xbox 360 and ps3 numbers in japan

According to recently released sales figures, the Xbox 360 has sold over 1 million units in Japan since its December, 2005 release, while the Playstation 3 tops out at over 3 million sold since its launch in December, 2006. While 1 million units doesn't sound great in a country of over 100 million people, consider this: the original Xbox sold just 470,000 units during its run in Japan, so the 360 has already doubled that.

Xbox 360 reaches 1 million sold in Japan, PS3 at 3 million

wii motionplus this spring?

Nintendo got everyone excited at E3 2008 with the announcement of Wii Sports Resort and the new Wii MotionPlus controller add-on that will maximize the motion controls and accuracy of the Wiimote. Unfortunately, there has been no new news on the subject since, despite many other exciting revelations from Nintendo at GDC. In this interview with Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo North America, he claims that the Spring 2009 lineup simply hasn't been announced yet. So, kind of revealing, but not really. With many cool MotionPlus-compatible Wii games on the horizon one can only assume that the MotionPlus won't be too delayed in its release.

these puzzles are not easy

The Nintendo DS is a great system for puzzle games as it has the added benefit of portability, making games like Crosswords DS or Brain Age a nice alternative to just listening to music on the go. I picked up the New York Times Crosswords game for the DS this weekend and I have to say it is much tougher than I expected! I am a fan of the print puzzles and can usually work through one eventually but I guess I thought the DS format might take it easy on the user. Not so. If you're a fan of New York Times crossword puzzles then this game is a great way to condense 1,000 puzzles into one little cartridge with reasonably smart letter writing recognition. However, expect to feel like a dumbass after the first several C- and D+ grades you get in Challenge mode!

nancy drew on ds is meh

I am willing to try pretty much any game in the hunt for truly enjoyable adventure point-and-click titles, especially on the DS. Which is why I wanted to give Nancy Drew and the Deadly Secret of Olde World Park a fair shot. Despite having a 10-word title, there's really not much to this game. It's linear to a fault and you pretty much can't miss anything. The minigames are super easy and the controls are kinda lame in their minimal use of touch controls. Having to use the d-pad and the stylus doesn't work for me as a lefty so games that pull that automatically piss me off a little. Anyway, I'd recommend this for a young girl who loves Nancy Drew or anyone who needs a super easy introduction to adventure gaming.

more apartment decor

We've been dealing with piles of video games surrounding our TV for awhile now so I finally went out and bought us a new shelf to store them all. And here it is! I love having an entire shelf for all my Sims stuff. Wow. I'm obsessed. Luckily there is still room for Sims 3 when it finally comes out! Also, not game related, but don't you wish you had my ferrets-as-movie-characters calendar on your wall?

world tour is kind of easy

I got around to trying Guitar Hero: World Tour for the first time this week and while I can't speak to the whole band experience as we only rock out with our old-skool white guitars and no additional instruments/mics, I have to say the guitar parts of the songs are ridiculously easy. Crazy easy! I play on hard for the most part and was regularly getting 96+% on songs I had never played before. Could be that they were pop songs I know a little better than "One" by Metallica, but still. The songs seem way targeted at singing and drumming, which sucks if all you like is the guitar. I also tried Rock Band and the songs seem a bit more balanced to all the parts in that one. Also funny how they are exactly the same game.

left 4 dead sells 2.5 million in stores

Still more cool news out of the GDC - not counting digital copies sold through distributor Steam, Left 4 Dead has hit the 2.5 million mark! Pretty impressive, although when you're talking about a game that appeals mostly to the multiplayer audience it's not hard to imagine normal numbers doubling and tripling. I have to admit I still haven't played Left 4 Dead but I'm happy to see horror/zombie games doing awesomely well and hope to see more and more of them coming out.

a very cool site to check out

If you enjoy reading product reviews of high-tech items of all types and not just video games, check out Praxis Reviews, a product review blog that delivers personal experiences with entertainment electronic products. It's very informative and I enjoy the descriptions of video games along with interesting gadgets I hadn't heard of before. If you came from there (thanks for the traffic!) then welcome! :D

yay new zelda!

More exciting news coming out of GDC 09 this week: confirmation of a new Zelda game for the Nintendo DS! The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass in my opinion is one of the best DS games available so I have no problem with the fact that the new one, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks looks a lot like it. The visual design of Phantom Hourglass was awesome and homage-y to the GameCube masterpiece that was Wind Waker, so I'll enjoy looking at that animation style throughout another game. Oh, and this one has a train . Never-before-used mode of transportation, eeeeee! View the first trailer here at IGN or find it on one of the many other sites hosting it.

10 days and counting til the dsi

I'm still not sold enough to trade in my beautiful ice blue DS Lite for one yet, but the DSi is arriving in just a week and a half and much buzz surrounds its arrival. IGN has put together a very comprehensive DSi starter guide full of info about the updated handheld system, spec comparisons and stuff you might not have heard about the DSi yet. One tidbit that surprised me was that the DSi's battery has 5 fewer hours of life on it than the DS Lite! Still, I'm sure the DSi will be super cool and I will probably eventually come around and get one. Not yet, though.

IGN DS: Nintendo DSi Starter Guide

motion controller for the 360?

We've seen evidence before of Microsoft wishing it was Nintendo, and now we have even more proof with the announcement at the GDC 09 of the GameTrak Freedom, a wireless motion-pointer controller for the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3. In an interesting move in the software side of this new controller, the maker PDP has acquired game development company In2Games and is launching a game called Squeeballs that will include the Freedom with its release. Will this new innovation make the 360 more competitive with the Wii, and will we see more family-oriented games using the pointer or will it just adapt to the existing genres on the 360 now? We'll see!

onlive could be a big deal

With the Game Developer's Conference going on in San Francisco right now, all sorts of interesting new video game technology news is hitting the media. One of the most exciting was the unveiling on OnLive, a cloud-based service that is a lot like Hulu but for video games. The idea is you can play a variety of console and PC games right from your own PC of any level of gamingness or even your TV. Pretty amazing, and definitely next-generation stuff. A lot of the buzz surrounds the ability to play games like Crysis on a less powerful computer. Some think this could be a serious revitalization for PC gaming while others claim it is the death of the consoles. We'll see I guess!

A Video Game Start Up Banks on the Cloud

IGN: GDC 09: OnLive Introduces the Future of Gaming

finished trace memory part 2

What an awesome game. One of the DS's earliest, it's also one of the more innovative when it comes to puzzles and use of the DS's mic and stylus abilities. Once you beat it through the first time you have the opportunity to play through again and learn more about the history of the mysterious Edward family and their home on Blood Edward Island, and you get to find out exactly what happened to your little ghost friend to end his life prematurely. As with many point-and-click adventures, Trace Memory deals with deeper themes of loneliness, abandonment, and loss while still telling the story through the perspective of a 13-year old girl. If you've never tried it, check it out, it's cheap! Plus Ashley and D are both cute as a button, and Bill is Kyle Hyde with a blonde wig on.

wii fit has outsold halo 3!

Love it. New figures show that Nintendo's Wii Fit game and balance board have outsold copies of Halo 3 in the US. I think this says good things about future trends in gaming and also most likely means more Fit-compatible games targeted at gamers and families who already own the balance board. I am also looking forward to Electronic Arts's entry into the fitness game market with EA Sports Active. Compatible with the Fit board but not requiring it, EA Active will ramp up the activities that Wii Fit started with more intense cardio targeting like running, kick-boxing and other exercises. Due out in May, I think EA Active will probably sell well alongside the Fit, assuming stores can keep it in stock!

two cool upcoming ds titles

I know I post all the time about having way too many games at the moment but of course that doesn't stop me from finding new video games coming out that I am psyched to try. Next week sees the release of two new Nintendo DS titles that I'm looking forward to picking up. First is Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars, originally a PC game, then a GBA game, and now a director's cut remake on the Wii and DS. Point-and-click adventure, of course, surrounding the mystery of the Knights Templar. Might have to try this one on the Wii as well. The other DS game I'm psyched for is Lux Pain, another adventure game about some creepy parasitic worm that infests people and makes them commit horrible atrocities. Also point-and-click, and promising worm autopsies with the stylus!

rune factory for wii is out

I love Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility for the Wii although it is admittedly a little slow-moving in its plotline. That's why I think Rune Factory: Frontier might be a great new title on the Wii. The new Rune Factory, which hit stores on Wednesday, gets an impressive 8.3 (any Wii game over an 8 has to be worth trying in my opinion) from IGN. Sounds like it is an interesting combination of the farming and animal care of Harvest Moon mixed with dungeon crawling and a bit of battling that can be leveled up just like your farming skills, making this game a cute and innovative RPG.

The designers could certainly be nicer to players in the future, making it easier to figure out where to get the starting items and exactly what’s needed to expand the story, but as far as “do anything” gameplay goes, Rune Factory dominates on Wii. Everything from farming, fishing, forging, dungeon crawling, medicine making, mining, and cooking could be used as a key form of income, and it all leads to a simple – but fun – dungeon crawling experience complete with a handful of locales and bosses.

pokemon platinum this sunday

Pokemon: Platinum comes out this Sunday and is sure to be a blockbuster release title for months to come. Adding onto the Pearl and Diamond editions in the same fashion that new Pokemon titles always have, this one introduces many new pocket monsters to everyone’s favorite monster-in-ball fighting game. The plot will involve a disturbance atop Mt. Coronet leading to entry into another diension that defies normal laws of physics. Giratina, the cover pokemon (pictured at left), will feature prominently, and the Battle Frontier introduced in Emerald will return. I don’t really know what any of this means but I’m sure kids will be freaking out until they get their paws on this title this Sunday.

mass effect 2 announced

Mass Effect 2 has been officially announced by BioWare and Electronic Arts and they are promising it to be even more epic and engaging than the 2007 first sci-fi RPG title. The Mass Effect sequel will be released on PC and Xbox 360 in early 2010.

“We’re going to surpass the extraordinary gaming experience we brought our fans in Mass Effect by delivering intensified combat and expanded weapon options as well as increased depth of planet exploration, all while delivering a powerful, emotionally engaging story,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, General Manager and CEO, BioWare and General Manager and Vice President, EA. “Mass Effect 2 is shaping up to be an unforgettable RPG-shooter experience, taking players on a non-stop roller-coaster ride filled with stunning plot twists and no-holds-barred action.”

two thumbs up for shaun white

I was a huge fan of Cool Boarders on the PSX back in the day. Crazy flips, mind-bending speeds, unlockable schoolgirl outfits… good times. Thus it is no surprise that I am loving Shaun White Snowboarding on the 360! The mountain environments look really amazing in HD and the controls are quite logical and very tightly designed for a fun and structured game with a lot of open-endedness. I love the ability to explore all over the mountains and I am really enjoying the purchasable boards, jackets, gloves and other customization options. Being able to throw snowballs for points is fun too. Shaun White looks hideous but then again it's not that far off from real life (ooh, burn!). If you enjoy snowboarding or just being able to pull off death-defying tricks from the comfort of your couch, check this one out.

mtn dew teams up with WoW

Good news, fans of sugary drinks and life-stealing online gaming! Mountain Dew is teaming up with the video game industry again (first time was the Halo 3 launch promotion) with two new “Game Fuel” flavors straight out of World of Warcraft. Soon enough you’ll be able to pick up (for a limited time) Horde Red, a citrus cherry flavor, and Alliance Blue, a wild fruit flavor. The bottles appear to have art straight from the box art of the games on them. I don’t drink the green stuff so I surely will not be drinking these orange and red versions, but I know many gamers love doing the Dew to stay up all night so I’m sure it will be a profitable promotion for them.

Video games and Mountain Dew teaming up again

new bundles rather than price cut for ps3?

Rumors have been swirling for months about a potential Playstation 3 price drop but according to some insider knowledge at Target it looks like perhaps instead we will just see a new 2-game bundle (Resistence: Fall of Man and MotorStorm) with the same old $399 price tag. Personally I think game bundles are a bunch of crap and I can tell you from experience that some of the most traded-in titles out there are Lego Indiana Jones/Kung Fu Panda (comes with the 360), Motorstorm (previously bundled with PS3) and National Treasure and SuperBad, UMD movies that came with PSP bundles. We’re not fooled, game companies, these games don’t make these systems any cheaper. Try picking less boring stupid games rather than cool fun simple ones like Wii Sports (Wii bundle), Brain Age or Super Mario Bros. (DS bundles), and people might actually be motivated to buy your consoles FOR the games.

Target receives new PS3 SKU to release after GDC

peachy!

One of my new acquisitions this week was Super Princess Peach which I just couldn't turn down as I looove the adorable pink princess. I always thought it was a little lame that the princess always had to be saved by Mario and friends so I'm all about the idea of Peachy having her own story and having to go rescue those dumb Italians from Bowser for once. The jury is still out on whether it's offensive or hilarious that Peach's special moves all come from manipulating her emotions - crying with Gloom to water plants, using Rage pyro skills to burn bridges, floating in the air with Joy or healing yourself with Calm. I'm going to go with "offensively hilarious" although "hilariously offensive" works too. Really though I'm enjoying this game a lot, it's great fun to get back to the side-scrolling adventures in Mario world that got many of us into gaming in the first place but with a spiffy new heroine. The controls are pretty nice in this game although I'd love to see a game more obviously designed for the DS - this one has minimal touch controls aside from some mini-games and the emotion ("Vibe") controller on the bottom screen which really works better to hit with thumbs than the stylus, and no one likes touching the DS screen with fingers, at least I don't. Thank goodness for screen protectors. Still, as I said I'm finding this game a welcome addition to all the gloomy mystery games I've been playing lately and any fan of Princess Peach should check out this lovely girly game.

emdroid is now on xbox live

Well I know I rail all the time about Microsoft sucking and Xbox live being a ripoff but guess what, we bit the bullet and now have a year-long Gold subscription. Mostly the boyfriend wanted to play Resident Evil 5 with some distant pals but also I wanted to try my hand at some online Guitar Hero III. The first couple of tries completely kicked my ass (and I'm pretty good!) until I figured out how to create my own match and pick the song, haha! I think it also matches you with more appropriate opponents over time as the first few were crazy good and the last couple were much more my level and below, meaning I managed to go to bed not having lost every match I played. I did have an instant quitter (lame!) as well as one douchebag who played some 5 second song and I lost instantly with me on Hard and him on Medium. Not really sure what happened there. Anyway, emdroid is now online so friend me! :D

way too many games

I have an unbelievable backstock of games to play now. In addition to Super Princess Peach and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney on the DS and a bunch of the old Resident Evils on the GameCube we also ended up taking home Resident Evil 5 for the 360, Super Mario Galaxy on the Wii and Shaun White Snowboarding for the 360, which I'm pretty psyched to try out. I enjoyed the Wii version Road Trip but was left wanting more as far as difficult slopes, realistic characters and customization so I'm glad to have picked this one up. The boyfriend also got Tales of Symphonia for the GameCube although there's no telling when he'll ever get to that one on top of everything he's playing right now.

resident evil 5 = the shiz

We picked up Resident Evil 5 yesterday after much back and forth about it since Friday and I have to say, I don't know what we were worried about. It's pretty gosh-darn fun and looks truly amazing on the HD monitor. The voice acting is good and the ambience and environment is quite creepy so far even though it's all been daytime. I haven't tried out the AI single player so I have no idea whether Sheva is useful or runs into enemy fire on her own accord. The 2-player co-op is extremely fun and flows smoothly using a balance of shooting, hand-to-hand combat and cooperative moves like breaking down doors and stuff. The zombies/infected are pretty freaky and there is a wider variety of character models so you're not fighting the same 4 villagers over and over again like in RE4. I think we'll get a lot of enjoyment out of this game, plus eventually I'm sure we'll get the DLC mercenary mode that lets you compete to blast the most zombies with a friend locally or over xbox live. If you haven't checked this one out and especially if you're a fan of classic Resident Evil (if you love run-and-gun shooters, surprise! You can't shoot and run at the same time. Get used to it). Storyline seems promising although at least on our machine the loading screens disappear far too quickly to read the historical tidbits they give you. Too fast loading times - can't really complain there. Check it out!

pc games really might be my thing

After a fun experience involving alphabetizing three shelves worth of PC games I have renewed my interest in the classic style of games that seem to only come out for PC, namely the point-and-click adventure genre. I try hard to find these games for the DS but lately am realizing I might just need to play some more PC games. I picked up Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches and it is very promising so far - creepy and all about the ambience with cool graphics and a compelling plotline thus far all about Welsh lore and Celtic spirits and stuff like that. One of the coolest parts about this game is that it as made by a three-person team, indie developer Arberth Studios.

it's baaaack

Everyone's favorite reason to buy a bunch of games he or she doesn't need has returned - GameStop's undeniably attractive "Buy 2 Get 1 Free" on used games this weekend only. Sure, I have eight or ten games with active save files that still need beating one of these days but... um... eventually I will finish those and then I will need to play Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Super Princess Peach and whatever other awesome games I end up taking home this weekend. Also I think we'll be picking up at least a few of the old GameCube Resident Evil titles in place of splurging just yet on Resident Evil 5. More commentary on newly acquired games to follow.

your daily wtf from nintendo

Everyone knows Nintendo can be a little eccentric and goofy, and now we have even more proof thanks to some hilarious scans of the Japanese safety manual that comes with the Wii console system. Check them out, they make you wonder if Japanese kids are perhaps less sensible than American kids when it comes to eating twist ties and putting small plastic bags over their heads. And also, Japanese teens like to play "behind the neck" Wii, apparently. Who knew?

Warning signs from Nintendo

interesting thoughts on pikmin for wii

The Wii port of the GameCube classic Pikmin, called "New Play Control! Pikmin", hits stores tomorrow, and one reviewer has some interesting commentary on the differences between this game, the original Pikmin and its sequel, Pikmin 2, also on GameCube. I too prefer the sequel to the original game (there's something about a day limit in an adventure game that leaves a bad taste in my mouth - like, it's day 15 and you don't have 15 parts already, time to start over) but I'm still excited to try out the newly updated Wii controls on this unique and enjoyable game.

'Pikmin' vs. 'New Play Control Pikmin' - Impressions of the GCN to Wii Port

madworld might just be awesome

Reviews are out on MadWorld, a Wii exclusive M-for-mature shipping today that apparently earns its rating and then some. Looks like if you're not into violent games you'd best steer clear, but if you are a fan of beat-em-ups then MadWorld will be right up your alley. The stylized comic-book style animation is second to none for interesting and unique rendering and the Wii controls apparently were done right - hint hint, other developers! IGN's 9.0 review mentions a quality hip-hop soundtrack, excellent voiceover work as commentators by Greg Proops and John DiMaggio. We've got a reserved copy that we are pretty psyched to pick up tomorrow, and I for one am looking forward to 2-player Man Darts!

d'oh - guitar hero metallica cover

In the constantly updating world of the video game industry this is kind of old news but still hilarious: in the first version of the newly released cover of the highly anticipated Guitar Hero: Metallica edition (due out at the end of March), they spelled "Lynyrd Skynyrd" wrong. I mean, there must have been someone whose job it was just to double-check the spelling on all those crazy band names. I'll admit I had to Google it to spell it correctly but still! I don't get paid for this shizz and I never spell things wrong. Dumbasses! It has of course since been changed but served to give everyone a good laugh for a little while.

Oops: "Guitar Hero: Metallica" Cover Art Misspells "Lynyrd Skynyrd"

dustin pedroia for mlb 09 the show

I'm not a fan of sports video games in any way shape or form, nor do I own a Playstation 3. Still, I am enjoying the current trailers out for MLB 09 The Show featuring my fave Red Sox player Dustin Pedroia! So enjoy this funny one from YouTube and watch out for the others on TV as Pedroia is a hilarious presence on camera and these are far better than his typical local business commercials.

sooo many ds titles to play

I have recently saddled myself with way too many DS games and now need to stop myself from buying any more and start actually beating the ones I have. I still have to do a second playthrough of Trace Memory, Dementium: the Ward is super scary and pretty hard, CrosswordsDS never gets old, and Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is super long and occasionally just the right amount of frustrating, as any good Zelda game should be. Now I also have added Time Hollow (I had a change of heart and decided I like it) and a beautifully animated gothic horror adventure game called Theresia to my collection as well. These two both deal with mature themes (though Time Hollow is T for teen) and are quite enjoyable so far so now I just need to rotate between like six games. I haven't played a console in weeks!

xbox 360 elites hard to find in the future?

Looks like even Microsoft is feeling the hurt of the recession as rumors abound that the Xbox 360 Elite bundle might be getting phased out in many retail stores soon enough. Usually it's the hardcore gamers buying the Elite systems and I guess the theory is that those folks can track them down as necessary. The launch of the Resident Evil 5 Elite package will give them some idea of how in demand the 120 GB system really is.

Could sales of the Xbox Elite be ending?

resident evil: umbrella chronicles

In preparation for next week's Friday the 13th launch of Resident Evil 5, we decided to check out Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, an on-the-rail adaptation of three earlier RE games updated for the Wii. If you've never tried this game, I highly recommend it! The graphics look superb on the Wii and really makes you wonder why there aren't more realistic action-type games on the Wii (yet). I tried my hand at RE4 on the Wii which is also a lot of fun, and Umbrella Chronicles brings the same enjoyment of point-and-shoot that only the Wii can deliver. The storylines are cool, especially if you never played RE Zero or the first or third games. It's a nice introduction to a lot of characters plus a lot of interesting detail about Albert Wesker, mysterious Umbrella Corporation dude. If you're looking for a fun M-rated Wii game and have never played Umbrella Chronicles, check it out sometime for sure.

resident evil 5 leaked

As often happens with an overhyped game or movie, Resident Evil 5 (due out for the PS3 and Xbox 360 in stores March 13) has been leaked online and gamers all over the web are discussing it. I read a pretty nicely detailed review that manages to be nearly spoiler-free while still sharing some interesting elements of the game, insight into the changes the franchise has undergone and comparisons between this title and previous Resident Evil games. If you're interested, read the review here. Warning, if you're attempting to avoid any spoiler info you might want to be cautious on that site as there are tons of RE5 spoilers on that board already, including links to videos of the end of the game!

terrible box art of 2008

Normally I don't just lift all my post ideas from other sites but I can't help but make mention of another Games Radar article that is cracking me up today. Check out the Worst Box Art of 2008. Along with many "girl game" titles, multiple Pet/Petz franchise covers, a neglected watermark and a game about chaotic air traffic control released on 9/11/08, the author takes time to highlight the horror that is the cover of Imagine: Party Babyz:

If you could somehow draw a picture of the sound made when a game journalist’s mind rips in half, it would look like this. If you could distill everything wrong with the casual-gaming movement into a single image – every horrible minigame, every half-assed “girl” game, every misguided purchase by a well-intentioned grandmother, every cynical piece of shovelware ever shat onto a store shelf by some fly-by-night cabal of predatory monsters - this would be that image.

Also? “Babies” is misspelled.

funny: comically oversized limbs

I hadn't visited gamesradar.com in a little while and decided to check out what they had listed on their front page, having been amused by many of their silly articles in the past. I was not disappointed: Gaming's most absurdly oversized limbs.

Balrog’s arms are a bit less absurd than the others, but still, you could build a gym for slightly smaller bodybuilders on his shoulders, and he wouldn’t even notice.

interesting ds titles

I've been searching for the next DS game to really capture my attention and the most recent attempt was a game by Konami called Time Hollow. The game seems cool although it failed to really grab me so I'm not sure I will bother playing through. It's much less puzzle-based than Hotel Dusk or Trace Memory were, which is really what makes an adventure game great for me. Still, if you like point-and-click adventures this one might be for you. The animation is cool although it's much less my style than the other recent DS games I've enjoyed. Also, if you're a fan of Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir, then definitely check out Mystery P.I. and Cate West: The Vanishing Files, which are both very similar and use the same I-spy style of finding objects.

killzone 2 good for the ps3

The Playstation 3 has a couple of enticing exclusive titles like LittleBigPlanet, MotorStorm and the Metal Gear series along with the MLB The Show franchise and next year's God of War III. Still, most fans of the straight-up shooter tend to drift to the Xbox 360 for Gears of War and Halo. Last month's release of Killzone 2, however, has gamers from all systems wishing they could play it, and SONY is hoping to drive sales of the PS3 thanks to its revolutionary new title. The graphics in Killzone are supposed to look better than any game before it and I wouldn't be surprised if it drives some good numbers for the trailing PS3 in hardware sales.

Will Killzone 2 spur PS3 sales?

trace memory was great

After finishing Hotel Dusk: Room 215 I was concerned about finding a new game that I would like as much. Luckily, I made an excellent choice with Trace Memory, one of the DS's first games. Anyone who likes point-and-click adventure should try this one. It has beautiful animation and very cool innovative puzzles considering how old a game it is. Plus it goes for $9.99 which is like 1/6 of most games these days. Also, if you love the DS as much as I do you'll looove the nods to the system throughout the game, mainly characterized by the main character's DTS device that is basically an original DS. My only complaint is that this game is far too short and leaves you wanting more, although it does offer bonuses on the second playthrough that apparently round out the story a bit more, so at least I can give this one another go before having to search for my next DS adventure.

lovely red resident evil xbox 360

Recently officially announced, the special edition XBox 360 Elite package with Resident Evil 5 looks pretty awesome. The red console and matching red controller also comes with HDMI cables, the hard drive transfer cable, plus a copy of Resident Evil 5, for the same price as a normal Elite system. If you don't have a 360 yet and are a fan of Resident Evil, consider picking up this console and being the coolest kid on the block. If we didn't already have one (and as the boyfriend says, we don't need to look at it) I'd be seriously tempted. Oh yeah, and also if I had any money.

star ocean: the last hope

The boyfriend has been obsessed with incredibly long JRPGs lately - after spending 120+ hours on Tales of Vesperia he picked up Star Ocean: the Last Hope recently and has been attached to it ever since. The graphics are really beautiful to see and the character design is... interesting to say the least! Plus the Japanese-to-American voice work provides much hilarity, and some of the cutscenes (very long, unpausable cutscenes) are just totally ridiculous, weird and cheesy (main character's name: Edge Maverick). Plus it borrows a small plotline from Futurama, LOL. I won't spoil it but it involves going through a black hole and ending up in the past. Oh, and there's an alien girl with cat ears and a tail. Kooky!

halo wars hits stores tomorrow

Halo Wars, the newest title of Microsoft's pet franchise, drops tomorrow and is sure to have Halo fans everywhere plugged in to their 360s for days to come. Unlike the first three Halo titles however, Halo Wars is actually an RTS (real-time strategy) game with a grid and turn-based actions. I hate to say it but this actually makes me think more highly of the franchise known so well for its run-and-gun multiplayer mode. Also I have to work tomorrow morning for the release so mostly I'm just trying to brace myself for the flood of Halo addicts coming in to get their copies. I'll be interested to see how many fans love this new game style and how many hate it.