This Month's Most Viewed Games Tagged 'casual, Xbox' on The Great Games Experiment This Month's Most Viewed Games Tagged 'casual, Xbox' on The Great Games Experiment http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/css/logo.jpg This Month's Most Viewed Games Tagged 'casual, Xbox' on The Great Games Experiment en-us Super Mario War Made with Microsoft's Game Studio Express by loving fans. This is basically a 2-D version of the 64's Smash Bros. game. The game supports up to 4 players going head to head and has various modes such as: capture the flag, race, deathmatch and more. The game also comes packaged with a level editor so you can make new levels to smash your friends! This game is tremendously fun and is definitely worth a download, especially because the full game is completely FREE!
]]> 16 Jun 2007 12:54:52 Marble Blast Ultra Marble Blast Ultra is the latest in the classic Marble Blast series. Get ready for an arcade action masterpiece with stay-up-all-night gameplay and an insane level of visual polish.

Suitable for players of any age, Marble Blast Ultra transports you to a futuristic 'astrolab' arena suspended high in the clouds. Compete against each other by navigating your marbles through moving platforms and dangerous hazards, while collecting rare gems and power-up enhancements, in an effort to complete each course in record time. Compete head to head in Xbox Live Arcade multiplayer.

Dale Nardozzi - TeamXbox said,
Marble Blast Ultra is one of the more entertaining Xbox Live Arcade games; it stands alone in its genre.
]]> 26 Sep 2006 04:25:14 The Thing "The Thing" is a continuation of the story that was told in the original 1982 film of the same name. The game is moulded in the Survival-Horror style with a bent towards action and is viewed in the third-person.

After the events of the film and the apparent destruction of the U.S research base in Antarctica, a military rescue team is sent in to investigate the area and seek out any survivors. Throughout the game the player learns of the fate of the previous inhabitants and of the virus which caused those horrific events.

The player takes on the direct role of Captain Blake. Blake is in charge of a crew and is able to give orders such as follow, stay, attack or perform special functions. Team-mates vary in ability, some being medics while others are geared towards fighting and engineering. Blake is also able to give and retrieve weapons and ammunition from team-mates when needed.

Paranoia plays a major part in gameplay dynamics as well as in the film as potentially anybody could be infected with the strange virus. Team-mates are prone to being spooked when certain events occur and Blake must try to calm them by either giving them weapons and ammo, stimulants or more importantly by testing each other for the virus. A limited amount of testing kits can be found scattered around the place and allow the team to determine whether or not they are infected - leading to trust gained if clean, and lots of blood and death if not...
]]> 01 Mar 2007 12:15:08 Frogger The game starts with three frogs. The player guides a frog which starts at the bottom of the screen. The lower half of the screen contains a road with motor vehicles, which in various versions include cars, trucks, buses, taxis, and/or motorcycles speeding along. The upper half of the screen consists of a river with logs, alligators, and turtles. The very top of the screen contains five "frog homes"â€â€
]]> 13 Jan 2007 02:39:31 Fable: The Lost Chapters Once upon a time...

Scratch that, this is no fairy tale.

Imagine a world where every choice and action determines what you become. Where you evolve in real time based on every little thing you do. Fable is an RPG action adventure unlike any you've ever dreamed of. And now more than ever - with extra quests, additional customization, and extended content - your destiny is yours to choose!

Evolve in Real Time - Your decisions make you a hero, villain, or anything in between. Your actions determine how you look and how others react to you.

Expanded Content - Discover additional regions, storylines, and side quests as well as new optional missions.

Fable is designed to offer pure, concentrated role-playing, with a primary emphasis on open character development and influential interaction with the game world. The game begins as the player's character enters the fantasy land of Albion, a growing, interactive environment that develops and changes with each new event. The character grows and changes as well, beginning the adventure as a youth but slowly aging as he or she lives life in Albion, gaining wrinkled skin, graying hair, and (hopefully) becoming quite elderly by the end of the story.

The game is designed such that every choice and action the character makes can have an effect on his or her development. Physically active characters become more fit, while those who spend their time studying the arcane arts may develop receding hairlines. Characters who spend time working in the hot sun will get a tan and individual wounds heal into distinct, telling scars. Less tangible characteristics mature according to behavior as well. Players are free to commit nearly any conceivable action, but acts of cruelty will lead to vilification by NPC townsfolk, while noble and altruistic deeds may inspire loyalty and adulation from the masses.

It is important to note that instead of focusing on a limited number of scripted "good versus evil" plot points, character development in this game occurs mostly through hundreds of minor day-to-day decisions that gradually come to define and refine the player's place in the game world. In short, !Xbox gamers are offered a virtual lifetime of choices to play through. Fable is developed by Big Blue Box, an affiliate of Lionhead Studios, whose popular Black White shares the theme of free-form, consequential character development over a broad span of time. (http://www.starpulse.com/Video_Games/Fable/Summary/)
]]> 24 Jan 2007 07:52:51 Sonic The Hedgehog 3 The storyline picks up shortly after the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 2: Dr. Robotnik's[1] space station, the Death Egg, has fallen out of orbit after his mech suit exploded in his final showdown with Sonic, causing critical damage to the ship.

However, instead of impacting the planet, the Death Egg crash-landed on Angel Island[2][3], a mystical floating landmass previously believed to exist only in legend. As Dr. Robotnik repairs the ship he meets up with the Island’s sole inhabitant, Knuckles the Echidna. Knuckles is the last surviving member of an ancient civilization, whose ruins and relics are scattered throughout the island. He is also the guardian of a set of Chaos Emeralds, which are the source of the island’s levitation powers.

Knowing Sonic and Tails will try to track him down, and realizing he can use the Chaos Emeralds to power the ship, Robotnik deceives Knuckles into believing Sonic is trying to steal his emeralds, and he’s come to help him. Shortly after, Super Sonic and Miles “Tailsâ€
]]> 10 Feb 2007 02:29:37 Rampage World Tour Rampage World Tour was a reinvention of the original arcade classic; created for Midway Mfg. by the original designers, Jeff Nauman and Brian Colin and the crew at Game Refuge Inc.

The game follows George Lizzy and Ralph as they smash and fight their way through hundreds of cities around the Globe. This update game added dimension to the characters andadvanced the storyline, but stayed true to the user-friendly "there's no wrong way to play it" gameplay mechanic of the original.

Though incredibly violent, the game treats all interaction with a cartoony, blood-free, tongue-in-cheek approach that keeps the action light-hearted and appealing to players of all ages.

This "Sequal" has spun off a number of additional "Rampages" on a number of platforms .. but many feel that RWT was the best of the lot.
]]> 12 Jun 2007 11:06:40 Marvel vs. Capcom 2 There really isn't much of a story to this game. There's an evil character named Abyss who is destroying the Earth. Ruby Heart discovers this, and characters are sent to destroy him. Unlike the first game, there was only one ending no matter who the game is completed with.

The gameplay has fairly standard fighting controls (two punch, two kick, two assist). There are also combo and super combo moves, as well as combos that can be done with more than one character.

Probably the most unique thing about it is the diverse cast. One side of it comes from all over the comic world, and the other side comes from some of the great 2-D fighting games of all time. Finally getting to fight using such big names that people never expected to be in the same game together was and still is a huge deal.
]]> 15 Mar 2007 06:09:39 Street Fighter 3: Third Strike Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike is a fighting game produced by Capcom, released in 1997 on Capcom's CPS-3 hardware, which is a continuation of the famous Street Fighter series. It is the third and final game in the Street Fighter III series.

Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike was re-released in 2006 in the Street Fighter Anniversary Collection for the Playstation 2, along with every version of Street Fighter 2.

Category: 2-dimensional fighting game

Developer: Capcom
]]> 17 Jun 2007 06:11:38 Lego Star Wars 2 Lego Star Wars 2 is perfect for that lover of the first Lego Star Wars. Yes, the second one is now out! This time, with the ability to mix and match characters, Lego Star Wars 2 hosts the original trilogy. This game also has a key feature of vehicles in the game. When your finished with all the action of fighting for characters and studs, go play free play and use ships to blast down the death star. Available for two player action... Lego Star Wars, well, kicks butt!
]]> 20 Dec 2006 02:54:31 Pong PONGââ€
]]> 13 Jan 2007 02:32:44 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
]]> 23 Jul 2007 10:09:30 Guilty Gear XX #Reload
]]> 20 Aug 2007 01:05:07 Galaxy Conquest Take over the galaxy, fighting for space against as many as 4 players, human and computer. Place your planets to take over your opponent's systems to win in one of 4 main modes of gameplay. Watch out also for hidden special systems, which can both hinder and facilitate your path to utter conquest

Developer: Blade Edge Software
]]> 15 Dec 2006 02:53:03 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992) is about the return of Sega's mascot, Sonic and introduction to the blue hero's friend, sidekick and surrogate brother Miles 'Tails' Prower.
Dr Eggman/Robotnik is at it again, attempting to take over the world with his army of robots (each one containing one of Sonic's captured friends as before), a deadly new weapon, the Death Egg and now he just needs the seven Chaos Emeralds to complete his plan. Naturally, Sonic simply can't stand by and let this happen, so he goes after the Doctor again, with Tails in tow to retrieve the Emeralds and put a stop to Robotnik's plan.
Sonic 2's gameplay is vastly similar to that of Sonic's previous adventure, a simple run and jump play-style while still maintaining the speed aspects of Sonic 1. It also introduced new opportunities of play with the introduction of Tails, such as the memorable Sky Chase Zone and the fact that Tails could spin his trademark twin-tails and fly, though players were not given control of Tails' unique ability until Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (1994). Sonic 2 also deviated from the rotating maze-style Special Zone of Sonic 1 and introduced a half-pipe style Special Zone where the player can retrieve a Chaos Emerald, a format still used in modern Sonic games such as Sonic Heroes. And this was the also the first that really introduced an incentive for collecting the Emeralds; Only when you had all of the Emeralds could you see the real ending (as in Sonic 1) AND transform into Super Sonic who was much faster and invincible as long as you kept collecting those rings. It was also the first Sonic game to introduce a multiplayer mode, where you could either race a friend in split-screen mode, or your friend could jump into the main adventure and control Tails any time.
Sonic 2 is well-renowned among gamers in general and Sonic-fans and is still regarded by many as a classic component of the early 90's gaming scene and some still refer to it as the greatest Sonic game to date.
]]> 08 Feb 2007 01:48:12 Lego Star Wars 2, The Original Trilogy Lego Star Wars II is the sequel to Lego Star Wars.

You will make your way through the different episodes, collecting Minikits, Power Bricks and Studs. And also unlocking new characters to use or to buy.

The place where you buy things is in Mos Eisley Cantina, as Dexters Diner is not in the trilogy.
]]> 02 Jan 2007 10:17:49 Splinter Cell Chaos Theory In Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory you need to follow the main objectives without being detected by the enemy. You'l also have a few bonus objectives each level which you don't need to complete, but they give you a nice reward for after you beat the game.
In this game you play as Sam Fisher, and you are walked through alot of the parts through a com-unit.
Throughout Splinter Cell: Chaos theory your objective is to stay in the shadows and stealthily make your way through the levels.
If you succesfully finish all the bonus objectives you can unlock "costumes" for Sam Fisher to wear when you replay levels in the game, and cheats such as unlimited ammunition and health.
This game also has up to 4-player Co-Opertive mode to play nine extra levels with your friends. Plus a versus mode where the mercaneries need to protect the computer terminals against the spies which have to hack them without being found by the merceneries.
]]> 12 Jun 2007 10:45:09 Yasmina's Quest Yasmina's Quest is an open source game (and motor) mix of graphical point-and-click adventure and text adventure written in PHP and DHTML (JavaScript, CSS and HTML) that uses mouse and keyboard optionally.
You can use the motor/engine/parser to create your own adventure if you know PHP and JavaScript.
This cross-platform and cross-browser game was tested under BeOS, Linux, NetBSD, OpenBSD, FreeBSD, Windows and others.
]]> 13 Jun 2007 10:15:26 Enclave Overview

In the game, players can choose to take on the role of either an agent of Light, or a soldier of Darkness, complete with separate and unique missions reflecting the nature of that decision. Battle takes place in an atmospheric medieval realm where spellcraft and sorcery combine with wood and steel to create awesome weapons, and powerful magic spells.

Story

Enclave takes place in a world literally torn-apart by magic. A millennia ago, the dark armies of Vatar had battled the people of Celenheim to the brink of destruction. During the final, desperate battle, a lone figure, clad in a wizard's robe, appeared high atop a ridge, staff held upraised in both hands. Defiantly, he slammed the staff hard into the ground, unleashing the terrible fury of nature itself. In that single night, the world erupted. The skies grew black, and the earth turned red with fire, chaos, and blood. The Rift raced forward, tearing the ground apart, and destroying everything in its horrifying path. In the aftermath, the demon Vatar and the mysterious wizard had disappeared, and were both assumed dead.

Light had separated from dark, and the world had been been split in twain. The new "island" of Celenheim was protected on all sides by an abyssal rift, and its people safe from the dark twisted forms now struggling for survival on the other side. To the people of Celenheim, these creatures became known as the Outlanders.

The inhabitants of the Enclave, as it came to be called, grew strong and prosperous over the centuries, nearly forgetting the bitter hatred harboured for them from those confined to the war-ravaged plains of the Outland. But now, after hundreds of years, the Rift has begun to seal, even becoming crossable in places. The very earth is healing beneath their feet. It's only a matter of time before another full-scale war erupts, threatening the very existence of Celenheim.

Non-player characters (NPCs)

  • Alecto: The leader of the Ancestors.

  • Ancestors: The people of Meckelon.

  • Durzu: The boss of the "Outland wastes" map. It looks like a larger version of the regular Stone Gnomes that also appear in that area. It is equipped with a relatively normal right hand and a left hand that looks like a monstrously huge sledgehammer. In the contrary to the Stone Gnomes, Durzu has a more Goblin-like head. Durzu attacks by creating a huge shockwave (Quakefist) with its left arm that can not only cause severe damage, but it can also knock the player down in the lava. It is also capable of spawning Stone Gnomes by making a throwing move with its right arm.

  • Fyrlakith (sometimes known as simply "The Dragon"): A boss in the level "The guardian". Like said, it appears to be a large dragon with four legs and two bat-like wings. Fyrlakith was sent by High wizard Zale to guard the "Tome of souls" and is not going to let anyone slip away with it during his (it seems to be a male) watch. He flies around the level and occasionally stops to breathe fire at the player. His name, Fyrlakith, roughly translated into English means "flying fire-breather".

  • High wizard Zale: The wizard who defeated Vatar.

  • Head Councellor Mordessa: The evil sorceress who wishes to revive Vatar and together with him, rule over the world.

  • Scaara Warrior: These strange frog-like humanoids live in The Sanctuary which they fiercely protect. They all wield tridents and are excellent swimmers.

  • Skeletons: There are several types of skeletons in the game, but they all act and fight in the same way. They come in the following types and grow stronger in that order:

  • Skeleton
  • Undead
  • Grim skeleton
  • Shadow skeleton
  • Dread skeleton/Dread archer
  • Hellbone

  • Stone Gnomes: Small, magical creatures born out of lava and fire. They appear only in the Outland wastes area as Non-playable character's, but they also appears as playable characters in the Dark campaign.

  • Vatar: A mighty demon who is the incarnation of evil in Enclave.

  • Wraiths: are small, ghostly creatures that mostly haunts deserted buildings such as the Mansion of Dreams. Wraiths resemble skulls with flowing hair. They come in four different types.

  • Lesser Wraith: They come in small groups and are white in colour. They can attack only once, then they disappear for good.
  • Shadow Wraith: Appears more rarely and usually alone. It has more health than the Lesser Wraith but can likewise only attack once.
  • Mist Wraith: It is faster than the others. It's actually a transformed Lich. They rarely attack until they return to their Lich form.
  • Hell Wraith: Doesn't seem to appear normally. However, the Hell wraith is included in the game's registry files.

  • Zurana: A boss-character. Once an ambitious sorceress, Zurana was consumed by evil forces when she tried to control a demon using the Tome of Souls. She now appears as a large demon-like skeleton. She has made the Underworld her headquarters and the "Underworld Spawn" (which consists of re-animated skeletons) are actually too afraid to protest. She possesses an immense physical strength which she demonstrates after the player has seized the Staff of the Earthspirit. When Zurana faces opponents her own size she usually slashes at them with her long claws. Her left arm is covered in a bony plate that acts as a shield. Zurana has an old mansion located south-west of the rift which the player must visit in the dark campaign to recover the Crystal of Eversi.


    • Player character classes

    Light Side classes

    Knight
    The Knights are strong warriors, revered and feared from their bravery and valor in combat. They are picked out even as young boy, and go through a rigorous training in the Ancient Code of warfare. Among the people of Celenheim, their bravery on the battlefield and skills in melee combat are unmatched. While superior in hand to hand combat, the Knights abilities in ranged combat and magic are very weak, and more often than not they resort to using the sword and shield.
    Huntress
    The Huntresses of Aylewood are more nimble with the bow than anyone else, perhaps even the Dreg'Atar Assassins. The Elves have a natural vision that strongly exceeds that of any other races. They are secretive however, and not even the Queen herself and the Assembly really know where they come from or how they trained.
    Wizard
    Wizards are powerful wielders of elemental magic and have a wide array of devastating spells at their disposal. Unlike the rogue Sorceress of the Outlands, the Wizards of Celenheim are trained after strict rules and conduct within a guild structure. This is necessary for Enclave, and the wizards themselves. They are one of the strongest assets to Celenheim, and very loyal to the Queen and her cause. On the downside, Wizards are physically very weak, and nearly useless in melee combat.
    Druid
    The Druids are a secret order, which lives on its own independently of the Enclaves government or the Assembly of Six. Nature itself shapes them as their guardians, with knowledge and memories passed from generation to generation. They are seldom seen outside their own kind, but have a strong affinity to sense disturbances in the balance of nature. And the Outlanders are the worst disturbance of them all.
    Engineer
    The Gnomes are very important to the people of the Enclave. They are skilled craftsman, workers and engineers of the populace, and unmatched in their dexterous skills in handwork. But just as they are skilled in creation, they are very talented in destroying things as well, having a penchant for experimental explosives and demolitions.
    Halfling
    The Halfling have always been faithful to the elves in the lands of Celenheim, and often taken into services as spies or scouts. They are very fast, agile and can hit their enemies hard, in spite of their small size. Although the halflings are indeed fast, they are somewhat lacking when it comes to physical strength.
    9320 Battle droid
    A bonus-character with tremendous strength. This robot-warrior can be unlocked by accumulating 13000 gold pieces in the light campaign. It is equipped with a vastly powerful rocket-launcher

    Dark Side classes

    Berserker
    Every year, the strongest warriors in the Ogre clans battle amongst one another in a duel to the death. The survivor is bestowed the great honor of being sent to Ark Moor, to be enlisted in the services of the Head Councilor Mordessa herself. The Berserkers are the front-line soldiers of the Outland armies. Their size, strength and skill in warfare make them the perfect warrior. War is all Ogre knows. They are not famous for their brains, they have little intelligence. But they are strong, cruel, and brutally efficient in melee combat. Their greatest weakness is their lack of speed.
    Assassin
    The Assassins of Ark Moor are bred from birth under a very strict and dangerous program of training. Every waking moment since infancy they are molded and shaped into cold and precise assassins. The Assassins don't rely on strength, but on skillful marksmanship and backstabbing.
    Sorceress
    The sorceress are powerful wielders of magic, having at their finger-tips the strongest offensive magic of the Outlands. Their training goes only from one Sorceress to her disciple, and they tend to be loners. Therefore the High Council of Ark Moor has to search the lands for them, and convince them to join their ranks with the promise of powers. Because the sorceress tend to be very ambitious and keen on power. While being powerful magic casters, the Sorceress is fairly inferior when it comes to melee combat, and may only wear light armor.
    Lich
    Who could possible know more about life than those returning from the dead? Many beings in the Outland are denied the luxury of a peaceful death. The High Councilors of Ark Moor use Liches, undead magic wielders among their ranks. With theirs souls trapped, and an existence in constant agony, they have no choice but to obey the commands of their creators.
    Bombardier
    The bombardiers consist of the most crazy deranged fanatics on the entire continent. Their task is probably the most dangerous of all: sabotage and blow up enemy installations including the enemy themselves. In addition, they work to keep their own siege weapons and installations intact, in the midst of the most furious battles. The Bombardiers are of average strength in melee combat. Their true strength lies in their ability to create bombs and set deadly traps.
    Goblin
    These small creatures are the standard cannonfodder in the Dreg'Atar armies. They are fast and vicious but lack physical strength. A Goblin is nevertheless more cunning than a Berserker and even a Bombardier and sometimes offer an intelligent conversation. They are known for inventing the "Grease bomb" that works like a Molotov Cocktail. They also invented the explosive arrows. They prefer using axes in battle and like to sneak up on their foes. They speak with a re-mixed grammar of Swedish.
    Fetica
    This is a bonus character unlocked when you find all the gold (13000 gold pieces in all) in the dark campaign. The Fetica is equipped with a rocket launcher. The game indicates that Fetica is featured from "Enclave classic".

    Locations in and around the Enclave

    Ark Amar
    A harbour located in the south-west parts of the Outlands. The harbour of Ark Amar is known for its cold, shark-infested waters. This is where the ships used to stop before sailing on over the vast seas. Most of this harbour is now under control of the Dreg'Atar.

    Ark Moor Citadel
    Mordessa's base of operations, located in the northern Outlands. This fortress is located on a small mountain placed in the very middle of a deep, lava-filled canyon. Ark Moor Citadel is heavily protected by Mordessa's most powerful warriors.

    Aylewoods
    A prosperous and mysterious forest located near the southern parts of the Enclave. Aylewoods is a magnificent forest consisting of healthy trees, clear lakes and steep hills. This forest is protected mostly by Druids and elves and serves as an available refuge for the queen and the assembly of six.

    Celadia Village
    A small village located near the northern parts of the Enclave. This village was deserted after a raid and is now under the control of the Dreg'Atar.

    Iellon Outpost
    This fortress is squeezed in between two cliffs near a very narrow portion of the rift. Iellon Outpost was built in order to keep the Outlanders from building a bridge across the rift. The outpost is also used for storing dangerous criminals, both Outlanders and Enclave members.

    The Sanctuary
    The Sanctuary is located deep below a lake located in the north-west parts of the Outlands. This is where Zale is said to be held prisoner. The base is partly underwater and is protected by the frog-like Scaara Warriors.

    The Howiling Chambers
    After finding Zale a secret door is opened leading to the Howiling chambers. The Howiling Chambers are full of traps. This was built to test goblins skills.

    Ungard Mines
    These mines are very old, even older than the rift. The Ungard bridge located deep in the mines is one of the few places where it's still possible to transverse (walk across) the rift.

    Ur-Annon Island
    This island is Mordessa's personal lair and is located in the southern parts of the Sea of Sorrow. The island itself is barren and life-less. The only sign of inhabitance is a small fortress protected by the most powerful Dreg'Atar warriors.
    ]]>     01 Jul 2007 07:29:01     Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
    ]]>     23 Jul 2007 10:03:40     Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast Kyle Katarn, savior of the Valley of the Jedi, must once again wield the force to save the galaxy from the evil empire. While investigating a far-away imperial outpost, Kyle discovers a sinister plot to imbue Imperial soldiers with the force. And to top it all off, he has to re-learn all of his force powers as he goes.
    ]]>     22 Jan 2007 10:36:44     Painkiller You play as Daniel Garner, a seemingly regular guy who has been killed in a horrific car accident. Trapped in a dark and unwelcoming world between heaven and hell, you struggle to uncover the reasons why you've been denied entry into heaven. Awaiting your purification, you must fight through an endless number of demon soldiers as you attempt to stop an imminent unholy war.

    --from game website
    ]]>     31 Jan 2007 02:28:25     Mortal Kombat: Deception Mortal Kombat: Deception is a fighting game in the controversial and bloody Mortal Kombat series. Deception was developed and published by Midway for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox in October 2004. A GameCube version was published in January 2005.

    Mortal Kombat: Deception precedes Shaolin Monks (in release date only) and follows Deadly Alliance. MK:D was released in two versions for the Playstation 2 and Xbox, a regular version, and a "Kollector's Edition" which added a metal trading card and a bonus disc containing a history of Mortal Kombat, several video biographies of characters, and an "arcade perfect" version of the original Mortal Kombat.
    ]]>     10 Feb 2007 01:18:40     Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks is an action-adventure game that spans the events of Mortal Kombat II, starting with the aftermath of the first Mortal Kombat. The game centers on two members of the Shaolin Order, Liu Kang and Kung Lao, as they travel through the realms in an attempt to thwart Shang Tsung's plans to dominate Earthrealm.

    The game features three main modes of play. Aside from a single-player mode, the game has a co-operative mode, where two players can work together through the game, with access to some areas and items that are inaccessible in single-player mode. There is also a versus mode, where two players can fight against each other in some of the arenas featured in the game.

    In addition to Liu Kang and Kung Lao, the game features other characters from the Mortal Kombat series. Some are there to aid the main characters, including Raiden, Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade, Jax Briggs and Sub-Zero, while others serve as the game's bosses, including Kitana, Mileena, Jade, Reptile, Baraka, Goro, Scorpion and Kano. Some of these can be unlocked to become playable characters in the various modes of the game.

    Shaolin Monks has a gameplay device called the Multi-Directional Kombat System, which gives players the ability to attack any of the enemies that surround them fluidly. The engine allows the player to maintain combo attacks across multiple enemies, and even continue their combos after launching an enemy into the air through a powerful attack or a throw. The main characters also have many of the special moves that they've had in the fighting games of the series. Combos and special moves are upgradeable through the earning of experience points. These are mainly gained through defeating opponents, with the combo system multiplying the value. The environment plays a vital role in the game, as there are several hazards that will instantly kill an enemy, such as pits in the floor or rotating wheels of spikes. Using some of the environment in this manner, as well as attacking or destroying certain objects, serve as a puzzle-solving element to unlock secrets in the game.
    ]]>     10 Feb 2007 03:12:20     Sonic Heroes Unlike past Sonic the Hedgehog games, Sonic Heroes is the first Sonic game that allows the player to control three characters at once (although the player controls the selected character, while the computer takes control of the remaining two characters). A player will choose one of four teams to use. The four teams all have their own strengths and weaknesses as do each of the individual characters. Sonic Heroes was the first Sonic game to introduce the "Speed, Flight, and Power" concept into the series.

    A team is made up of three characters, each suited for a specific task. The three types of characters are "flight," "speed," and "power." The flight type is able to ascend short distances with other party members. The speed character has the ability to move at a faster rate than the other two members of the team. Lastly, the power character is the strongest physically of the three.
    ]]>     10 Feb 2007 03:40:29     Sonic Mega Collection Plus Sonic Mega Collection Plus is a remake of Sonic Mega Collection for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox consoles. A PC version was also released in Europe. This edition includes the addition of six Game Gear games, the two games that were included in the Japanese version only (The Ooze and Comix Zone), new artwork and movies, a new in-game menu, and a mid-game saving feature. It is, however, missing six Sonic Game Gear games that were included (along with the six included in this collection) in Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut. It is the first Sonic game with a 12+ PEGI rating.
    ]]>     11 Feb 2007 06:47:07     brute force Players can instantly take control of any one of four highly specialized super-commandos in Brute Force, a new action-packed sci-fi squad-based shooter game. Whether the encounter requires stealth, tactics, sniping or just "Brute Force," the team is ready and able. Gamers experience the intensity of a shooter game with the cunning strategies of team-based tactical combat. Brute Force can be played solo through six worlds in the extensive single-player campaign, or gamers can have up to three friends jump in on the fly in Dynamic Co-op mode or to battle it out in a multitude of competitive death-match modes. Brute Force is the first Xbox title from world-renowned developer Digital Anvil.
    ]]>     22 Feb 2007 08:38:40     Final Fight Final Fight is a classic beat 'em up series from Capcom. It is considered to be Street Fighter's "cousin", and the two series are set in the same universe (characters like Guy, Hugo Andore, Rolento, Cody Travers and Poison have all appeared in later Street Fighter installments). Final Fight was originally released as an arcade game and was ported to several platforms, including the Super NES, Sega Mega-CD, Sharp X68000 and Game Boy Advance. It features former wrestler (as seen in Saturday Night Slam Masters), and mayor of Metro City (Capcom's fictitious city, modeled after New York City), Mike Haggar.

    The story of Final Fight involves the abduction of Haggar's daughter, Jessica, because he would not work with Mad Gear to ensure their dominance of the streets. When the Mad Gear thug Damnd contacts Haggar and informs him, Haggar calls up his daughter's boyfriend Cody and his sparring partner Guy, and the three vigilantes head into the streets to bust Mad Gear's skulls, fighting their way through the hordes of goons littering the city (including the Rastafarian thug Damnd, the "Japanophile" Sodom, former Red Beret and militia leader Rolento, corrupt cop Edi. E, and the ill-tempered Abigail), to get to Mad Gear's boss, Belger.

    Final Fight, whilst following in the footsteps of Double Dragon, was an innovative and balanced game. Unlike several beat 'em ups before it, Final Fight featured very large and detailed sprites for its day, and the controls were quite fluid and simple. Beginners could take to the game quickly, yet the game was balanced and difficult enough to ensure even experts could always expect a challenge for every new play. The game also began the strength-based, speed-based, and average character variety that countless other beat 'em up and other genres derived, as one controls Haggar (very powerful yet very slow and vulnerable to attack), Guy (very agile and can use hit-and-run, yet has weak offensive power), or Cody (who balances strength and speed, being an excellent choice for beginners). It also featured very long levels and various powerful enemies that could easily crowd the screen and had several fighting tactics against the player. It was not uncommon to hear people talk of how crowds would gather to watch whoever was playing the machine at the time.
    ]]>     05 Apr 2007 11:59:05     GUN GUN is an action-packed game set in the wild west.

    You start off as a hunter Colton White who works with his father Ned (voice by kris kristofferson) until something changes Colton's life forever. A long winding plot unfolds as you have to explore the lawless West to uncover the dark truth.

    GUN is a fantastic 3rd person shooter with plenty of side missions to break up the main story. There is plenty of Old Western movie references and the atmosphere of the West is captured perfectly.

    The action never stops. If riding horseback and shooting outlaws is your thing, then this is definitely your type of game!
    ]]>     12 Jun 2007 06:04:11     fantastic four Relive the movie experience with character likenesses, locations and villains from the upcoming summer blockbuster.
    Go beyond the movie with a completely original storyline that follows the movie story arch (penned by Hollywood writer Zak Penn).
    Play as each unique member of the Fantastic Four as you assume their persona and master their individual talents to solve puzzles, overcome obstacles and combat enemies:
    Mr. Fantastic (Intelligence): Use your ability to stretch in order to attack from a distance, squeeze into tight spaces and reach places no one else can. Use Mr. Fantastic's brainpower to heal characters, hack computers, over-ride security systems and take control of enemy's weapons to use against them.
    The Invisible Girl (Stealth): Turn invisible and perform stealth moves with ninja-like speed or immobilize enemies through telekinetic powers.
    The Human Torch (Fire): Create walls of fire and supernova fireballs as you hover or shoot fire from your fingertips and bend flames at your will as you ward off enemies.
    The Thing (Strength): Use brute force to pick up objects or tear them apart, break through walls and obstacles and obliterate enemies.
    Control the Fantastic Four together as a team with dynamic switching, team-based combat and two-player co-op mode.
    Wreak havoc on enemies in destructible environments that get thrashed in battle
    ]]>     11 Jul 2007 11:03:15     Hulk Attempting to cure himself of the Hulk, Dr. Bruce Banner contacts his mentor Professor Crawford. But instead of curing him, Crawford steals some of his gamma radiation and turns himself into a Hulk-like creature called Ravage. Hulk pursues Ravage to a clandestine force led by a group of supervillains which plan to use the gamma radiation to create an army of radioactive super soldiers. Meanwhile,the Hulk is being targeted by General Ryker.
    ]]>     11 Jul 2007 11:20:43     Psychonauts Embark on a unique third person psychic adventure through the minds of misfits, monsters and madmen....

    For years, the Psychonauts have deployed their psychically-armed operatives all over the world, but this time trouble is brewing in their own boot camp. A deranged scientist is abducting camp cadets for their brains. One student, a mysterious and powerful new arrival named Raz, stands alone against the lunatic. Raz must develop and unleash an arsenal of paranormal powers including his most powerful weapon of all: the ability to launch himself telepathically into the minds of others. Ultimately he must enter the psyche of his worst enemy and destroy his dark plans at their source while trying not to lose his sanity in the process.
    ]]>     25 Nov 2006 11:14:08     Whacked! A crazy arena combat game, this was the first game to come out for the Xbox, Live enabled.

    Developed by Presto Studios and published by Microsoft in 2002.
    ]]>     02 Dec 2006 08:56:45     RoboBlitz Blitz is a young and capable robot working as a technician in the Opera Point Orbital Defense Station and Space Cannon facility. His job description includes: fueling generators, rewiring electrical systems, re-balancing busted conveyors, spinning massive fans, and even molding giant railgun slugs. It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it! Thankfully, Blitz has a trusty sidekick named Karl, who helps out by designing new weapons and tools. We'd tell you more, but then we'd have to EMP you...
    ]]>     06 Dec 2006 11:37:33     Virtua Tennis 3 The third entry in Sega's smash-hit tennis franchise, designed for the advanced Lindbergh arcade board. AM3 developed the PS3 version of the game, Sega got Sumo Digital to get the Xbox 360 (w/ live), PC and PSP ported.
    ]]>     09 Dec 2006 05:41:52     Blitz Blox A furious block-dropping game that pits you against your opponent on the same playing field. Defend your blocks, attack your enemy's blocks. Make use of special blocks to turn the tables. Play against calculating AI or against another player

    Developer: Blade Edge Software
    ]]>     15 Dec 2006 02:02:43     Myst III: Exile
    Myst III: Exile transports players 10 years forward in the Myst universe, where a new villain lies in wait. Saavedro, played by Academy Award nominee Brad Dourif, has been hiding on Atrus's Ages, awaiting his chance to gain revenge upon Atrus and his family. Inadvertently, Atrus himself has provided that chance. He and Catherine have reestablished contact with the D'ni, a race of people whose knowledge enables them to write the special linking Books first encountered in Myst. Atrus hopes to see the D'ni civilization restored to its full potential, and his efforts to do so provide the perfect impetus for Saavedro to orchestrate his revenge. Players must track Saavedro through five surreal Ages, solving puzzles and uncovering the truth behind this new adversary and his devious plot. Only then can disaster be averted and the fate of thousands ultimately be determined.

    This game features the same point and click interface as Myst and Riven, but uses 360 degree scrolling technology for a truly realistic gaming experience that highlights the quality that makes this series so popular; the exquisite rendering.
    ]]>     21 Dec 2006 09:40:35     Blazing Angels Squadrons of WWII WWII Flight sim where you're the commander f the Blazing Angels. You start as a volunteer in WWII fighting with the british and French, then move on to other campaigns of the war such as Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal, Normandy (D-Day), North Africa, and even a bombing raid on Tokyo. It's more of an arcade type game, with in air repairs, unlimited ammo, and simple commands, but it's fun and challenging, and there's plenty of unlocks through the campaign and even in arcade mode, and Ace Duels with AI opponents in the same type of aircraft you're flying.

    The Mutiplayer is where this game shines with several modes like Co-op, and duels, or simplay to see who can down the most aircraft. It's a fun title, but don't buy it new. Pick up a used copy and enjoy the game, as this title isn't for everyone.
    ]]>     08 Jan 2007 05:21:18     Myst IV: Revelation
    Within the visually awe-inspiring world of Myst, a gripping family drama will slowly unfold. In Myst IV Revelation, players finally learn the fate of Sirrus and Achenar, two villains first introduced in the original Myst. The brothers have remained trapped in separate prison worlds, abandoned by their father for crimes they had committed. Players are engaged in uncovering the mystery surrounding a little girl's disappearance, daring to venture deep inside the intense worlds of the villainous brothers. Understanding their motives is key to the success of the investigation and will be a true "revelation."

    Myst IV: Revelation uses the same 360 degree panorama view as Myst III: Exile, but with even more impressively rendered environments.
    ]]>     29 Jan 2007 08:42:19     Forza Motorsport Are you passionate about cars and racing? Then, Forza Motorsportâ„¢ is your game. Own, customize, and race your favorite cars in the most technologically advanced and realistic driving sim yet.

    Use race earnings to buy upgrades and aftermarket parts, so you can transform real production cars into high-performance racers. On the track, experience an impressively accurate simulation, while putting your performance-tuned creations to the test against the online gaming world on Xbox Live®.


  • Make every car yours: Collect models from more than 60 top car manufacturers, including Mazda, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Porsche, BMW, and Dodge. Trick out sport compacts with real-world body kits, rims, spoilers, decals, side skirts, fender flares, and hood scoops. Add motorsport decals and team paint-schemes to supercars, GT racers, and exotics. Transform production cars into racetrack monsters.

  • Tune it up: Take your car to the garage and install alternative engines, suspension kits, bolt-on superchargers, brakes, rims, racing slicks, and more. Fine-tune gear ratios, fuel-mapping, forced-induction pressure, tire temperature and pressure, and ignition timing for the ultimate setup.

  • Experience the most technically advanced driving simulation on Xbox: Top automotive engineers teamed with experienced programmers to create an advanced physics engine forForza Motorsport, designed to simulates authentic car performance. Cars incur damage and wear, which affects car performance. Advanced tire and suspension models respond to heat and pressure changes as well as weight transfer and aerodynamic load.

  • Drive in gorgeous track environments: From the famously challenging Nurburgring Nordschleife to the spectator-lined streets of Rio de Janeiro, race on meticulously designed tracks with an incredible sense of speed and realism.

    • * Check out the revolutionary A.I. Drivatarâ„¢ technology: Train your own A.I. “Drivatarsâ€
    ]]>     29 Jan 2007 10:25:06     Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance In a bold new step after a 3 year hiatus, Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance(aka MK5) offers no less than 3 fighting styles for each character, includes a far more fleshed out weapons combat, new characters, a more 3D combat, new arenas, new characters and alternatives costumes, to name a few upgrades
    ]]>     10 Feb 2007 12:47:41     Shadow the Hedgehog Over 50 years ago, deep in a Military Research Space Station, Prof. Gerald Robotnik forged an experiment known as "Project Shadow" while trying to unlock the secrets of eternal life at the request of the Government. The experiment culminated in "The Ultimate Life-Form"; Shadow the Hedgehog, a creature with the ability to harness the mysterious power of the Chaos Emeralds in ways not thought possible. After being thought dead in Sonic Adventure 2, Shadow returned in Sonic Heroes with amnesia, and still does in this game. In the beginning of the game, Shadow is still without any clue about his past. He does not understand who he is or where he's from, but he's determined to find out, be it from Black Doom, the leader of an alien race who claims he and Shadow made a pact involving the Chaos Emeralds, G.U.N., the militaries that murdered Maria, or Dr. Eggman, the evil scientist.
    ]]>     10 Feb 2007 03:49:46     Tails Skypatrol Tails' Skypatrol is a video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, developed and published by Sega for Sega Game Gear. It was originally released on April 28, 1995 as an exclusive game to the Japanese market. Tails' Skypatrol is also included as an unlockable minigame in Nintendo GameCube's Sonic Adventure DX, and was re-released as one of the featured games in GameCube's Sonic Gems Collection. The game is a spin-off in the Sonic series following the adventures of Sonic's trusty sidekick Miles "Tails" Prower.
    ]]>     11 Feb 2007 04:40:04     Sonic Riders Sonic Riders is a racing game developed by Sonic Team's UGA Division (a second-party developer for SEGA) for the video game consoles Nintendo Gamecube, Sony PlayStation 2, Microsoft Xbox and PC DVD-ROM. It is the fourth racing game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, preceded by Sonic Drift, Sonic Drift 2 and Sonic R. This time, the characters race on floating airboards, air shoes and motorbikes powered by air, the Extreme Gear.

    Sonic Riders was revealed by Famitsu on September 7, 2005 prior to 2005's Tokyo Game Show.

    The game was released to start off the 15th anniversary of the release of the Sonic the Hedgehog series. This game introduces five new playable characters, the Babylon Rogues and the E-10000 series.

    On August 22, 2006, a PC port of Sonic Riders was announced. The port was released in November according to both Sega of America's and Sega Europe's websites. A North American price of $19.99 is listed on Sega's Press Release. [1]. In Europe it was released at a price of 29.99€. A downloadable demo was released on October 19, 2006
    ]]>     11 Feb 2007 05:20:11     Pariah Pariah is a first-person shooter computer game developed by Digital Extremes, co-developers of the Unreal franchise. It was released on May 3, 2005 for PC and Xbox. It uses a modified version of the Unreal engine and the Havok physics engine. A demo featuring the multiplayer portion of the game was released half a month before the game. A list of sites that carry the demo can be found here.
    ]]>     19 Feb 2007 03:49:32     Def Jam : Fight For New York Def Jam:FFNY is the sequel to Def Jam Vendetta, though apart from sharing the Def Jam label you wouldn't know it at all. There are 40 odd characters to choose from ranging from the well known,(Snoop Dogg, Redman, Sean Paul, Xzibit) to some I had no idea existed (Crazy Legs, Fat Joe, Bone Crusher). If you like your beat-em ups fast, furious and incredibly visceral then this is game is for you. The fighting system is so simple yet so very deep. You start by learning just one fighting style from a choice of 4, Kickboxing, Streetfighter, Martial Artist and Wrestling. As you progress and level up in the gym, you will be able to learn up to 2 more styles, allowing you to create a totally customized style suited to you.
    While violence in videogames is nothing new, FFNY takes it to whole new levels with the Blazin' moves. Once your special bar is full, you are then able to finish your opponent (providing there energy bar is in the red),with a bonecrunching, face smashing, arm twisting, leg breaking finisher, these bad boys are guaranteed to make you wince at least once (Balls to the Wall springs to mind), also certain arenas in the game have special Blazin' moves which are unique to that stage. The bulk of the game is taken up with the story mode, two rival gangs fighting over the New York underground fight scene, not that it matters really, its just there to give you something to fight for.
    I highly recommend this game to anyone who says they truly enjoy a fighting game, and the same goes for those that dont.
    ]]>     21 Feb 2007 09:23:47     Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex is a platform game in the Crash Bandicoot series.

    Gameplay is basically the same, but this time Crash has a new move called sneak. This move allowes you to sneak over nitros. Coco is also playable, and for the first time, Coco has her own set of moves. There are many vehicles available including a 4x4, a plane, and a robot suit.

    The story begins somewhere outside Earth's orbit, where we see Doctor Neo Cortex's evil space station base. Inside it, Uka Uka has called together a "bad guy convention" and is obviously quite angry with everyone. According to him, their track record for spreading evil is pathetic. They conclude that Crash Bandicoot is to blame. Of course, they wouldn't let anything stand in the way of evil, especially not a "brainless orange marsupial", and decide that Crash must be eliminated. And so, Uka Uka orders Cortex and his cronies to come up with one good plan... or else. Cortex informs everyone that in his scientific endeavors, he has created a genetically-advanced superweapon of unbelievable strength. But the final missing crucial element is a power source. Uka Uka brings up the Elementals, a group of destructive masks with the power over Earth, Fire, Water, and Air. If they unleashed their destructive energy, they'll have enough power to bring Cortex's secret weapon to life. They would have a weapon capable of crushing mountains, demolishing entire cities, and wiping Crash Bandicoot off the face of the Earth forever.
    ]]>     04 Mar 2007 02:59:22     Ghost Recon In Ghost Recon, you lead the Ghosts, an elite American infantry unit using the most advanced technology the USA has to offer, onto the front lines and into the battle. The Ghosts are the spearhead of the US Army's quick response. They are the first unit deployed into dangerous situations and the last ones to leave when things get rough. As the leader of a platoon of Ghosts in the field, it is your responsibility to select your frireteam members, train them, kit them out and command them once the shooting starts. You control them as they seek to execute your orders, which you give during the heat of battle, and complete their missions. Particularly spectacular performance and the completion of special objectives will unlock Specialist characters, who bring new weapons and new levels of expertise to your platoon.
    ]]>     12 Mar 2007 02:13:36     Buffy the Vampire Slayer The game's story is an original, but it happens at some point during the third season of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series. The basic story is that there's a gang of vampires who, believe it or not, want to kill humans. They also want to sacrifice one so The Master (a very powerful demon) can be reincarnated.

    The main character is Buffy Summers. She's an average high school student in all ways except that she's the Chosen One, and must defend the world from demons and vampires. The other big names from the cast are in this game as well (Spike, Angel, Willow, Xander, Giles, etc...) and unlike Buffy, they're actually voiced by the actors from the show.

    The gameplay is a mixture of action and some puzzle solving. While the game does focus more on hand-to-hand combat than anything else, there are also some alternative weaponry (a water gun that shoots holy water, crossbow, hellfire, etc...).

    This game is unique because it's a genuinely good licensed game. Fans of the show and non-fans alike will enjoy this game. It was put together with the same kind of humor that fans enjoyed from the show, and it still had a good game behind it. It would still be a good game even without the license, which is something that many licensed games shoot for but can't accomplish.
    ]]>     15 Mar 2007 05:21:36     The Matrix: Path of Neo In path of Neo you play the main character of the Matrix trilogy: Neo. The game starts with the taking of the pills and then takes you through the main parts of the three films.

    This has all the main characters in with good likeness and a great soundbytes from all the actors.

    You can wield a multitude of weapons to wield and plenty of kung foo moves to master. Not forgetting the obligatory focus or "bullet time" which makes all your moves slower and more spectacular. Skills are acquired throughout the game and allow for some awesome feats including flying and stopping bullets.

    The whole of the game is broken up with extended parts to the movie and actual film footage from the trilogy.
    ]]>     13 Jun 2007 09:45:21