Category: Videogames

Rock Band Kiosks Invading Old Navy Starting November 26

Old Navy logo

In an interesting crossover, MTV Games is setting up Rock Band kiosks at hundreds of Old Navy stores starting November 26. Gamers will be able to shop for performance fleece, rock out to the game, and win Rock Band prizes. The official press release stated:

Consumers will be treated to a rockin’ shopping experience when Old Navy unveils Rock Band game play kiosks in close to 700 stores in the United States and Canada. The kiosks will be featured throughout the holiday season, giving families a fun outlet during their busy holiday shopping trips.

In addition, six of the Old Navy flagship stores will install 10 x 10 fully equipped Rock Band entertainment stages providing consumers the chance to perform like rock stars. Families are invited to come down and play on Thanksgiving Thursday as part of the Gobblepalooza weekend. Customers will also get a chance to win a $200 shopping spree, Rock Band song tracks and other great prizes.

I absolutely dread holiday shopping and try to do most of it online to avoid the crowds. Somehow, I always manage to get roped into at least one shopping session, which almost always gives me a migraine. Being able to play Rock Band while my friends shop would be much better than Excedrin.

Coffee Talk #33: Thanksgiving Memories

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Big Ben’s concussion saga, trying out for the New Jersey Nets, or walking four blocks when you really shouldn’t, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Thanksgiving is a special time for many of us. Getting together with friends and family, eating lots of turkey and trimmings, and watching football is what the holiday is all about for millions of Americans. For me, Thanksgiving was always a special gaming holiday. You see, I used to rent games at the local video store when I was a kid. The store didn’t charge for the holiday, so it was like getting an extra day for free (actually, it was totally like that)!

Zelda II The Adventure of Link

One of my favorite Thanksgivings of all time was spent (a little bit) with my wonderful family and (a lot) with The Legend of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. I played the hell out of that game from Wedensday through Friday. I’m pretty sure that’s when I developed the habit of playing games until I pass out with the controller. I had several Thanksgiving marathon sessions like that when I was in grade school and I remember them fondly.

Did any of you do the same thing? Was Thanksgiving designated as a national videogame holiday for you? I’d love to hear about your epic Turkey Day gaming sessions.

FFXIII Rips Off Mechagodzilla + More Gran Pulse Details

The fine people at Andriasang have translated Famitsu’s big Final Fantasy XIII feature. There are some great details here, including information on the land known as Gran Pulse. Here’s the skinny:

Pulse is full of giant beasts, some towering like mountains above the characters. The magazine has an interesting note about the Pulse creatures. They’re actually of the same origin as Cocoon’s creatures. The same type of monster looks different between the two worlds, as Cocoon’s monsters evolved differently due to their enclosed environment.

Of course, there’s more to Cocoon’s monsters than just natural evolution. The Cocoon government has been turning monsters into weapons by fusing them with mechanical parts. An example is the Behemoth III Reformed beast from the Advent Children demo. This creature was modified for army use, but it’s still a bit smaller than the King Behemoth monster you’ll encounter in Gran Pulse.

FFXIII combat screen

I’m fascinated by the concept of mechanized eidolons like Behemoth III. It’s a rip-off of Mechagodzilla, but in a totally cool way. At the very least, this concept is more interesting than the wacky gestalt mode and the tool hosting this otherwise enjoyable FFXIII video.

Anyone else down for Mechaleviathan and Mechaifrit?

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Coffee Talk #32: Great Dogs in Gaming

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the incredibly handsome Chris Taylor, Andre Ward bringing big-time boxing back to The Bay, or the unstoppable WWE Sheamus, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I love my mabari war hound, Cisco, in Dragon Age: Origins. He’s a faithful dog and a fearsome warrior. While he can’t equip all the nifty weapons and armor my other party members can, Cisco is an underrated combatant that’s incredibly useful for taking out opposing mages.

Dragon Age Mabari

As Cisco was dispatching baddie after baddie in DA, I started thinking about other dogs in gaming. Cisco would beat the crap out of that lame-ass dog in Dead to Rights. I don’t care if that dog had its own button to activate his attacks. He sucks compared to Cisco. Having said that (Curb reference!), there are plenty of dogs that would give my Cisco a run for his money.

The dog from Duck Hunt is one of the oldest and best in the business. Dogmeat from Fallout 3 is a menacing force. The dog in Fable II was a bigger part of the game than I thought he’d be. Yamato from Shadow Dancer: The Legend of Shinobi had special ninja-dog training. It’s kind of crazy how many courageous canines have graced videogames.

Who are some of your favorite videogame dogs? (And no, Amaterasu from Okami doesn’t count. She’s a Shinto sun goddess!)

LittleBigPlanet PSP Available for Download

By the time you read this, LittleBigPlanet for PlayStation Portable will be available for download through Sony’s PlayStation Network. This is arguably the biggest digital download debut for the platform (I’m not counting retro titles).

LittleBigPlanet PSP

The original game for PS3 was critically lauded and received tons of awards, though its commercial success didn’t match its accolades. I’m curious to see how the PSP version will perform as a digital download. It will be an interesting barometer of how receptive PSP gamers are to doing digital. Furthermore, I want to see if this style of game can succeed on a handheld platform.

Are any of you going to by LBP for PSP? Do you think it can do well on the platform? I’d love for it to be uber-successful, but I have my doubts.

Today’s Poll: Which Dragon Age Country Do You Want to Play In?

Thedas map

The excellent writers of Dragon Age: Origins did a fine job of setting up the game’s sequels. While this chapter of the DA saga had you and your party marching around Ferelden, several other lands were mentioned in the game’s dialogue and the numerous codex.

Leliana’s home country or Orlais once ruled Ferelden. It’s still the most powerful nation in Thedas, full of political intrugue and sexy bards. If gay elf assassins are more your thing, the lawless world of Antiva might be for you. Although it’s fronted by royalty, criminal organizations and merchant guilds are the real powers here. The island nations of Par Vollen and Seheron are home to the Qunari — giant people that are driven by war and a strict code of honor.

Which of these lands would want to invade in Dragon Age 2? Leave your answer in the poll and your reasoning in the comments section (please)!

[poll id=”11″]

Revenge of the Wounded Dragons Brings Chilean Kung-Fu to PSN

Wanako Studios’ Revenge of the Wounded Dragons is being released for PlayStation Network this week. This old-school arcade game serves up some classic beat-’em-up action for your PS3. Really though, I’m just amused that a Chilean developer made a game that’s set in China. That would be like Rumble in the Bronx being filmed in Vancouver…waitaminute.

Here are some bullet points, for those of you interested in more 411 on this PSN title:

Continue reading “Revenge of the Wounded Dragons Brings Chilean Kung-Fu to PSN”

Coffee Talk #31: What’s Your Favorite Classic Console?

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Andre Ward beating the hell out of Mikkel Kessler, Tito Ortiz’s cracked skull, or HBK’s opening superkick on Triple H, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Gamers love arguing about which current-generation console is best. Whether you’re a card carrying member of the Sony Defense Force or a registered Xbot, a lot of you have been drafted into this silly “war”. Sure, it can be fun to argue about the merits of each system, but ultimately, the best console is the one that provides you with the most entertainment.

Sega Dreamcast

With that in mind, I wanted to ask you about your favorite gaming system prior to this generation. Does the SNES hold a special place in your heart? Did the PSone redefine home gaming for you? Or does nothing compare to the days of Space Invaders on the Atari 2600?

As for me, I’m going to with the Sega Dreamcast. The hardware was fantastic and it had one of the best launch lineups ever. The system stands out because it was such an interesting time for me. I was still pretty new to the business when the Dreamcast was released. Console launches were still a novel experience. Sharing that experience with other new writers was incredibly fun and surprisingly bonding. The Dreamcast launch became an “old war story” to my generation of writers and it’s something we still talk about when the drinks are pouring.

So let’s take a trip down memory lane today. What was your favorite console prior to this generation? Why?

Square Enix Counting Down to FFXIII Trailer…Really?!?

FFXIII Trailer countdown

Continuing the ridiculous Japanese publisher trend of counting down to everything known to man, the official Final Fantasy XIII web site is counting down to the final trailer that will be released before the game hits shelves in December. Really Square Enix? Really?!? I’m amped for this game and I’m looking forward to the new trailer, but I don’t need a frickin’ countdown clock for it.

Now please excuse me, I have to pee in 5…4…3…

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