Review: Prince of Persia (3DS Virtual Console)

Prince of Persia is a name by now everyone knows. From dynamic action games in the past few console generations, to a feature film that was fun but made little narrative sense, the game’s name is one that has endured the test of time.

Starhawk cruises through this PSN update

Yes, the Starhawk Beta is now available for Playstation Plus subscribers- and thank goodness it is! Mainly because other than that, it's a pretty ho-hum week for downloads on the PSN.

It's time to drop the RPG from JRPG

Surfing around the Internet as I do, I’ve seen many cases of people comparing the likes of Skyrim to the likes of Final Fantasy XIII. As far as I’m concerned, you may as well compare either to Mario Galaxy.

Review: Klonoa: Door to Phantomile (PSN)

Klonoa isn't synonymous with the platforming genre like a certain moustachioed plumber is, but he deserves to be. Namco’s little guy is behind some of the most unique outings you’ll find, despite being in the same store that houses countless other classics and new games alike. If you’re not repulsed by the cuddliness and enjoy the occasional hop fest, head to PSN right now.

The basic premise is that Klonoa and his friend Huepow are off on a quest to save a diva from generic villain #06713 the evil Ghadius and his right-hand lackey. The heroic duo will journey through various kingdoms and villages, stopping to battle vicious monsters and corrupted allies along the way. With such cutesy visuals, music, and dialog you would think of it as a typical storyline, but there are actually some interesting twists. Admittedly a lot of it is disposable, but it serves is purpose just fine. 

As said earlier, Door to Phantomile truly does inject new life into the platforming genre. Rather than squashing your foes, shooting them up, or throwing punches, Klonoa uses his magical ring to pick them up and carry them. They can then be used to pelt other enemies, give you an extra jump boost, or thrown away. Foes too big to carry can be stunned by the ring, transforming them into platforms. Klonoa also comes equipped with a fluttery jump ala Yoshi’s Island, so precision is never an issue when hopping from platform to platform (unless you’re downright sloppy). The two abilities combined enabled the developers to come up with creative puzzles that require you to make use of every trick in your arsenal.

With only 14 main levels, the game is undeniably short, but there’s still enough to do after completion of the story to justify the price. Most of that extra value comes from replaying the old stages, for hidden throughout them are various denizens of the world trapped in bubbles. You’ll need to rescue them if you seek to unlock the final level.

It’s worth saying that unlike the Wii remake, this version only has three hearts (representations of stamina) instead of five. That means the game actually has some semblance of challenge on rare occasions, since you can’t be completely reckless. You’re given a generous amount of lives to survive the reasonably lengthy levels, but some of the last few may test your mettle.

The visuals, though still somewhat aesthetically presentable, are beginning to show their age. While the worlds inhabited by the creatures and tribes of the world are colourful and inspired, the PlayStation’s polygonal appearance and blurriness have been less kind. Namco also tried to utilize some 3D effects during more gimmicky sequences, leading to a handful of bizarre moments where you question how you were even hit.

With that said, most of the other 3D portions are used effectively for solving puzzles and navigating the levels themselves. You can face the background to grab enemies, activate switches, or access cleverly hidden shortcuts and secrets. Door to Phantomile is arguably one of the most dynamic “2.5D” platformers to date in that the extra half dimension actually comes into play for something other than fanciness.

Like the visuals, the soundtrack is consistent with the happy theme. It oozes charm, albeit a kind that may be off-putting for some mature players. That annoyance may be compounded by the characters that spout gibberish dialog while the on-screen text is visible. There’s unfortunately no option to turn off the incessant babble, so it may be advisable to keep the sound off if all the joyousness frustrates you (though you will miss out).

Namco truly outdid itself - nearly 15 years after its release, Door to Phantomile is still one of the freshest platformers available. If you can get past the cuteness, the core gameplay makes every niggle irrelevant. It can’t outdo the PlayStation 2 sequel, but that says a lot when its main competitor is digitally unreleased . 

-Clark A

Our Scoring Policy

Tony Hawk details start to kickflip out

Whether you love the Tony Hawk Series, or you're a little tired of virtual skateboarding- you have to be at least slightly pumped for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD.

Sine Mora Shmups onto Xbox Live This Year

Grasshopper Manufacture and Digital Reality are teaming up for a shoot'em up that delivers for genre newbies and vets (it's bullet hell!) alike.

Sonic 4 and Sonic CD hit Steam; massive sale ensues

Those with mobile phones and dedicated game consoles have had access to Sonic 4: Episode 1 for over a year, but Steam users have been less fortunate. Sonic CD and Sonic 4 are now available on Steam for $4.99 and $9.99 USD respectively. 

To celebrate the double launch, Sega is bringing down the price of older Sonic games by up to 75%. The selection is certainly uncanny.

Sonic Adventure DX - $4.49

Sonic Generations - $14.99

Sega and Sonic All Stars Racing - $4.49

Sonic the Hedgehog - $2.49

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - $2.49

Sonic 3 & Knuckles - $2.49

Sonic Spinball - $2.49

Sonic 3D Blast - $2.49 

Yes, the stellar Sonic Generations is half price. Better grab it at the speed of sound, since the sale lasts for only this weekend. Check them out.

Shank 2 gets stabby in February

EA announced that the sequel to popular downloadable beat'em up Shank, aptly named Shank 2- will be available on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 early next month.

Warner Bros; shaping up to be a major publishing force?

While many continue to watch closely the fortunes of struggling publishers (THQ, for instance), there is one publisher that has quietly built itself an empire to be respected. Warner Bros is starting to shape up as a publisher with real pull.

PSN down today in North America

US users who attempt to log into the Playstation Network today will not be a happy bunch. The network will be down all day long today for "maintenance".

Paradox Interactive announces not one, but two new games!

Paradox Interactive is currently running its own internal convention, and has used the opportunity to announce two new games; A Game of Dwarves and Napoleon's Campaigns II.

Trivia Time! How well do you know Digitally Downloaded? (Crossword)

As a bit of fun, we thought we'd start producing crosswords, and other puzzles, to test your knowledge of us, and more importantly, the games industry!

The Xbox Live roundup is ready to believe you

This week, XBL features a bunch of games about spooks, specters, and ghosts. Do you have feelings of dread while sitting in your couch, chair, or futon?

Deadlight coming Summer 2012 on XBLA

Developer Tequila Works announced today an exclusive partnership with Microsoft Game Studios to bring its new IP Deadworks to the Xbox Live Arcade.

Ranking the seven best Zelda games ever

Ranking the Zelda games is perhaps the most daunting task Nick and I have ever faced in our gaming journalism careers. No series has been this venerated and loved by gamers so universally and it’s a hell of a thing deciding what is better than another, especially when over the 25 year history of Zelda comparing a certain title to another can be like weighing a tonne of apples against a tonne of kumquats. It’s all very tricky, but we have here a list that we have picked after careful debate of a few handpicked games in the franchise. These are the standout games in the series. Sometimes flawed, always breathtaking to legions of fans.

Doom returns to Xbox Live

Fans of iD software's classic FPS rejoice! After being unceremoniously removed from Xbox Live's servers a while back, Doom has returned.

Review: Mecho Wars (PSN Mini)

There’s something to be said for a good portable strategy game. Mecho Wars does an admirable job of bringing that action to PlayStation Minis, a service that could certainly use a few more. It may not win points for the most original gameplay, but the developers definitely chose a good blueprint to borrow from.

Mecho Wars follows the conflict between the Winged Brigade and the Landians. Story is the driving force behind a lot of my favourite strategy titles, so it was a great disappointment to see that there’s not much of one to speak of.

Thankfully, the game itself makes up for this. Your goal is to lead your army to victory, taking over the opponent’s land and prevent any new enemies from spawning. You take turns with the computer controlling soldier units on a grid composed of various environments. The troops themselves are rather diverse, for they have their own advantages and disadvantages ala rock-paper-scissors. There are the ranged units, flying units, infantry, and more. If you’ve ever played Fire Emblem or Advance Wars, you’ll feel instantly at home with how the game unfolds.

There’s a decent amount of depth to all this, with my favourite aspect being that the environment actually comes into play. For example, there’s a time system going on in the background that determines when water will freeze into ice. When it does, you can then walk on it, opening up all kinds of new strategies against the foe - or severely crippling your own defence. Other parts of a map will increase your defence in exchange for offense and some will even replenish your health.

Unlike some strategy titles, though, Mecho Wars can seemingly go on forever if you don’t know what you’re doing and just keep blindly killing enemies. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but those with less patience might feel like they’re making zero progress. The Landians will re-spawn infinitely until you conquer them, and since you can do the same, it’s perfectly fair to expect you to think of a plan.

Regrettably, the interface is not as nice as the combat. The core issue is that things like the time are not accessible during your turn at all. The menu only contains an option to end the turn or return to the main menu, which is nice and all, but some battle statistics would be genuinely useful for this type of game. You do have access to unit descriptions, which is something. Lastly, pressing O during a dialog scene will kick you back to the main menu rather than do anything productive. It feels like a very random place to insert such a thing, as opposed to the ability to re-read text you may have skipped over.

Even after beating the game, you get a wealth of content for your buck. There are extraneous challenge maps and a multiplayer mode to keep you occupied for at least 15 hours. The latter can played with just one console, so there’s no need for a friend to purchase the game or go through the annoyance of setting up a wireless battle. Take turns passing the PSP around and blow each other to smithereens as you try to take control of your opponent’s land for some solid entertainment (and preferable intelligence).

Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of the entire game is the visual style from Luc Bernard. The man has established himself as a fascinating artist and his work translates well to the zany creatures that populate Mecho Wars’ world. The soundtrack, however, is composed of generic tunes that are filler at best.  

Mecho Wars offers decent strategy gameplay for an affordable price. It’s not the king of the genre by any stretch and could certainly see numerous improvements in the hopeful sequel, but it’s still worth checking out (especially if the PS Minis service is your only source for indie games). 

-Clark A

Our Scoring Policy

Dungeon Defenders goes 30% off on PSN

The Playstation Network's '12 for 12' promotion features RPG/Tower Defense hybrid Dungeon Defenders today.

The Fenix rises on Xbox Live

The newest Gears of War 3 dlc is officially out and available to North American gamers today. Unlike the last one, this is a return to the more traditional 'multiplayer map pack' type dlc that we're used to seeing.

Bloodrayne: Betrayal's price sliced on PSN

It's a good day for fans of decapitating vampires and superpowered female assassins in skintight leather.

Review: Boy Loves Girl (iPad)

Boy Loves Girl is a curious little game for the iPad. It’s artistic and charming, but it also takes some work to fully appreciate.

Ong-Bak game license goes to local Thai studio

Hopefully everyone who appreciates the art of martial arts has seen Ong-Bak, a Thai classic film series that is almost poetic in its violence.

Review: Duck Duck Quack (iPad)

I like Namco Bandai’s approach to the iOS platforms. Bird Zapper, a game it released last year, was a cheerful little twist on the match-3 formula and brought an often underdone genre real production values.

New Dead Island DLC incoming

And it's single player! Deep Silver and Techland announced today that their 'zombie armageddon on an island' simulator, Dead Island, is getting a brand new solo campaign.

Classic Persian platforming hits 3DS and Wii download this week (UK)

Europeans get a bit of classic platforming this week, as the 3DS gets its third eShop Game Boy Color virtual console game.

Review: Rainbow Rapture (Xbox 360; XBLIG)

What if I told you that a little indie game that features a light, fluffy cloud at the end of a rainbow as the playable character was actually a hellish tale of Armageddon? Read on.

Review: Burger Jack (Xbox 360; XBLIG)

It's all about the burgers, Jack.

Rumour: The End of THQ?

Today, rumours have started spreading that publisher THQ is in the beginning processes of liquidating their assets, having cleared their projected release schedule for 2014 by cancelling all projects -- starting by cancelling development on Dark Millenium Online, an MMO set in the Warhammer 40k universe.

These rumours come from Kevin Dent, an industry insider who works for the IGDA, who stated on his Twitter that THQ had cancelled development of Dark Millenium Online and had returned the intellectual property that they had licensed from Disney/Pixar. Because of this, people are also beginning to speculate that THQ may also return the licenses they have with WWE and UFC, and are in the beginning stages of shutting down for good.

THQ is a large company that functions as both a large publisher and developer in the industry. They own some critically acclaimed development studios, such as Relic Entertainment, Volition Inc. and Vigil Games, and have been responsible for bringing us acclaimed titles such as Company of Heroes, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, Saint's Row, Red Faction, Darksiders and many others. THQ was also the company behind the uDraw tablet, something that our EIC really appreciated. It was Vigil Games, the new studio that developed Darksiders, that was working on Dark Millenium Online.

My take? I believe they did actually cancel Dark Millenium Online. (Sorry, Warhammer fans!) After seeing the extremely successful launch that BioWare's MMO The Old Republic received, THQ made a calculated decision to cease production on what would, ultimately, become a failed project. The MMO crowd is not easily swayed and going against such stiff competition would only lead to failure.

Will we actually see Dark Millenium Online? Probably not.
Is THQ getting ready to close down? Of course not!

The speculation about THQ liquidating its assets and giving up IP licensing deals, however? More than likely, that's just people overreacting. THQ has a long and decorated history with Games Workshop, Disney/Pixar and WWE, and a burgeoning one with UFC; to think that they would willingly throw any of those deals away, after having established such successful relationships with each parent company, seems ludicrous.

Besides, in October last year, THQ founded a new studio in Montreal with Patrice Désilets, the creative director behind Assassin's Creed and Assassin's Creed II. THQ also signed a deal with tech experts Crytek for the development of Homefront 2, to be developed by Crytek's Nottingham studio. They even announced a joint project with famed film director Guillermo del Toro, a game titled inSANE, which would feature del Toro as a creative director. All of these deals marked huge successes for THQ in the latter half of the year, leaving the prospect of their future even brighter than before.

To be fair, however, 2011 was marked by only marginal success for THQ, with titles like Red Faction: Armageddon and Homefront failing in the market. Further still, THQ closed five (five!) subsidiary studios in 2011, and stated the intent to move away from kid and movie-licensed titles and instead focusing on "high-quality owned IP".

Maybe that move involves returning the Disney/Pixar license? Maybe this was something planned by THQ all along? I guess we'll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, what do you think is going on at the THQ HQ? Tell us in the comments!

Original Soul Calibur coming to iOS

While we anxiously await Soul Calibur V, we'll have something to tide us over. Namco Bandai is bringing the original Dreamcast game to iOS with just about everything intact. That includes time attack, arcade mode, survival,  training, extra survival, and museum mode as well as the original 19 playable fighters. Oh, and the obligatory Game Center features.

The game will launch on the 19th of this month, although Namco Bandai did not reveal any pricing information. Here's hoping this port is a successful one, as it may be difficult to pull off some of the maneuvers from the original game with only two potential touch points at a time. It at least looks the part.

Check out the trailer below:

EA touts massive Play4Free numbers

Electronic Arts has a pretty decent Play4Free (as it's been dubbed) lineup going these days. In fact, players are downright flocking to their current offerings as the community has reached 25 million.