Yakuza 3 Listed on Amazon Germany for March November 30, 2009
Posted by Kris Pigna in : News , add a comment 
We were told back in September by a source close to the project that game was in fact undergoing localization for an eventual U.S. release, but Sega has yet to confirm it. VG247 also contacted Sega concerning this Amazon Germany listing, but were given a standard “no comment” response by a Sega representative. Still, this seems to provide more hope that the series will once again make its way outside of Japan.
So far only the original Yakuza and its sequel have been released in the U.S. Yakuza 3, which was released in Japan back in February, is actually the fourth game in the series as it follows a spin-off title set in Kyoto during the Edo period (which was also released only in Japan in March of last year). And even if (when?) Yakuza 3 finally does make it state-side, we’re still going to be behind: Sega already announced Yakuza 4 (confusingly, the fifth game in the series) back in July.
Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter Review November 30, 2009
Posted by Eric Neigher in : REVIEW , add a commentSerious Sam caused something of a murmur when it burst upon the FPS scene back in the early 2000’s. Even back then, the FPS genre had backed away, bit by bit, from the balls-to-the-wall insanity of early genre heavyweights like Doom and Duke Nukem 3D and was easing its way into the sophisticated world of Half-Life and System Shock 2. Serious Sam, with its brightly colored, mow-’em-down ethos unexpectedly evoked the zeitgeist of an era long past, and tapped into an undercurrent of adrenaline-fueled gameplay that had been lying dormant in gamers’ twitchy index fingers.
So developer Croteam must hope it will go, again, with the series’ latest release: Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter. This budget-priced update of the original Serious Sam title features revamped graphics, a new co-op online mode, and a whole lot of old-school ass-kickin’ for the greater glory of mankind. And while the new visuals go a long way in toward moving the series into today’s world of bells and whistles, at its core, Sam HD is very much from the “old school.”
Further Details on Next Madden NFL 10 Update Revealed November 30, 2009
Posted by Chris Pereira in : News , add a comment
We already started to get an idea of what to expect in the second title update for Madden NFL 10 last month: Fewer INTs thrown by sacked QBs, fewer gimme plays by throwing into the flats, better pursuits by defenders, and exploit fixes were among the changes we’ve already seen outlined. A new post on the EA Sports blog has given us more details about what’s included in the upcoming patch.
Uniforms are getting some attention, as the Seahawks’ home pants will now be blue instead of white, and they’ll also have access to those silly looking neon green uniforms they wore earlier this season. Both the Titans and Eagles will have tribute stickers show up on their helmets, with the Titans’ in honor of the late Steve McNair, and the Eagles’ for former defensive coordinator Jim Johnson who passed away this past summer.
Replay have also been enhanced and can now play for twice as long as they could previously. This thankfully means that long plays like kick/punt returns or interception returns won’t have a chunk of the play missing when watching a replay. You’ll also see auto-replays pop up more often, particularly those following touchdowns. What you won’t see as often is the unskippable sequence where the chain gang coming out to measure for a first down. I’m particularly happy about that change, as it’s frustrating because any frequent player knows immediately whether or not it was a first down based upon the camera angle shown while they’re measuring.
Erik Estavillo subpoenas Bill Gates into his RROD lawsuit November 30, 2009
Posted by Ryan F. in : Greater Gaming , add a commentIf you thought we’ve heard the last of Erik Estavillo a.k.a. the banned Resistance player and lawsuit spammer, then you thought wrong my friends. The…
Weekly Wii Sales Up 85 Percent, Nintendo Says November 30, 2009
Posted by Kat Bailey in : News , add a comment
With the Wii experiencing a bit of a dropoff in the past year, Nintendo has started deploying standard tactics like price drops to stimulate demand. So far, it seems to be working, as the Wii has reportedly seen a nice increase in week-to-week sales since dropping to $199.
According to executive vice president of sales Cammie Dunaway, Wii sales up 85 percent on a weekly basis thanks to the price cut. She said that the Wii is in a “good position” for the holidays (via the San Francisco Chronicle).
Wii sales are down overall, dropping 43 percent from April to September. However, it was the top-selling console in October, moving some 506,900 systems.
Monkey Island, My Zoo and Bookworm Mark Nintendo Downloads November 30, 2009
Posted by Steve Watts in : News , add a comment
Though Thanksgiving has come and gone, Nintendo is still sending plenty of downloadables our way, making those weeks that passed with sparse offerings look a little silly by comparison. This week, WiiWare brings the fourth Tales of Monkey Island chapter for 1,000 Wii Points ($10). We also have My Zoo for 500 points ($5), which lets you manage different animals and raise them in a sim environment. It also offers additional animals as DLC. Copter Crisis, also for 500 points, uses the Wii remote to pilot a helicopter while you rescue hikers and deliver supplies. And Christmas Clix is a seasonal title (obviously) that has you helping Santa sort presents, for 1,000 points.
On DSiWare, we have Foto Face: The Face Stealer Strikes for 800 DSi Points ($8), an action-adventure title that uses the DSi camera and microphone. Bookworm from PopCap is a port of the popular word puzzle game for 500 DSi Points. Master of Illusion Express: Mind Probe is available for 200 points ($2), and is a piece of the Master of Illusion DS game. Sudoku Challenge! is, as you might have guessed, a Sudoku game that boasts 100 million puzzles for 500 points. This should mean you’d never have to buy a Sudoku game again, but we’re sure there will be another one on DSiWare soon enough.
Finally, on Virtual Console, we have the beat-em-up The Combatribes for 800 Wii Points from the SNES days. Also, the action/puzzle arcade title Solomon’s Key is available for 600 points ($6).
Spike VGA to show new Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands November 30, 2009
Posted by Ryan F. in : Greater Gaming , add a commentNow that Ubisoft has Assassin’s Creed wrapped up for now, they have plenty of time to work on another popular franchise of theirs – Prince of Persia…
FFCC: The Crystal Bearers has a screen-cap feature November 30, 2009
Posted by Ryan F. in : Greater Gaming , add a commentFound a funny glitch? Care to show off the result of your hard work grinding? Or maybe you just found a particular scene too awesome to pass up? Wor…
King of Fighters ‘95, Final Fight 3 hitting Virtual Console November 30, 2009
Posted by Ryan F. in : Greater Gaming , add a commentAs always, Virtual Console is an ever-updating retro-party. Joining its lineup on December for Japan are a few more oldschool gems, among them are Ki…
Screenshots: New Super Mario Bros. Wii in 720p November 30, 2009
Posted by Ryan F. in : Greater Gaming , add a commentDreaming of seeing the New Super Mario Bros. Wii in 720p? Dream no more, cos your dream has just come true. Nintendo Everything shares these amazing i…