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Rusty Hearts dev diary unveils new PvP details
The latest Rusty Hearts dev diary from Perfect World Entertainment is a short one, but it's still packed to the brim with new details on the game's PvP system. So if you're the type of player who would rather smash your comrades' faces into the dirt than -- gag -- cooperate, listen up. Players will be able to create private rooms for their friends to join and take part in PvP combat, which comes in a variety of delicious flavors. Of course, you've got your vanilla team deathmatch for those of you who like to keep it traditional, or the elimination deathmatch in which two teams battle until only one is left standing. There's also the VIP gametype, which designates one player of each team the VIP, while the other players are tasked with protecting their own VIP and assassinating the enemy's. All of these games' statistics will be logged for bragging rights, and players will also be rewarded with PvP points that can be spent on fancy new items. Players will also be ranked in a ladder system that will allow them to see where they stand compared to the rest of the world. With all this and certainly more to come, it looks like Rusty Hearts is shaping up to be a competitive player's dream. Jump on past the cut for the full dev diary.
Rusty Hearts reveals Frantz, releases new dev diary
Perfect World Entertainment is treating Rusty Hearts fans to a bevy of new information today, with the release of a new dev diary and some new information about Rusty Hearts character Frantz. Poor, poor Mr. Frantz. As if getting bitten by a vampire wasn't enough, his fiancée ended up in a tragic accident, forcing Frantz to turn her into a vampire as well in order to save her life. Unlike Frantz, who apparently had the willpower to only go half-vampire (you never go full-vampire), his fiancée seems not to have taken it quite so well and has disappeared, leaving Frantz desperately searching for her. Next up is the new developer diary, which is short but sweet. In the video, Product Manager Mark Hill talks a bit about Rusty Hearts and what players can expect from it. None of the information revealed is terribly new, but there is some flashy gameplay footage, as well as some talk about the two of the game's characters who aren't half-vampires. For some new pictures of Frantz, check out the gallery below, and then jump on past the cut for the full dev diary video. And remember, Rusty Hearts' closed beta gears up later this month, so head on over to the official site to sign up. %Gallery-128432%
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 on iPad, X-Men Arcade out now on iOS
It's Thursday again and that means more big profile releases in the App Store. This week there are two big titles out to play with, in addition to lots of other smaller releases. First up, Konami has released a port of the old X-Men: The Arcade Game on iOS, the side-scrolling beat-em-up from way back in 1992. It's been updated with Game Center, but as with most of these old school games, the controls consist of a couple of onscreen buttons -- not exactly ideal. Still, fans of the title will enjoy it, and the US$2.99 download price ain't bad at all, especially since it's a universal version. And EA's Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is now available on the iPad. It's been out on the iPhone for a little while, but this high budget FPS is now playing on the bigger screen as well. There are three different control setups to play with, Game Center integration, and even full 6-player action on both Wi-Fi and 3G. At $9.99, it's the very definition of a premium title, but as you probably know, EA has a big sale nearly every holiday, so just wait a while and you'll probably see it cheaper.
Dragon Nest closed beta delayed
Nexon's Dragon Nest team announced today that the 3-D brawler's closed beta is being pushed back until June. While this may seem like bad news for fans anticipating the chance to get their hands on the game, Nexon assures us the team felt the decision necessary in order "to provide a polished and positive experience for our players, fans, and testers." The game -- described by Nexon CEO Daniel Kim as "an action MMO that the company is trying to position as the third point in the 'Triangle of Awesome,' along with Vindictus and Dungeon Fighter Online" -- is a dungeon-crawler wherein the player chooses one of four classes (Warrior, Archer, Cleric, or Sorceress) and ventures with others into a variety of instanced dungeons to take part in fast-paced, combo-based combat against all manners of enemies. Until the final date for the closed beta is announced, check out Massively's hands-on impressions of the game from PAX East and -- if you haven't already -- head to the Dragon Nest official site to sign up for beta.
Rusty Hearts announces E3 debut
Perfect World Entertainment announced in a press release today that its upcoming title Rusty Hearts will make its North American debut at this year's E3. Presented in a crisp, clean, cel-shaded style, the game is described as a hack 'n' slash dungeon-crawler and allows players to take control of one of many pre-made heroes for a fast, furious and combo-filled brawl through a number of dungeons. It will also include PvP in the form of arena battles, guild battles, and tournaments. And for those of you who prefer to let your thumbs do the work, the game will provide full support for PC gamepads. Keep an eye out for more information on Rusty Hearts from the upcoming E3, and feel free to hit the game's official site to sign up for the beta.
TUAW's Daily App: Third Blade
Com2Us is a Korean publisher that's produced some quality iPhone titles, and its latest release, Third Blade, keeps that trend going. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of original iPhone gameplay here (it's a traditional beat-em-up, though there are some nice RPG elements as you go), but while the actual game style is pretty well traveled, the action is well-done anyway. With an on-screen analog control and three different blade types that you can use to hack and slash through the well-rendered enemies, there's plenty of fun to be had, especially if you're up for a relatively hardcore action experience. Each of the three blades that you can use (a faster dual wield, a stronger one-hand sword and a huge, but slow, two-hand "buster sword") also levels up, and as the game goes along, there are also abilities to uncover and use against the enemies you meet. The enemies themselves are kind of repetitive (though I find most action games repetitive in this way -- it's more about the moves you can pull off rather than the variety of bad guys you come across, I think), but the graphics look great, and the hack-and-slash action is satisfying. There are a few modes to play with, Game Center is integrated, and Com2Us says that more content will be available in the app soon. Third Blade is a more hardcore experience than your standard casual iOS action game, but for those looking for a little bit tougher action experience, it's worth the US$2.99 to download and play.
TUAW's Daily App: Brutal Fantasy
Brutal Fantasy: The Orcs of Undermountain is an interesting mashup of action and role playing. The actual gameplay is a beat-em-up like the old Golden Axe and Double Dragon games. You play as a knight battling through all kinds of different minions and bad guys, using a virtual D-pad and action buttons to hack, slash and cast various spells along the way. But the game is also an RPG -- there's a story to play through, which is drawn comic book style, and you can level up stats, get new loot and upgrade as you see fit. The art style is pretty distinctive -- it's all done by Joel "Drakxxx" Rose, and while it might take a little getting used to, everything is very detailed and stylistic. One word of warning: when the title says "brutal," it ain't kidding around. You'll see lots of blood and limbs spraying around in this one. The full game is US$1.99, and it comes with Game Center integration and universal compatibility, with enhanced graphics on the iPad. That's a pretty good deal already, but if you're not yet sold you can play through the Prologue version of the game for free. It's short, and it has ads, but it should give you a good idea of just how much fun the full game is.
TUAW's Daily App: HYBRID 2: Saga of Nostalgia
Gamevil's new action RPG HYBRID 2 is an excellent game, but it's not one that I would recommend for just anyone to pick up. We've spotlighted plenty of great casual games and apps here on the Daily App, but HYBRID 2 doesn't fit in that category. If you've never played a Japanese-style action RPG, you'll probably get lost right away. There is a pretty solid tutorial for the combos, but soon after that, the game quickly falls into the kinds of tropes that only someone who loves old school RPGs can deal with; there's a convoluted plot in which the world has to be saved from a supernatural threat (again), jerky controls with lots of stats to oversee and upgrade, and even lots of typos and some Engrish in the menus. Don't get me wrong -- HYBRID 2 is actually a lot of fun. If you've played the first one, you'll automatically know what to do, and even if not, you can skip right past the cutscenes and get right into the excellently stylish 2D fighting and rewarding level grinding. Once you actually wrap your head around it (and your fingers around the less than trustworthy D-pad and virtual buttons), there's some great hacking-and-slashing action to be had, with hundred-hit combos earning XP and loot all the way through the quest-based storyline. The game is worth the US$4.99 for the right person. If the action sounds good to you and you aren't about to let a cluttered interface and clumsy story get in the way, have at it. Everyone else will probably have to wait for Dungeon Hunter 2 to get their action RPG on.
Comic Jumper packs in free 'Splosion Man DLC (plus: new trailers!)
You know, we thought we couldn't want need Twisted Pixel's Comic Jumper any more than we already do, but the announcement that two new levels for 'Splosion Man will be included with the game offers almost too much value for us to handle. And that's not even taking into account the two new trailers developer Twisted Pixel has sent along with the news. You can check out an overview of the game above and find the good gameplay stuff just beyond the break.
European PSN releases for May 5
Our world's been flipped, turned upside-down! Yes, European PSN updates are now going to take place on Wednesday, which means we're going to have to find something else in Thursday to get excited about. As we ponder this dilemma, check out some of the new stuff that drops this week, including Modern Warfare 2's "Stimulus Package," Kick-Ass: The Game, Feeding Frenzy 2, and ... the soundtrack for Flower? Yeah, okay. Sure. Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
European PSN releases for April 15
This week's European PSN update caters to a wide variety of interests. Fan of humorous adventure games? Check out the first episode of Sam & Max - The Devil's Playhouse. Looking to revisit an timeless classic? You should pick up Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee. Wanna know what this Kick-Ass business is all about? You can grab the entire comic series on the PSP's Digital Comics Reader. Can't get enough of Britney Spear's impossibly catchy "Toxic?" Guess what -- it's on Karaoke Revolution now. You're welcome! Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
Kick-Ass pummels PSN on April 29 for $15
The bewildering movie-to-game adaptation of Kick-Ass has been re-dated and priced. Now scheduled for a worldwide April 29 release, the beat-'em-up will cost $14.99 on PSN. Presumably, the iPhone version will cost a bit less than that. In addition to Facebook connectivity, the PS3 version of Kick-Ass will feature couch co-op play, bonus levels, arena mode, extreme mode, an unlockable comic, and clips from the movie. However, all the fluff in the world isn't going to make up for quality gameplay (or lack thereof). Let's see if Kick-Ass can deliver. %Gallery-90492%
The violent, vulgar first trailer for Kick-Ass: The Game
Update: Looks like we weren't the only ones who thought this trailer was a little over-the-top -- WHA Entertainment has been asked by the ESRB to rework it, so we've gone ahead and put the brakes on the video until WHA provides us with the revised edit. Nearly everything about Kick-Ass: The Game is bewildering. Like its movie and comic counterpart, it features young, everyday kids killing bad guys in graphically violent ways. It's a bit startling to see a game with such vulgar language appear on Apple's iPhone platform, and how bizarrely random is a simultaneous release on iPhone and PS3 (via PSN)? Less unexpected is the apparent "budget" quality of Kick-Ass: The Game, as featured in the trailer. Predictably, the game looks to be a rather standard beat-em-up, with the kind of low production values we've come to expect from simple, movie tie-in games. We do see mention of Facebook connectivity in this trailer, but it's hard to gauge the precise functionality of the feature. Still, if both the PS3 and iPhone versions of the game are priced right, Kick Ass may be worth checking out, especially for fans of the franchise. Kick-Ass: The Game will launch simultaneously on PSN and iPhone on April 15. %Gallery-88715%
Kick-Ass: The Game coming to PS3 and iPhone
The not-so-super heroes of the upcoming movie, Kick-Ass, are brawling their way to two platforms: iPhone and PlayStation 3. Like the movie, the game adaptation follows the adventures of ordinary people who decide to dress up in costumes and fight crime ... in the goriest way possible. While we're getting a Watchmen: The End is Nigh vibe from the entire project, Kick-Ass does bring some innovation to the table. The press release promises an "unsurpassed integration of Facebook and Twitter to the PSN Network," making it the first game ever announced to take advantage of PS3's Facebook feature in a way that's more meaningful than syncing your Trophies and PlayStation Store purchases. It appears Facebook will play a vital role in the game, with the official site promising "Facebook missions." Kick-Ass: The Game is expected to release on April 15th, the same day as the film. You can check a trailer for the movie after the break -- and if you're not at work, you can catch the uncensored red band trailer on Youtube.
Pirates Plundarrr sailing Wii-ward this April
click to plund-arrr the gall-arrr-yMajesco followed up its announcement of Attack of the Movies 3D with another multiplayer Wii experience, this time with a much sillier title: Pirates Plund-arrr. Three r's. If it were two r's, it would be the planet that the Thundercats' enemies come from. Obviously. The Wii game, developed by casual game creator Boomzap Entertainment, is a 2D side-scrolling brawler, with (obviously) a pirate theme. You and up to three friends beat up a bunch of pirates and ghosts (and pirate ghosts, presumably) in a quest to find Captain Rudebelly and retrieve the Scepter of Power. To help them along, players will be able to ride warthogs and ... "trigger meat meteor showers raining down from above." The combination of four-player fighting, Flash-like 2D graphics, and character leveling makes this sound somewhat like a take on the Castle Crashers style, which sounds good to us. Majesco plans to release Plund-Arrr in April. %Gallery-82012%
VC in Brief: Final Fight 3 (SNES)
Only one Virtual Console game this week: Final Fight 3. It's more of the same in the third installment of Capcom's classic beat-em-up, which adds custom super moves for each fighter. Check it out in the latest episode of VC in Brief above! Final Fight 3 (SNES, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points) Every week, we like to check out what's new on the Virtual Console. We offer these videos as a sort of taste to help you decide whether or not you would want the game in question. We also toss in our own two cents because we're pushy jerks like that.
Simpsons Arcade (sort of) released on iPhone
If you happened to be wandering around a St. Louis, Missouri arcade in the early nineties, you'd probably find a young me, playing the Simpsons Arcade game (either that or the Avengers game, I loved that one too). It was great: beat-em-up action, The Simpsons, and impressive animations and graphics for the era. Now, EA Mobile wants you to try and revisit those days on your iPhone -- kind of. They've released something that they're calling The Simpsons Arcade [iTunes Link] on the App Store, and while it is a nice sort of tribute to the old game, it's not exactly a direct port. Trust me -- I played the old game, which had the family chasing after Maggie, and this game, which has Homer chasing after a doughnut, isn't the same thing. It's not a bad game -- it is a beat-em-up, with the standard movement stick, and an attack and jump button, which can be used in the ways you'd expect. And it does have real voices and sounds from the show, nice new, crisp graphics, and (c'mon, it's The Simpsons) guest stars aplenty. You can bring the family members in for special attacks later on in the game's 25 levels, and there are even some mini-games just like the old arcade version. But it's not the same, and for $4.99 in the App Store with no free trial currently available, it's slightly disingenuous to call this "The Simpsons Arcade" when you're not really getting to play the old game. If I bought this expecting a port and opened it up to find the respectable 2D beat-em-up that it is, I'd probably be a little disappointed. It's a good, solid game, and probably worth the price if you like this type of thing, but don't come expecting to revisit those glory days of '91 in any way but the overall feel.
TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled tops September PSN sales
Once again proving that regular people don't care about what critics have to say, TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled managed to climb to the top of the PSN download chart for September. With Final Fantasy VII and Marvel Vs Capcom 2 also maintaining enviable positions, it's clear that people love paying for nostalgia. 1) TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled 2) NBA 2K10: Draft Combine 3) Final Fantasy VII 4) Marvel Vs Capcom 2 5) Fat Princess 6) Battlefield 1943 7) Zombie Apocalypse 8) Silent Hill 9) Final Fantasy Tactics 10) SimCity 2000 We'd also like to point out that this may be the first month Mortal Kombat II is not in the top 10. Did everyone in the world finally buy it?
Castle Crashers Necromantic DLC coming tomorrow for 160 MS Points
Wow. When Castle Crashers developer The Behemoth teased last week that its upcoming Necromantic DLC pack was coming "SOON," they weren't kidding. According to a countdown clock recently added to the game's official blog, it's due to drop tomorrow, bringing the long overdue chainsaw, two new characters and one new animal orb to the multi-man beat-'em-up. The company has wisely placed the price of the expansion at 160 -- so before you download that new The Devil Wears Prada track on Rock Band 2, we want you to stop, and reconsider your priorities. Music from a hardcore band named after a Meryl Streep movie? Or chainsaws? (This decision is also a litmus test for whether we can still be friends with you. Choose wisely.)
This Wednesday: Turtles in Time comes out of its shell on XBLA
Eastman and Laird's "heroes in a half-shell" slash and kick their way back onto Xbox Live Arcade this week in TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled. The game, which Ubisoft dropped the price on in the eleventh hour to 800 ($10), is -- for those of you who've been hiding in your shells -- a fully polygonal, HD remake of its classic 1991 arcade namesake. (The Turtles first appeared on XBLA in March of 2007 in the direct port of their original 1989 coin-op debut.) Like that game, this one will support local and online multiplayer for up to four players. So, who will you play as? (Please refer to this list of their abilities from the 1987 animated series' theme song before choosing.) Fun fact for US gamers: The gang is known as the Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles in the UK and parts of Europe because the glorification of ninjas (those sinister assassins!) was seen as bad for kids -- but this wasn't?
