Games On Net :: New Releases: Coming Attractions

Coming Attractions - 18/03/2009

By Matt Keller - Wed Mar 18, 2009 6:31pm

We’re getting towards the end of the Q1 rush, which usually results from video game publishers pushing games out to improve their end of financial year results. Headlining this week is the latest handheld outing of the Grand Theft Auto series Chinatown Wars, the heavily edited and delayed Silent Hill Homecoming (for the PS3, anyway), and the celebration of WrestleManias past in WWE Legends of WrestleMania.

Don’t forget to check out the full release schedule for the latest changes and information on upcoming games.

18/03/2009

*Guitar Hero: On Tour Decades* Platform: Nintendo DS Developer: *Activision* Publisher: *Activision* RRP: $AU49.95 (Game only), $AU69.95 (Bundle) Activision’s second handheld Guitar Hero experience expands upon the previous game with a new track list covering the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s, and extended career mode options. The issue is that it doesn’t really improve on *Guitar Hero: On Tour*, and instead acts as more of an expansion pack. Good for those who liked it, but bad for everyone else.
*Hasbro Family Game Night* Platform: Xbox Live Arcade (also available on PlayStation 2, Wii) Developer: *Hasbro Interactive* Publisher: *Electronic Arts* RRP: 800 Microsoft Points per game ($AU13.20) EA takes its Hasbro board game collection to Xbox Live Arcade this week. The game works in an intriguing way, with an umbrella *Hasbro Family Game Night* application serving as a launchpad for the six (seven for Americans) games that form the collection. The first four games; Yahtzee, Connect Four, Battleship and Boggle are available tonight, with Sorry! and Sorry Sliders launching in the next couple of weeks. 800 points each does seem a bit rich, particularly for Connect Four, but the games certainly stand the test of time.
*Monster Jam: Urban Assault* Platform: Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, Wii Developer: *Torus Games* Publisher: *Activision* RRP: $AU29.95 (PlayStation 2),$AU49.95 (Nintendo DS), $AU59.95 (Wii) Local developers Torus Games deliver the second of their USHRA Monster Jam-licensed truck racing games. Racing monster trucks is something of a niche interest, so most of the positive aspects of the licensed trucks and arenas are going to be lost on us. Racing and trick modes should hold the interest of trucking fans between real world events, though.

19/03/2009

*Army Men: Soldiers of Misfortune* Platform: Nintendo DS, Wii Developer: *Destination Games* Publisher: *Destination Games* RRP: $AU49.95 (Game only), $AU69.95 (Bundle) 3DO’s cash cow returns to shelves, but with an entirely different look, feel and development team. Sarge and his buddies have been replaced with a young lad named Timmy, who is shrunk down to fight with the green army in their eternal fight against the tan soldiers. While the face of the game may have changed, it is still apparently just as terrible as the Army Men games of years past.
*Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars – Director’s Cut* Platform: Nintendo DS, Wii Developer: *Revolution Software* Publisher: *Ubisoft Entertainment* RRP: $AU49.95 (Nintendo DS), $AU69.95 (Wii) One of the classics of the point-and-click adventure genre returns on the Wii and Nintendo DS. George Stobbart is enjoying a coffee while on holiday in Paris when a man dressed as a clown bombs the cafe. While investigating the bombing, George meets photo-journalist Nico Collard, and the pair are drawn into a globe-hopping investigation, where all clues seem to lead back to the Knights Templar. The Director’s Cut is a remake featuring new story elements, extra areas, Wii Remote/stylus control and hand-drawn illustrations and animations from Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons.
*Imagine Doctor* Platform: Nintendo DS Developer: *Revolution Software* Publisher: *Ubisoft Entertainment* RRP: $AU59.95 I figure that Ubisoft has a hat full of occupations written on small bits of paper, pulling one out each month when it needs an idea for the next entry in its *Imagine* series. This month’s release is *Imagine Doctor*, which averts the 10 years of tertiary education required to become a general practitioner in order to allow the littlies to digitally jab people with needles to prevent the outbreak of a mysterious disease.
*Imperium Romanum Gold* Platform: PC Developer: *Haemimont Games AD* Publisher: *Kalypso Media* RRP: $AU69.95 Relive the glory days of the Roman Empire with *Imperium Romanum Gold, which includes the original game and the Emperor* expansion pack. Players must maintain the Roman Empire and keep the people happy and healthy, otherwise they’re likely to end up like Julius Caesar (Knife, meet back. Stabby stabby. Death, etc.). Certainly not the best of the Roman Civilisation management sims; with an unshakeable feeling of age.
*Jeep Thrills* Platform: Wii Developer: *Game Sauce* Publisher: *Zoo Digital* RRP: $AU59.95 Jeep brings out a game that lets you test out the offroad capabilities of the vehicle, rather than using them to clog up private school pick-up zones, and make it difficult for regular drivers to see when they’re backing out of a carpark. Quality wise, it’s about as good as Toyota’s Yaris game, which was so bad not even the fantastic price of “free” could get anyone to play it.
*Patapon 2* Platform: PSP Developer: *Sony Japan Studio* Publisher: *Sony Computer Entertainment* RRP: $AU49.95 Sony’s sent its rhythmic strategy game out for a second battle, but hasn’t really changed the formula too much from the original game. On one hand, the game was rather good the first time around, and mucking with it too much could destroy what made it good. On the other hand, expecting people to drop another 50 bucks for what’s essentially the same game with a minimal amount of new content is a bit cheeky.
*PlayZone World Sports Party* Platform: Wii Developer: *Ubisoft* Publisher: *Ubisoft* RRP: $AU49.95 Hoo-boy, another mini-game collection for the Wii! This one includes games from all around the world, like darts, beach cricket, air hockey and dodgeball. I swear that so many of these mini-game compilations are released that they’re all beginning to merge together.
*Silent Hill: Homecoming* Platform: PlayStation 3 (coming to PC next week and Xbox 360 in April) Developer: *Double Helix Games* Publisher: *Konami* RRP: $AU119.95 The fifth entry in the Silent Hill series finally makes its way to Australian shores after a 6 month delay resulting from a battle with the Classification Board. It’s a shame the game isn’t worth the wait – the new developer can’t seem to grasp the series’ trademark psychological horror, and seems to have gone for a more combat oriented, jump-scare centric experience. Combat’s not much to write home about either. I’m only about a third of the way through the game, but I can’t see this one getting any better.
*SingStar Queen* Platform: PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 Developer: *Sony Computer Entertainment* Publisher: *Sony Computer Entertainment* RRP: $AU49.95 (PlayStation 2), $AU59.95 (PlayStation 3) One of the best rock acts of all time gets their own SingStar disc. Drunken revellers will love the opportunity to sing We Will Rock You, Bohemian Rhapsody and We are the Champions at ungodly hours, much to the chagrin of their neighbours and roommates. I’m a little surprised that there’s no bundle with the new wireless microphones though.
*SOCOM US Navy SEALS Confrontation* Platform: PlayStation 3 Developer: *Slant Six Games* Publisher: *Sony Computer Entertainment* RRP: $AU49.95 The latest entry in Sony’s online multiplayer-focused shooter series had a bit of a traumatic debut in the States last October, being released with a large number of promised features missing or dysfunctional. A recent megapatch in January has caused a surge of interest into the game, suggesting that most of these problems have been fixed. So if you’ve grown sick of *Killzone 2* and need a multiplayer fix on your PS3, check it out.
*WWE Legends of WrestleMania* Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 Developer: *Yuke’s Future Media Creators* Publisher: *THQ* RRP: $AU99.95 With the wrestling business in decline, THQ and WWE have had to come up with new ways to make money. One way is to go back to times when wrestling was popular, and you couldn’t turn around without hearing the names of Hulk Hogan or Steve Austin. *Legends of WrestleMania* celebrates the biggest event in the wrestling calendar by allowing players to relive some of the classic matches (provided they didn’t star Randy Savage). Gameplay is significantly different to the Smackdown games, with a focus on arcade-based combos and grappling. Judging by the demo, it’s something of an acquired taste, but wrestling fans might want to check it out.

20/03/2009

*Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars* Platform: Nintendo DS Developer: *Rockstar Leeds* Publisher: *Rockstar Games* RRP: $AU69.95 The announcement of *Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars* seemed to be met with confusion and apathy, with many folks remembering the inconsequential release of Grand Theft Auto Advance. However, Rockstar seems to have proved the naysayers wrong, living up to the promise of delivering a fully fledged GTA experience on the DS. Early reviews suggest that the game has all the trimmings players expect from GTA games, along with the high quality gameplay that has made it one of gaming’s most successful franchises.
*Last King of Africa* Platform: Nintendo DS Developer: *White Birds Productions* Publisher: *Focus Home Interactive* RRP: $AU49.95 A young woman named Ann Smith crosses the African continent to return a leopard back to Kilimanjaro, while encountering all sorts of hazards, both natural and man-made along the way. A port of the 2006 PC game *Paradise*, which wasn’t particularly well received then, so we’ll assume that the same will ring true again.

24/03/2009

Fallout 3: The Pitt
Platform: PC, Xbox 360
Developer: Bethesda Softworks
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
RRP: 800 Microsoft Points ($AU13.20)

The second expansion pack for Fallout 3 takes players to The Pitt, an industrial area of what was once the American city of Pittsburgh, which is now ruled by raiders. It’s meant to be about the same length as Operation Anchorage (which was roughly 3 hours), which doesn’t seem to be particularly good value.

The final week of March promises to be a rather strategic affair with the release of Creative Assembly’s Stormrise, Grand Ages Rome and the PS3 version of Command & Conquer Red Alert 3. PlatinumGames’ gorefest MadWorld should please those looking for something a little more bloody on the Wii, while the more squeamish should take a look at New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time.