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WizKids®’ popular constructible strategy game comes to Xbox LIVE® Arcade March 5th with Rocketmen: Axis of Evil. In this arcade shooter, players will join the heroes of the Alliance of Free Planets in their white-knuckled, frenzied struggle to free the Solar System from the tyrannical grip of the Legion of Terra. Up to four players will be able to cooperatively shoot their way through multiple levels, powering up their weapons, picking up bonuses and laying waste to anything that moves.

Key features
• Fast-paced arcade action
• 1 – 4 players on or offline
• Online multiplayer gameplay through a variety of mini games that let players instantly jump into existing games
• Design and build your own character for both single and multi-player games, each with their own unique skills and look

o Male or female
o Three races – Human, Mercurian or Venusian
o Three classes – Fighter, Engineer, Outcast

• Further character customization options through new items and abilities earned by progressing through a variety of quests
• Multiple hours of gameplay with plenty of levels, hordes of enemies, huge bosses and engaging story for maximum replay value
• Beautiful cartoon-like art style brings life to the characters and environments
• Competitive online ranking system
• High definition 1080i graphics

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Rocketmen: Axis of Evil will be available on March 5th for 800 Marketplace points. 

Game on!

Lead Designer Sam Bass and architect of the storyline for Kane’s Wrath spills some of his darkest secrets about the origins of this new story which spans 20 years – from the rebirth of the Brotherhood of Nod after the Second Tiberium War through the dramatic events of the Third Tiberium War and beyond. Do we have your attention now? Also check out somne new cinematic stills from the game.

The Sweep of History – The Origins of the Kane’s Wrath Storyline

It’s Monday afternoon, the office is quiet and I’m sitting here in my lavishly appointed hex, waiting on a build and pursuing what has become a favorite hobby over the last few months – gazing blankly at my whiteboard and attempting to determine what the barely comprehensible scrawlings that adorn it actually say. In most cases, this is beyond hopeless, but one sentence keeps popping out at me from the multicolored murk…

“The sweep of history”

…written in bright red, underlined multiple times. Accompanied by a blue blob that I think is meant to be CABAL and perhaps the worst drawing of Joe Kucan known to man.

In other words, it looks important, and, well, it is.

Why?

To find out, we need to journey back to the halcyon days of mid-2007 and the very beginnings of Kane’s Wrath.

When we first started work on the project, we spent a significant period of time taking stock of Command & Conquer 3′s failings, from both a development and community perspective. From a fictional standpoint, we hit upon a biggie; simply put, the Tiberium Wars narrative gave short shrift to the events of Tiberian Sun and Firestorm, our direct predecessors in the Tiberium Universe canon, and was consequently dinged by the community for leaving so many questions unanswered.

While I still believe that our reasons for doing so – to provide a ‘clean’ entry point for those new to the franchise – were valid, as a gamer and long term C&C fan I completely understood the frustration. After all, if I had waited nearly a freakin’ decade to find out what happened to CABAL, or to learn what was up with Kane’s mask, or what became of Anton Slavik, only to be met with a lone IntelDB entry and a distinctly unadorned Joe Kucan, I’d likely be camping outside the EALA offices with torches and pitchforks too.

With Kane’s Wrath, I felt that we had a perfect opportunity to address those concerns, to create a compelling narrative that would also meld thirteen years of Tiberium Universe canon into a unified whole. Fired up with creative inspiration, I took this somewhat grandiose idea to the team, proposing that the Kane’s Wrath storyline eschew the traditional “here’s what happened next, folks” sequel narrative in favor of something more epic, something that both looked to the past and at the same time pointed us towards a post-Tiberium Wars future.

In other words, I pitched them a tale that really captured the…(drum roll)… sweep of history.

To my surprise, they were totally down for it, and so I got down to business, mapping out the specifics of this ever more ambitious, epic storyline. After drawing up a list of the various canonic issues I wanted to address (CABAL, the Tacitus, Kane’s mask and so on), and then sketching out a narrative thread we could use to drive the storyline proper, I came to the conclusion that our tale would be best be told over a sixteen year stretch, kicking off in 2034, shortly after the end of Firestorm and Nod’s collapse, wending its way through the back alleys of Tiberium Wars and ending up in 2050, three years after the Scrin Invasion and Kane’s “death” at Temple Prime.

My next step was to determine exactly what did happen post-Firestorm. Since this was to be the foundation for the Kane’s Wrath storyline, it needed to be as clearly defined and well thought out as possible. Thankfully, Firestorm itself provided me with a clear starting point – that is, having lost Kane, the Brotherhood was rife with infighting and factionalism.

From there, I came up with the following…

Anton Slavik, already in a weakened position due to CABAL and the loss of the Tacitus, finds himself besieged from all sides by internal dissent, most notably from his former comrades within the Black Hand. These tensions quickly spiral out of control, before long exploding into a full on schism. When the smoke clears, Slavik lies dead, murdered by one of his own, and the Brotherhood has ceased to exist, splintered into a cornucopia of militant factions, none powerful enough to challenge the GDI oligarchy.

In other words, when our story begins, Kane finds himself without his cult, without his army. He is completely, utterly alone.

After locking down this basic concept, I fleshed it out into a full narrative – one that you can read in the Kane’s Wrath Intelligence Database, should you so desire – and, in doing so, began to feel confident that our story would indeed be worthy of the Command & Conquer franchise. Here’s hoping that you agree with me when the game comes out.

If not, feel free to queue up outside my hex, pitchforks, torches and all.

Sam Bass
Lead Designer
Command & Conquer Kane’s Wrath

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Game on!

The next iteration of the genre-establishing fighting game series and the first new entry announced in nearly eight years, following the acclaimed Street Fighter III Third Strike. In its amazing twenty year history, Street Fighter has revolutionized the fighting genre and created a global legacy like no other.

Capcom is proud to announce (so far) the return of four classic “World Warriors” in Street Fighter IV: returning favorites Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, and Dhalsim. The characters and environments are rendered in stylized 3D computer graphics (CG), while the game is played in the classic Street Fighter 2D perspective with additional 3D camera flourishes. The traditional six-button controls for the game will return, with a host of new special moves and features integrated into the input system. Mixing tried-and-true classic moves and techniques with all-new, never-before-seen gameplay systems, Street Fighter IV brings a brand new fighting game to fans the world over.

Everything that made the legendary Street Fighter II a hit in arcades, living rooms and dormitories all over the world has been brought to bear here, with even more surprises. With the inclusion of Capcom’s latest advancements in new generation technology, Street Fighter IV promises to deliver an extraordinary experience that will re-introduce the world to the time-honored art of virtual martial arts.

Key features
Features:
• 2D/3D fighting environments
• Classic Street Fighter characters re-imagined for a new generation of gamers
• New special moves that go beyond any Street Fighter fan’s wildest imagination
• Amazing locations never seen before in a Street Fighter game
• New gameplay elements provide new challenges for both newcomers and the most seasoned Street Fighter pro.

You can view the new 3-minute AOU trailer HERE.

Game on!

Introduction:
Many gamers are familiar with the Burnout franchise from Electronic Arts. It has always been a fast paced, arcade style game that has always been filled with fun. The latest installment of the franchise does not disappoint.

EA has this time given us a new twist on the series. Some have liked it and some have shared their disappointment with it. I however, think it is a positive in their latest offering. Navigating the city and finding races is in an open environment this time around. Paradise City is divided into multiple “burroughs” or sections. Each burrough offers different scenery and challenges. The burroughs are in rural settings as well as right downtown and everything in between.

Gameplay:
The gameplay in Burnout Paradise (BP) is very good. All of the elements we are used to seeing in this franchise are there. It takes some getting used to as the format is somewhat different than previous games in this series. Once you sort out all the nuts and bolts the gameplay is very intuitive and pleasing. First timers or long timers to this series are sure to enjoy a new way to play Burnout.

To find races and challenges in this installment, the player must pull up to stoplights at intersections and enter the event in this manner. At first it may seem cumbersome to some, but after a while it blends into the background and is a non issue. Being able to basically drive where you want makes up for any frustration in finding races. One complaint would be that it is not always easy to remember where a particular event takes place at but it is a minor problem at best.

Gone is the crash event form the series of old, in its place is an event called showtime. Showtime can be addicting to say the least. The ability to go into showtime mode at any instant lends to the addicting nature of the event. Players simply hit the L and R bumpers simultaneously and enter the mode. It is similar to the old crash event in that your aim is to cause chaos and mayhem on the streets of Paradise City. Points are awarded for collisions and run in with objects as well. The trick is to prolong the event and score as many points as possible. The violence and destruction in this event is a beautiful thing and it is loads of fun to watch and to participate in. While this new mode has also been controversial, it is a good addition to the game.

From a technical standpoint, the driving isn’t quite as polished as previous versions, where you could really feel the frantic speed. While some argue that some aspects of that are gone in the new offering, I just don’t see it. Racing through city or country streets still feels frantic and reeks of speed. Your racing route is no longer defined for you. After learning the city better you can come up with shortcuts to get to the finish line faster, but it takes some skill and learning to remember just where alternate routes are for each of the events. The game encourages you to take a “tour” of the city to learn all about its features. You can still win races without using alternate routes by letting pure speed and skill overcome.

There are many different challenges in BP to keep you occupied for a while. With hundreds of gates to be crashed through, multiple billboards to be destroyed and setting best times and point totals for various events on every street, this game will keep you busy for a while.

Graphically, BP is very nice. The cars look great and the city is equally well done. Detail in the buildings and settings through the city and countryside will catch you checking out the scenery when your eyes should be on the road.

Extras:
The online experience is also very cool. It’s easy to slip online. All you have to do is hit the d-pad and select your poison. It is easy to hook up with friends and do as you please. One of the best experiences I have had online came in this game with a good friend that I had not caught up with in a long time. We met in Paradise City and chased each other around for over an hour chatting over life at the same time. Online you can do specifically what you want to do or do nothing at all and enjoy crashing and mayhem at your own pace.

Conclusion:
Burnout Paradise has something to offer the newcomer to the series as well as old veterans alike. It is a solid installment and a welcome edition in the Burnout series.

Score: 8.5

To start off today’s tactius Thursday, we have the Nod Redeemer spotlight:

After the first defeat at the hands of the Mammoth Armed Reclamation Vehicle, the Brotherhood came to the conclusion that the reclamation of the Red Zones for Nod would require nothing less than a comparable equivalent in form and function. A covert operation into ZOCOM tiberium reduction operations allowed the Brotherhood to corner the mighty MARV and raid the MARV production plant. With the engineering plans in hand, the stage was set for Nod to counter the GDI threat with their own massive, armored behemoth.

The Nod Avatar, already a powerful force on the battlefield and highly customizable, was the ideal choice for mounting Nod’s newfound weapon advancements. The base Avatar design was augmented with additional armor, quadrapedal movement for enhanced stability, an obelisk-derived tri-part laser, and dual shoulder-mounted weapon customization slots. The gargantuan war machine emerged from the Engineering Facility in a blast of superheated steam, dwarfing even the mighty Avatar in size and power.

Redemption would come to the masses on this day.

Special Abilities:

Rage Generator: Emulating Kane’s presence on the battlefield, the Redeemer utilizes subliminal brainwave modification to ignite feelings of fear and anger, turning enemy forces against one another. Unlike the effects of a Hallucinogenic Grenade, the Rage Generator operates at a powerful resonant frequency that can penetrate vehicle armor and drive vehicle pilots mad, even at a significant distance.

Upgrades Available:

Redeem Unit: Nod infantry can sacrifice their weaponry to add a permanent shoulder-mounted weapon to the Redeemer. Two shoulder slots are available for modification. The weapon mounted depends on the type of infantry utilized:

Militant Rifle Squad/Confessor Cabal/Awakened: anti-infantry machinegun
Militant Rocket Squad: anti-air/vehicle rockets
Saboteur: persistent healing, addition of a second saboteur will heal twice as fast
Tiberium Trooper: anti-infantry/structure liquid tiberium, slows vehicles
Black Hand: anti-infantry/structure flamethrower

Combat Chain Role:

The Redeemer is available to all Nod subfactions at tier 3 when a Redeemer Engineering Facility is constructed. As a unique, top-tier, heavy armored unit, the Redeemer can both take and deal out significantly more damage than any other unit in the Nod arsenal. In addition, due to its gargantuan size, the Redeemer can crush even the mighty Mammoth Tank with a single, powerful step. The main weapon of the Redeemer, a custom laser triad, can penetrate the heaviest of armor and cut infantry squads to ribbons. Dual mounting slots allow a battlefield commander to customize the Redeemer to better deal with the situation at hand. Whether marching into combat or surrounded by foes and nearly expired, the Redeemer can active the Rage Generator to incredible effect, throwing nearby enemy infantry and vehicles into an adrenaline-fueled frenzy.

Advanced Gameplay Notes:

-The Redeemer has a high amount of hit points and can take a lot of damage, but only one can be created at a time, and at significant expense, making it worthwhile to keep alive. If playing as Nod or Marked of Kane, Cloaking Field can help keep your Redeemer from meeting an early end at the hands of a pack of Predator Tanks.

-Like any tier 3 heavy vehicle, the Redeemer is vulnerable to air units and infantry massing. Garrisoning of anti-infantry units or rocket squads can help mitigate these weaknesses.

-The Redeemer cannot be destroyed by Commando anti-walker abilities, and can crush any Commando

-Outfitting the Redeemer with two Black Hand flamethrowers produces a powerful, base-destroying juggernaut

-The Rage Generator ability will not affect units that are already target-locked. Units will continue berserking their current targets until destroyed, then move on to nearby allies and enemies alike. If the Redeemer is the only unit left, surrounded by enemies, use Rage Generator to turn the entire enemy army against one another long after the Redeemer has fallen.

-The range of the Rage Generator is enormous. A skilled player will scout his opponent’s assault and turn the opposing front line against their allies before they can even get a shot off.

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Game on!

Electronic Arts Inc. today announced that the new sci-fi survival horror game, Dead Space™ will be in stores in North America and Europe on October 31st for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360™ videogame and entertainment system. Dead Space will ensure that gamers have a spine-tingling Halloween.

Set in the far future, Earth’s appetite for natural resources has become a major motivator for deep space exploration. Immense, privately-owned and operated mining ships called “planetcrackers” orbit planets and use sophisticated equipment to carve out entire city-sized chunks of rock, reducing them to component elements and raw ore. When communications go dead onboard the USG Ishimura, a famous planetcracker, systems engineer Isaac Clarke is sent in to fix the problem. Once onboard the vessel, Isaac discovers that the crew has unearthed an ancient and malevolent alien presence far beneath the planet’s surface and brought it onboard. Weaponless, alone and terrified, this lone engineer is burdened with much more than simple survival – he must seal the alien horror back into the dark rock.

“Survival horror is about experiencing a terrifying, and deeply personal fiction,” said Executive Producer Glen Schofield. “Dead Space is being developed as a single-player thriller that delivers the chilling, claustrophobic feeling of being isolated in a dark environment, while being stalked by some truly horrific enemies. Halloween is the perfect time for EA to deliver the fear and anxiety that will keep survival horror fans up playing all night.”

Gamers can check out the new trailer, screenshots and get all the latest dev team news  HERE.  Under development at EA Redwood Shores, Dead Space is not yet rated by PEGI or ESRB.

Game on!

Put on your headset, grab your clipboard and see if you have what it takes to be a head coach in the National Football League.  Today, Electronic Arts Inc, (NASDAQ: ERTS) announces NFL Head Coach 09, featuring Indianapolis Colts’ head coach Tony Dungy on the game’s cover.  Released under the EA SPORTS™ brand, NFL Head Coach 09 is a unique NFL experience that gives gamers the power to make decisions that define their career and ultimately the fate of their franchise as a head coach in the NFL. 

“In NFL Head Coach 09, the gamer has complete control of their franchise’s destiny,” says NFL Head Coach 09 Executive Producer Jeremy Strauser.  “From draft day to game day, the gamers’ decisions impact their team’s success and make or break a team’s road to the Super Bowl.”

In 2007, Dungy became the first African-American coach to win a Super Bowl when the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Chicago Bears 29-17 in Super Bowl XLI.  Since Dungy’s arrival to Indianapolis in 2001, the Colts have earned six playoff berths and have won more than 70 regular-season games.  Dungy has an impressive .661 winning percentage as a head coach over the past 12 seasons.

NFL Head Coach 09 provides a complete NFL experience, offering a variety of different ways to control an NFL franchise, on and off the field, in-season and off-season.  With strategic game planning features, NFL Head Coach 09 places gamers in the coach’s seat by allowing gamers to comprehensively scout the opponent, build playbooks, and develop a team that will adapt to the philosophy and system of an NFL franchise.

The sideline is your playing field in NFL Head Coach 09 – gamers can make adjustments to plays and game strategies in an instant.  The outcome of every game depends on game-time decisions made on the sideline. Success depends on proper preparation and knowledge of the opposing teams’ strategies, as well as expert and timely play calling.

Developed in Orlando, Florida by EA Tiburon, NFL Head Coach 09 will be available for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360™ video game system from Microsoft.

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Game on!

Introduction:
You are immortal. You have lived for over 1,000 years and you cannot die. There’s just one small problem. You can’t remember the past 30 years. For reasons that are unclear – perhaps an emotional trauma, perhaps more sinister reasons, perhaps both – your memories of the past 30 years are locked deep within your mind. It will take time and help to unlock them…if you even want to that is.

You are Kaim Argonar, and you are about to undertake a dangerous, thrilling and emotional adventure. Along the way you’ll meet friends and enemies, allies and foes. Who can you trust? You may not know until you can gain more of your memories back. You have no choice but to forge ahead and hope you can figure out right from wrong – friend from enemy, before it’s too late.

Gameplay:
Coming from the same studio that gave us Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey is a Japanese-style, turn-based RPG set in a massive and fantastical world. The most important resource in this world is magic. The use of magic and mysterious devices known as magic engines provide the magic energy that the various factions you’ll encounter vie for control of. It’s unfortunate that the game’s creators chose to use such generic terms as ‘magic’ and ‘magic engine’ rather than providing more whimsical or fanciful titles for the mystical energy you will encounter in Lost Odyssey.

An intense and furious opening cutscene ends with Kaim as the only survivor of a meteor crashing into the planet during a battle. Since he is immortal, Kaim’s survival doesn’t astonish many. The more important question becomes, what caused the meteor crash? Joining with two companions, Seth Balmore and Jansen Friedh, you set out to investigate. Before long you find yourself wrapped up in a power struggle that could lead to war.

As the various cities and factions vie for control, the more important issue for Kaim becomes reclaiming his lost memories – as they may hold the key to what’s really going on and who he can truly trust. At first, recalling any of his past causes Kaim great pain, both emotional and physical. Because of this, he is very resistant at first in trying to remember any of his past. As the game progresses, however, Kaim begins to realize that reclaiming his lost memories and the lost memories of three other immortals will help him stop an evil plan that threatens the entire world.

As you’d expect from a Japanese-style RPG, Lost Odyssey has a great deal of pre-rendered cutscenes. Through the cutscenes, the game does an admirable job of giving you the feeling of ‘playing a movie’. This is the main reason the game comes on four (4) DVDs. The majority of these cutscenes are one means by which the game’s plot is revealed. Just be ready for a lot of them. At one point, early on at an important part of the plot, I must’ve sat watching cutscenes for over 20 minutes straight. Most of the game’s cutscenes aren’t that long (and the 20 minutes was comprised of two or three separate cutscenes shown back-to-back), and you do have the ability to skip them if you want. However, skipping the cutscenes means you’ll be missing important plot information, so it’s in your best interest to watch them. The cutscenes are rendered beautifully and show off the characters and landscapes in the game very well. They are not photo-realistic by any means, but they are not meant to be. They have a fanciful look which, along with the game’s music do an excellent job of helping to immerse you in the huge and beautiful world of Lost Odyssey.

While Lost Odyssey’s cutscenes do an excellent job of immersing you in the game, there are a few unfortunate factors that break up the fluidity and either ruin the mood or remind you that you are playing a game. The first are the so-called dream sequences. At various points through the game, something will trigger Kaim’s memories and a new memory from his past is revealed. Kaim’s memories return to him mostly in dreams so when a new memory is revealed, you will enter the dream sequence to see it.

No. That isn’t right. You don’t ‘see’ the dreams. You read them. That’s right. Instead of Kaim’s dreams being cutscenes also (which I would have preferred), each dream sequence is several (and I mean several) pages of text.  As with the cutscenes, you can skip the dream sequences. Unlike skipping cutscenes, however, you can go back and re-read any dream sequence you skip by resting at an inn for the night. When you go to sleep, you have the option to re-read any/all of the dream sequences that have been unlocked. This gives you the option to skip the dream sequences if you wish, and read them in larger chunks after you’ve opened up a few. It’s not that I necessarily minded having to read the dreams, but some of them are quite long. They are very important to the story, however, so even if you skip a few make sure you go back and read them eventually.

Another thing that breaks up the game’s fluidity a bit is the battles. This is to be somewhat expected in a turn-based RPG, but it’s disconcerting to just be walking along a path and suddenly see the battle animation kick in. You will virtually never see an enemy in the distance or running towards you or anything like that. Only after the battle sequence has been initiated do you see who you’ll be fighting. Also, though you can have a few different members in your party at most times (there are times when your party is limited to a single character), unless you are in battle or in a cutscene, the only character you’ll see on screen is Kaim. I found this a bit odd. If I have three or four members in my party, then why don’t I see all three or four of them on screen while I’m walking through the cities of the game? I got used to this, but still found it a little strange.

Also, perhaps it’s only me, but one other thing I found that really detracted from the overall feel of the game was the character Jansen Friedh. Most characters I played as or met in Lost Odyssey seemed to fit well into the world. For me, Jansen did not. He came across as a Southern California slacker, surfer-dude. I can only surmise the developers did this to try and inject some comic relief into the game, but to me it just didn’t work. Whenever Jansen opened his mouth, it ruined the overall mood and feel of the game.

Lost Odyssey does add a few twists in the way of battle formations and skills that are interesting. At any time, even during battle (but it will take a turn), you can alter your party’s formation. This is important because party members at the back of your formation will be better protected from enemy attacks. The same goes for your enemies, and you are always told whether the enemy you’re about to attack is at the front of the back of the enemy formation. This system has a very noticeable effect on how much damage you can take or dish out based on where a character is in the battle formation.

Immortal characters in Lost Odyssey, such as Kaim or Seth, cannot learn skills on their own. Only mortal characters like Jansen can learn skills. In order to gain a skill, an immortal must link to a mortal who has that skill. This is an interesting twist that also gives you something else to manage. Don’t forget to link skills or Kaim and your other immortal characters won’t gain any.

Your battle effectiveness is dependent not only on your battle formation, character level and skills but on what types of items you have equipped. For example, Lost Odyssey uses a number of special rings that you can equip to any character to improve various attacks, spell casting, etc. or even steal manna from your enemies. The effectiveness of the various rings is also dependent on how you assemble them. Each ring can be enhanced with other items you’ll find in the game to make it more powerful. There is a ‘Ring Assembly’ section on your item menu that lets you take care of this task.

Once assembled, the rings also initiate a minor change in battle. If you attack with a ring equipped, you can time your attack to get a hit point bonus. A ring will appear around your target as the attack starts. Hold the right trigger and a rapidly collapsing circle will close towards the ring surrounding your target. Release the right trigger at the proper moment and you’ll get a small but noticeable attack boost. Miss or time it badly and there is no penalty, but you’ll get no boost.

The graphics in Lost Odyssey are beautiful. Are they the best graphics I’ve seen in an RPG? No. However, the look fits the world of Lost Odyssey perfectly. Bustling cities, shimmering oceans, lush fields and rocky mountaintops all seem inviting and leave you eager to explore. The battle animations can get rather repetitive, but again this is to be somewhat expected when you have turn-based battle.

To compliment the beautiful graphics, the sound and music in Lost Odyssey is done very well. The music especially does more to help set the tone than I first realized. In fact, the music seems to fit so well that you’ll hardly even notice it. This is a good thing. Trust me. The voice acting in Lost Odyssey is also done, for the most part, quite well. The voice acting for Kaim especially is excellent. You can feel his pain and anguish as he recalls his more painful memories.

The best graphics and sound are, of course, in the cutscenes. It’s clear that time and care was taken to make them as beautiful and immersive as possible and they are a joy to watch and listen to.

Extras:
Lost Odyssey is strictly a single-player game. There is no multiplayer or Xbox Live play.

Conclusion:
Lost Odyssey follows the classic turn-based RPG formula for the most part, but it does add a few nice extras, such as the ring attack and skill linking for example, that make for a nice change of pace. It won’t win any awards for originality, as the game’s main story is rather cliché, but the story is done and told well nonetheless. If you’re looking for a turn-based RPG with an epic story and a massive world to explore, then Lost Odyssey may be the game you’ve been looking for.

Score: 8.2

Game on!

After Toshiba’s announcements last week, this should come as a surprise to nobody. 

“As a result of recent decisions made by Toshiba, Hollywood studios, and retailers, Microsoft plans to withdraw from HD DVD.  Xbox will no longer manufacture new HD DVD players for the Xbox 360, but we will continue to provide standard product and warranty support for all Xbox 360 HD DVD Players in the market.  As we stated earlier, we do not believe this decision will have any material impact on the Xbox 360 platform or our position in the marketplace.  HD DVD is one of the several ways we offer a high definition experience to consumers and we will continue to give consumers the choice to enjoy digital distribution of high definition movies and TV shows directly to their living room, along with playback of the DVD movies they already own.”

Game on!

(via Gamerscoreblog)

Since you can’t take your 360 with you on the bus, you might want to check out Basic Fun‘s Guitar Hero Carabiner. 

 This ultra-portable version of Guitar Hero measures 7 3/4″ X 3″ and the neck can fold down to make it an even smaller 4″ X 3″.  You play by watching the notes come at you on a small LCD screen.  The whammy ‘bar’ has been replaced with a whammy button (you don’t want a bar sticking out when you slip it in your pocket). 

The built in track list includes titles such as: Smoke on the Water, Rock this Town, Cherry Pie, Killer Queen, You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’, Miserlou, Heart Shaped Box, Message In A Bottle, Jessica, and Surrender.

Basic Fun worked in conjunction with Red Octane to make sure this portable verion was as fun as possible.  Guitar Hero Carabiner will be available from late February/early March at the following retailers:

FAO Schwarz
HobbyTown USA
Kay Bee Toys
K-Mart
Musicland
Sears
Spencer Gifts
Target
The Sports Authority
Toys R Us
Urban Outfitters
Walgreens
Wal-Mart

We must admit, this looks a lot more fun that the Guitar Hero Air Guitar Rocker we featured last month.  So pick one up, and annoy everyone on your bus ride to work. 

Game on!