The original Way of the Samurai title was released on the Playstation 2 back in 2002. It was set in 19th Century Japan, where you would take on the role of a ronin who wanders into a remote village and becomes involved in a conflict between rival clans. One of the best features about this game was the branching storylines that offered some very solid replay value while at the same time offering enough in the way of varying weapons and side content to really constitute different gameplay experiences. Although the story in the first game follows one overall framing narrative, the actual events that the you would engage in really depend on the decisions you make. Some decisions, while seeming small, could affect who lived and died at the end of the story. Read More...

With the third map pack for Call of Duty: World at War dropping today on the PSN and XBox Live Marketplace today, I think it's about time console shooter fans finally cut Treyarch some slack. They have really supported the crap out of this game during the post-release lifecycle, this time with multiplayer maps, a zombie map and new achievements/trophies. After selling over 11 million copies of the game and over 4 million downloads, they could very easily just sit on their laurels and rake the cash in. Instead, they are continuing their support of this game with another release of new content. Read More...

As the prophecy foretold, the XBOX 360 Pro was going away. Now we have pictures, not too shabby ones either. As you can plainly see in the image, the information on the box no longer lists the Pro in the comparison sheet. This jives with the reports back in June that Microsoft was looking to replace the Pro with the Elite, shaving the Pro from the lineup. The prophecy, also spoke of another fate for the 360: a September price drop. While this may not seem necessary as the 360 is already the cheapest current-gen system available, it would make sense as who would buy a Pro for $299. Read More...

Wii owners have often gotten the short stick when it comes to Mature rated shooters. The “kiddy” system has hosted just a handful of M rated games and most of them fail to find a broad audience (think MadWorld and Manhunt 2). However Wii owners yearning for more will finally get a shot in the arm on Nov 10th, when Call of Duty 4, aka Modern Warfare 1, aka the best selling shooter of all time, comes out for the Wii. Coincidentally it is the same day its sequel comes out for the 360, PS3, and PC. The port will be handled by Treyarch, who had previously developed World at War (for all systems, including the Wii). Read More...

Gameloft, never one to rest on its laurels when it comes to the mobile gaming market, has released what might be one of the most ambitious iPhone titles to date.  NFL 2010 takes the thrill and excitement of the NFL license and goes mobile; allowing you to transport your favorite players and teams anywhere. From the site: "Experience real football and play for the Super Bowl against the Cardinals, Steelers and the rest of the NFL on your cell phone. Every 2010 player and over 100 plays make this a complete sports game. Read More...

Do we really need another collector's edition from another high end game? In this case, yes we do. Assassin Creed II is joining Batman and Modern Warfare2 for the collectors edition party. It was announced Monday (August 3rd, 2009) on the Assassin Creed twitter that the second installment of the game will have a Limited Edition Gamestop Exclusive of Assassin Creed II. Which will only be available for the US and Canada on the PS3 and the Xbox 360. But the fun does not stop there folks, as when you pre-order the collector's edition from Gamestop you will also receive not one, but two exclusive maps for the game. Read More...

Today, Treyarch, the makers of Call of Duty: World at War, announced and released a free iPhone application. With this new app, players will be able to track statistics like kill-to-death ratios and weapon usage by simply connecting their gamer tag to their account on www.codwaw.com. They'll also be able to link up with your friends' statistics to compare if you link accounts at www.codwaw.com and get community news and blog updates from www. Read More...

In need of a new RTS game before Starcraft II? Need some awesome online play? In that case, I recommend League of Legends: Clash of Fates. Did I mention it's free? Riot Games is bringing a new Real Time Strategy game to the field with League of Legends: Clash of Fates. This is a free online game, which made it's debut at E3 this year. According to the website: League of Legends is a competitive online game set in an imaginative world. Gamers take the role of a powerful Summoner, calling forth and controlling brave Champions in battle. Read More...

Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was essentially a port from the Gamecube to the Wii with improved controls. Now, “New Play Control” Wii games like Pikmin and Mario Tennis now sell for the reduced price of $30 USD. Twilight Princess, being a launch title on Wii, sold for the full $50 USD price point. I do not regret spending the money; the game was extremely enjoyable and since I had not played it on the Gamecube, it was a fresh and exciting first Wii game for me. At E3 this year, Shigeru Miyamoto announced that a new Legend of Zelda was being created for the Wii and released one piece of concept art. Read More...

Darkest of Days is only a little over a month away before their September 8th release of the game. If this is the first time you have ever heard of the game here is a brief overview, or read my E3 impression. But overall you are a time agent going back into different parts of time and solving the reasons why history is changing. Did I mention that if you screw up history also that other agents will come after you? No? Read More...

Who better to sponsor a premiere of a movie about killing Nazis than a video game franchise that wrote the book on killing Nazis?  Today, Activision and id Software announced the sponsorship of the "Inglorious Basterds" premiere by the also soon-to-be-released Wolfenstein.  Also included is a contest in conjunction with GameStop with a prize that includes airfare, accommodations, tickets to the premiere and admission to the after-party.  The contest begins today and must be really short considering the premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theater is August 10.  I shouldn't really encourage you to sign up for the contest as I have visions of sitting next to Diane Kruger. Read More...

Splinter Cell Conviction, surprise surprise, has been pushed back, again. Having been slightly delayed from its Holidays 2007 release date, it can't hurt to be pushed back again, can it? This year's E3 gameplay of SCC was downright amazing (I did give it my best of show). I was surprised at everything from how detailed the graphics were to how realistic the AI reacted. It did seem like a complete package. Ubisoft, however, sees otherwise and has delayed the game back to March of 2010. Read More...

Whether you love them or hate them, Activision and Treyarch have to be commended on their DLC support behind Call of Duty: World at War. Presently it looks like August is going to see more of that support with the release of a third map pack. As with the previous two downloadable packs, the third set of maps will feature 3 standard multiplayer maps, Battery, Breach, and Revolution, as well as a Nazi Zombie map entitled Der Riese. Battery is said to take place on an armored island surrounded by anti-ship mines. Breach will be an all out firefight set on the streets of Berlin, Germany. Read More...

The Secret of Monkey Island has already come out in 3 editions, the floppy version for the Atari ST, Mac, and PC in 1990, the re-release PC version and Amiga versions in 1991, and the much more widely known CD version in 1992 that featured better audio and a new UI. The most recent fourth version, The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition is by far the best. It is available for the PC and 360 and features all new graphics as well as brand new voices recorded by the cast of Curse of Monkey Island (aka Monkey Island 3). The music is also redone and was made by the same composer. Read More...

Video games being adapted to comic book form is a natural fit. So it is probably not a surprise to hear that another one is coming down the line. But now, arguably Sony’s biggest franchise, will join the likes of Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Gears of War, Metal Gear Solid, and Resident Evil. Partnering with DC and Wildstorm, Sony’s blockbuster God of War video game franchise is the inspiration for an all new 6-issue mini series. The first issue is tentatively scheduled to debut in October with a run that should last roughly until the release of God of War III in March of 2010. Handling the project is comics legend Marv Wolfman. Read More...