New Super Mario Bros. Wii
We’ve been waiting over two decades for a truly co-operative Mario Bros. platformer, and it’s finally here. New Super Mario Bros. Wii drops this week, and we were at the release party in New York. The gameplay for this title is very similar to New Super Mario Bros. for the DS, with the only notable addition to the basic experience being Yoshi, Mario’s loyal dinosaur friend. Otherwise, the big deal is the addition of up to three of your friends in co-op mode. Work together with your friends as you leap from platform to platform, solving jumping puzzles and stomping Goombas. Play as Mario, Luigi, or one of two Toads. Players can work together or compete for coins through the completion of the levels.
Left 4 Dead 2
For the PC and Xbox 360 this week, we’ll receive Left 4 Dead 2. Try to escape the zombie apocalypse with a small team of civilians in this sequel to the much loved Left 4 Dead. This time players will need to traverse the southern United States from Savannah to New Orleans. If the first game is any indication, the frantic, never-the-same multiplayer tactical combat will be enough to keep the most expert FPS players on their toes. New zombie types are being introduced, along with a few new weapons, with a particular focus on giving the player lots of options for melee combat
Assassin's Creed II
The major cross-platform release this week is Assassin’s Creed II. The first game left off with a cliffhanger. Altaïr’s story in the middle ages was complete, but Desmond’s story in the near future seems to have only just begun. This game picks up the story right where it left off for Desmond and Lucy, but the flashback portion of the story shifts forward to The Renaissance, where another of Desmond’s ancestors has joined the order of assassins. This game will feature hundreds of missions, with twice as many mission types, several new weapons, improved parkour, and a more advanced health and healing system. This last one is an interesting change that also effects the context of the plot. In Assassin’s Creed, it seemed that Altaïr in actuality completed every mission without being injured, and that it was only Desmond’s weak connection to him that made it seem as if he was missing steps, and getting hurt—meaning that all he had to do to “heal” was take a moment to resynchronize. In this sequel, it seems that our new assassin character wasn’t perfect, even when he completed the tasks the first time back in the past, because the player will need to guide him to a hospital to get patched up if he hurts himself too badly. Overall, the game looks like more of what people liked about the first one, so anyone who enjoyed that game should check into this one.
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
For horror survival fans, the newest game in the Resident Evil franchise, Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, drops for the Wii this week. This newest entry to the Resident Evil franchise brings with it customizable weapons, lots of collectible items, the ability to play classic RE levels—like Raccoon City—and 2 player co-op, which seems to have been put into place as a solid part of the franchise going forward.
Gyromancer
Our spotlight release this week is the PC and Xbox 360 release Gyromancer. This game is the product of collaboration between the best RPG developers and the best casual games developers. Square-Enix and Popcap have teamed up to create a title that capitalizes on the still new RPG puzzle genre, made popular by Puzzle Quest. Players will take on the role of a monster summoner who must trek through a magic forest, pitting his own monsters against those of the wilderness, fighting by way of a grid-of-gems puzzle board. Throughout the game the player can learn new spells, and gain the ability to cast as many as fifty different monsters. From the descriptions and screens, it actually seems a little simplified compared to Puzzle Quest. Perhaps that’s Popcap’s influence showing, but the graphics are super-slick, and with Square-Enix on board, you can expect the plot, and the role-playing elements to be unique and fun.
As always, our featured games are available in our Amazon store.
Following is a list of this week’s announce North American releases:
PC
- Armada 2526
- Elven Legacy: Siege
- Hidden Secrets: The Nightmare
- King’s Bounty: Armored Princess
- Left 4 Dead 2
- Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
- Strength & Honour 2
- The Princess and the Frog
- The Sims 3 World Adventures
- Worldshift
PS3
Assassin’s Creed II- God of War Collection
- Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
- NCAA Basketball 10
- Planet 51
- Scene It? Bright Lights! Big Screen!
- SingStar Latino
- Tony Hawk Ride
PSP
- Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines
- F1 2009
- Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
- LittleBigPlanet
- Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s Tag Force 4
Wii
- Bermuda Triangle: Saving the Coral
- Buck Fever
- Chaotic: Shadow Warriors
- Cocoto Festival
- Crazy Chicken Tales
- EA Sports Active More Workouts
- F1 2009
- Hot Wheels Battle Force 5
- Jambo! Safari: Animal Rescue
- JumpStart Escape From Adventure Island
- Just Dance
- Kamen Rider Dragon Knight
- Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
- My Ballet Studio
- Naruto Shippuden: Clash of Ninja Revolution 3
- New Super Mario Bros. Wii
- Planet 51
- Pokemon Rumble
- Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
- Scene It? Bright Lights! Big Screen!
- Street Fighter II’: Champion Edition
- The Princess and the Frog
- Tony Hawk Ride
- Indiana Jones’ Greatest Adventures (VC – SNES)
DS
- Arcade Bowling
- Art Style: DIGIDRIVE
- Assassin’s Creed II: Discovery
- Bermuda Triangle: Saving the Coral
- Chaotic: Shadow Warriors
- Discovery Kids: Spider Quest
- Foto Frenzy
- Hands On! Tangrams
- Hot Wheels Battle Force 5
- Imagine: Artist
- Junior Classic Games
- Kamen Rider Dragon Knight
- Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
- My Ballet Studio
- Personal Fitness for Men
- Personal Fitness for Women
- Petz Dogz Talent Show
- Petz Hamsterz Superstarz
- Planet 51
- Robot Rescue
- Salon Superstar
- The Princess and the Frog
Xbox 360
- Assassin’s Creed II
- Diner Dash
- Gyromancer
- Left 4 Dead 2
- Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
- NCAA Basketball 10
- Planet 51
- Scene It? Bright Lights! Big Screen!
- Stoked: Big Air Edition
- Tony Hawk Ride
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