Anthony has written a total of 170,227 words on this site.

Age: 34 PSN ID: Starkiller81. I've played games since before I can remember, starting with my dad's Atari and I haven't stopped yet. Keep them coming and I will keep playing them.

Hottest February 2011 Releases

Killzone 3

The first month of 2011 is already gone and thanks to LittleBigPlanet 2 and Dead Space 2, we’ve seen two sequels that took their franchises to a whole new level. The month of February, which also happens to be my birthday month, looks like a nice mix of sequels and new IPs for us to blow out hard earned cash on.

Take a look at the list and see if there is anything that catches your eye. For myself, Radiant Historia, a time-travel JRPG on the DS that reminds me of Chrono Trigger, has capatured my imagination and likely my pre-order as well. Are there any games I left off that you think should be on the list? Speak now!

2/14/11

  • Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation  – DS

2/15/11

  • Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds – PS3, Xbox 360

2/22/11

  • Bulletstorm – PC, PS3, Xbox 360
  • Killzone 3 – PS3
  • Radiant Historia – DS

GamerSushi Asks: Favorite New IP of Last Decade?

WoW

The game industry is expanding, growing at a massive rate with more quality games coming out now than ever before. In the old days, we used to pine for something to play during the slow summer months. Now we would kill just for a month off to catch up on our ever-growing backlog.

With all the new properties being introduced and becoming either new favorites or new targets to bash, 1UP did me a favor and compiled, you guessed it, a list of the 50 Biggest Video Game Properties of the Last 10 Years. Most of the games you would expect are on there, such as Uncharted, World of Warcraft and Mass Effect, but there are a few surprises, like Psychonauts and Beyond Good & Evil. Deserving games, to be sure, but not what you think of when you think “big”.

What games on the list do you think shouldn’t be? What was missed? And what’s your favorite new franchise of the last decade? Inquiring minds, like mine, want to know!

Source: 1UP

Portal 2 Has User Created Levels on All Platforms

Portal 2

The good news just keeps on rolling in from our good friends at Valve. As a console gamer, one of the things I envy PC gamers is the mods they get to play with. Well, Valve has a nice surprise in store for us because Portal 2 will, according to Chet Faliszek, have user levels available to play on all platforms. However, the actual tools to create the mods will be exclusive to the PC, which makes perfect sense.

Personally, this is pretty exciting news and hopefully the first step in a new gaming paradigm, where PC, 360 and PS3 gamers all can benefit from the creativity of their fellow gamers. I’m amazed by what I see people do on something like LittleBigPlanet and the chance to have some insane puzzles in Portal 2 from the addled minds of the masses makes me tingle in all the right spots.

What say you? Are you glad that Valve is pushing the industry in this direction? Would you want to see the mod tools brought over to the consoles in the future? Comments, plz!

Source: NowGamer

Infinity Ward Gets Help With Modern Warfare 3

call of duty modern warfare 3

We all know two things are certain every year: A Call of Duty game will come out in November and it will be the biggest game of the year. Well, you can rest easy because it looks like all is right with the world, as the L.A. Times is reporting that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will be released this November, as expected. Please be aware this isn’t confirmed by Activision yet.

What’s interesting about this is that the article states that Sledgehammer is working closely with Infinity Ward to get the title ready and Raven Software is helping out with the online multiplayer aspect. If true, this would destroy all the predictions that were made about Sledgehammer and Raven working on a separate Call of Duty title. I am rather glad to hear this, actually. I want Modern Warfare 3 before any other kind of Call of Duty series starts up.

What do you think? Would Activision go to such lengths to protect their cash cow? I think so. Are you excited about this or has the backlash still tainted you? Speak!

Source: L.A. Times

Final Fantasy XIII-2 Announced

Final Fantasy XIII-2

JRPG fans unite! Hello? Is this thing on? Well, anyways, those of you who enjoyed the latest installment of Square Enix’s flagship franchise, Final Fantasy XIII (and I know there are some of you out there) can rejoice because more of Lightning and company is on the way. Square Enix has officially announced Final Fantasy XIII-2 for the PS3 and Xbox 360. The game will be out in Japan before the end of the year and in the U.S. and other regions next winter.

Despite the Internet ravings, FF XIII sold pretty well and garnered mostly positive reviews. I ended up enjoying it quite a bit and though I was divorced from the story, the ending was still rather touching, so I am anxious to find out what happens next. And more of Lightning is never a bad thing.

What say you? Is this a chance to make some quick cash for Square Enix or are you actually curious to see where the story goes? Let us know in the comments!

Source: Playstation Blog

Epic Mickey Sells 1.3 Million Copies

Epic Mickey

The Wii is considered Casual Central by most hardcore gamers and industry insiders. With the exception of whatever games that Nintendo publishes, most hardcore games languish and die on the Wii, while plenty of sub-par shovelware flourishes, much to our chagrin. Before its release, I had pegged Epic Mickey as a game that would be the metaphorical canary in a coal mine regarding the ability of the Wii to have success with non-Nintendo hardcore games.

The result, to my great surprise, is that the canary lived. According to the L.A. Times, who unlike us, has access to NPD data still, Warren Spector’s camera-challenged adventure/platformer sold 1.3 million units. Frankly, I’m stunned and a little bit annoyed. Epic Mickey got mixed reviews, though with a 72 Metacritic score, they are mostly positive. Having reviewed it for GamerSushi and finding it to be severely lacking, I am frustrated that a game that, in my opinion, doesn’t deserve this kind of success finds it on the Wii, while other, more deserving games fail.

What do you think about this? Are you surprised at all? Does this validate the Wii’s hardcore credentials for you or is the jury still out?
Verdict?

Source: L.A. Times

GamerSushi Asks: Ideal Collector’s Editions?

Super Mario 25th Anniversary

Nintendo won over the fanboys with their 25th Anniversary Edition of Super Mario All-Stars for the Wii. Well, not all of them. As seen in this 1UP article, Nintendo screwed up royally by porting the games over with a bare minimum of extra content. Don’t get me wrong: the CD and booklet were pretty cool, but one track from each Mario game, usually the track of the first level? Not exactly what I thought I was getting.

Which leads me to wonder, as the article does, of what publishers could throw in to special editions of games to make them more worthwhile. The fabled Developer’s Commentary is always a favorite that people clamor for, but is oddly rare. Lost levels, playable ones even, would be kind of cool.

What would you like to see in collector’s editions? Do you think Nintendo missed a great opportunity here or are you happy with what they provided? Speak now!

Source: 1UP

A Peek at 20 Exclusive PS3 Titles in 2011

last guardian

2011 is going to be an exciting year for gaming, no matter what console or platform you play on. Well, except maybe the Wii. Kidding, of course, Zelda will be a hot ticket come the Fall, I’m sure. But I think it’s safe to say that the PS3 has a large selection of announced exclusives that few other platforms can match.

The Playstation Blog was nice enough to give a little peek at 20 of these titles and as I scrolled down the last, my jaw dropped a little bit. It’s pretty staggering. From the blockbusters we know about, such as The Last Guardian, Infamous 2, Killzone 3, Resistance 3 and Uncharted 3 to the ones that flying under the radar, like Hyperdimension Neptunia, Journey and Yakuza 4, the sheer variety of games is enough to make my wallet cry.

Take a look at the list at the Playstation Blog and report back here for comments. Personally, Hyperdimension Neptunia sounds kind of interesting and you know I am down with Ratchet and Uncharted 3.

What games on the list are you most excited about? Is there anything that you can think of that was left out? Start your comments!

Source: Playstation Blog

“Class-less” Skyrim Details Emerge

I know most of you are still busy trying to finish every last quest in Oblivion, but you might want to pause and take a look at some of the changes VG247 has revealed that will be featured in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, due to be released in November. Some of them will likely ignite a fire on the Internet not seen since…well, it happens all the time, so nevermind.

For starters, you don’t pick a class when the game starts. Also, now you get to pick Perks, just like in Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, which should be a nice touch when applied to the fantasy setting. They are cutting the number of skills fro 21 to 18 and you can either specialize in certain skills or be a jack of all trades, which is always my choice.

Combat will be more tactical than “ATTACK, BLOCK, ATTACK” and you can dual-wield certain weapons, which sounds pretty bad-ass. The way NPC’s interact with you will change based on how your character is built, in addition to challenging NPC’s to duels, just like Red Dead Redemption, but without guns, I hope. It sounds like Bethesda is not content to rest on their laurels, nor turn Skyrim into a fantasy Fallout, which is a nice realization. For more details hit the link.

What do you think of the changes announced so far? What would you like to see done differently? Commence comments!

Source: VG247

Hottest January Releases

Well, 2011 is just getting started and I’m sure many of you are still playing the games you got for Christmas. Sorry to say, there is no rest for the weary, because big blockbuster games are about to drop already. I have barely dipped my toes into Fallout: New Vegas and Black Ops has replaced Gran Turismo 5 as my constant obsession, but I have barely made any headway into any of these massive games. And with new games coming out, I’m pretty stressed.

The following is a list of some of the more notable releases this month. Are there any on there that you plan on getting right away? Or are there some that you are going to wait for a price reduction? Let us know what you think!

Hit the jump for the list:

Continue reading Hottest January Releases

Angry Birds to be Released on PSN Tomorrow

angry birds

Stuck with a dumb phone instead of a smart phone? I’m in the same boat and frankly, I am tired of hearing about Angry Birds, as I am sure the rest of you are. It’s probably just one of those stupid games that tweens like and…wazzat? It’s coming out on the PSN tomorrow as a Playstation Mini, which means you can play it on your PS3 or PSP? I’ve suddenly had a change of heart!

All kidding aside, I’ve heard so much about this game that I am quite excited to finally get a taste of what iPhone games are like, albeit translated through a console. I’ve played several other Playstation Minis and they are very enjoyable, good for small doses of gaming. I’m sure Angry Birds will fit right into that niche. Now I can go back and watch that skit from the VGA’s and understand it!

Is anyone else excited to get a chance to play this phenomenon? Any Angry Birds fans have tips for us newly angry birds?

Source: Playstation Blog

LittleBigPlanet 2 Beta Beats Capcom to the Punch

It’s kind of hard not to be amazed by what people are capable of. LittleBigPlanet 2 is still only in beta and yet more and more amazing videos keep coming out. Take this newest video for instance, which recreates Marvel vs. Capcom 3, managing to edge Capcom’s release date by a few months.

The dynamic camera movements are a nice new feature, as is the obviously over-dramatic voice recorded to announce the fight’s beginning. What really impressed me were the special moves that were on display, such as a missile and bomb projectiles. Also, a demo for LBP 2 will hit the PSN Store tomorrow and while it likely will just be a Story mode-based demo without any of the building tools, I am still anxious to get my grubby hands on it.

[youtube width=”500″ height=”310″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-AdUZeuxYc&feature=player_embedded#![/youtube]

What do you think? What games are you looking to make using this handy new dev kit? I would love to see some RPGs, myself. Is anyone going to download the demo tomorrow? Speak!

PS3 Version of Mass Effect 2 Uses Mass Effect 3 Engine

Mass Effect 2 Logo

You have to love Bioware. Since PS3 owners can’t experience the joy of the original Mass Effect, thanks to it having been published by Microsoft, Bioware is going all out to make things right with the PS3 release of Mass Effect 2. First, there’s the 15 minute interactive comic that starts out the game, catching players up on what happened while allowing them to make critical choices themselves, which will of course carry over into Mass Effect 2.

But now, with the news that Mass Effect 2 for the PS3 is actually using the engine for Mass Effect 3, resulting in better graphics, it’s just too much. Bioware could have done the quick and dirty port that so many others have done, but they are really going out of their way to craft a quality product and I have to admire them for that. Personally, it doesn’t matter to me because I will be playing Mass Effect 3 on the 360, but it matters to all those PS3 owners who have to create their own adventure with Shepherd.

What do you think about this? Should more companies be like Bioware or are they just wasting their time and money with needless features and gimmicks?

Source: 1UP

Uncharted 3 Gameplay is on Fire

After the surprise pre-VGA announcement of Uncharted 3, followed by the delicious teaser trailer confirming a release date of November 1, 2011, what will Nathan Drake do next? How about a gameplay demo on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon? Would that be something that would interest you?

Naughty Dog and Sony are really pulling out all the stops this time around. Now that they have a known quantity on their hands, they seem intent on spreading the word, which is kind of nice to see from the usually subtle and esoteric Sony. The gameplay footage, by the way, is pretty spectacular with gorgeous fire effects and pretty nifty hand to hand combat, including a dive from a high perch to crush a bad guy below. Check it out and tell us what you think!

Poll: Favorite Announcement of VGA’s?

Well, the 2010 Spike Video Game Awards have come and they have gone, leaving us slightly more forgiving of the show’s shortcomings this year, thanks to the plethora of awesome reveals dumped on us. Honestly, I was expecting something pretty cool, but what we got was beyond awesome.

Which leads to our poll. Vote for the announcement that got you most excited and let us know why. Personally, confirmation of Mass Effect 3 being released this year coupled with Elder Scrolls V and seeing just a snippet of gameplay of Uncharted 3 was my favorite part. I know, I picked 3 things, sue me, it’s my post. Also, did you like the trailers we saw or would you prefer more gameplay? Vote now!

Most Exciting Announcement of the 2010 VGA's?

View Results

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Craving Sleeper Sequels

Dark Alliance

Uncharted 3 is real, Mass Effect 3 looks to be real and we all know another Halo game will one day grace our consoles. But that’s a given. Let’s face it, even as excited as I am about the aforementioned games, I knew they were going to happen because they are all part of successful, blockbuster franchises. But not every game is and some sleepers can be overlooked.

Which is why I was thinking about what possible sequel that could be announced, however unlikely, that would make me squeal and drive to GameStop with a 5 dollar bill in my hand and tears of joy streaming down my face. It’s a tough question, but honestly, Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance 3 would do it for me. I loved the first two games so much and the thought of a next-gen, online capable version of that game…chills, dude. Chills.

I want to know what game out there that isn’t a massive hit that you want a sequel for. This is your chance to make a pitch for that unsung game that you love. Testify!

Cataclysm is Not World of Warcraft’s First Disaster

Lord Kazzak

As you might be aware, things are changing in the world where war is the primary craft. With the release of Cataclysm, millions upon millions of WoW addicts will be fully engaged in their favorite/most hated past time and likely some who fell off the wagon will poke their goblin heads in again to see what all the fuss is about.

Not being an MMO player, I sometimes feel like I am missing out on something that I might enjoy. But then, I read an article like Wired’s list of the 7 Most Catastrophic World of Warcraft Moments and I’m sort of glad (and bemused) that I have not yet taken the plunge. As you would expect, in such a busy and interconnected landscape, things can sometimes go awry. My favorite entry on the list has to be the boss that escape it’s lair and had to be erased by Blizzard after wreaking havoc on a city. You literally can’t make stuff like that up.

Are there any other such glitches or unexpected disasters to befall other MMOs or even other games? Was anyone present for any of the entries on the list? Speak now!

Review: Epic Mickey

Mickey Paint

Mickey Mouse has become a mascot, so much so that many young people have no real idea that he was once a pretty great cartoon character. Enter Warren Spector and Epic Mickey, a Wii-exclusive designed to relaunch the lovable mouse, while also introducing the world to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt Disney’s prior creation that he lost the rights to oh so many years ago. Sadly, Mickey and Oswald both deserve better than this.

Epic Mickey starts out as Mickey is pulled into the Wasteland through a series of events brought about by pure mischief. See, in the olden days before Donald Duck, Mickey was the one who was always getting into trouble and it appears that Disney is looking to bring that aspect of his personality back to the forefront. Messing about with Yen Sid’s magic paintbrush leads the Mouse on a great adventure, trying to undo the damage done by the Shadow Blot, which Mickey inadvertently created. Continue reading Review: Epic Mickey

Toys R Us Christmas Video Game Deal: Buy 1, Get 50% Off

Toys R Us Sale

I know. Your legs are still recovering from Black Friday and your butt is sore from sitting in front of your PC (or Mac) on Cyber Monday. But if you have any resolve left in you and any spare cash, Toys R Us is cranking out a pretty good deal that doesn’t expire until Christmas Eve on December 24th. I thought I was done shopping myself, but this deal is kind of hard to pass up.

Buy any video game related item (excluding consoles) and get the second item half off. That’s it. No fine print, no “SALE ONLY GOOD FOR 5 MINUTES” hoopla, just a simple deal from a large retail chain with a decent inventory. And this counts for games, guides, shirts and accessories. I myself recently purchased the new silver Xbox 360 Controller with the Play and Charge kit and the rotating D-Pad. Verdict: I love it. So hit the link below and get to shopping, either for your friends, family, or (let’s be honest) yourself.

Source: Toys R Us

GamerSushi Asks: Most Beloved Genre?

Lost Odyssey

I recently found a nice deal on GameFly for Lost Odyssey, the JRPG for the Xbox 360 from Mistwalker, some of the makers of Final Fantasy, so I jumped on it, bolstered by some of the good to great reviews I’ve read. And I am glad I did, too. See, while I loved Final Fantasy XIII, it was different enough that it didn’t really scratch that JRPG itch that has been irking me lately, but boy does Lost Odyssey do the trick!

That got me to thinking about why I love the genre so much. I’ve easily played JRPGs more than any other type of game in my life. I don’t even mind random battles, so you know I must be pretty far gone. Sure, some of the character designs are pretty outlandish and at times, feminine, but it’s like comfort food for me. I know what to expect and I’m not usually disappointed. Chicken soup for the gamer’s soul, one might say.

Which leads me to the asking: what genre do you swoon for? We all have that one genre that we try anything and everything that might be remotely connected to it. Mine is JRPGs. What’s yours? Go!