Terrence Stasse
Articles by Terrence Stasse
Of idle animations & exaggerations: MK VS DCU
We haven't been too kind to Mortal Kombat VS DC Universe in the past, but we did our best to reserve final judgment, hoping that the gameplay would redeem the premise, the art design and the series background. Well, the gameplay is here and it doesn't do the job we were quite hoping for. It's true that there are some interesting ideas, but there seems to be a certain level of ... disconnection that we can't put our finger on. Maybe it's the animation, the hit detection and a particular by-the-numbers flavor that the game seems to posses. Could just be us though.
Capcom announces herding XBLA game: Flock
A herding simulator from Capcom huh? Flock is a puzzle game built around moving farm animals around a grid style environment with a UFO. The animals you herd have effects on, and are affected by, the specific parts of the individual levels and the puzzle aspects come in from using those effects to complete your goals. Described as similar in concept to Lemmings, Flock is going to have over 50 different stages, co-op online play, and a level editor. No word on an estimated release date. [Via Gamerbytes]
Plunder gets renamed to Age of Booty
We thought that Certain Affinity wanted to distance itself as far as possible from the Bungie joke-game Pimps at Sea, but it looks like we were wrong. Renamed to Age of Booty from Plunder, the pirate themed hex-based strategy game stil doesn't have a firm release date (even though the site still says late spring/early summer) but we hope that a name change indicates that Capcom and Certain Affinity are gearing up for finalization. %Gallery-18289%
E3 XBLA release redeemed: Shred Nebula UPDATE
UPDATE: The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry ... Oh Coffeetime Crosswords you are a funny, funny game, but are certainly not the kind of release we want to see during the week of E3. Thankfully an email came that ended our apprehension. Having been flying under the radar a bit this year, Shred Nebula has no official date will actually be hitting the Live Arcade on July 16th. For the calender challenged that's an unknown day of the week next Wednesday. The top-down shooter may appear to be just another twin-stick game but it actually has roots in both Asteroids and, believe it or not, Street Fighter. With a concept like that, and the promise of large free-roaming space environments we're willing to give Shred Nebula a good portion of our time when it's released during the busy week next week. %Gallery-11478%[Via Press Info]
Rumor: First pics of "Lips"
They've become so common with Microsoft that pre-E3 rumors and leaks are often thought to be absolute fact. While most of the other rumors about Lips had some sort of thread tying them to Microsoft, this one seemed to just come out of left field. From over at Gamekyo come not only the pics, but also the confirmation that the developer of the game is iNiS, the devs behind Elite Beat Agents. But honestly, no matter the pedigree of the rumored developer, this looks so cheesy that we actually kinda don't want it to be real. The mics do look good, but if this is accurate they really need to change the art. Ugh.[Via NeoGAF]
Force Unleashed launch trailer; minor spoilers
Those of you who really care about "spoliers" should shy away from this Force Unleashed trailer knowing simply that the game is looking good. For those who can see these type of "twists" coming a mile away (it is Star Wars after all) the spoilers won't really matter. Plus, we're sure there's even more too come and we can't help but be distracted by the wooden voice acting of the apprentice's love interest.
Newest Burnout Paradise update delayed again
After supposedly being delayed only a few days, the latest update for Burnout Paradise has been delayed once again. The Cagney update, which contains three new game modes, 70 freeburn challenges some new cars and more, will still of course be totally free, but us 360 gamers are now going to have to wait until around the 24th of this month before we see it. Apparently the Microsoft QA team spotted a few bugs and it'll take a few more weeks to squash 'em. Hey, it's always better to nip these things in the bud before they become a larger problem. [Via Joystiq]
Confirmed: Mega Man 9 IS coming to XBLA
HA! HA HA! We knew it. Capcom cannot resist its money. We knew they couldn't resist the urge to suck dry the wallets of nostalgic gamers on every console download service. The announcement was revealed via IGN, and since the Wii version will be 1000 points we think we're safe in making a prediction of an 800 MSpoint price for the game (both are $10). Also, take this for what you will, but we also hear that Mega Man 9 is going to have DLC to go along with it too.
New video for The Maw
When we first set eyes on The Maw we knew we were looking at something interesting and new. With a concept like "eat everything to change yourself and world, to get an alien home" it sounds like a winner. And now with some video to go with the idea, we're almost sure it's going to be a winner. Using some sort of electrical tether that looks similar to something seen in the newest Banjo trailer the player swings and grapples around the world while directing the loveable purple glob to down useful items as needed.This looks really good, good enough, in fact to be one of the finalists in the PAX 10 indie game competition. Congrats to Twisted Pixel!%Gallery-24978%
*Sigh* More Newton motion control rumors ...
Sure Microsoft may have gone back on their "we do not comment on rumors and speculation" policy to debunk the Banjo -> Newton connection, but they didn't go so far as to declare that there isn't a motion controller at all. Over at xbox360oz, they claim that the latest copy of Xbox360World magazine has an inside source that then claims that not only is the project real, but that it also uses tech from a company that already makes motion controllers.This is all quite tenuous and feels like grasping at straws, but it's some interesting food for thought. The Motus "Darwin" controller does make sense as a starting point for a company looking to match the Wii. In fact, the company website mentions the Wii in comparison to its product quite often, and has several news stories running along its bottom that deal with the ol' 360 Newton rumors. Evidence? Of course not. Curious? Definitely.Get here already E3! We need all these speculations and rumors to end, interesting as they all may be.[Via N4G, xbox360oz]
You like Sin City's visual effects? So did Ubisoft
Owned. Literally. The stylized look of the Sin City movie was (and still is) quite iconic. With the second movie yet to be made, Frank Miller tied up shooting The Spirit, and now the purchasing of the studio that does the effects, just how much influence does that style hold for the future? After its acquisition by Ubisoft, Hybride Technologies will supposedly continue to work with its movie partners, but will also work on bringing some of Ubisoft's IP's to the big screen. While this does seem quite out of character for a video game publisher, and it seems even weirder considering how Tom Clancy happy Ubisoft is, but it does open some interesting doors for that Prince of Persia movie.
Gamestop gears up for the price drop
As you can see, you shouldn't know about this until Sunday. After all the other leaks surrounding the issue, one wouldn't think it'd be such a big screaming deal. Still, the phone cam shot above looks to confirm what we've already known. However, we shouldn't forget that the majority of gamers don't exactly comb the internet for this stuff, and "window signs," "Pop-ons" (whatever those are) and a gigantic stack of boxes with "oversized price labels" will likely be the first many folks hear of the price drop.[Thanks Kris]
Rumor: Gears page hints GOW2 release as Nov 9
Alright kiddies time for some sleuthing courtesy of the Gears of War Official Forums. The Gears site has a new splash page up (above) and in Marcus' hand are some Dog (Cog?) Tags. Immediately upon discovery, there was the speculation that this meant death and loss would play some larger part in the game's story. But then someone decided to take a closer look at the number sequence visible on the tag: 033-116-117-126-071.Seemingly random right? Nope. Match those numbers with one of these ASCII tables, and you'll get yourself the following letter string: "ESC N O V 9". We'd love to beleive that this was simply thrown in there to mess with the community, but it seems to be too much of a coincidence to be something wholly meaningless. Is this an early "word" on the release date? We sure hope so.Hit the break for a closer look at the tags.[Thanks Laron Alexander]
Rumor: Leaked MS email confirms 60GB SKU, more
Well as E3 approaches, it looks Microsoft just can't keep a lid on their announcements. The lowered price on the 20GB unit has been rumored for a while now, and the idea has even been bandied about that its purpose was to clear the shelves to make room for a 60GB unit. While this of course is still waiting on some sort of official word (likely coming around or at MS's E3 press conference), a leaked email supposedly sent out to GameStop and Blockbuster company buyers seems to confirm both the new 60GB SKU as well as a "Live Starter Pack" for Arcade owners, which consists of a 60GB HDD, 3 Months of Live, a Headset, and an ethernet cable, all for $99.99.Additionally, the email states the 20GB HDD is being phased out altogether and that the 120GB stand alone drive will receive a price cut to $149.99 (HA!). Word is that the 60GB Pro Unit will hit before the month is out and the Live Starter Pack will hit late October or early November. Whether or not the new 60GB SKU will be subject to the new price drop is unknown, but doubtful. Likely the 20GBs at $299.99 are a fire sale, and the 60GBs will still be $349.99.The full text of the email can be found after the break.
Infinity Ward rewarded with new IP
When the rumor went around that the next Call of Duty from Infinity Ward would be going sci-fi, there was some who said that the described game might be an entirely new IP. We still don't know about the sci-fi part yet, but the new IP part looks pretty solid. Their deal with Activision was renegotiated (they 've got enough clout to do that these days) to give them a chance to do "a unique new IP by Infinity Ward, that we'll have complete control over."[Via Joystiq]
New Fallout 3 screens and details
In a second fan Q&A over at Bethesda, Todd Howard has answered a collection of fan questions taken from the forums. The questions asked range from armor and inventory to children, non-human creatures and more. Check the list below for a quick run down. Oh, and Todd also released a few new screens too. Armor sets come in two pieces, body and head Inventory limit is based on weight Children and essential NPC's are unkillable Good/Evil karma system relating to in-game choices Crimes committed against specific groups are known to all in the group throughout the game world NPC's navigate via a mesh instead of via a point to point system like in Oblivion and Morrowind Like Oblivion the game uses a skill list and those skills determine maximum possible effectiveness in battle More after the break%Gallery-4995%
Shotest Shogi passes cert; Basment Pool delayed
When Shotest Shogi and Basement Pool were originally announced, we were a bit harsh on the latter and quite welcoming to the former. Well thanks to that delisting process that Microsoft unveiled not too long ago, Basement Pool is going to be seeing a bit of a delay. Posting on the Indiegamer boards, Paul Johnson of Rubicon said that while the game is a pet project of his that will likely never really die, Rubicon is waiting for Bankshot Billiards to be retired before releasing Basement Pool to XBLA. And hey, as for Shotest Shogi, after a bit of a certification debacle, it's finally passed and it's only up to Microsoft when it goes live. For those unfamiliar with the concept, Shogi is a harder, deeper, and more complex version of chess. Thankfully Rubicon professes to have spent an inordinate amount of time on a tutorial mode, meaning that anyone who'd like to deepen their strategic thinking a bit should be able to find some enjoyment here.[Via Gamerbytes]
A few new Prince of Persia shots slip out
To go with the pixelated video from earlier, we've got a few much better looking screen shots from the new Prince of Persia game. While the shots don't exactly reveal anything new (and their origination on a message board smells a tad like viral marketing) they do reaffirm the amazing use of cel shading that the Assassin's Creed team has been able to pull off. The three new screens are also accompanied by a few artworks of some monsters that remind us vaguely of Ico, as well some more traditional art of the new Prince and his companion.%Gallery-23436%
MK VS DC new screens, plus "Brutalities"
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/xbox/New_Pics_from_Mortal_Kombat_VS_DC_Universe'; When the game was first announced, fanboys on both sides were worried that Mortal Kombat VS DC Universe wouldn't be able to do justice to either property. While the main of that question is still up in the air, one small part of it has now been answered (for those few who really care). See, the very first episode of the MKast went up recently and promised again to its followers that the game would in fact feature the series' signature Fatalities. Bu- bu- bu- but Batman doesn't kill! Indeed. To rectify this, the DC characters will have what are known as Brutalities instead. Just like a Fatality, except, y'know, not fatal. As you can tell, we're absolutely ecstatic about this news. Wee.%Gallery-26906%
Ninja Gaiden 2 gets patched, sorta
When most games get patched or auto-updated, we at least have a few words from the developers about what changes the patch entails. Especially if the game in question has a myriad of technical problems that we know have not all been solved. So, to turn on a 360 and see Ninja Gaiden 2 auto-update without any news from Team Ninja, Tecmo or Microsoft feels a bit strange. Though we do know Team Ninja and Tecmo have a lot on their plates at the moment, if they had time to work on a patch, surely they had time to send out a few press releases? But we digress, any patch is better than no patch for a game that seems to run in bullet time for some bits (Chp 10's stairs) and the tubes have not let us down in their observations of some of the patches effects (though we'd've preferred official word). The game-breaking glitch seems to be solved and any old "broken" saves can now be continued. The speed run leaderboards are now actually updated each subsequent time you beat your best time, instead of just sticking with your first score forever. And while the major technical problems such as slowdown haven't really been addressed, we're glad that the game is actually beginning to approach what it should have been upon release. Here's hoping we'll see more patches as time goes on ...