Howdy Partner ... A Red Dead Salute!

In 2007 my faith was once again restored in one of my most favorite sub genre of shooters: The Western! The game that did it? Call of Juarez. An epic tale of revenge, blood, sex and even a little bow and arrow action. The game simply failed to garner the respect it much deserved by the mainstream public. However, a small group of us still remained optimistic that Call of Juarez would set a blaze a new era in "the western video game." Well, it kind of did I guess. Enter: Red Dead Redemption; a follow up to Rockstar's surprisingly good 3rd person action title: Red Dead Revolver. It seems as though the band wagon, though starting slow, has finally taken off!

As a kid growing up I always remember watching the Clint Eastwood westerns with my dad (Hang 'em High being my all time favorite). I also always remember watching westerns whenever they were on with my good friend Kyle (SS to you all on Warp) and his old man...those were the days! That is why when I saw this trailer I just had to re-post it here on Warp 9. If your in to western themed games then you owe it to yourself to check this trailer out for Red Dead Redemption. My opinion? This is gonna be one hell of a fun ride.

If the video isn't streaming properly or simply will not load (which it has been doing) please use this link to the video: RED DEAD REDEMPTION VID

Complete EVO 2010 Game Lineup

As of last night EVO 2010 has been dissected and disseminated to the public via the SRK Podcast (available Here). The lineup looks to be pretty solid and even has some newly implemented "features" such as "The Players Choice Game" and Femme Fatal Tournament; a strictly girls only side tourney being held in conjunction with EVO. Listed below is the complete stack of Tourney Games making an appearance at this years Evolution 2010!

GAMES:

• Super Street Fighter IV (no-brainer here)
• Tekken 6
• Super Street Fighter II Turbo: HD Remix
• Street Fighter IV (girls tourney)
• BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger (wait...no Continuum Shift?)
• Tatsunoko vs Capcom: Ultimate All Stars (yes!)
• Players Choice Game

- Marvel Vs Capcom (?)
- Mark of the Wolves (?)
- Street Fighter III (?)
- Capcom vs SNK (?)

So there you have it. A nice easy post this morning to devour. I simply cannot wait to watch this event!

-game hard-

Aliens vs. Preditor - Looking...Actually Good!

Aside from being cult hits, both the Aliens movies and Predator flicks have always been at the forefront of cutting edge science fiction. With hundreds of off-shoots in comics, games, graphic novels and even movies (from which we know them best) both series have seen their fair share of the Hollywood spotlight. However, with respect to the deep roots each fictional story-gate has given the public for the past 20+ years nothing has looked as promising as 'Rebellion's' forthcoming Aliens vs. Predator (Heritage) game...well, maybe not for the past 10 years. I'm looking at you Aliens IV!

I recently (this morning) saw the latest trailer this game and was very impressed with what was presented to me: A game that takes an extremely popular genre (sci-fi) and an even more popular series (Aliens/Predator), mashes them together and spits out a trailer that looks like this:

Aliens vs Predator: Heritage Trailer/Dev Diary

Now, I know this isn't the first time Rebellion has made an Aliens vs Predator game. In fact, its been almost ten years exactly since we last saw their take on a venerable and well established story such as AvP. However, with the wide spread success of the first installment just think of what ten years or preparatory work can do? I, for one thing am extremely excited to at least see more!

Until the next dev. diary....

-game hard-

SSFIV Gets a Solid Release Date!

The official website for Super Street Fighter IV (as well as the NAKKY Blog) was updated very early this morning and thanks to Google Alerts I was notified as soon as my browser was opened! The sole purpose of the update was to announce some pretty big news: A Release Date has been set for April 27th (North America) and April 28th for Japan. Also revealed was a couple new trailers, some screen shots and a nice summary of what the collectors edition will entail.

Details on the Collectors Edition

Price: $59.99
Contents:

• Game
  
• Soundtrack
• Original Anime DVD
  
• Art Booklet

Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate Tuesday Release!

I know you all were expecting a huge Mass Effect 2 "release post" today. However, Warp has already exhausted the "Hype 'O Meter" for ME2 and seeing as though yours truly (OverlordStrider) has the fighting game genre on lock-down for news I simply cannot suspend any inkling of information from being posted. When it comes to Tatsunoko vs. Capcom news (or Super Street Fighter IV for that matter) you can always count on Warp dispatching it immediately to the public!

Tonight at 12:01am marks the release of Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate Allstars. So dust off your Wii's and prepare for some fast paced fighting action! Thus far, pre-release review copies have been met with high praise and extremely good grades. Case in point:

• IGN has given the game a 9.0 out of 10

Link to IGN Review: Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: UA

So, here's to the resurgence of the fighting game genre! May it live on forever and ever and keep us "fighting genre nuts" happy and content with the ever growing fan base...

Here's a stream of the games Online Features via zeroXshinobi's Youtube channel

-game hard-

Throwback Top 10: NES Best Weapons

Whats going on fellas! Sorry I have not posted in a while. I just had my newest son, named Link Peyton, on January 20th, 2010. Although I will have a little one present, I doubt my video game dedication will be effected. I play Heroes of Newerth for about 25 hours a week, and although it remains in beta state, it has been a more than exceptional experience. I await for its official release, which will probably be early to mid summer this year, and expect it to remain my top choice for PC Game of the Year for 2010.

While we wait on that, lets flashback for a quick Throwback Top 10. This weeks list will reveal my personal favorite Weapons for any NES game ever made. Please feel free to comment or add to my list with personal favorites of your own.

#10 Metroid - Missiles

#9 MegaMan - Search Snake

#8 Ninja Gaiden - Katana

#7 Life Force - Triple Rapid Ripple

#6 Contra - Rapid Spread

#5 Castlevania - Super Whip

#4 Master Blaster - SOPHIA the 3rd (Tank)

#3 Rygar - Chained Shield

#2 Dragon Warrior - Edricks Sword

#1 Legend of Zelda - Silver Arrows

Super Street Fighter IV - New Character Ultra's Revealed...Again.

In the newest issue of Famitsu Magazine (Japanese Gaming publication) editors dedicated a two page spread on the new Ultras for "some" of the new Super Street Fighter 4 characters. Most of these were revealed at CES just seven days back but I felt it would be a good "overview post" for all our crazy Street Fighter fans out there...including myself. Thanks to Anoop Gantayat from AndriaSang.com for one of the best Japanese translations I have seen to date and also having an excellent site!

Here they are in full form!

• Guy Ultra Combo I: Bushin Goraisenpujin

After beating down an opponent with punches and kicks, Guy kicks the opponent into the air then delivers a finishing Kaiten Izuna Otoshi move.

• Guy Ultra Combo II: Bushin Muso Renge

Guy grabs a nearby opponent, then with swift speed pummels the opponent with consecutive attacks.

• Cody Ultra Combo I: Final Destruction

A series of punches followed by a powerful Criminal Upper which sends his foes into the air.

• Cody Ultra Combo II: Last Dread Dust

A long reaching attack which raises the sand, making Cody's foes lurch back. Cody then beats them with a wrench and finally launches them into the air with a pipe.

• Adon Ultra Combo I: Jaguar Revolver

A series of Jaguar Kicks followed by launching the opponent into the air. Once the opponent has lost control of his own movements, Adon performs a powerful finishing attack.

• Adon Ultra Combo II: Avalanche Jaguar

A series of combo attacks followed by kicks against a downed opponent. This can be used to counter an aerial attack.

• Juri Ultra Combo I: Feng Shui Engine

Gives you ground-based chain combos, and can also cancel moves that could otherwise not be canceled.

• DeeJay Ultra Combo I: Sobat Festival

A series of acrobatic kicks through which DeeJay advances forward, finishing with a giant shock wave.

• DeeJay Ultra Combo II: Climax Beat

After the initial Upper attack hits, this move continues to a two-handed Machine Gun Upper. This can be used against aerial attacks.

• T.Hawk Ultra Combo I: Raging Typhoon

T.Hawk grabs an opponent, leaps into the air, smashes the opponent into the ground, then falls back down onto the opponent.

• T.Hawk Ultra Combo II: Raging Slash

T.Hawk jumps and grabs an opponent in mid air, then smashes the opponent multiple times against the ground.

-game hard-

Bioshock 2 WTF?

Bioshock still remains as one of my top 10 games of all time and rightfully so as it has been given over 50 industry awards. It is definitely one of the most fun games I have played on the 360 and if I had the luxury of having a PS3 I'm sure it would be one of my favorites on that console too. Hell, if I had a PC that could actually handle video games, well, you get the point. The atmosphere was chilling, the storyline was engaging, the graphics were top notch, and the game was difficult but not over the top hard. Anyways, this is all old news at this point.

What I really wanted to get at is voicing my opinion on Bioshock 2. To me, and I think most would agree, it seems as if 2K has really dropped the ball on this one. I know they are hurting and struggling financially, but they could have been building this iteration into a juggernaut of sales. This franchise is one of their games that actually brings in cash, and to have virtually no marketing campaign to get people drooling is just absurd. Sure, there is a website but it is rarely updated. It makes me wonder what is really going on behind the scenes. I have actually caught myself forgetting about this game since so many other AAA titles are in the pipeline and actually doing a good job with advertising.

First off, Ken Levine is not working on it. From what I understand, he was basically a consultant in the beginning and now he is working on a completely separate project for 2K. Ok, so he gave guidance and probably checked on it through stages of development and that is fine...I'm sure a talented staff can handle it. Or can they?

Second, the game has been pushed back so that the multiplayer component could be refined. I am all for multiplayer, but the first game was so great because all the focus was on the single player campaign. Just because every game that comes out now has multiplayer doesn't mean you have to include it to have a great game.

Third, this game is due out in what, three weeks now? Where is the hype? Perhaps it is due for another push back. Honestly, there hasn't really been any updates since December. I just don't understand.

As the old saying goes, If it ain't broke don't fix it! Here's to hoping that it actually turns out good, but I for one am not gonna hold my breath.

---------------------
Overlord's Thoughts
---------------------
Bioshock 1 still holds a very fond place in my heart. Simply put, the game was magnificent. Flawless in almost all aspects. That's why I'm keeping hush hush when it comes to Bioshock 2. Why? One: to alleviate my stress factor when thinking about what I've seen and heard thus far and Two: because I want to be pleasantly surprised.

Im going to do a quick listing of thoughts and that's it...so here be it:

• No publicity for the sequel = plum-dumb
  


• No Ken Levine = hmmmm


• Multiplayer...WTF?


• Playing as a Big Daddy = Big Risk


• Can it live up to its predecessor? Those are some big shoes to fill.

-game hard-

My God Son is Being Born Today!

Yup. Link Geoffrey (Yes, named after the Legend of Zelda series) will be (crossing fingers) born today...sometime. I just wanted to do a simple post today voicing a wealth love for the Geoffrey family. Good luck to them today and "The Jess" and I will be down to CT this Saturday to see the little guy...Can't wait, Hoss!

--------------------
UPDATE - 2:40pm
Link has been born into this world! 9lbs / 19 inches
Congrats Giggles aka: BlizzKid .... Can't wait to met my God-son!
--------------------

On a Side Note:

Kahseim - I'm bringing Street Fighter IV on Saturday.
Late Night Marathon. Prepare to be Zangief'd.

-GAME HARD-

New Images Come Out In Recent Developer Blog for Super Street Fighter II

Link to the actual Blog Post with English Translation: Developer Diary
Link to non-translated version on official SSFIV site: Developer Diary

-game hard-

Four Handheld Titles to Watch Out For in 2010

Whomever drew this picture is awesome!

So, it's been a while since I have posted (or talked about for that matter) any 'tidbits' on Hand-held Games. That's changing. I have recently experienced a "self" resurgence in utilizing my hand-held systems over the past few weeks and I must say: I've been sucked back in! The culprit for "sucking" me back in? Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. What an excellent game. This, however, isn't a Mario and Luigi gush-fest...this is a post covering four of the most anticipated Hand-held games for 2010 (for Warp 9 that is)!

4. Metal Slug XX

• Platform: PSP
  
• Venerable Series that's been around since the early 1990's
• Release Date: 2/23/2010
• Genre: Side Scrolling "Run & Gun" Shoot 'em Up
• Developer: SNK PLaymore / Atlus Co.
• Why we like the Metal Slug Series:

a. Fast Bloody Action
b. You don't have to think much
c. Tons of Weapons to Chose From
d. Pick up and play tempo game
e. Simply old school side scrolling fun

3. Ragnarok DS

• Platform: DS
• Long running Korean MMORPG is finally coming to hand-helds'!
• Release Date: 2/16/2010
• Genre: RPG
• Developer: Xseed Games / Gung-Ho
• Why we Like the Game:

a. Cause we love well made RPG's
b. Wireless Co-Op Play
c. Customizing your units is extremely fun/gratifying
d. Graphically this game takes us back to the "good old days"
e. Endless playability with MMO backing



2. Golden Sun DS

• Platform: DS
• Another "quasi" long time RPG series comes back to life with a DS installment
• Release Date: TBA 2010
• Genre: Hardcore RPG
• Developer: Camelot
• Why We Like The Game:

a. Reboot on DS featuring updated graphics and touch-screen controls.
b. Extremely in-depth character customization
c. Epic story line that spans multiple character expositions
d. Lush Graphics and speedy game play
e. Huge world to explore with a multitude of items to collect



1. BlazBlue: Portable

• Platform: PSP
• The "little brother" of BlazeBlue: Calamity Trigger for 360/PS3
• Release Date: March 2010
• Genre: Fighting
  
• Developer: Aksys Games / Arc System Works
• Why We Like The Game:

a. Looks amazing - Best looking game for PSP hands down
b. Easy to pick up and play / extremely difficult to master
c. Wireless Capabilities Make Fighting "on the go" Easy
d. PSP-exclusive additions
e. Every character in the game will be playable in regular and "unlimited" versions
f. New abilities for each character promised
g. Did we mention this game is gorgeous!

So there you have it, Hand-Held gems for 2010! My top pick of the list has go to BlazBlue: Portable...the game simply looks amazing graphically and its "older brother" was one of 2009's best games hands down. Here's to an amazing 2010 for Hand-Held lovers!

-game hard-

Tatsunoko vs Capcom: UA Vid-Doc #2

Here's Video Doc #2 from us here at Warp showcasing the powerhouse fighting game Tatsunoku vs Capcom:Ultimate All-stars set for release in just a couple weeks here in the states. It's been out in Japan or a while now (less than a year) and has garnered some serious hype!

This Video Doc. delves deeper into the fighting system for the game. However, this video is for the sole purpose of showing people who have yet to lay their eye's on this Wii exclusive title. So if you have no clue what TvC is...enjoy!

Oh and by the way: Early Birthday Gift Request

First, Here's the official TV Commercial for it too!

New SSFIV Character Profile Showcase!

Today we are showcasing (via GameTrailersTV) brand new Character Profiles for Adon, Cody and Guy for Super Street Fighter IV. Each walk through is narrated by none other than Seth "S-Kill" Killian at the recent CES convention. Enjoy!

New Famitsu Scans of Super Street Fighter IV Alt. Costumes!

The quality of these pics leaves something to be desired, however, Famitsu has done one hell of a job keeping us hardcore Street Fighter IV fans up to date with new scans/images of Super Street Fighter IV in action. With that said, the latest issue shows us more scans of the alternate costumes for the following characters:

1. Cody
2. Vega (Balrog)
3. Dan
4. Blanka
5. Rose
6. Dhalsim
7. Ken
8. E-Honda
9. El Fuerte
10. Gief (Mecha-Zangief)

Personally, I am really happy to see Mecha-Zangief back in action! Nothing says Street Fighting like a mechanized Russian sauced on roids! My least favorite has to be Dan's tribal wear. It makes him look like he rides the short bus to school.

-game hard-

SSFV New Ultra's Showcase!

Plain and Simple Post Today Folks! Get a load of the minor plethora of New Ultra Moves for Super Street Fighter IV. With the recent news of new Ultras and Ultra Sets (meaning you can choose between ultra's) these videos come in extremely handy to see just what Capcom has in store! Enjoy.

Editor's Note: The first video is a compilation of all the new Ultra's. However, if you want to see each one individually (for spoiler reason) then scroll down to which ever one your little heart desires!

Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: UA Rundown

CONFIRMED FEATURES

(IPW style)

• 25 confirmed characters from the Tatsunoko and Capcom univer
  
  • New characters added to North American release are Frank West, Joe the Condor, Zero, and Tekkaman Blade.
  • Existing characters rebalanced. fan-listing of changes here.

• Arcade Mode vs seven cpu-opponents

• Versus Mode with up to two players

• Training Mode

• Time Attack

• Survival Mode

• More than 20 Minigames

• Shop where you can buy additional stages, background music, and art for the game

• Allows for the use of the Wii Classic Controller and Nintendo Gamecube Controller

• Simple Control Scheme - 4 buttons: Weak, Medium, Strong, and Assist for Tag/Assist

• New Stages!! The first is the Willamette Mall from Dead Rising. During the match the stage transitions from day to night. The other stage is the Orbital Ring Hangar from Tekkaman Blade. As the match progresses a firefight breaks out in the background

• Wi-Fi online play has been added

• Modes include Friend, Rival, Free and Ranked Battles

• Online play will not be limited by Friend Codes

• Earn Points and Titles

• Online leader boards

Confirmed Characters as Follows
[click for larger Image]

Here's a Quick Video of Frank's (Dead Rising) New Stage!

Supplementing my SFIV Habit with Another...

Welcome 2010'ers...it's the future! Flying cars, computers that talk, Philly Eagles Super Bowl Champs, Marty McFly. Maybe not. It is , however, another year to look forward to excellent game releases, big industry announcements and even bigger title reveals. Actually, tomorrow marks the first big release that's been on my list for the past year (since it was announced): Darksiders. Excited, you ask me? Yes sir. Zelda meets God of War? You had me at Zelda. Perhaps this is the game that tears me away from Street Fighter IV? Hm, probably not but I will say this: Darksiders could just be that sleeper hit I have been ever so patiently waiting for.

Here's the short list:

• Developed by Vigil Games
• Darksiders is primarily a combat action game, with weapons such as giant swords and miniguns available.
  
• Miniguns = awesome
  
• Your best friend is a Horse named Ruin that you get to ride...and kill things with
• The powers and horse which War must regain play an important role in the game as they enable him to access areas of the world which would otherwise be closed to him.
• Puzzles galore and an inventory system to die for (this is where the Zelda references come in)
• 15+ hour campaign with re-playability

Want some Scores that have all ready hit the aggregated sites?

[wiki]

• Play Magazine has given Darksiders a 10 out of 10
• UK games show called PLAYR gave Darksiders 9.5 out of 10. The point 5 loss is due to the absence of multiplayer.
  
• Game Informer has given Darksiders an 8.5 out of 10.
• Game Vortex gave Darksiders a 95 percent.
• GamePro gave Darksiders on the PS3 a 92% and the 360 a 91%.
• Gamers Temple gave Darksiders a 98%.
• IGN gave Darksiders an 8.9 and 9.0 out of 10, praising the art style and solid game mechanics.
• AusGamers gave Darksiders a 9.4 out of 10, talking about the game's great puzzle system and excellent pacing.

From what has been written up about Darksiders thus far it should be a great play. It didn't make my "Games to Look Out for in 2010" list for nothing! The non-playable demo showing at last years New York Comicon also played a role in my excitement. Now, don't get me wrong Street Fighter IV will still be played a mandatory amount of time each night...it's just going to be nice to vary it up a little if you know what I mean. Oh, did I forget to mention I just purchased Marvel vs Capcom 2 on XBLA?

Yup.

-game hard-

Back on Monday!

Just a quick FYI:

Warp 9's Crew will be back in full effect this coming Monday. We have officially taken a few days off to celebrate the New Year and all its festivities. Check back Monday for all the latest and greatest Video Game News!

OverlordStrider's Play-list for the break thus far:

• Modern Warfare 2
• Left 4 Dead 2
• Street Fighter IV
• More Street Fighter IV
• NBA Jam (yup, seriously)
• Even More Street Fighter IV

-game hard-