The long-talked about yet seldom-seen “Duke Nukem Forever” is real — and it’s scheduled to be released next year by 2K.
Gearbox Studios, who most recently scored a big hit with “Borderlands,” is putting the final touches on the game, which is being demoed at this week’s Penny Arcade Expo.
“Duke Nukem Forever” is being developed for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.
Nintendo announced Monday plans to cut the price of its two latest handheld devices, the DSi and DSi XL. Effective Sept. 12, the DSi will retail for $149.99 and the DSi XL will be available for $169.99. The DS Lite model will not see a price drop and remain at $129.99.
The Nintendo DSi currently retails for $169.99, while the DSi XL goes for $189.99. Nintendo is currently developing a new handheld device, the 3DS, which will support 3D gaming. No launch date has been announced for that system.
We’re drawing ever closer to the release of “Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock,” “Rock Band 3″ and “DJ Hero 2.” To get you ready, here are the set lists for each game. I’m really looking forward to playing Rush’s “2112″ on “Warriors of Rock” and Dire Straits’ “Walk of Life” on “Rock Band 3.” But “DJ Hero 2″ has some of my most anticipated tracks with Warren G’s “Regulate”, ”Informer” by Snow and House of Pain’s “Jump Around.” That’s right, 90’s hip-hop still rules on my Ipod. Scroll down to check out the complete set lists for yourself:
OK, so I just wrapped up my review for “Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days” (read it here) and headed over to Metacritic.com to see what others thought of the game. A 1 out of 10? Really? I must have missed the memo telling me to hate this game because I can’t fathom how any honest reviewer could score this game that low. Does it have issues? Sure it does. What game doesn’t? But a 1 out of 10? I can’t even remember the last game I played that was so poorly developed and such utter garbage that it deserved a 1 out of 10. I had fun with “Dog Days” and would readily recommend it to anyone looking for a good third-person shooter.
Vacation’s over and it’s time to get back to work. To start off the week, I offer up my review of “Madden NFL 11.” Check it out here.
Summers in the Gazette sports department aren’t supposed to be this busy. But the good news is it’s almost over, which means things will start getting back to normal and I can get back to posting here on a regular basis. In the meantime, here’s a link to my review of “Limbo” to hold you over.
Guys, it’s been hectic around here but I haven’t forgotten about the blog. I’ll be back on here later today with a more significant update, but in the meantime head here to check out my review of “NCAA Football 11,” which hits stores next week.
Well, Day 2 of E3 2010 is in the books and both Nintendo and Sony delivered the goods during their media presentations.
Nintendo kicked off the day by giving gamers a taste of something old and a glimpse of something new. As I predicted in this very space two days ago, Nintendo did unveil the next installment in the “Legend of Zelda” franchise, titled “Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.” The first “Zelda” game developed exclusively for Wii, “Skyward Sword” utilizes the MotionPlus add-on to offer true 1-to-1 control over Link’s weapons and shield. Of course, you couldn’t tell that by watching legendary developer Shigeru Miyamoto attempt to demo the game live during the press conference, but I’ll take Nintendo at its word that the control scheme actually works.
Of course, “Zelda” wasn’t the only classic Nintendo franchise to receive a makeover Tuesday. The developer also announced new versions of “Kirby, “Donkey Kong Country,” and a new sports game featuring company mascot Mario for Wii and “Kid Icarus” for the 3DS, the new 3D handheld also unveiled Tuesday. Nintendo fans have been clamoring for fresh takes of classic franchises and Nintendo absolutely delivered.
Not to be outdone was Sony, which showed off its Wii-esque Move controller and several new games, including the long-awaited “Twisted Metal” and “Portal 2” for PS3. In the battle to capture the casual audience with its new peripheral, I give the edge to Microsoft with its Kinect motion-sensing controller. But Sony impressed me more by showcasing mainstream titles are incorporating Move, like “SOCOM 4,” “Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11” and “LittleBigPlanet 2.” Sony also scored high marks for its exclusive deal with EA that will bring added content to the PS3 versions of “Medal of Honor” and “Dead Space 2.”
There are still a few days left before the doors close on E3 2010, so I’ll hold off on declaring a winner. But it’s clearly a two-horse race between Nintendo and Sony. Check back later this week for my final wrapup.
Microsoft kicked off E3’s press conferences Monday afternoon with a resounding thud. After watching the 21/2 hour presentation, I have to say I was less than impressed and am completely underwhelmed with Kinect, the peripheral formerly known as Project Natal.
First, the highlights:
| Racing fans looking for something a little different should head here and read my review of “Blur,” from Bizarre Creations and Activision. It’s a cool blend of licensed cars, real-world tracks and “Mario Kart”-inspired power-ups. Be prepared for some frustrating moments, but there’s plenty of fun to be had if you can keep from tossing your controller.
| The big news this week is the arrival of the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo, better known as E3. There’s no doubt that Microsoft’s Project Natal (it still hasn’t gotten an official name?) and Sony’s Move will grab the bulk of the headlines, but I’m expecting a few surprises, too. A redesigned Xbox 360? A new “Zelda” title for the Wii? A reason to actually visit Playstation Home? I’m prepared for anything right now. I’ll have plenty on E3 this week as the Big 3 have their media briefings. Microsoft kicks things off Monday at 1 p.m. EDT.
| E3 isn’t the only significant gaming event happening this week. The demo for “NCAA Football 11″ drops Monday, June 14, and features eight teams and four potential matchups — Ohio State-Miami, Florida-Florida State, Texas-Oklahoma and Clemson-Missouri. As an added incentive to play the demo, gamers who play as each team can unlock those teams’ Nike Pro Combat jerseys for use in the full version of the game, which is set to arrive in July. Sharing the demo with people on your friends list unlocks the Pro Combats for Virginia Tech, LSU and TCU.
| And finally, this week sees only one major release — “Toy Story 3″ — and if you haven’t had this game on your radar, you should, especially if you have young gamers in the house or are just a kid at heart, yourself. I’ve been playing the final release version for a few days now and have been very impressed with what I’ve seen. Look for my review later this week.
That’s it for now. Remember to check back this week for updates from E3.
Gazette Life Section
Subscribe to Plugged In