Lara Croft
Latest
Raid tombs with Lara on the PS3!
Ever since the release of Tomb Raider Legends, Lara Croft has redeemed herself and kept the franchise alive. Since her last iteration was so well-received (selling nearly 3 million copies in a year), Eidos has decided to bring the voluptuous lady to the Playstation 3. Said Chief Executive Jane Cavanagh, "Our 2008 products will include new versions of Tomb Raider (including a PS3 version) and many of our other key franchises. We also plan new franchises, including completely new products from both Crystal Dynamics (developers of Tomb Raider) and Io Interactive (developers of Hitman and Kane & Lynch)." This begs the question, should Nariko (of Heavenly Sword) and Lara get into a Super Smash Sisters: Brawl contest, who do you think would win?
New Lara Legend screens for Nintendo platforms
Lara Croft's long-awaited return to Nintendo hardware is on target for November when Tomb Raider Legend ships for the GameCube, GameBoy Advance, and DS. Pro-G has posted new screens for each platform.The GBA and DS versions will present a side-scrolling derivative of the Legend adventure, but the DS includes a touch screen menu that allows you to switch Lara's weapons and various items around (no touching Lara, please).Read Joystiq's review on the Xbox 360 version of Legend, and check out what other industry critics had to say about the PC, PlayStation 2, and Xbox versions of the game.See also: Lara's lovely ladies revisted Angelina Jolie to star in next Tomb Raider film? Lara Croft lands in Guinness Book of World Records
Fuzzy logic: Lara Croft > Mario?
According to Eidos' SCI's Ian Livingstone, Tomb Raider vixen Lara Croft is "the most famous character in gaming." Interviewer Paul Loughrey of GamesIndustry.biz then questions whether or not he means most famous ... other than Mario. Livingstone adamantly asserts that Mrs. Croft is indeed more popular than Nintendo's gaming icon."Well, Mario is still very much within the games niche, whereas Lara has gone beyond that thanks to two blockbuster films, for example. She's graced the covers of thousands of not just games journals, but lifestyle journals as well."We'll admit, much to our chagrin, that Super Mario Bros. film was not the glorious re-imagining of Nintendo's flagship series, nor was it a box office smash (the total domestic gross was $20.9 million, which would be approximately $32.3 million today when adjusted for ticket price inflation). But Mario, we'd argue, is still more of a household name. While there is no quantitative backing to either assertions, we'd like to point out that Livingstone's support is rather inefficient. In 1966, John Lennon exclaimed that the Beatles were "more popular than Jesus." And while we suspect those zany Brits did grace more magazine covers than the founder of Christianity, it's still a stretch to elevate a band over a world religion.And though the Mario film sunk, his power was seen elsewhere in pop culture. Not to mention his games tend to do better, both financially and critically.
Screenshot roundup: Tomb Raider: Legend
These Tomb Raider: Legend screenshots certainly needed to be rounded up ... and immediately executed. They're not particularly impressive and the one on the right is notable for not featuring a tomb at all. Still, it's early goings for Lara's return-to-roots portable adventure, and if it's even half as good as the console outings, we'll be satisfied. We'd rather it be just as good, however, controlling well and featuring plenty of evil traps looking to mangle our beloved Lara's limbs. There's every possibility of that happening, but confidence isn't particularly prevalent when it looks like the touch screen seems to have been relegated to yet another glorified inventory menu. [Via GoNintendo]
Tomb Raider remake for PSP canceled [update 1]
According to an announcement on Core Design's web site, the PSP update of Lara Croft's first adventure has been scrapped. The official word: "The video of Tomb Raider: 10th Anniversary Edition that appeared on certain sites was an unauthorised release of an internal presentation of a game that was being developed by Core Design until very recently. It was running on PSP and used a Core-developed engine. However, following a recent review this project has been officially cancelled by SCi."Core's staff and assets were recently acquired by Rebellion Developments (AvP, Rogue Trooper), although SCi still maintains the Core brand name.Update: Eurogamer is now reporting that the remake isn't canceled. Apparently, SCi has just issued a new statement saying the project is back on. PSP owners now have Lara's original adventure, as well as this month's Legend to look forward to.
Joystiq Review: Tomb Raider: Legend (Xbox 360)
There are moments in our gaming pasts that stand out with clarity from the mass of bygone levels, saves, high scores and kill counts. One of mine is a first date of epic proportions, one which launched a thousand clones and broke a million hearts. It was my first date with Lara. Lady Croft and I have a lot in common. The novelty of playing as a girl who looks great and sounds normal grabbed me back in 1996 and hasn't let me go since. A decade later, in Tomb Raider: Legend, Lara still looks the part; she hasn't put on a pound, though her poly count's up. As I put the disc in, her iconic face stares at me. This revamped Lara looks more human, more real, less like a creature from some stylised midnight fantasy. Her face is soft, her lips slightly curled in a welcoming smile -- her eyes measure me up. It's been a while.
Lara's lovely ladies revisited
I was rummaging through the endless piles of gaming memorabilia that clutter my living space the other day, when I happened upon an old advertisement featuring the lovely Lara Weller, a.k.a. "Lara Croft." Weller donned the famous Tomb Raider duds from 1999-2000, during the promotion of Last Revelation, and is probably the closest physical approximation to gaming's most successful heroine of all time. She shares not only the same first name with her agile avatar, but also certain physical attributes and a passion for world travel.Five other models have portrayed Lara Croft for Eidos (six, if you count Angelina). Karima Adebibe is the latest, and Jill de Jong gets props for her depiction of the Angel of Darkness. Visit Tomb Raider Chronicles and let us know your favorite.
UK sales charts, April 16-22: Tomb Raider still on top
The sales figures are in, with last week's UK sales looking similar to the one before. Tomb Raider Legend is still number one, and Ice Age 2 is enjoying popularity both at the box office and in the games charts, though with 28,000 fewer sales. King Kong has dropped out of the top ten, with The Sims 2: Family Fun Pack jumping in to replace it, and the continued dominance of Crazy Frog Racer (29) over Guitar Hero (36) is depressing us.The ten bestselling games in the UK for the week ending April 22:1. Tomb Raider Legend2. Ice Age 2: The Meltdown3. Animal Crossing: Wild World4. Fifa Street 25. The Godfather6. The Sims 2: Family Fun Stuff7. Football Manager 20068. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter9. Buzz! The Big Quiz10. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Lara Croft used to be a guy
In an interesting Guardian GamesBlog interview with Toby Gard, the artist who designed the look of Lara Croft, there's one point in particular that sticks out. In response to the question "How many designs did you scrap before Lara?" he answered that his "initial design was a guy in some tombs." Although artists often set out several different designs before they choose which one to go for, this decision was probably the most important career decision Toby ever made. Can you imagine a world without Lara, the most succesful video game heroine of all time?For all you cynical types -- the decision to "sex up" Lara wasn't made by Toby. In fact, he left Core over concerns that Lara's character was being reduced to cater to the lowest common denominator: although she was designed to look good, it was never supposed to be "about her boobs getting bigger."
Ad critic: Lara's booty too big to believe? [update 1]
As promised, this is the second weekly installment of a series of posts in which we invite you to rip ads apart after we rip them out of magazines. Pictured here, a two-page spread that appeared in the April 2006 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly (click for a high-res image). There are actually several variations of this same ad in gaming magazines, but all of them feature Lara Croft's ample posterior, a bootylicious bundle of badonka-donk so large it serves as a friggin' grenade shelf. You might even say it's the bomb. At least that's the sort of salacious thinking that the ad invites. What do you think of the ad? Does it succeed? Will it sell games? What does "seeing is believing" mean, exactly? Is it really all about the ass? Sure, we know that game quality ultimately sells games, so let's avoid talking about the quality of the game itself. What we want to get at here is whether this ad succeeds or fails to interest you in purchasing a copy of this game. Gloves off! Go to! [Update 1: fixed a small typo that nobody else noticed, but that bugged the heck out of me.]
Metareview - Tomb Raider: Legend
Since Tomb Raider II, Lara Croft's adventures have been on a steady decline, almost to the point where reruns of Relic Hunter were a better use of time. The last entry was so weak, many thought Lara had raided her last tomb. This actually turned out to be the case at long-time developer Core Design. Enter Crystal Dynamics. Now it's time to forget about Angel of Darkness, the umpteenth Lara Croft model, the Guinness Book induction, and all the hype that has surrounded the rebirth of one of gaming's most famous franchises. Tomb Raider Legend is finally here, Lara is as irresistible as ever, and the game just might be worth the $40-60 you're about to shell out for it. IGN (82/100) on all versions: "Crystal D's fresh approach, erudite design and execution, and its focus on good controls, smart puzzles, and competent combat, do the trick. They've resurrected an icon and a legacy from its tumultuous past by making the best and most definitive Tomb Raider yet." TeamXbox (80/100) on the Xbox 360 version: "Lara looks mighty fine. Even on a non-HD television, the increased clarity of the bump mapping and lighting effects add to the entire Tomb Raider feel." 1UP (80/100) on all console versions: "Where Legend truly excels is in its sense of pacing. Gun battles are used as a sort of punctuation, bookends to the exploration and puzzle-solving at the core of the game. Legend's designers have an excellent sense of how a game should flow, and the result is an adventure that never becomes dull and rarely feels forced." GameSpot (78/100) on all console versions: "Legend looks great on each of the consoles, with convincingly dark and decrepit environments and plenty of detail and lighting effects. The controls are a lot more fluid and responsive than they have been in previous Tomb Raider games, which makes Lara movements feel much more natural than before." [via Metacritic]
Blingbox 360
Apparently the folks from Xbox's German division had some spare time on their hands — and some spare crystals! The gang decorated an Xbox 360 with thousands* of tiny crystals, paying a special homage to Tomb Raider's Lara Croft in the process. The unit is now valued at $11,000. Did we mention they're gonna give the thing away?*Gamerscore Blog cites two very different crystal counts: 43,000 and 3,000.
UK sales charts, April 3-8: Lara on top
Tomb Raider: Legend marks its UK release by soaring straight to the top of the charts; the other much-touted arrival on European shores, Guitar Hero, has a slightly less impressive debut at 28, just one place ahead of Crazy Frog Racer. The video game adaptation of Narnia is also a new member of the top ten, going straight in at number nine.The ten bestselling games in the UK for the week ending April 8:1. Tomb Raider: Legend2. The Godfather3. Fifa Street 24. Ice Age 2: The Meltdown5. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter6. Animal Crossing: Wild World7. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion8. Buzz! The Big Quiz9. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe10. Championship Manager 2006
Tomb Raider headlines weekly release lineup
Lara Croft is making her multiplatform comeback this week with Tomb Raider: Legend (PC, PS2, Xbox, and Xbox 360). Any GameCube owners feeling left out can look forward to the RTS pinball oddity, Odama. Here's the week's release breakdown:
Lara Croft lands in Guinness Book of World Records
A decade after Lara Croft took the video game industry by storm, she will be immortalized in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most successful video game heroine of all time (sorry, Princess Peach). Eidos' well-endowed, gun-toting femme fatale has come under fire over the years from anti-violence groups, women's rights organizations, and even animal activists. However, the Tomb Raider franchise has still managed to sell 28 million games, and has spawned a lucrative licensing industry valued at over $1 billion. Lara gets ready to take center stage again next week with the multi-platform release of Tomb Raider: Legend. Stay tuned for reviews.
Tomb Raider demo on XBLM; spend some quality time with Lara
Your friendly neighborhood tomb raider, Lara Croft, has decided to stop by the Xbox Live Marketplace and let everyone get a look at her latest adventure ... but just a peek. The demo for Tomb Raider: Legend is live now, weighing in around 640Mb. First impression: yup, it's Tomb Raider. [Thanks, [sinz] and Selucresh]
Lara models eveningwear in 43 new screenshots
WorthPlaying has been kind enough to post 43 new screenshots from Tomb Raider: Legend, mostly centered on Lara Croft cavorting about in a slinky black dress for an undoubtedly exciting evening shindig. And yes, we're as relieved as you are that she chose to ditch the pumps before leaping into action (to pump some lead into some fellow guests).
Eidos' comeback carried on Lara's shoulders
Lara Croft seems to be on the up; despite the declining quality and popularity of Tomb Raider titles, suddenly everyone's going mad for Tomb Raider: Legend. It looks to be the title that will make or break Eidos, and with hype-inducing tidbits released one at a time, so far it's looking good. Also, as Next Generation's interview with Eidos' Bob Lindsey reveals, the delay in releasing Legend may have a silver lining, as it ensures a captive audience during the low spring season. We'll see come April if their high hopes come true.
Lara Croft makes Forbes' Fictional 15 richest list
Forbes Magazine has put together a new feature on the 15 richest fictional characters. Lara Croft ranks 13th with fictional net assets of $1 billion. What? Those gravity-defying assets aren't real? And she's 37? What the heck is going on here? Those are not the only shockers unveiled. Forbes writer David Ewalt notes, "Experienced windfall this year by licensing name to endorse variety of products, from handguns to hot pants. Rumored to have fought, killed Bigfoot." Don't let Chuck Norris find out you're claiming to have killed Bigfoot, toots. Just some friendly advice.
A new voice for Lara?
Our favourite English gaming pinup may be getting a makeover--a verbal one, that is. Eidos have yet to reveal details on the voice acting for Tomb Raider: Legend, but Playstation Magazine has hinted that actress Rachel Weisz may be stepping up to the microphone.A British actress and Cambridge graduate who's made it to Hollywood, starring in blockbuster films such as The Mummy, Weisz may bring an extra spark of talent and believability to the character of Lara Croft. Given that SCi's Ian Livingstone is a fan of keeping things British, this is good news all round.[via Game Insider]
