter Olympics.  You come around every 4 years or so, and you take over my prime time programming for two weeks.  This year, you're coming hot-off-the-heels of the NBC Late-Night drama with Conan vs Leno vs NBC (hint: Conan lost).  In fact, what better way to get viewers to tune in to the drowning network.  Conspiracy?  That's for another blog.

Today I opened up my package from Sega; my quest for the Gold awaits me in Vancouver 2010 on PS3.

Unfortunately, my first play-through of all the available events, I managed to only win one meager Bronze medal.  My second play-through I had 4 Bronze, 4 Silver and 1 Gold Medal for the US.  The game pits you as a fairly anonymous Olympian, (male and/or female) competing in 14 events, each with it's own rules, and controls.  I highly recommend the training mode before each and every event.  Some events are rhythm based (Short Track Speed Skating: Ladies' 1,500 m), some are straight-forward down-hill racing.  Others have you timing a series of button presses as you attempt a big ski jump, or aerial freestyle.

Here's a list of all available events:

• Alpine Skiing: Ladies' Giant Slalom
• Alpine Skiing: Ladies' Slalom
• Alpine Skiing: Men's Downhill
• Alpine Skiing: Men's Super-G
• Bobsleigh: Two-Man
• Freestyle Skiing: Ladies' Aerials
• Freestyle Skiing: Ladies' Ski Cross
• Luge: Men's Singles
• Short Track Speed Skating: Ladies' 500 m
• Short Track Speed Skating: Ladies' 1,500 m
• Skeleton: Men's Skeleton
• Ski Jumping: Men's Individual Large Hill
• Snowboard: Men's Parallel Giant Slalom
• Snowboard: Men's Snowboard Cross

You can take on a single event, stack a few, or even stack them all to compete in all.  As far as any semblance of a career mode, or progression-mode, you won't find one here.  The game lacks in this department, leaving alot to be desired by those of us who enjoy picking a character, and growing your skill-base while working your way up the skill ladder.  I'm not even sure if picking a different country gives you any competitive advantage over another, as there's no ratings system at play here (at least not one that's transparent).   There is a Challenge Mode that sets you up with specific tasks that will in time refine your skills, but other than actually getting better at the event, your character is not enhanced in any way.

The game offers up all of it's events in multiplayer as well.  You can go at it split-screen style, or head over to the PSN (or Xbox Live) to compete against friends and strangers.  That fun only lasts so long though.

Overall, Mashbuttons gives Vancouver 2010 a 6 out of 10.  The graphics, sound and control are all spot on - unfortunately, it lacks the depth to make this a truly remarkable sports title. 

Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces | Review

Synopsis: In hopes of getting to my recently purchased titles that I have not even had a chance to play, XSEED decided to foil those plans and send me a review copy of their latest action flight simulator, Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces. Project Aces, the team behind the Ace Combat series is the development team behind this flight simulator exclusive to the Wii. You play as the latest rookie, Lynx, in a world that has finally come to peace, but after living with war for so long, it needs something more. The government’s solution to this peaceful world is to pursue a new round of wars, which are sponsored events between corporations with military trained personnel, and using the battles and media reports to satiate the inhabitants’ instinct to fight.

Praise: The use of the Wii’s motion controls were implemented very well and make the title feel like a real flight simulator. Using the nunchuk/ remote combination, I had tilt the remote up and down for throttle and move the nunchuk left or right to maneuver my plane plane. If you prefer playing games without the motion controls, which I tend to do, you can attach the classic or GameCube controller instead. After completing a handful of missions with each, both are fun and don’t take away from the gameplay. The graphics seen for the planes and large environments are realistic looking and similar to what you would see in other Project Aces titles and the cut scenes are delivered in anime style animations sequences. The ability to choose from numerous planes and upgrades received after completing missions had me going back to see what I get to unlock next and the difficulty curve is painless for the most part starting a little easy and getting more and more difficult with each mission.

Gripes: My biggest issue with this title is the lack of split screen multiplayer dog fighting. Though a second player is able to join in and help you aim the gun reticule to take down enemy planes, it would have been a lot of fun to play split screen and either do coop missions or one on one dog fighting. The other problem I had with this title that took away from the controls, is that you cannot roll the plane completely over, so when you move the nunchuk or joystick left or right the plane tilts and just kind of stops there. Weapon types consists of guns and bombs, I understand this game takes place in the past from the styles of the planes, but it would have been nice to be able to unlock some sort of missile or weapon to lock onto the opponent with and send them to their fiery doom.

Overall, Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces was fun to play, and shows that motions controls can definitely help the gameplay when it is done correctly, and in the case of this title, it did greatly. Though I am not familiar with the Sky Crawlers animated film, the game’s story has intrigued me enough to queue it up. This title is not terribly long, but I feel it has a decent amount of replay value to hold onto until another good combat flight sim is released and with a price tag of thirty dollars upon release, there is a lot of content for the price.

Mashbuttons.com gives Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces an 8 out of 10

Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces is available now on the Nintendo Wii.

Final Fantasy XIII International Trailer, Leona Lewis Video, or BOTH?

Square Enix has just seen fit to release their latest trailer for their upcoming Final Fantasy XIII.  This time it's the International Trailer, so don't get TOO upset when you see the release date as 09-03-2010 towards the end, as it's really March 9th, 2010.  Yes, it's true that those across the pond read their dates differently.  Though it's mostly cut-scenes, with some gameplay sprinkled in, check out the Leona Lewis music video trailer below.



Final Fantasy XII is available on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on March 9, 2010.  Will you be there?

To begin, draw an 'S', and now a more different 'S'... | Trogday!

You have about 11 more hours to take advantage of a free complete Episode from Telltale's episodic game series "Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People".  In celebration of the 7th anniversary of the "s" that turned INTO a Dragon, HomestarRunner.com and Telltale are giving away the "8-Bit is Enough" episode from the titular series.

We have a special place in our hearts for the Lord's work that they're doing over at HomestarRunner.com, and even through they've been MIA since 12/1/2009 (year of our Lord); they will always bring a smile to our face.  If you're not a fan, (or have no idea what we're talking about), FIRST, go download the free episode, and THEN go check out the site.  Trust us, you'll not be disappointed.

Go to www.trogday.com and just enter your e-mail and a password (e-mail is for them to send you a serial number).  After that, if you like what you've played (or were on the fence before); Telltale is making the full season available for a reduced price of $19.95 (down from $29.95).

That's a savings of TEN DOLLARS!!!  Act now, don't delay (but wait, there's NOT more).

Heeee's On FIRE!!!!

We've certainly come a long way since the glory-days of the SNES and Sega Genesis, but not many current day gamers can say they haven't played the classic NBA Jam from EA.  Check out the montage below, let it just play to your nostalgic senses.



Okay, now that that's out of the way, you are probably salivating over wanting to dust off your old machines and pop this baby in.  What, you don't have this game/your SNES is broken/your Genesis was stolen by your little brother?  Whatever your excuse, you won't have to wait much longer to, as EA has finally announced a long-due remake of the classic franchise for the Wii in 2010, (EA, please don't neglect the Xbox and PS3).

The new game will feature old-school gameplay, similar sounds from the original mixed with the new features and graphics only time and technology could improve.  There will be the classic NBA JAM experience, but they're adding in new features as well, new game modes to add depth to the title.

Be sure to come back for more updates as they're released, and as always check out the official site here, where you can go on and vote for your favorite players from your favorite teams to be added in NBA JAM.  Check it out!

Inktree bring flash cards to Modern Warfare 2

Big Fold is a supplement to strategy guides and is a three sided laminated poster that can essentially have anything printed on it. Above is a shot of their first piece, which is a tactical map pack for Modern Warfare 2, an analysis of maps, weapons, perks, attachments, and more. Admittedly, I didn't know what to think, until I saw the pic of the Big Fold, and looks like it can prove to be helpful, however, it would be nice to have it included in limited edition copies of games, as I can't bring myself to buy strategy guides.

Divinity II: Ego Draconis | Review

Synopsis: On Tuesday, my mailbox contained a review copy of Divinity II: Ego Draconis from cdv Software, so I figured I will provide our devoted fans with a review of the latest Action RPG for the Xbox 360. Claiming 60 hours of gameplay, Ego Draconis, allows the player to play as a customized character to complete a number of missions in becoming a dragon knight along with dungeon crawling or take to the skies as a dragon to rain death from above. The storyline adapts to the choices in which you make throughout gameplay, so there will be consequences for decisions made, resulting in different quest solutions and higher or lower pricing from vendors. There is also a new ability to this title from the original, where you get the ability to create your own creatures from body parts found throughout the game and once the creature is made, it will follow your commands similar to the way a Golem would.

Praise: Ego Draconis has all the elements necessary to be a large and very strong RPG. Character and skill progression is a form of classless system that allows the player to determine the skills acquired throughout the story. Along with the character progression, I was given the ability to transform into a dragon and took to the skies for faster travel and battle, which was a good time, controlled nicely, and even felt that it was easier to target and take out enemies while in the dragon form and let's face it, who doesn't like dragons? The RPG elements that any fan of the genre enjoy are present in this title, being dungeon crawling, looting, level grinding, a fantasy filled story line, and a challenge. The challenge is what I liked the most as you simply cannot send your character into story missions without leveling up, even if the difficulty is on low. I found myself having to find and complete side missions along with level grinding until I felt confident my character could progress through the story.

Gripes: Where this title exceeds at being everything necessary to be a good RPG, it does lack elements that make a game good. Hit detection is inconsistent when melee attacking enemies, where I would find myself flailing trying to land hits on goblins and nearby skeletons. Camera controls weren't bad however, the shakiness of the camera that was seen while trying to find a good place for the camera was headache inducing. Saving often is the best advice to give anyone starting this title as it does have an auto save feature, but if you choose to take on some of the side missions then you will learn it does not save often enough, because if you die, you will have to go back and play through from where the game last saved, most likely being the point where the last story mission was completed.

Overall, Divinity II: Ego Draconis was a fun RPG, even though it does take some getting used to in order to get past the bugs present. It is a large game that will provide many hours of frustration and satisfaction each time you level up and complete missions. Last but not least, this game not only has dragons, but you are rewarded with the ability of playing as a dragon, creating your own minion from found body parts (your own medieval Frankenstein), and lastly your own piece of real estate, the dragon tower if you put in the hours of the RPG good stuff that any fan of the genre both loves and hates at the same time.

Mashbuttons.com gives Divinity II: Ego Draconis a 6 out of 10

Divinity II: Ego Draconis is available now for the Xbox 360 and PC.