I would like to apologize beforehand for putting up too much stuff regarding SSBB (thus disregarding all other news that are just as important out there), BUT… I… MUST… COVER… NEWS… THAT… HAS… MARIO… AND… SONIC… BEATING… THE… TAR… OUT… OF… EACH… OTHER.

The Brawl is about to begin. Here is SSBB’s opening cinematic. Enjoy:

After watching, I thought that these characters couldn’t be the only ones in the game so…..

Research is your friend.

Discovered VGCats‘ flickr account (with a little help from Kotaku, of course) and lo’ and behold, SPOILER GALORE.

(more…)

Ah Crysis, easily the most beautiful game to come out last 2007!  Provided you own a super computer, this game is probably the most visually rewarding so far.  Even at fairly low settings, the graphics are so beautiful, it actually makes you feel like you are in the game.   

So what makes it all work?  CryEngine 2. 

CryEngine 2 is the backbone of the game.  It’s what drives all that beautiful eye candy.  News of it debuting on multiple platforms on the upcoming GDC is creating a stir.  There won’t be a public showing of this though, but this is still exciting news!  This means that most probably, Crysis is coming to the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3!

Don’t get your hopes up though.  Crysis can barely run with most of today’s PC systems.  The engine was optimized to run on future hardware after all.  It is therefore logical that they had to tone down the engine pretty much for it to run on either of the two consoles.  However, it will probably still be as stunning as ever.

The Hot Coffee Mod saga has now come to a close with Take Two settling the class-action lawsuit filed against them by several “offended” gamers. 

Gaming Steve was able to find the fine print of the deal, and guess what:  the big winners are….. well you decide!

According to the deal, any US citizen who was officially “offended and upset” by the ability to unlock the (Hot Coffee) content can now receive up to $35 worth of compensation for their grievance.  Take note of the phrase “up to” because the amount you will receive is also dependent on how much documentation you have of your “outrage.”  Cool ain’t it? 

So how much are the lawyers getting?  Page 11 of one of the many long and boring legal documents accompanying the lawsuit gives us some nice details about what they are getting.  Here goes:

E. Attorneys’ Fees, Costs and Disbursements. Finally, as mentioned above, only this past Friday, the Parties agreed on an amount to compensate Plaintiffs’ Counsel for attorneys’ fees and costs and disbursements in the amount of One Million Dollars ($1,000,000), the entire amount of which will be paid separate and apart from any amounts made available for payment to the Class and Class Representatives, as set forth above.

[Source: Gaming Steve]

While Tenspeed is whining about Super Smash Brothers will take just over a month from now to be released, there they are playing it. 

Yeah you can argue that its only a demo, but still…  I WISH WE HAD KIOSKS LIKE THESE!!!  It would be great if we also get a taste on how a game plays before it is released through kiosks like these.  However. I think that happening is unlikely. 

Now, for all Star Wars geek-heads out there, what would your reaction be if it was allegedly reported that Darth Vader had a secret apprentice?

Worlds would explode! What-ifs would pop all over the place like daisies! Lightning would strike on cue! Goldfishes would circle around their bowls in unison! Blogs would be flooded with exclamation points!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Enter Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

The game takes place between Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and, according to Steve Sansweet, "has some incredible revelations." The player assumes the role of "Darth Vader’s secret apprentice". The player is sent across the galaxy to destroy the remaining Jedi. The story is both a continuation of the prequel trilogy - exploring the aftermath of Order 66 and focusing on the continued evolution of Darth Vader - and a direct bridge to the original films.

*breathes*

As the title suggests, the game takes you down uncharted alleys when it comes to the use of The Force - hence, the name. But that’s not the kicker: the mere fact that you control Darth Vader’s apprentice is just mind-boggling. It makes you wonder what happened to him in Episode 4. See?

Anyway, I nabbed a video off Gametrailers showing the behind the scenes footage of the game. Enjoy.

Finally!  A firm release date for one of the most anticipated games of 2008!  According to a statement issued by Rockstar Games, Rockstar North’s Grand Theft Auto IV will be simultaneously released worldwide for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 on April 29.

The game has had its fair share of rumored release dates and delays.  First it was originally slated for release last October.  Then much to the disappointment of thousands of gamers, a shocking announcement was made that the game was going to be delayed for 2008 following problems related to the development of the game for two platforms.  Rumors then spread about an April 25 release date for the UK and on March for the USA.  With the latest announcement, we thankfully now have something definite to wait for.

Grand Theft Auto IV will follow the adventures of Eastern-European immigrant Nikolai Bellic as he scours Liberty City for a so-far mystery person from his past.  Expectations are high for this game with many analysts predicting this to out-sell Halo 3. 

I guess this will prove another game to hurt movie sales while providing Take-Two Interactive a chance to recover from their recent financial struggles.

I’m going to apologize off the bat for writing ANOTHER SSBB rant/rave entry; MARCH 9 IS TOO DANG LONG! I’m pretty sure a lot of you out there agree with me.

Right?

Right.

Worry not for we have new SSBB gameplay videos!!!!!! 5 minutes worth! Woohoo!!! (no more exclamation points) I suggest you grab a bib for the drool and a towel for the sweat.

Here we go.

*nerdblast*

Notice how Snake took down Link on top of that mine? Hella glorious. This is going to be a blast to play. So kids, better stock up on rechargeable batteries, chips, ice tea, and sleep coz when this game is released, THE WORLD WILL COLLAPSE UNDER THE WEIGHT OF RABID SSBB FANS. Believe it.

MARCH 9 IS TOO DANG LONG.

I’m going to watch this vid again.

*runs off*

Today the world has lost a true gem. No, it’s not a game nor a gamer; not a developer; it’s not even in the video game industry.

No no.

In case you’ve missed a good part of the day today, I should tell you that Heath Ledger is dead. He was found dead in a hotel room in New York City. He was 28.

I know this piece of news is not related to gaming whatsoever, I felt that it was important for all y’all to realize that an actor (of MY generation at least) has left this world and that it’s a shame that he hasn’t lived a good portion of his life yet.

So what’s the point of telling you people? 

Well, have you at some point in your life wished that you had a “save game” option that you can just select everytime you are about to make a very important decision that threatens the very fabric of your existence? Have you ever dreamed of just “loading a save file” everytime a risk blew up in your face and it’s ridiculously hard to pick up the pieces?

We all do at some point.

Point is, life is not a video game. Sure, it can often be compared side by side with an MMORPG where you grind (work) and grind and grind and grind until you get loot and spend. A game where you hone and harness your skills to edge out competitors? But no, life is more than that.

Before I blabber on and say something incoherent and retarded. I’ll end it here. Point is, love life because before you know it…

*snaps*

Lights out.

So…. play as much GOOD games as you can.

P.S. Joker is probably Heath’s greatest and most challenging role ever. Can’t wait to watch it.

It’s coming earlier than we thought.  Capcom just announced that a playable demo of the much anticipated game Devil May Cry 4 will be available for download in the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Marketplace this Thursday, January 24.

The demo won’t be your usual 1st level skirmishes too.  Instead, it will take you to various parts of the game.  Special attention will be given to Nero and his “Devil Bringer” power.  The demo will also include a boss fight against Berial and a sneak peek at the seaside city of Fortuna.

Devil May Cry 4 has received an ESRB rating of M for Mature and is expected to be released for Xbox 360 and PS3 owners on February 5, 2008.

If you haven’t heard, EA is hard at work on a new C & C -related game called Tiberium (I wouldn’t even dare to think this wasn’t related with a name like THAT) . Anyway, they have released a new trailer just to stave off gamers’ pleas for new screenies and/or videos. So here we go:

Hmm off the bat: it LOOKS like Halo although Tiberium has a much, much, MUCH cooler looking helmet. I have to admit the trailer looks cool but I’m holding off deciding until I see the final product. Since it’s EA, I’m not so sure if it’s going to be a hit. You’ll never know. Command & Conquer is a fantastic series and they better not mess it up like they did with the Generals series.