Minecraft Adventure Update (1.8) Impressions

It’s here! We’ve been waiting for so long and it’s finally here! Notch and the rest of Mojang have been teasing us with delicious little bits and pieces for months, but now we can sink our teeth fully into the cubic cake of the Adventure Update. There have been some massive changes in this installation, and my word limit won’t let me cover them all but I’ll do my best.

Shrapnel games to bring pen and paper RPG, Total Eclipse, to smartphones

Developed by Disrupted Gears and published by boutique player, Shrapnel Games, Total Eclipse is a tabletop RPG developed by Steve Jackson. Not the super famous ones (yes, there are more than one super famous one, just to be confusing), a different but equally talented Steve Jackson.

Portal temporarily free on Steam

If you haven't played the original Portal yet, your excuses not to are rapidly dwindling. Until September 20th, the critically acclaimed first-person puzzler will be completely free through download on Steam. You can now download the game right here, for both Mac and PC.

Renegade Ops Sneaks up on XBLA

You may have missed the posting of Sega's Renegade Ops to Xbox LIVE yesterday (I did). Apparently it's a sneaky one.

Review: Battle Academy (PC/ Mac)

Battlefield Academy… sorry, Battle Academy, thanks to some silly legal action by EA, deserves more attention than to be remembered for that unfortunate incident. It’s a clever little tactics strategy game that might not break new ground, but it does a good job of bringing some depth to what is usually a very casual experience.

Review: Fancy Pants & Fancy Pants 2 (Android)

If you like your platformers light-hearted and short then Fancy Pants is a bit of fun. Unfortunately that is about all it is. It doesn't really challenge you with any difficult tasks and it won't entertain you for very long with its short lifespan.

The graphics for Fancy Pants 1 & 2 are both quite good actually. You control a stick man with fancy orange pants and long hair. Seeing the little fellow get a good run up and do a jump is very enjoyable with his pants and hair flapping about in the breeze nicely. The aim is to collect swirls as you explore the level always on the watch out for spiders and other nasties.

Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy, and more coming to iOS/Android...in Japan

If you like Square Enix RPGs and enjoy gaming on your mobile phone, you might be in luck. Square Enix intends to release games like Chrono Trigger, Dragon Quest: Monsters Wanted, and Final Fantasy Legends: Warriors of Light and Darkness for both the App Store and Android Market. The big question is whether or not these games will make it outside of Japan.

Capcom launches more iOS software

Capcom's support for Apple devices continues to increase, as it has now launched two classic ports and more downloadable content for an existing game.

First up is Street Fighter Collection, which features three classic games: Street Fighter II, Street Fighter II Champion Edition, and Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting. The games have been ported over with touch control in mind and the entire package will cost $3.99 USD.

Retro Review: T.N.K. III (PSN Minis)

Let’s face it – some games hold up well over time, while others plainly do not. A game like Super Mario Bros. plays just as well today as it did in the eighties, but other titles are not so fortunate. T.N.K. III is an anomaly, though, in that it offers dated gameplay combined with an uninteresting theme and presentation, yet still manages to deliver short bursts of entertainment. With enough fumbling around with settings, many people will be able to derive some enjoyment out of it, thanks to the new features offered in this PlayStation Minis version.  

Review: Wasteland Angel (PC)

Sturgeon’s Law states that 90 per cent of everything is crap. In Wasteland Angel, we have firm evidence that indeed 90 per cent of everything is crap, but also puts forth the daring notion that not only is crap crappy, it can’t even be crap for extended periods of time. The other 10 per cent is great fun, but you'll need to work hard for it.

Why am I making excessive comparative references to excrement when talking about this game? Well, other than foreshadowing the general tone of this review, it reflects what runs through my mind whenever I think of it.

Radiant Silvergun Shoots up Xbox LIVE

One of the best known blast-a-thon's in recent gaming history has just posted up to XBLA.

Radiant Silvergun, which is pure bullet hell by the way, originally made its console debut on Sega's Saturn and has appeared numerous times since. Developer Treasure has handled this latest port to Xbox LIVE and it looks like a pretty nice update.

Click on through for some screens full of bullets. Big, glowing bullets-

Review: Bonsai Blast (Android)

Since getting my Samsung Galaxy S2 I have been on the look out for games which were genuinely interesting, challenging and had a longer life span than one hour. In Bonsai Blast I have found a game which ticks all these boxes.

The aim of Bonsai Blast is to match at least three marbles of the same colour. The marbles are pushed out along a pre-set path and you shoots marbles out of a cannon so that they squeeze into the gaps between marbles. The game is on the surface very simple and easy to play. Upon first downloading the game I thought that it was good and it would probably take me about an hour to breeze through the levels. Here is when the game caught me by surprise. As you progress through the levels you follow a chain that unlocks as you go. After reaching the end of the first chain (which was 24 levels long!) I realised that this was only the first of three sections of the game.

(Yes, it's a clone of PopCap's Zuma, but that doesn't mean it's bad!)

Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One beta opening for select players

Fans of Ratchet and Clank, this is your chance to experience their latest adventure a bit early. SCEA announced via the PlayStation Blog that a beta version of Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One is on the way – but not accessible to everyone. This beta allows up to four players to team up online and go through two different portions of the game, giving you a sneak peek at some of the new weapons on offer. If you’re equipped with a 3D television, you're in luck as the beta is compatible.

Review: War and Wizardry TD (iOS)

Ezmobo have released a new tower defence title that's meant to be an innovative move away from the classic styles of the genre by incorporating RPG elements. Some would say that releasing yet another tower defence game into an already saturated market could be considered a mistake, even if it is original. With such titles as Plants vs. Zombies and Tiny Heroes already claiming the majority of players, has War and Wizardry TD (W&W TD) got what it takes to etch its name into the market?

Win one of FIVE copies of Rugby World Cup 2011, courtesy of 505 Games

We've got good news for fans of Rugby. Thanks to 505 Games, we're giving away five digital copies of Rugby World Cup 2011 for PSN. The codes can be redeemed through the PlayStation Network's redeem function.

If you'd like your chance at one of the five copies, just follow these two simple steps: 

1) Sign up for our forum

2) Make a post in this thread about who you think will win the cup.

The winners will be picked based on the originality, humour, or amusement value of their comments (judged by the Digitally Downloaded staff).

How does the game hold up? We thought it was one of the better video game adaptions of the sport, so it comes highly recommended whether or not you win.

The contest closes on October 5, 8 pm Sydney, Australian time, so act fast!

Digitally Downloaded poll results #3: What genres of games do you enjoy most?

This was always going to be a varied poll, since there are so many different types of games out there these days.

Here are the results, and remember, people could vote for multiple things this time around, so the total won't add up to 100%:

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition is coming soon

We've known since June at Nintendo's e3 conference that we would be seeing Link's multiplayer outing in September, but fans now have a date to look forward to. On September 28th, those in Europe and North America will be able to download the game for free - but there's good news and bad news.

The biggest announcement by far is that a single player mode is now available. One player can control the Links via several control options, so there's no need for a friend. The original release on the Game Boy Advance only offered a multiplayer mode, so now everyone can scratch this off their "games I want to beat, but can't" list.

3DS to receive firmware update in November

The 3DS got its first major update in June to coincide with the release of the eShop, but the updates after this were mostly minor fixes. Nintendo of America has announced through a press release today that another big update is scheduled for this November.

What will the new firmware bring? The leading addition is the ability to record videos in 3D. While many had speculated that the hardware was not capable of doing this, even after an update, it does appear that the console can handle it.

Check out all the games Nintendo announced today

Nintendo of Japan has set up a website to show off all the games displayed at today's conference.

It's an impressive list. As we said in a previous article, it's very Japan-heavy, and a portion of western gamers will be put off by that, but if you happen to own a Japanese 3DS (the console is region locked to prevent importing games), then you're in for a treat with plenty of games that will only ever be released in Japan.

Some highlights include: Fire Emblem, Love Plus, Culdcept, Monster Hunter, Dynasty Warriors Vs, Ace Combat and of course, all the games you already knew all about and were looking forward to.

Genres range from sports, to horror, to action and music/ rhythm. There are plenty of games for young ladies too, with the likes of Style Boutique and various dancing games on display.

Click here to go to the website: http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n10/conference2011/titlelist/index.html

So, which of the announced games today are you looking forward to/ hope to see translated into English?

Is Nintendo focusing on the Japanese market too much with the 3DS?

So, Nintendo held a pretty big conference today (especially since it won’t participate in the Tokyo Game Show), where it laid out the important software that it hopes will see the 3DS grow into a major player over the next few years.

Except, looking at the games line up it showed off, it’s very Japan-centric, and one has to wonder whether the software Nintendo showed off will be enough for the mass western market.

Review: The Impossible Game (PSN)

The Impossible Game is not impossible. It’s really, really challenging, but it’s possible to complete it.

It’s also quite old. The game was originally released on the Xbox back in 2009. Why it’s taken nearly two years to make the move to the PSN Minis platform, I have no idea. But the good news is it’s here, and it works really well.

Bigpoint acquires 49Games' development team

Online games specialist, Bigpoint, just got a whole lot bigger, acquiring development studio 49Games.

That acquisition bring an additional 40 people into the Bigpoint fold, and is actually the fourth acquisition for the rapidly growing company in the past 18 months.

The acquisition isn't a complete one though. 49Games retains rights to its multiplatform technology, assets and licenses.

Holy crap Max Payne is coming to mobile!

Rockstar woke us up (in Australia, at any rate), with some really cool news: the original Max Payne is coming to mobile devices! In HD no less!

The game will be released in Spring. It will feature connectivity from the Rockstar Games Social Club and have the full range of features that were in the PC original.

To help with the controls on touch screens, players will be able to customise to their comfort levels.

Not much else is known at this stage. Stay tuned!

Sengoku demo: get it now

Sengoku is a seriously impressive strategy game. We scored it 4.5/5, and it has already chewed up more time than we care to mention.

Paradox Interactive is giving people a chance to play before they buy, too. The demo allows you to take control of two of the clans over a 15-year time frame. Very limited compared to the full game yes, but surely enough to convince you how awesome the game is.

The full game is released tomorrow, but the demo can be downloaded now from here: http://www.fileplanet.com/222193/220000/fileinfo/Sengoku-Demo


Enjoy!

A big challenge to our loyal readers!

Over the next week, I'm going to be away on a trip to Japan (don't fear though, the great staff that make this Website great have plenty of reading to keep you going). I wish I could say it's for Tokyo Game Show, but unfortunately, it isn't.

That said, I will find myself in Akihabara, otherwise known as the otaku capital in the world. In the spirit of fun, I'm going to set our readers a challenge: Recommend me something to buy while I'm there.

Retro Review: Alpha Mission (PSN)

Challenge is one of the core ingredients that make a retro video game worth playing, but certain games undoubtedly go overboard with it. If the title in question has enough quality, though, it can make up for this and encourage less experienced players to join in on the fun. Alpha Mission is the perfect example of a game that goes ballistic with the challenge level, but doesn’t have the gameplay, visuals, ingenuity, or auditory experience to back it up. Instead, it offers questionable content that only the most niche of an already niche audience will enjoy.

The Love Plus 3DS consoles look incredible

Love Plus on the Nintendo DS was a strange kind of game. It was a dating game yes, but at the same time it had a great deal of class and style that separated it from the usual games in the genre.

Indeed, the game was demonstrated at an interactive art exhibition that I attended while I was at Japan a couple of years back.

It was financially successful too, which naturally means a 3DS sequel (and let's face it, 3D virtual girlfriends > 2D virtual girlfriends). As excitement (in Japan) ramps up for the game, Konami has shown off the special 3DS consoles that will be released with the game.

Get your full game guide for Animal Puzzle Adventure here!

Hi folks,

This month for Digitally Downloaded we announce a new product/ service we hope will be of great use for you. In addition to the magazines, and buyer's guides, we're going to produce some game guides to help with some great, or challenging games.

The first is Animal Puzzle Adventure, a game we enjoyed a lot when we reviewed it, but it has its fair share of tricky puzzles. Thanks to Clark, and this full walkthrough, if you get stuck, you no longer need to be frustrated.

Click here to be taken to the game guide: http://issuu.com/mattsainsbury/docs/animalpuzzlegameguide


Thanks as always for your continued support! If you're a game developer or publisher, and would like for us to produce a game guide for one of your titles, please be in touch with matts@digitallydownloaded.net