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Castlevania: Mirror of Fate shining in HD on XBLA, PSN this Halloween
3DS Castlevania entry Mirror of Fate takes flight in HD to Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network on October 31, and also features in a Lords of Shadow collection released on the same day. The Halloween feast includes the first Lords of Shadow, its "Reverie" and "Resurrection" DLC, as well as Mirror of Fate; there are no details on price as yet. The collection also grants access to a playable demo of Lords of Shadow 2, but so does a PSN/XBLA purchase of Mirror of Fate if you'd prefer a smaller bite of vampiric adventure. The news comes via the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow official Facebook page and Konami Europe, so we have reached out to the publisher to confirm North American availability and details. According to Konami, Mirror of Fate HD adds online leader boards, a "Boss Rush Mode," and other "gameplay refinements." Today's news follows last week's retailer listing for the now confirmed Lords of Shadow collection, which led us to the Brazilian classification board where the 3DS game is also rated for Wii U and PC in addition to PS3 and Xbox 360. Of course those ratings could mean very little, but we'd advise Wii Us and PCs to keep their collars up for the time being.
PSA: Mark of the Ninja Special Edition DLC available on Steam, XBLA
Mark of the Ninja's "Special Edition" DLC is available now on Steam and XBLA. The additional content will set armchair ninjas back 400 MSP ($5), and offers players the chance to portray Dosan, the game's mysterious tattoo artist. Dosan's adventure is set before the events of the game and includes new challenges as well as two new items. The new items and play-style introduced by Dosan can be used in the original game. Mark of the Ninja's Special Edition DLC also offers developer commentary tracks for every level of the game.
Castle of Illusion hopping to PSN September 3, XBLA and PC September 4
Sega's Castle of Illusion remake will launch on September 3 for PS3, then arrive on XBLA and PC the next day, September 4. The platformer will set players back 1200 MSP, or $14.99 in North America, and will cost £ 9.99 and €14.99 in Europe. Sega also announced that those pre-ordering the game through PSN will receive the original Genesis version of Castle of Illusion for free, along with one theme and three avatars. What's more, the Genesis game will be available for download right after you pre-order the HD remake, so those finding the wait for the new version excruciating can feel a little more at ease.
PSA: Dead Rising 2, Case Zero free through Games with Gold now
After plummeting from the colossal height of Agency Tower, why not try a sedate change of pace by dressing up like Elvis and bashing in thousands upon thousands of zombie heads? As of today, Dead Rising 2 takes over from Crackdown as Xbox Live's Games with Gold freebie, meaning Gold subscribers can grab it along with its prologue, DR2: Case Zero, for nada and niente until the end of the month. Both Dead Rising 2 and Case Zero are available for free now - see you at the mall.
Vaudevillian beat-em-up Foul Play raises XBLA, PC curtains next month
> Foul Play, the Victorian era's answer to Castle Crashers, takes the stage on XBLA and PC on September 18. The game, which mixes two-player local and online co-op brawling with the revelry of a Vaudeville stage show, comes courtesy of suitably British studio Mediatonic, the team behind Monsters (Probably) Stole My Princess and the Amateur Surgeon series. Foul Play features demon-hunter Baron Dashforth and his sidekick Scampwick as they put on a show chronicling the thrills and spills of the Baron's life. So, rather than survival, the aim is to keep the audience entertained. Messages of "ACCEPTABLE!" and "SPLENDID!" pop up as score multipliers are raised, rewarding players for thwacking enemies around the stage in creative ways. When we saw the game last year, creative director Paul Croft described it as "like a side-scrolling brawler meets Rock Band," because it eschewed traditional health bars and damage meters, allowing players to simply focus on putting on a jolly good show, what what. Mediatonic has yet to put a price on admission, although Croft suggested £10 as a possibility, which converts to around $15.
Charlie Murder soundtrack, vinyl spins out for a buyer-picked price
Charlie Murder's soundtrack is one of the best parts of the game, which admittedly has a lot of good parts overall. The soundtrack is a punk rock homage performed by Ska Studios' James Silva and Michelle Juett Silva (and friends), and it's available to download for "anything you want," from $0 to whatever your wallet can handle. There's also a classy, three-track vinyl edition available for $10 or more, featuring the songs "Mnemomic Atomic," "I Vote 4 Chaos" and a cover from Ska's previous game, I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES 1NIT!!!1, "For Yr Pain." Purchasing the vinyl automatically nets you a download of the full Charlie Murder album, so you may want to consider the two-for-one.
Charlie Murder review: Search and destroy
Damn it, Charlie Murder. You're a fiend. You're a hardcore, chaotic mess of heathenry and horror. You're worse than a pre-epiphany Grinch, bloodier than Bunker Hill, messier than an unsupervised 2-year-old eating spaghetti and chocolate ice cream, and more outrageous than Lady Gaga at a PETA banquet. And this is why I love you.%Gallery-191157%
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Review: Do Not Separate
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is an essential treasure to play. I promise, the game's sincere quality absolves the terribleness of its title, which is barely a step up from "Characters: A Story of Them." And yet it truly is a story of them, two boys who leave their humble village behind in a quest for a mythical cure. Their father has fallen ill, and with the loss of Mother ever-fresh in mind, the brothers hope to pluck the solution from a far-off magical tree and undo the fragility that has befallen their family. The involvement of Stockholm-based film director Josef Fares is in plain sight, the camera looking down upon the two boys as they crawl under forests and over frigid mountains. Keeping both characters in frame emphasizes the necessity of cooperation between the two, while the top-down view makes their movements easier to comprehend, as if they were twin hockey pucks gliding across the ice. As much as it may seem to be a traditional co-op game, Brothers divides the attention of a single player between two bodies, with tall Big Brother on the left analog stick and golden-haired Little Brother on the right.%Gallery-169592%
The Behemoth handing out three prisoners in Battleblock Theater for free this week
The Behemoth is offering three playable prisoners to Battleblock Theater owners this week. Players that log in to the full version of the game on Xbox Live will receive the Boot, Moose and 50% Off Prisoner characters for free. The developer plans to introduce at least one new Battleblock Theater prisoner on a weekly basis through the month of August, so those that have missed out on characters such as Donuts or Rose still have more to look forward to. %Gallery-184916%
Self-publishing rumored for Xbox 360, Microsoft has nothing to announce
Xbox 360 developers may be able to self-publish their games on Xbox Live Arcade starting this August, according to a recent update from The Pinball Arcade developer FarSight Studios. Microsoft, however, maintains that there have been no official changes to the Xbox 360's publishing situation: "We have not announced any changes to our publishing policy for Xbox 360," a representative told Joystiq. Meanwhile: "Microsoft has just announced that indie developers (like FarSight) can now self-publish on Xbox Live Arcade instead of being required to find publishers for their games," FarSight's announcement reads. "Microsoft has stated that the new program will open in August- we will do everything we can to get The Pinball Arcade (and all of the new Table Packs) back on the Xbox 360 as quickly as possible." Microsoft announced earlier this week that indie developers will be able to self-publish on the Xbox One, but no mention was made of the Xbox 360 or the existing Xbox Live Arcade. The Microsoft representative we spoke to said that the company will be "sharing more about self-publishing on Xbox One at Gamescom."
New XBLA bundles collect action and NinjaBee games, Kinect bundle spotted
Three new game bundles have been released on Xbox Live Arcade, giving hefty discounts to select grab-bags of games. The Action Packed bundle hacks together Bloodforge, The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile, Dungeon Fighter Live, Islands of Wakfu and Unbound Saga. Next up is the NinjaBee Bundle, which includes Band of Bugs, A World of Keflings, Cloning Clyde, Outpost Kaloki X and Ancients of Ooga. With the exception of Cloning Clyde, all of these games normally cost $10 ($15 in the case of Bloodforge), so the savings are certainly substantial. Take note, however, that these bundles won't give you an extra copy of a game you already own. TrueAchievements also spotted a Kinect Bundle listed on Xbox.com, which features Dragon's Lair, Wreckateer, Diabolical Pitch, Home Run Stars and Haunt. Strangely, it has no price and there doesn't appear to be any way to purchase it via Xbox.com or the Xbox 360 itself. There was an ad for the bundle in the Xbox 360 games section, though it appears to have been pulled. We've contacted Microsoft to see when or if the bundle will be available.
SoulCalibur 2 HD Online side-by-side comparison trailer pairs off the old and the new
We're honestly a little disappointed that the debut trailer for SoulCalibur 2 HD Online doesn't welcome us back to anything, like say, a historical stage of some sort, but we are pretty jazzed about how good these updated character models and arenas look. We're also still looking for confirmation as to whether any souls still burn. When the game launches on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 sometime this fall, its fresh online mode will be powered by "brand new netcode overseen by the Project Soul development team," according to the press release tucked away after the break. The game will also feature every mode from the original version, including the epic single-player "Weapon Master" mode and its dozens of hours of infuriatingly difficult content.%Gallery-194247%
Soul Calibur 2 HD Online coming to 360, PS3 this fall
Namco Bandai has just announced Soul Calibur 2 HD Online at San Diego Comic Con, Shoryuken reports. The fighter is headed to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this fall, and as the name suggests is a high-definition, presumably online-enabled remake of the 2003 PlayStation 2 version of the game. As such, it will include the PS2 version's console-specific character, Heihachi of Tekken infamy. [Technically, the original Xbox version came close to HD, outputting at a maximum of 720p in a 4:3 aspect - Ed.] No word on whether Spawn (the Xbox version's exclusive character) will ever be available, though we feel safe in assuming that Link won't be repeating his cameo from the GameCube port. We're keeping an eye out for the inevitable trailer and screenshots, but for now let's re-enter the stage of history with the game's original cinematic intro sequence.
JAW crowdsourcing Mudokon voices for Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee New 'n' Tasty
Conversation with the various denizens of Oddworld has been a staple of the series since it began back in 1997, when Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee's GameSpeak engine made farting in a video game easier than ever. There were also important gameplay uses for the system, and it served as a vital cornerstone in establishing the charm and character of the game's universe by giving voice and personality to its NPCs. Now, developer Just Add Water wants to give your voice and personality to the Mudokons in its forthcoming remake, Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee New 'n' Tasty. Throwing your voice into the ring is relatively easy, provided you've got the right gear: A "decent microphone," an audio capture device capable of recording at 24bit/96kHz, some noiseless/feedback-free cables and a Soundcloud account. A short script of required phrases has been posted on Just Add Water's official blog – once your takes been recorded, they are to be uploaded to your Soundcloud account as .wav files (remember those?) and shared with the official Oddworld account. The deadline for submissions is next Friday, July 26.
Free Assassin's Creed 2, other bargains on XBL today
Assassin's Creed 2 is free now to Xbox Live Gold members as part of the Games with Gold program, and stays that way until the end of the month. But don't let the free-runner take all your attention, because there are other Xbox Live Marketplace deals up for grabs this week. First up, the 2011 edition of Mortal Kombat is slashed in half to $10 this week, which is as good as a fatality discount-wise. Some of its DLC is half-price, too, including the Season Pass, and XBLA entry Mortal Kombat Arcade. Meanwhile, Capcom has a publisher sale going on this week. We've spotted the very intense likes of Asura's Wrath, Devil May Cry 4, and Resident Evil 5 at $10, while fighters Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 and Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition are at $15, as is the Devil May Cry: HD Collection.
Monaco dev 'very disappointed' with XBLA sales performance
Responding to fan questions on Reddit, Monaco: What's Yours is Mine developer Andy Schatz claims that his studio's efforts in porting its co-op stealth game to the Xbox 360 were "largely wasted," due to unexpectedly low sales. Schatz theorizes that many factors contributed to Monaco's poor sales performance on Xbox Live Arcade, including a weak demo and a last-minute delay that prevented a simultaneous release on PC platforms. Schatz revealed that a widespread bug related to online play proved especially troublesome, due to his team's inability to reproduce the issue on developer hardware. "I was never depending on the Xbox being our primary revenue generator, but I was very disappointed in Xbox sales nonetheless," Schatz said. "We put a ton of effort porting the game, and to have that effort be largely wasted was really disappointing." The PC version of Monaco is currently taking part in Steam's Summer Sale, and will be featured in an upcoming community vote.
Ultra Street Fighter 4 announced, enters ring in early 2014
Capcom unveiled and dubbed the latest evolution of Street Fighter 4 at yesterday's EVO 2013 event, confirming previously reported details along the way. Ultra Street Fighter 4 introduces five new characters - the returning quartet of Elena, Rolento, Hugo, and Poison, and a mystery fifth - as well as new modes, stages, features, and lots of feedback-guided gameplay tweaks. Ultra Street Fighter 4 will be available early next year on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC as a DLC update for either Super Street Fighter 4 or SSF4: Arcade Edition, and as a standalone retail game. The DLC dragon-punches in at $15, while the full game spins birds at $40.%Gallery-193803%
Xbox Summer of Arcade 2013 full schedule, pricing revealed
This year's Summer of Arcade event kicks off on Xbox Live August 7 with Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, the Starbreeze-developed Xbox Live Arcade game where players must simultaneously control a pair of brothers stuck in the wilderness. Brothers will launch at 1,200 MS Points ($15). James Silva's Charlie Murder, a 2D beat-em-up starring a punk band for 800 MS Points ($10), will launch the following week, on August 14, Major Nelson reports. On August 21, VectorCell will push out its remake of classic adventure game Flashback for 800 MS Points ($10), and rounding out this year's festivities is TMNT: Out of the Shadows on August 28 for 1,200 MS Points ($15).
Sniper: Ghost Warrior dev unleashes Alien Rage upon Sept. 24
City Interactive's Alien Rage brings its little green can of whoopass to XBLA, PSN, and PC on September 24. By the way, this is the game formerly known as Alien Fear - that's quite the emotional progression there, alienlings. The irate downloadable from the Sniper: Ghost Warrior studio promises first-person shooting with old-school stylings, complete with skill-based scores and 10 alien-killin' weapons, all coated in Unreal Engine 3 visuals. As for what got the extraterrestrials so vexed, this cinematic goes some way to explaining it - clue: Humans were involved.
Undead Labs double taps plans for State of Decay multiplayer
State of Decay developer Undead Labs has been "thoroughly evaluating the possibility of adding co-op multiplayer" to the game and apparently determined that there isn't one. Co-op multiplayer was originally planned for the game, but ultimately scrapped as Undead Labs thought its inclusion could delay the launch of State of Decay for as much as half a year. An update on the developer's forums dashes all hopes that multiplayer might've someday made it into the Xbox Live Arcade hit. In an update on the forums, "Undead Jeff" explains that it would take close to nine months to get multiplayer into the game. "We could 'check the box' and shoehorn multiplayer in sooner than that, but it wouldn't be a great experience, and certainly not one we'd be proud of," he explains. On top of that, pursuing multiplayer would inhibit Undead Labs' ability to support the game with further title updates and DLC. As for future games, "Undead Jeff" says, "Multiplayer will be the absolute heart of any future State of Decay games. As many of you know, we've always had ambitious plans for the future of State of Decay, and those plans have not changed."
