No Heroes Allowed! coming to PSP, doesn't allow heroesPosted on Friday September 3rd, 2010 at 6:06pm by Destructoid
Remember back when the Badman series was called the Badman series? You know, back before the whole "This sounds too much like Batman so change it or we'll take all your money" thing happened. The series went strong with two games under a new name, What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord!?, and now it's coming to PSP with a third entry, No Heroes Allowed! Like the previous games, you'll dig dungeons to kill off heroes in as many terrible ways as possible across the 33-stage story mode. New to the series in this entry is a cooperative mode that will allow Badman to team up with his daughter, Badmella, to conquer the world even more quickly. We liked the last game in the series a lot, so PSP owners who also happen to hate heroes should keep an eye out for more on Badman's future exploits. I'm just waiting until I accidentally start calling this No More Heroes Allowed! No Heroes Allowed! Announced for PlayStation Portable [PlayStation Blog] An evening with the gods of God of WarPosted on Friday September 3rd, 2010 at 8:08am by Destructoid
Cory Barlog is officially one of my favorite videogame personalities. David Jaffe was already up there, along with Mark Rein, and a few others. To me, these people are known for their brutal honesty and undeniable personality. Working in this industry and meeting such people is the best part of it, even better than playing games a day earlier than everyone else. Of course, I didn't know that's how I'd feel until after Barlog and Jaffe spent four and a half hours pointing out sexual references, and telling funny stories about their time developing the God of War games. But it wasn't just these two -- the whole of God of War game directors met, for an off-kilter round table discussion slated for your home theater this holiday season. Hosted by G4s Allison Haislip, David Jaffe, Cory Barlog, Stig Asmussen, Ru Weerasuriya, and Dana Jan -- the game directors of God of War, God of War 2, GoW3, GoW: Chains of Olympus, and the upcoming GoW: Ghost of Sparta, respectively -- talked about everything from their inspiration to create their games to who would make the best Kratos in a supposed God of War movie. (They didn't agree, but my vote goes to either Old Spice Mascot.) Jaffe, known for his outspoken personality, unintentionally stole the show, but his comrades asked for it. For the first hour, every question posed by Haislip was met with a turn of the head and a quiet stare in Jaffe's direction. It wasn't until Jaffe got fed up with answering everything that the rest of the team, besides Barlog inputting every witty quip he could, really opened up. Quite a bit about the God of War franchise came out that night. How Kratos was originally envisioned (Martin Riggs plus Russell Crowe); why his skin was so pale (the unfinished original artwork for Kratos, uncolored with nothing but primer, looked perfect according to Jaffe; what God of War was originally pitched as (Clash of the Titans directed by Ridley Scott); and why Kratos is so likable ("While destroying everything around him, [Kratos is] inadvertently better," said Barlog. And he's the ultimate badass)
But perhaps the most interesting bit, which so many people are curious about, is why every game had a different game director. Each had their reasons for stepping aside, but it also gave each new title a fresh start. As Asmussen pointed out, "the first time [directing] is the hungriest." Both Jaffe and Barlog left to pursue personal ventures, while Weerakjniya gave up his directorial role to run the business side of Ready At Dawn Studios. Barlog was an absolute treat. Some of his memorable comments include "I build a big level because I can build a big level! Aren't I awesome?!" and "Athena: 'I'm gonna take your visions away', then later, 'nobody can do that sucka!'" And when Jan was asked how he kept enemies fresh, he told a story of Jaffe's Napkin O' Monsters, a restaurant napkin with every character in the God of War series. According to Barlog, "Jaffe draws like a three year old." Yes, that's how the night progressed. Also discussed was the ludicrousness of the series. "Death doesn't really mean anything," Jaffe pointed out, as everyone dies yet Kratos himself died twice and escaped Hades. One comical debate compared Kratos to Bruce Wayne. Both fight for revenge and vengance over the anguish of their lost families, but Jaffe couldn't wrap his head around how Kratos remained so angry. "Peter Parker lost uncle ben, and he's still cheery," Jaffe joked. "Get over it."
On their inspirations, the entire team agreed when Jaffe said "go play games you haven't heard of," pointing games to Ico and Onimushu. "That's the hallmark of God of War," Barlog said jokingly. "We take unknown games and completely rip them off." Other unknown tidbits about the series?
The directors left the audience with an important lesson to learn from Kratos. "Take what you want, and damn the consequences," Barlog said. "If you want it, take it. And if you love it, people will follow you."
Ghost of Sparta demo coming for PS Plus subscribersPosted on Thursday September 2nd, 2010 at 10:10am by Destructoid
If you're a PlayStation Plus subscriber, there's a whole bunch stuff coming your way next week. This includes the Mini game, Blast Off, for free. Also for free? Some game add-ons, including stuff for UFC Undisputed 2010 and Warhawk. And the September issue of Qore! And some free XMB Themes! New Valkyria Chronicles all but confirmed by teaser sitePosted on Wednesday September 1st, 2010 at 4:04pm by Destructoid
When Sega went and registered the "valkyria3.jp" web domain, a lot of people went ahead and assumed that there would be a new Valkyria Chronicles title on the way. And why not? The strategy series has been a consistent critical success all around (Dale loved Valkyria Chronicles II), and even warranted anime and manga adaptations in Japan. Which makes this teaser site, located at "code1935.jp" all the more exciting, because those silhouettes are clearly of the first game's iconic Edelweiss battle tank, and various Gallian soldiers wielding various war weapons. Furthermore, "code 1935" could be a reference to the first game, as its "Second Europan War" broke out in - wait for it - the year 1935. The site opens on September 16th, which also happens to be the same day as the Tokyo Game Show, so we can expect some more details then, like, for example, what platforms it's destined for. Which brings us to the big question: Can the Valkyria fans in the audience identify all the weapons in that shot? I see shocktrooper machine guns, sniper rifles, scout rifles, mortar lances, rocket lances, what could be the Ruhm (Selvaria's gun), and...is that sword? Hm. That might make sense, as Valkyria Chronicles II has a melee-focused spinoff "Fencer" class. Rumor: Sony to reveal music/video service for PS3, PSPPosted on Wednesday September 1st, 2010 at 8:08am by Destructoid
According to the Financial Times, Sony is set to announce a music and video service to compete with iTunes for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. The report states that the service may be revealed as early as today. Ghost of Sparta special edition PSP isn't a PSPgoPosted on Tuesday August 31st, 2010 at 5:05pm by Destructoid
It seems these days that every PSP game released needs to have its own special bundle with a uniquely themed PSP system. It also seems that Sony has well and truly given up on the PSPgo, since these bundles are only ever for PSP-3000s. Yep, God of War: Ghost of Sparta is getting a special bundle, and once more, PSPgo fans (all five of 'em) are left out in the cold. Here's what you'll get once you trade your PSPgo in for the God of War: Ghost of Sparta bundle:
God of War: Ghost of Sparta bundle will hit North American stores on November 2, with no word yet of whether or not it's arriving elsewhere. Destructoid review: Valkyria Chronicles IIPosted on Tuesday August 31st, 2010 at 3:03pm by Destructoid
Being one that writes about and reviews games for a living, I tend to hear the same kinds of questions from new acquaintances. One of the most common relates to what 'good games' are available for a particular system. Because of this, when people ask me what they should get, I always have a mental list prepared, ready to go. My recommended games list for the PlayStation 3 has Sega's strategy game Valkyria Chronicles at the very top. It's a unique and beautiful game that I feel new system owners will really appreciate. While the shooter and racing blockbusters are the obvious choices for recommendations, I feel I'm doing gamers a great service by recommending this title instead. Besides, too many people missed this sleeper, and I am trying to push up the numbers so that Sega doesn't leave us in the cold when the next franchise game comes down the line. The game's sequel, Valkyria Chronicles II, is now at the top of my recommended games list for the PSP. Read our review to find out why. Valkyria Chronicles II (PSP) Valkyria Chronicles II picks up right where the first game left off. Kind of. You play as Avan Hardins, a super-enthusiastic guy (we're talking crazy gung-ho here) and a new freshman at the Lanseal Royal Military Academy. But while his enthusiasm is appreciated, it doesn't get Avan very far in the academy's entrance exams, and he finds himself in Class G, the "loser" class of Lanseal. This sets up the classic underdog school class story that Japan loves to use so much in their games, television shows and stories. As goes the story, Avan works to take the less-than-enthusiastic Class G and shape them up to be real heroes. Beyond this, Avan works to find out what happened to his brother, who was supposedly killed in the war before he enrolled. Avan's enrollment takes place about two years after the events of the first game. While peace has not yet returned to Gallia, the enemy was pushed back, and the country has begun to relax a bit. But now a new threat approaches with a pending civil war, which is being fought over the duchess of Gallia being revealed as a Darcsen -- an unloved race of people. The resistance wants the Darcsen to be pushed out of the country. Avan and Class G find themselves caught in the middle.
At the heart of Valkyria Chronicles II is the same strategy game play that made the original PS3 title so great. If you missed it, this innovative adaptation of SRPG play lets you move your troops in a third-person view, in real time. You'll still use an overhead map to make decisions and carry out many orders, but you'll jump into that lovely third-person view when you take control of each individual troop member. In this view you'll position, take cover, and even aim and fire weapons. This formula beautifully mixes strategy and action, and this manages to greatly increase the draw of standard strategy role-playing game play. While the strategy starts out as simple as moving, taking cover, and firing, it slowly escalates into a fairly complex list of variables to keep mindful of. It seems that each of the game's key battles adds a new aspect to your strategy playbook, but it also adds new enemy powers and complications at the same time. This makes for a game that has an addicting level of challenge that never overwhelms, but slowly builds up in you, making you shake your fist at the sky with fire in your eyes, as Avan often does in the game. In perfect complement to the gradually escalating challenge is the steady story progression and character development. You're never bored at Lanseal Academy as there are always new students (and new troops), student drama, and story bits. In between battles you'll have the ability to freely pop around campus, chatting with classmates and visiting locales. These actions slowly unlock more bits of the story, and you're free to trigger them at any time, though some scenes are required to progress to the next key battle. Most of these interactions are presented with nicely animated character portraits, some coming with full voice over work. Most are text based, though, and are only occasionally accented with a fun one-liner. Other key events unfold via top-notch anime cutscenes. Both do a fine job of fleshing out the feeling of campus life, and all are voiced very nicely. Overall, you'll find that this sequel is a bit more lighthearted than its predecessor, but I found that this fits the portable format of the game a bit more.
Those that played the first game will be showered with guest appearances in this sequel. While the feel is a bit different when it comes to the overall story, you'll feel right at home with all the old faces you'll run into. That being said, new players should feel free to jump right in, as no prior knowledge is required to enjoy Valkyria Chronicles II. I've been asked several times about the challenge level of this sequel already. Let's just say that the game provides a stiff challenge. It's not snap-your-PSP-in-half hard, but the later key battles will really test your strategies. Overall I'd say that the game is a tad bit less difficult, but maybe requires more out of you as far as pre-battle strategy is concerned. Believe it or not, there's more troop leveling and customization options in this sequel, which requires you to really think about how you'll level and improve your people and gear before you go into battle. To ensure a win, you'll need to spend ample time tending to your troops, gear and vehicles. It's only when you get a feel for how deep the battle system is that you appreciate that this may even be a bigger game than the PS3 predecessor. Oh, and there's an Easy Mode. You could always go that route. Know that you'll take no story hit for the choice.
Gone is the watercolor painting look from the battlefield. It's still there in all the cutscenes, animations and character art, but it's just a shadow of what it used to be on the actual battlefield. That's not to say that the battle scenes aren't nice -- they really are -- it's just that the PS3 game was so lovely that it left you wanting more of its unique look. The replacement is nice, soft and pleasing to the eyes, but it's not quite what series fans are used to. The rest of the presentation for Valkyria Chronicles II is fantastic. The character art and design is of a very high standard, the voice work is brilliant, and the music is some of the best that has ever graced the PSP's speakers. The game is perfectly polished, and that's apparent in everything from the multitude of options settings to the refined autosave functionality that avoids the stock PSP save menus. This is a portable game with console production values. Valkyria Chronicles II is one of those so-good-you'll-lose-all-track-of-time games. It's a big, shiny, AAA-class game in a tiny little package, and yet it still does a fair bit of justice to the franchise name. A new story, battle improvements, new troops, and a ton of missions are exactly what Valkyria Chronicles fans were asking for. And while they may have not asked for it in a portable package, I don't think they'll mind too much. The good news is that you won't feel that there were any compromises made to make this sequel a PSP game. This is the real deal, folks. Don't miss this game. Score: 9.5 -- Superb (9s are a hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage to what is a supreme title.)
Yakuza PSP demo for you, not just JapanPosted on Tuesday August 31st, 2010 at 8:08am by Destructoid
While it will still be a Japanese-language demo, you can still download the new Yakuza PSP trial thans to Japanese gaming website 4Gamer. They've hosted the 192MB demo on their site, so you don't have to do that whole Japanese PlayStation Store log-in bit to grab and play it. What are you waiting for? Get it now. Drop it onto your MemoryStick and go. The demo takes you into Kamurocho where you'll fight punks and get a taste of the story, says Andria Sang. You know, the classic Yakuza demo. This is what we're calling Black Panther: Yakuza New Chapter for now. I'd bet we see a different name for Western release when it's finally announced. Whatever it's going to be called, I was really looking forward to Tokyo Game Show in a couple of weeks to play this game. No wait needed now! Puzzle Quest 2 coming to PSPPosted on Tuesday August 31st, 2010 at 7:07am by Destructoid
I swore that the first Puzzle Quest was best on the PSP but no one believed me. I don't think anyone tried it. But it had really nice graphics and a good layout, and it didn't leave my PSP UMD slot for a very long time. When I heard the announcement for the sequel, Puzzle Quest 2, I noticed that the PSP wasn't included among the supported consoles. I asked Infinite Interactive why and they gave me that old line about demand and how we could possibly see it announced later. That later is now, as Puzzle Quest 2 will come to the PlayStation Store towards the end of 2010. It includes all the standard content but will add a new Elite Mode, where the battles are harder and the rewards greater. Nice! I kind of feel like they ported this for me. Thanks, Infinite Interactive. Contest: Win a Limited Collector's Edition of Ys SEVENPosted on Monday August 30th, 2010 at 10:10am by Destructoid
XSEED Games has given us a copy of the Limited Collector's Edition of Ys Seven for the PSP! Along with the game, you'll be getting the soundtrack consisting of 20 songs, a 60-page art book and a 12.5" by 34" cloth map. In order to win this prize valued at $49.99, you're going to need to add some kind of caption to this image of some Ys SEVEN characters relaxing in a pool. The best/funniest creation will win the Limited Collector's Edition of Ys SEVEN. One entry per person and contest is open to US residents only. You have until September 3 at 11:59PM CDT to submit your photos to the comment thread below. Happy captioning!
Trophies not coming to PSPPosted on Thursday August 26th, 2010 at 6:06am by Destructoid
Sony has confirmed that the footage showing a Trophy collection on the screen of a PSP was, in fact, showcasing the remote play feature of the system. It seemed like the more likely explanation for the footage, but even so, it gives me a sad in my heart. "The screen shown on the end of the video showcases the Remote Play function on a PSP," confirms a Sony rep, “allowing you to take a look at your XMB, Trophies, friends and other content via your PSP. As it’s such a great feature and unique to the PlayStation format we wanted to showcase it." I guess Trophies on PSP was too good an idea for Sony to embrace. It might make the PSP more successful, and Sony seems strongly against the idea of that ever happening. Ah well. PSP “Trophies” grab was Remote Play for PS3, says SCEE [VG247] Destructoid review: Ys SevenPosted on Wednesday August 25th, 2010 at 4:04pm by Destructoid
I'm trying to remember the last time I played an action RPG. I...can't. Maybe that's why playing through Falcom's newly released Ys Seven was so refreshing. It's not amazing or groundbreaking by any measure, but it is lighthearted, polished and fun. When was the last time you said that about any game? We put the PSP title through its paces, running freely, flipping incessantly, swords a-swinging all the while. If you haven't picked up your PSP in awhile, this game is a great reason to dust it off and charge its battery. Read on for our full review of Ys Seven. Ys Seven (PSP) Series main man Aldo is out on another quest with his buddy Dogi in Ys Seven. The game doesn't even bother trying to explain why they're on another quest other than stating that they're out for treasures again -- Ys fans should be used to this by now anyway. What happens next is exactly what you'd expect: They set out to a new land to find fortune, but come across some odd happenings here. And straight from the old RPG playbook, the king of the land asks the famed duo to look into these happenings, and this kicks off a string of events that have the two wrapped up in a new adventure. Yes, it's a tired story, but Ys Seven is so fun that you won't care much. The order of the day here is accessible and enjoyable action role-playing. You'll run around as any of the three heroes of your party, mashing one button to attack and another to dodge/roll. It's that simple, really. You'll come across various monsters as you roam the continent of Altago, and you can choose to either run past or bash them up with your weapon in the game's simple combo system. Hold down the attack button and you'll find that your hero is charging up for a harder attack. Hit an enemy enough and you'll fill a meter that gives you access to use one of four equippable skills, all of which hit harder than your standard attack. On top of all of that, a special skill lets out a massive attack once its separate meter is filled.
The combat is simple, but that's why you'll keep coming back. The action is so enjoyable that I never run past enemies, even though it's perfectly easy to do so. There's continued satisfaction in busting up baddies and picking up the loot, and it never seemed to get old in the entire 20+ hour quest. Even more enjoyable than the standard battles were the massive boss battles, of which there are several. You and your party are usually confined in a sort of closed arena, stuck with some huge monster that has it out for you. Though the strategy never really changed, it was fun to run in, mash X as fast as I could, and then run back out while the enemy charged at me in revenge. I knew that if I stayed alive and mashed attacks enough I'd have my special attack charged up, and that would allow me to send the boss to his grave with style. I don't want to make the game sound too terribly simple. There is a bit of strategy in combat, especially when it comes to what character you choose to fight with. You're able to hit the Square button at any time to switch freely between your three party members, and this is because you'll find that some enemies are strong to a particular hero's weapon choice. For example, Aldo carries a sword, and while that may cut up fleshy types of enemies fine, it doesn't work on hard-shelled monsters. A quick switch to Dogi remedies that. There's nothing too complex here, but switching between the three characters keeps things fresh. Later on you'll even get a projectile user.
The game's progression matches the combat style perfectly, which is to say that the story is simple and fun. There's a decent story here with a few plot twists, but it's not going to blow anyone's mind. There's several locales to explore and characters to meet, and the dialogue in all of these situations is actually quite good, which helps you stay interested. The game's progression is quite linear, but you can opt to take on several side missions to gain money and power, and even take on some ridiculously difficult optional bosses. Ys Seven will impress with its slick presentation, awesome music, and very nice graphics. It only took me about an hour of playing to wonder how nice the game would look on a television. Using component cables from my PSP, I connected it to my 52" television and surround system and was quite pleased with the output. Ys Seven could even hold its own against some PlayStation 2 games.
Again, don't expect Ys Seven to blow your mind. It won't. But you may be surprised at just how pleasing it is to play. I couldn't put it down after I got started. Usually review assignments take me a bit longer on RPGs, but Ys Seven was just so enjoyable that I blew through it and have started it again on a harder difficultly level. If you've been looking for a fun action RPG romp, Ys Seven will fit the bill nicely. Score: 8.0 -- Great (8s are impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, it is worth your time and cash.
Could Trophies be coming to PSP?Posted on Wednesday August 25th, 2010 at 3:03pm by Destructoid
Sony has denied in the past that PSP games would get Trophy support, but some people believe that it's more likely than we think. An eagle-eyed gamer has spotted a possible Trophy reveal in the Gamescom trailer for No Heroes Allowed. The video shows both a PSP-3000 and PSPgo side by side, each one displaying the system XMB on the screen. The XMB shows the Trophy Collection icon, sat on the PSP screen. Now, before anyone gets excited, the PSPs could be remotely accessing the PS3 to display the Trophies. It's a more plausible explanation than Sony doing something smart, so we may have to go with that one instead. Nevertheless, it's something to consider, and a good chance to sound off about whether you think Trophies should come to the PSP. Personally, I've ranted in the past about how Sony needs to do this. It would differentiate Trophies from Achievements, and give PSP games a little extra perceived value. Might even sell a few more titles. But then, that would be Sony being clever with the PSP ... and lord knows we can't have that. Trophies coming to PSP? [CVG] Meet Mickey, your first The Tester season two contestantPosted on Wednesday August 25th, 2010 at 2:02pm by Destructoid
Yes, Sony's PlayStation Network reality game show The Tester is coming back for a second season. Filming starts soon, following a ten-week long casting contest that took place this summer. The first contestant to be revealed so far? That guy up there. Angry Birds catapulting to PSP Minis this fallPosted on Wednesday August 25th, 2010 at 10:10am by Destructoid
A few weeks ago, I told my wife she should download Angry Birds HD for the iPad. She did, and I regret recommending it; I haven't seen the iPad since. Now I have to keep both my PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 3 away from her -- developer Chillingo has announced that Angry Birds is headed to the PlayStation Store as a PSP Mini game this fall. The Minis version will feature four worlds with over 120 levels, one of the worlds exclusive to Minis called "The Big Set Up." Also expect a new bird, "Big Brother," which can shell out "massive destruction." Knights in the Nightmare: Coming to PSP October 19thPosted on Friday August 20th, 2010 at 12:12pm by Destructoid
Atlus' Aram Jabbari has a post over at the PlayStation Blog that announces Knights in the Nightmare for the PSP for October 19th. The title will be in stores and on PSN the same day. Nice. This gameplay trailer lays it all out for you. It shows some fancy-ass new cutscenes too. Those with good memories will remember that we reviewed this game as a DS title this time last year. I'm really interested to hear the opinions of those that played the original when they compare it to the shiny, bigger-screened, analog controlling port. I welcome this bullet hell-ish strategy role-playing...thingy. Will those of you that got down with the original try the PSP version out? Landon Donovan, Carlos Vela on North American FIFA 11 boxPosted on Friday August 20th, 2010 at 12:12pm by Destructoid
Last week, EA Sports announced Brazilian footballer Kaká as the global cover athlete for FIFA 11, and noted that 17 other soccer stars would join him in specific regions. Today, EA has revealed the North American cover athletes for the game: Carlos Vela (of Arsenal F.C. and the Mexico national football team), and Landon Donovan (of Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy and the US Men's National Team). You can check out the full PS3 box art in the gallery below. Donovan single-handedly awakened American interest in soccer with his stellar performance in this summer's World Cup, including a thrilling, stoppage-time, Group-C-winning goal against Algeria that has gone down as the best moment in US men's international soccer thus far. (Aside: Watch this video of the world's reaction to Donovan's goal. I dare you not to get chills or have tears well up in your eyes. It's beautiful.) This marks Donovan's third appearance on the cover of a FIFA Soccer game; he was also on the North American boxes of FIFA Soccer 2003 and FIFA Soccer 07. Putting Donovan on the box is a smart move by EA -- Americans have already stopped caring about soccer, but those who watched the World Cup won't soon forget Donovan's heroics, and they'll hopefully be reminded of his goals when they see him on the box for FIFA 11 when it launches on September 28th in North America for PS3, 360, Wii, PC, PSP, PS2, DS, and mobile platforms. (The game will launch on October 1st in Europe and Asia.)
Rumor: PlayStation Phone out by OctoberPosted on Friday August 20th, 2010 at 12:12pm by Destructoid
Rumors have surfaced that the latest attempt by Sony to make the PSP worth a sh*t involve jamming a smartphone in there. The word on the street is that a PSPgo with phone capabilities could hit the market as early as October of this year. According to the speculation, the Sony Ericsson "PSP phone" would pack the Android 3.0 operating system and boast a 3.7" to 4.1" screen, a "long touch pad," a 1 GHz Snapdragon CPU, a camera and a slide-out control mechanism as found on the PSPgo. It's been described as a cross between a PSPgo and a Samsung Captivate. Sony itself has declined to comment. Rumors of a PlayStation phone have been around for a while, but this is the first time we've had gossip bold enough to name tech specs and details. It sounds like quite the pretty package if it's true, and if the PSP game library merged with the Android game library, we might have upwards of TEN games worth playing on it! Sony Ericsson to introduce Android 3.0 gaming platform and PSP Go-like smartphone [Engadget] Hands-on: Battle vs. Chess is not a simple game of chessPosted on Friday August 20th, 2010 at 12:12pm by Destructoid
Listen up nerds, it’s time to take off your robes and wizard hats for a second ‘cause there’s a new game in town, and it answers to the name of Battle vs. Chess.
Battle vs Chess (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PC, MAC, DS, PSP) Now, I can’t speak much to the game of chess itself. Too much critical thinking involved for my tastes. So let’s focus on the details, shall we? Battle vs. Chess was implemented using Fritz11! chess software, and has 10 different levels of difficulty to accommodate players of any experience level. You can test your abilities against a computer in single-player mode, or face off locally or online in multiplayer competition with the friends you probably don’t have. The game uses the Elo rating system, the world’s official standard in chess rankings, to keep track of your scores. So whether you’re a casual user just looking to improve your game or an aspiring eight-time Chess Master, this will provide hours of entertainment and a learning experience all bundled into one sexy package.
Though an interesting spin on the classic game, I don’t expect this feature to elicit much from the player other than a fleeting “Huh, that’s cool.” It offers no real advantage in terms of technique or strategy, and frankly, if I wanted to play a fighting game I’d bust out my Sega Genesis and rock Streets of Rage like it was 1992. Regardless, Battle Mode is interesting if only for its inherent uniqueness. I could see it being more suited for group situations, but if digitally-generated chess is a frequent activity at your parties, chances are you have bigger things to worry about anyway.
Subway, Sony partner to bring you tasty meals, prizesPosted on Friday August 20th, 2010 at 12:12pm by Destructoid
Fun fact: Destructoid's Dale North hates Subway about as much as he loves his PlayStation 3. So this new marketing alliance between Sony and the sandwich franchise is going to tear him apart. Sony has announced that it's partnered with Subway in a collaboration called "Fiery Football Frenzy Fueled by PlayStation." What this is means is that Subway will be carrying some kind of Sony PlayStation-branded sandwiches called the "Fiery Footlongs," which are apparently the spiciest subs the franchise has carried to date. This will include the spicy New Turkey Jalapeno Melt and the Buffalo Chicken. You get these things in a meal, you have the chance to win some PlayStation stuff, including: Move before it's even available on store shelves, that super limited edition Uncharted 2 "Fortune Hunter" Edition and more. [1] | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 next >> |
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