q1-2011
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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 'Reverie' DLC delayed until March
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow's "Reverie" DLC, originally set to be released this month, has slipped into March according to an announcement on the Castlevania Facebook page. "Our apologies for the delay but it's going to be worth it!" That "unruly evil" that Gabriel and Laura track down in the DLC is only going to be more unruly the longer we let it stew. Konami offered no reason for the delay, but a late, complete DLC pack is always preferable to a buggy, punctual release. It is also unknown whether this delay will cause the followup DLC to slip out of its April release window. We're checking in with Konami to find out when it has scheduled the "Resurrection."
Ridge Racer Type 4 coming to PSOne Classics
To celebrate the upcoming Ridge Racer 3D on 3DS and Ridge Racer Unbounded on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC, Namco Bandai is digging into its catalog and giving a classic Ridge Racer a second lap around the track. Ridge Racer Type 4, originally released in North America in 1999, will be available on the PlayStation Store next month, playable on both PSP and PS3. Unfortunately for those of you who want the true Ridge Racer Type 4 experience, neither the PS3 nor PSP will allow you to connect your JogCon controller. You won't be able to have the realistic feeling of driving a car using a small dial.
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood hits PC March 17, Steam pre-orders include bonuses
PC-based assassins eager to join the Brotherhood will finally get the chance to unsheath their high-resolution, realistically lit blades next month. Ubisoft forum manager Mr_Shade announced the release dates for the PC version of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood on the game's UK board: March 17 for the US (and "certain EMEA territories") and March 18 for the UK. Pre-ordering the game from Steam will earn you a free upgrade to the "Digital Deluxe Edition," which includes playable Harlequin and Officer characters, the "Trajan Market" and "Aqueduct" maps (they're similar to the linear "Lairs of Romulus" sections), the Assassin's Creed Lineage movie, and various other bonuses. Along with the full list of freebies, Steam also posted the required specs -- be sure to check those out before you place your order.
Bit.Trip Flux keeps CommanderVideo alive Feb. 28
CommanderVideo, hero of the Bit.Trip series, will finish his journey through psychedelic techno-scapes of attacking pixels on February 28 in North America, and February 25 in Europe, according to developer Gaijin Games. Those are the dates when Bit. Trip Flux will be released on WiiWare. In the announcement of the release dates, Gaijin's Alex Neuse revealed that there is no "Game Over" result in Flux -- which is a pretty sharp contrast from the other five Bit.Trip games, in which "game over" is basically the natural state. "To help tell the story of CommanderVideo's transition back to The Source," he said, "we wanted to convey the point that it is an unstoppable pull which draws him home. For this reason, there is no Game Over." Flux is designed to be completed in a single session, something that "most players" will be able to do. The challenge will be in reaching and sustaining the "Meta Mode" for as long as possible by hitting consecutive beats. "But the primary goal of Flux is to be an exploration of visual beauty, aural splendor, graceful gameplay, and how it feels to be lost in the beauty of life," Neuse added, "while reminiscing about all the events that led CommanderVideo to this, his purest form."
Ubisoft releasing six 3DS games for European launch
Ubisoft announced an impressively large lineup of 3DS titles during Nintendo's 3DS event, all targeted at the period between launch and E3 in June. Today, during an earnings release, the company narrowed down the release dates for many of those titles, at least in Europe. According to the document, Asphalt 3D, Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs 3D, Rabbids 3D, Rayman 3D, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 3D, and Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars will all be released in EMEA territories in the quarter ending March 31. Since the 3DS will be out in Europe on March 25, we can safely call all six of these "launch games." As for North America, the document says only "US 3DS line-up to be confirmed later." However, if all of these games are done in time for the European launch, we can probably expect to see all of them in North America around late March too. This list leaves off two announced Ubisoft 3DS titles: James Noir's Hollywood Crimes and Driver Renegade. Couldn't get all eight games ready at once? We're disappointed, Ubisoft. Only six is an embarrassment.
Halo: Reach 'Defiant Map Pack' offers three new maps in March
Reach for your wallet, because more Halo's on the way. The Halo: Reach "Defiant" Map Pack, first seen in leaked images last week, has been officially revealed by Microsoft as a set of three new multiplayer maps, available next month for 800 Microsoft Points. "Condemned," set on a space station above the planet Reach, is designed for 6-12 players in various team modes and Free for All, while "Highlands" is a Big Team Battle, Team Slayer, and Team Objective map set in the "Wilderness Training Preserve" on the planet. Finally, "Unearthed" is a new Firefight map set inside a titanium mine. he map pack includes new Achievements to the value of 150 Gamerscore. It's worth noting that the maps were created "in partnership" with Age of Booty developer Certain Affinity, a team of Bungie vets that has made maps for Call of Duty: Black Ops, World at War, and Halo 2.%Gallery-116574%
Double Dragon iPhone remake due out in March
We want to be happy about the fact that Aksys Games is publishing a new remake of the classic Double Dragon -- because we like Double Dragon -- but a couple of complications have us a bit worried. First, it's being developed not by Million -- the company built from the original Technos team that made Double Dragon -- but by mobile game developer Brizo Interactive. Second, and most troubling ... it's an iPhone game. Aksys promises an "easy-to-use on-screen controller and combo system," but we're justifiably wary of any kind of beat-em-up port for iPhone -- especially since the "controller" looks a lot like a regular old virtual pad and buttons in the screenshots. Still, we like the Neo Geo-esque visual makeover. We'll find out if this remake Double Dragon is good or Abobo-minable when it comes out in March.%Gallery-116321%
PixelJunk Shooter 2 spills onto PSN March 1
If you're ready for a second dose of subterranean aviation and fluid dynamics, you'll be delighted to hear that PixelJunk Shooter 2 is rapidly approaching its release date on PSN. Q-Games just announced that the sequel, which adds an online versus mode and three new worlds, will be released on March 1. In the announcement on the PlayStation Blog, Q-Games president Dylan Cuthbert teased "very interesting things" the company plans to announce in the next few weeks. It's likely to be good news for fans of HD games with tiny, tiny sprites.
Disney Interactive sees growth in Q1 2011 despite 'acquisition accounting'
The Walt Disney Company has reported its earnings for the first quarter of 2011, and the Interactive Media department saw revenues increase 58 percent from last year over the same period, to $349 million. Despite "higher sales of console games" this year (Epic Mickey and Toy Story 3 are cited as part of the "strong performance"), the company says that the acquisition of Playdom nevertheless led to a segment operating results loss of $13 million, an increase from the $10 million loss the year before. In other words, Disney Interactive is doing better, but was still brought down by what it calls "the impact of acquisition accounting" -- the money spent on Playdom (presumably a one-time cost) sent the department into the red for the quarter. Unfortunately, that leaves Interactive Media to be the only division showing a loss for the quarter; Media Networks, Parks and Resorts, Studio Entertainment and Consumer Products all showed nice growth. Disney probably isn't too worried, though. Not that Disney Interactive has another Epic Mickey-sized title coming up that we know about, but the Playdom deal's after-echos are disguising what appears to be some steady growth that the home office will hopefully see for what it is.
Xbox Live House Party titles (Beyond Good & Evil HD, Torchlight) dated, priced
Just in the nick of time, Microsoft has announced dates and prices for its month-long Xbox Live Arcade House Party promotion. Things kick off on February 16 with Arc System Works' not-Contra side-scroller, Hard Corps: Uprising, priced at 1200 points ($15), followed by PopCap's Bejeweled Blitz on February 23, for 800 points ($10). Things really get moving on March 2, when Beyond Good & Evil HD is released for the eminently reasonable price of 800 points. The last two releases will undoubtedly gather the most attention: the excellent, heretofore computer-bound, dungeon crawler Torchlight will be released on March 9 for 1200 points, while Microsoft's Live-enabled Full House Poker makes its debut on March 16 for a surprisingly low 800 points.
Fallout: New Vegas 'Dead Money' coming to PC and PSN this month
Fallout: New Vegas' Dead Money DLC will have PlayStation 3 and PC users playing its vicious little scenario on Tuesday, February 22. PS3 owners can pick it up through the PSN, while PC owners have the choice of Steam and Direct2Drive. Bethesda also mentioned that the next three expansion packs for New Vegas will launch simultaneously on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. Dead Money will likely be $10 on PS3 and PC (as it was on Xbox 360), but we're currently following up with Bethesda for confirmation. Update: Bethesda tells Joystiq that it hasn't announced price for the DLC, but will announce it in the "coming weeks."
Swarm converging on March launch
Last time we heard about Swarm, the game was given an "early 2011" release window on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network. Today, we have news from developer Hothead Games that the blue crowd control-'em-up will hit digital marketplaces sometime in the month of March. Rounding out the release news is a new "Ask Dr. Mike" trailer and several colorful new screens of the adorable little blue hoard in action. If you're looking for a leg up in the game before it arrives later this year, Dr. Mike has a smattering of helpful hints waiting just after the break.%Gallery-115648%
Homefront arriving one week late on March 15
During THQ's investor call today, president and CEO Brian Farrell repositioned Homefront's launch from March 8 to March 15. A THQ rep confirmed the delay to Joystiq, saying, "We moved our Homefront launch date by one week to March 15." No specific reason was given for the move, but the launches of Pokemon Black & White and Dragon Age 2 on March 8 go a long way in explaining it. The rest of THQ's statement seems to reflect our supposition: "We think we have a great opportunity to dominate retail on this date." Tell that to Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's World Championship 2011: Over the Nexus.
Now you can play Shinobi III on your iPhone
Sega has released another Genesis/Mega Drive classic to the App Store, and it continues to be exactly as good an idea as it was every other time. Today's sad reminder of how great Genesis games are when you can control them is Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master, a side-scrolling action game originally released in 1993. The iPhone version is available today for $2.99. If you'd like button-ful options, it's also available on Steam, the Wii Virtual Console, in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for Xbox 360 and PS3, and the Sega Genesis Collection for PSP and PS2.
King's Quest 3 fan remake announced, The Silver Lining episode 3 delayed
Two separate, but oddly parallel, developments in the world of King's Quest fan games were announced this week, in what must be the biggest week for King's Quest news in years. First, Phoenix Online announced a delay for the third episode of the officially Activision-blessed fan series, The Silver Lining, from January 29 to early February. In the announcement, the developer claimed that the episode, which is "more than twice the size of Episode 2," and which necessitated the hiring of 20 additional animators, needed extra polish. In other "third King's Quest game" news, AGD Interactive announced a fan remake of King's Quest 3: To Heir is Human, which it says it has been "covertly developing" over eight years. The planned release date? February!%Gallery-115161%
'Oregon Trail' and 'Carmen Sandiego' coming to Facebook in Feb.
Please excuse us if a bit too much childlike excitement comes through in today's news that fresh takes on The Oregon Trail and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? will be released for Facebook early next month. Next-Gen.biz spotted a note revealing the two titles on developer Darius Kazemi's personal blog, where he expressed his own childlike excitement to have worked on them. "I loved both of these games as a kid (my favorites were Where in Space...? and Where in the USA...?), and one of the main reasons I took the job at Blue Fang was to get a chance to work on these awesome titles," Kazemi gushed. Even better, trailers for both can be found after the break, revealing a bit about the titles' respective gameplay, as well as their launch dates -- February 2 for The Oregon Trail (with hunting, yes!) and February 9 for Carmen Sandiego. And both games, we must add, look totally awesome. We're starting to get worried about this whole "Facebook" thing.%Gallery-115170%
Explodemon detonates Feb. 8 on PSN for $10
Unlike certain Capcom Mobile games that make us feel all weird inside, Curve Studios' Explodemon for PS3 reminds us of Twisted Pixel's Splosion Man franchise ... but in a good way (it helps that it's not a direct ripoff -- and that it was announced the same week that SM was). After Explodemon was given an amorphous "January 2011" release window late last month, the PSN-exclusive game is now set to officially launch on February 8 in North America and February 9 in Europe, for $9.99 and €9.99/£7.99, respectively. We're using the coming weeks to prepare our blast suits, and we suggest you do the same.
Super Ramen Bros. dev returns with Smuggle Truck
Owlchemy Labs -- the development team that made iPhone game Super Ramen Brothers in 24 hours -- is back with Smuggle Truck, a physics-based driving game for iOS and browsers. The objective of the game is to smuggle illegal aliens and real aliens across an unspecified border, leaping chasms, catching birthing babies as they pop up from the back of the truck, and generally seeing to it that the precious "cargo" stays safe along the way to freedom. Smuggle Truck will be available in March, but Owlchemy thinks it would be a hoot to host a level creation contest in February with the release of the game's web-based editor app. It's also noteworthy that the game's art is being created by Bill Tiller, who was the lead background artist for LucasArts' classic adventure game Curse of Monkey Island, among other titles. Check out a pair of videos of the border jumping gameplay after the break.
Yakuza 4 to pummel faces on March 15
Sega surprised us this afternoon, updating its "Spring 2011" release window for Yakuza 4 in North America with a March 15 release date. The title will arrive exclusively on the PlayStation 3, and, as promised, will bring back hostess clubs that were missing from Yakuza 3's North American release. A new trailer for March's mafia brawler was also released, showcasing the game's eccentric personalities and their flashy fighting moves. We'd be lying if we said we weren't most excited to play as Kazuma Kiryu -- he's the dude you see above totally flipping out.
Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy dated March 22, 2011 [undecim]
Square Enix's absurdly named Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy will bring the Final fight to retail on March 22, 2011, with an asking price of $29.99. The North American release of the game comes only a few weeks after the Japanese launch. The publisher also announced that the PSP fighter will feature voice work by Rachael Leigh Cook as Tifa, Keith David as Chaos, Steve Burton as Cloud Strife and George Newbern as Sephiroth. All those FF characters in one game and not one with the pipes of Nolan North? It's hard to imagine.
