The end of winter is upon us, unless you’re here in Queensland, where we are sweltering thanks to some unseasonable warmth. With the start of spring comes the beginning of the major holiday game release period, so from next week, we’re gonna be flooded with games. Things are a bit quieter this week – we’ve got the long awaited local release of Punch Out!! on the Wii, Sacred 2’s HD console debut, and the latest Disney/Pixar game Up for all formats.

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

26/08/2009

Invincible Tiger: The Legend of Han Tao Platform: Xbox Live Arcade Developer: Blitz Games Publisher: Namco Bandai RRP: 1200 Microsoft Points ($AU19.20) Fancy a old school beat ‘em up with a few 1970’s kung-fu movie trimmings? Well, that’s exactly what Invincible Tiger: The Legend of Han Tao offers. The concept is solid and it looks great, but the gameplay side of the equation doesn’t seem to match. Give the trial a go before dropping your Allards.
Mytran Wars Platform: PSP Developer: Stormregion Publisher: Deep Silver RRP: $AU59.95 Mytran Wars is a mech-based strategy game developed exclusively for the PSP, developed by the same guys who brought you Codename: Panzers and Rush for Berlin. Players develop and army of mechs, battle them against the AI and other players and research fancy new upgrades. There’s not a whole lot of strategy to chose from on the PSP, so this one might fill the gap for those looking for a slightly more cerebral experience.
NBA 2K10: Draft Combine Platform: Xbox Live Arcade Developer: Visual Concepts Publisher: 2K Sports RRP: 400 Microsoft Points ($AU6.60) NBA 2K10: Draft Combine lets players design their own baller for the “My Player” mode in the full version of the game, and take them through the rigmarole of being drafted into the NBA. You’ll run through drills and training sessions and fight for your spot on an NBA team. Once you’ve put your player through the motions, you’ll be able to upload him into the full version of NBA 2K10 with a few bonuses. Sounds pretty neat, and the price is right, so NBA fans should be happy.
Sacred 2: Fallen Angel Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 Developer: Ascaron Entertainment Publisher: Deep Silver RRP: $AU99.95 (Standard), $AU119.95 (Collectors) Console-based loot horders can rejoice this week as Sacred 2 finally lands on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 after an incredibly long wait. Sacred 2 is, quite frankly, rather huge, featuring over 700 quests, six different playable classes, heaps of unique mounts, in-depth character customisation and tons of loot. The console versions don’t have some of the same luxuries as the PC version – they only support 4 players online and two offline, but the interface and control system have been redesigned to be more suitable to a control pad, and many bug fixes have been implemented.
Watchmen: End is Nigh Episode 2 Platform: Xbox Live Arcade Developer: Deadline Games Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment RRP: 1600 Microsoft Points ($AU26.40) The second half of the Watchmen video game experience hits Xbox Live Arcade tonight, almost a month after its retail disc and PSN/Steam digital release. Perhaps it had something to do with Microsoft not wanting it in the Summer of XBLA line up, but we’ll probably never know.

27/08/2009

Gold’s Gym Cardio Workout Platform: Wii Developer: Ubisoft Publisher: Ubisoft RRP: $AU49.95 Everybody’s jumping on the Wii fitness game bandwagon – this week it’s Ubisoft’s turn (again), who’s latest effort is bearing the endorsement of big time gym franchise Gold’s Gym. As you’d expect, it’s compatible with the Wii Balance Board and will have you doing all sorts of stuff to get your heart pumping and the blood flowing. It’s supposed to include a month’s free membership at a Gold’s Gym, but I don’t know if we have any in Australia.
Moto Racer Platform: Nintendo DS Developer: Artefacts Publisher: Nobilis RRP: $AU49.95 If I’m not mistaken, Moto Racer DS is meant to have something to do with the classic 3DFX era multi-faceted bike racer of the same name. Normally, I’d say that’s a good thing, but the low profile of this release and its no-frills presentation doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence.
Punch Out!! Platform: Wii Developer: Next Level Games Publisher: Nintendo RRP: $AU79.00 The revival of one of Nintendo’s classic franchises finally makes its way to Australian Wiis this week after about 3 months of uncertainty, though only at JB Hi-Fi. As we said in our review a couple of months ago, Punch Out!! has brilliant gameplay and animation, but it is one big homage to the classic series so some of its quirks might make it seem a little archaic to new gamers. It’s well worth the effort if you’re looking for an old-school challenge.
Up Platform: Nintendo DS, PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360 Developer: Heavy Iron Studios Publisher: THQ RRP: $AU29.95 (PC), $AU49.95 (PS2), $AU59.95 (DS, PSP, Wii), $AU79.95 (PS3, Xbox 360) Up is the latest production from Pixar, so inevitably, there’s a whole bunch of merchandise on the way, including a video game tie-in. Fortunately, unlike many other games based on Pixar’s films, the Up video game is meant to be a fairly competent platformer. It’s not going to set the world on fire, and it doesn’t seek to reinvent the wheel, but should be a good one for the littlies.

28/08/2009

The Bigs 2 Platform: Wii Developer: Blue Caste Games Publisher: 2K Sports RRP: $AU49.95 The Wii version of 2K and Blue Castle’s arcade baseball game hits this week. It’s not that much different from the 360 version; it doesn’t look quite as sharp, and motion control is supported in favour of a standard control pad. It’s still very much a good game that’s packed to the brim with features, and Australian baseball fans don’t exactly have a lot of options, so this should do the trick.

The flood begins next week with Batman: Arkham Asylum, which promises to be the Dark Knight’s best game yet (not that that’s hard). Coming out alongside the Caped Crusader will be the ultimate battle of Final Fantasy heroes in Dissidia: Final Fantasy for the PSP. Also battling its way onto the PSP is Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny, the first handheld incarnation of the classic fighter. For the younger ones, Ubisoft will be debuting Academy of Champions which takes Harry Potter and substitutes magic for football and Dumbledore for Pele.