One of the not so well known retro secrets is that the TurboGrafix-16 was once home to some of the best console strategy games of its time.  Well, at least that's how I remember it. Regardless, it's no secret that Military Madness is one of Hudson Soft's finer strategy games.

And keeping with the industry's current trend of revamping old franchises, Hudson has also given this series a face lift for today's players, something Xbox Live Arcade users are already aware of. While Microsoft patrons may have gotten their Military Madness: Nectaris groove on earlier, PSN users are rewarded for their patience with their Madness in  glorious 1080p.

Available as of last night, Military Madness: Nectaris is now available on the Playstation Network and includes all the multiplayer modes, online features, and updated graphics of the Live version.

When we were figuring out who was going to cover what game at Hudson's Gamers' Day, one of the titles that we knew very little about (okay, nothing) was listed only as Rooms. Rooms, what's Rooms?

Never being too sure about what you're going to have to preview can be slightly daunting. For all we knew it could have been a Japanese flower potting simulator. But luckily it wasn't, and Rooms: The Main Building, a rather charming puzzle game, ended up being one of the favorites of the day.

Puzzle fans, please continue on.

Most gamers can remember the so-called console wars of the 16-bit generation. At the time, each of the console competitors used every advantage they could to show how their system was the right system to own. Along with graphics and other features, companies leveraged the coolness factor of their system's mascots. Nintendo had cemented Mario early on, while Sega finally got around to creating Sonic, and the TurboGrafix-16 wisely dropped Keith Courage in favor of a more marketable and all around better mascot, Bonk.

Sadly, the TG-16 did not gain enough market share to warrant a follow-up system in the states, and minus the few outings Bonk had for Nintendo handhelds, he is still fondly thought of as a mascot of days gone by. Now here would be the sentence in which I would say "until now." You know what, that sentence will do just fine. Hudson Entertainment is bringing back Bonk and his platforming ways. To Bonk fans everywhere that's good news, but unfortunately that's the only good news.

Hit the jump to see why.

As of a few days ago, the only things that people seemed to know for certain about Capcom's new IP, Dark Void, is that is has a guy with a jet pack, vertical platforming, and something to do with famous inventor Nikola Tesla. At least that's all I knew for certain, seeing as any time I've previously seen the game it was all about the jet pack.

Not that anyone could possibly be against jet packs (this is the future after all), but there is something left to be desired as to the knowing exactly what type of game Capcom is trying to make. Although you'll find out more about Dark Void from our preview, Destructoid did have the opportunity to interview Morgan Grey, Senior Producer on Dark Void, and ask him just what exactly is going on with the title. 

Not only do we get a little insight into the game, but Morgan also shares some knowledge on what it's like making a brand new IP from the ground up. He also addresses the vertigo inducing gameplay that has brought at least two Destructoid editors close to vomiting.

The weak of stomach need not apply. 

The other day, Capcom had an event to help spread the word about Dark Void. While you may have heard about the contest that was announced, the event didn't really lend itself to getting a good idea of what a person can expect from Dark Void. Not to say that there wasn't ample amount of play time, it was just a lot of what was playable had no context. Multiple levels were open for anyone to enjoy, but aside from a glimpse into the combat and the jet pack mechanics, there wasn't much to give you a firm grasp of what the title is aiming for.

And that's why companies are smart enough to give you preview code. After getting a good couple of hours play time in on the game, it's become incredibly apparent that the whole jet pack aspect of Dark Void barely scratches the surface of what the title delivers. If you were thinking that this title is going to be some sort of Rocketeer clone, or a jet pack Grand Theft Auto, then allow me to enlighten you as to why you're incorrect after the jump. 

Don't worry, though. There's still plenty of jet pack. 

As reported earlier this week, Sony announced and demonstrated their motion controlling technology for the PS3. While the news, by Internet standards, is now eight billion years old, we still have the video coverage from Sony's conference for you to peruse.

Yay! 

We clued you in the other day with information about Brink, the FPS heading to systems next year (PS3, 360, PC). What we learned when we saw the demo, though, is that looks freaking awesome.

The whole game takes place on floating island city called the Ark. While meant to be a utopian city, the Ark eventually lost contact with the rest of the world. After that, or during (?), refugees showed up on the Ark from other countries and upset the balance of the Ark populace, thus creating the two opposing sides in the game.

The mission we saw had you on the side the Ark military type folks as they were being sent into refugee territory. Even though you go in as a squad, you only play as yourself. But, there are these command posts throughout the level where you can do so many different things, it's insane. You can change your class type on the fly, select mission objectives, choose experience building quests, and all sorts of crazy stuff and you do it all while the action is till going on around you. The level we saw barely even scratched the surface of things to do, but even what we did see certainly impressed.

The coolest thing ever, and you may have to see it in motion to really comprehend, is the terrain traversing mechanic that they call S.M.A.R.T. Just by holding a button and running, you can cross, climb, slide over anything in the levels. Imagine cruising through Mirror's Edge at full speed with the "win" button turned on, then put a graphically gorgeous and complex FPS on top of that. 

Although Joseph may not like the title of WET, his article did you give the basics of what the title is about. How does the title look and play, though, is what's important.

The demo had three different levels to play through: A beginning tutorial style level which ran you through some of the basic moves and introduced you to the character's intro storyline, the Rage Mode level, and a high-speed car hopping shoot-em-up level.

The tutorial level has you jumping and sliding all over while trying to take out the bad guys. What you learn in this stage is the play mechanic of Rubi's (main character) moves. While she can wield two pistols at the same time, there is no enemy character lock-on when moving around normally. When you jump or slide and start shooting, then one of your guns locks-on to an enemy while the other can be aimed in any direction to take down two bad guys at once. The controls are graciously uncomplicated and easy to use, which is good since you can rack up combo shots and receive points for them. A little bit later, you gain the ability to use a sword, which is great for up close enemy take down.

The Rage Mode level was just a quick showcasing of how Rubi goes into a stylized fighting mode that enhances her speed and agility. The level was pretty short, but its red cell-shaded style looked nice. Since it was just a quick demo, it's not apparent how much, or how often, it will be implemented in the title, but it does seem to add variety.

Speaking of variety, the car hopping highway level was super awesome. Rubi rides on the top of one moving car to the next, chasing down the boss who is speeding away. Keeping the movement set to QTEs for moving between the cars kept the pace fast, while also allowing you to focus on shooting enemies. 

For the most part, Rubi controls a lot like the latest Prince of Persia, with its jumping and wall running antics, but feels almost exactly like you're in John Woo's Hardboiled at the same time. The Grindhouse art style looks pretty good, but the gameplay was my favorite part of the whole demo. Hopefully the total package will live up to what was shown.

It's not that the upcoming title from Sidhe production studio is just like Geometry Wars or its sequel, but it shares many of the same qualities that that make the aforementioned title so enjoyable. Such as, clean game design, addictive gameplay, engrossing music, and fun.

While Geometry Wars is an updated take on the idea of the classic shooter, Shatter is the latest iteration on the Breakout, Arkanoid style of gaming. Using the mechanic of moving a panel back and forth to reflect a ball towards bricks that need to be broken is the idea, but Shatter one-ups that simple concept tenfold. 

As you can see, the graphics of Shatter look pretty sweet, but what you can't see is how complex the game's mechanics really are. Bouncing the ball to shatter the bricks is just the beginning as Sidhe has also added the ability to to attract or repel the ball from your panel (or ship, if you will). 

This ability to attract or repel, or "suck and blow" as I was told, creates a different set of physics than just the old school way of managing the angles as you try and clear levels of the bricks. There's also ways to create power-ups by collecting the shards of the shattered bricks an repelling them, or just by chaining successful hits and upping your power. Power-ups also play a part in the boss fights that occur at the end of each zone, and each of them are utilized differently creating a original experience throughout every encounter. Along with all that goodness, Shatter also has a custom made soundtrack by one of New Zealand's premier deejays to complete the experience.

So there's this game called Woman's Murder Club.  Aside from this title being based on a James Patterson something or other that I've never ever heard of, the trailer is now ready for watching. 

When Hamza and I went to the Konami event a ways back, I did a very brief preview of Tekken 6. The reason it was so brief is because at that time there was very little to report on. While that's not a knock on the title in any way, there just hadn't been anything in the way of new content to with regards to what every Tekken title has previously delivered on.

Oh, but now behold the glory of E3 and the wonderful new information it provides! Seems as if those of you that are Tekken fans will get even more content than was mentioned before. In addition to the hot fighting glory that you're used to, Namco Bandai has announced that Tekken 6 will also have a Scenario Campaign.

Players can chose from any of the forty available fighters and progress through a single player camapign that meshes the fighting mechanics of the title with some free movement levels. Doing so will gain the player some item grabbing that they can use to enhance their characters when they go head-to-head in online competition. Also, it can be played co-op style. That's pretty rad.

Check out the full press release after the jump.  

When Sony showed off their SIXAXIS back in the day, it was pretty lame. Still is, actually. But, as Sony is announcing right now at their press conference, Sony has bigger plans for PS3 motion controllers.

It may be hard to see in the photos, but Sony is developing a motion controller that utilizes the Playstation Eye to track one-to-one movements of both the player and the controller. While still early in development, the tech demos shown reflect true motion tracking and included multiple types of games that can be enhanced from the motion controls. 

While the presenter stressed that the appearance of the controller is not final and won't look as it does above, it is supposedly so precise that you can write with it. It wasn't stated when this controller will be released, but when it is Sony will also join Nintendo and Microsoft in the motion control arena. 

[Picture totally screencapped from IGN's live feed.] 

Sony has been rolling out the announcements this morning, and most of them so far are all about portable stuff. Along with the new Metal Gear and Gran Turismo, Sony also announced that the Resident Evil franchise will be coming  to their portable system.

And, yeah, that's about it. The picture you see is exactly all they showed, so... yeah. We'll try and hunt the game down while we're here and get you more info if we can, but hooray for more Resident Evil!

A lot of amazing things were shown yesterday at the Microsoft conference, and adding to that long list of snazzy new things is footage for the Xbox Live title: Shadow Complex. Made by Epic Games, the footage of their title looks to be pretty promising.

One of the first things that you can notice about the title is the fact that it looks like a cross between Super Metroid and Bionic Commado: Rearmed. Being a person who still wishes that Nintendo would get off their asses and make an updated 2D-esque version of Metroid, I'll take the next best thing if it's out there. Check out the video after the jump, and you'll see that the title even "borrows" the map style of Super Metroid. That, to me, is definitely a good sign. 

Actually, due to our post character limit I couldn't write the game's entire name up there in the title.

The complete name of NIS America's upcoming PlayStation Portable title is: Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman: What did I do to deserve this? I don't think there ever was a time when that entire title would have fit into one of our post headers, but we may not have to worry about it until they release a sequel to this Japanese... well, I'm not really sure what type of game this really is, actually.

Allow me to try to explain after the jump.

While Namco Bandai was regaling the gaming press with their line up of titles yesterday, the announcer said, "What kind of Japanese gaming developer would we be if we didn't have an RPG in development?" As an avid fan of JRPGS from back in the day, I couldn't really argue that point.

So, enter Magnacarta 2 -- Namco Bandai's follow-up to the PS2 and PC outing, Magna Carta. Although the Xbox 360 exclusive was announced earlier this year, not much has been seen about the upcoming title until now. Yes, right now.

Hit the jump to see the game's trailer in all its shiny glory, while basking in the glow of the screenshots from the Namco Bandai JRPG + Unreal Engine collision of awesome.  

That last sentence doesn't really make a whole lot of sense. But, then again, neither do most JRPGS.

So this game totally slipped past my radar when it was announced last year. At least, I was told that it was announced last year when I was asking about it. It's not terribly surprising that I didn't notice it, though. People aren't really on the up and up when it comes to Wii adventure-like platform games that don't start with the word "Super" and "Mario."

That may be too bad, since Munchables was actually kind of fun.

In a perfect world, either Dale North or Johnathan Ross would have been on hand to preview this game. Not because I didn't think it was cool, but because all they ever talk about when we're all together is food. And the Food Network. And shows on the Food Network.

But, hey, I like food. I eat it every day, and there may come a day when I want to cook myself something other than pizza rolls. I doubt it, but if that day comes this game will come in handy.

See why. 

I'm not really much of a Tekken player, but I've always seen the series as Namco's Lamborghini or Ferrari line of cars.

With every iteration, nothing much really changes except for the style, and every time a new one comes out the connoisseurs must have it. Tekken 6 is no different. Tekken players, like the rich people who buy new cars every year, will be clamoring to buy Tekken 6 on day one.

Why? Because it's Tekken, and there's a number 6 attached to the end of it.

I tried to put something in the title about the upcoming Katamari Forever being a PlayStation 3 exclusive, and that in in being an exclusive it is making me slooowly come around to considering getting a PS3. But our character limit in titles won't let me.

So, the newest Katamari game is a PS3 exclusive. I do not have a PS3 nor want one. I want the new Katamari Forever game, though, so I think I may have a problem.

Find out why after the jump.

Honestly, the "HOT BASS FISHING ACTION" in the title of this preview has nothing to do with the way that the makers of The Strike are marketing their title. It would also do a disservice to game that is finally bringing motion controls to the Xbox 360. 

But if it was up to me, I would just write "HOT BASS FISHING ACTION" over and over again for this preview. Unfortunately, that really wouldn't encompass everything about The Strike that myself, Hamza, and our old friend King Friday were shown.

Hit the jump to hear more about The Strike other than HOT BASS FISHING ACTION!

There comes a time in every person's life where they get the inclination to lop off an arm, replace it with a kick-ass bionic one, and save the world. Luckily for the mothers of arm owners everywhere, Capcom has been providing a safer alternative to these desires in the form of the Bionic Commando videogame series.

Beginning in the late 80s, and garnering sequels (sort of) and a very classy remake, the original Bionic Commando has been in the gamer's eye for over twenty years. During that time, Capcom has kept the franchise strictly 2D, but they're about to reboot the series for this generation of consoles with an all-new 3D version of Bionic Commando. 

Destructoid is happy to bring fans of the series this first-ever look at the original concept art for the upcoming title. Keep in mind that this is the original concept art for the game, and not what the final product will look like. In case that concept is still a little too cloudy for you, I've included the official gameplay trailer for you after the jump, and you can check out even more Bionic Commando goodness at the game's official Web site right here.

Enjoy this exclusive look, folks!

When Electronic Arts said it was going to bring Dead Space to the Wii, a lot of people thought that they were joking. As it turns out, they weren't, but the confirmation only brought about the usual two responses. The first and most prevalent one was the typical, "OMG, I can't believe they're porting it to the Wii. It's totally going to [negative term of choice]," since it's commonly known that anything that has to do with the Wii is absolute garbage.

The other response was more along the lines of, "Really? Wow, I want to check that out if I can, since Dead Space for Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 was my favorite game of last year. And since I like to play all my systems equally and don't have this Wii bias that's so cool with the kids ages 18 to 25, I won't form any opinions about the title until I actually see it in person." 

OK, so that was actually my response. But I did get to finally see Dead Space Extraction, and I did form some opinions, so follow the jump to hear more.

Oh, Hamza Bullets, what can't they do? I know that they can help to pick out the winners of the Death Tank super 'shoop and haiku of death contest that recently ended.

Sadly, the Hamza Bullets didn't win. Not because they aren't awesome (which they are), but because there were entries that had just a little bit more of what I was looking for, and even some things I hadn't even thought of.

Leave it up to the D'toid community to take me literally and use fish tanks, dunk tanks, Left 4 Dead tanks, and even Thomas the Tank Engine tanks in their entries. Kudos to you, folks. Kudos to you.

So, which entries won the free Death Tank codes? Follow up after the jump to see if your entry was one of the winning ten.  Also, since there were ten codes to give away, I split it up into the top five haiku, and the top five pictures.

These were judged by how much they made me laugh, inventiveness, creativity, and whether or not the entry followed the rules (mostly me laughing, though).

But, seriously, some of you may want to look up the definition of haiku. Just saying. 

This creepy old man on the bus was saying to me that there is nothing more awesome in life than death and tanks. Since he was wearing a shoe for a hat and smelled of old fish, I told him to take a hike, but he was right.

Tanks, and death, especially when combined together, can be pretty frickin' awesome. For that reason alone, Snowblind Studios, Inc. and Flat Games made Death Tank: the tank that eats* ... Wait, no. Death Tank the game, now available for  Xbox Live Arcade!

Not only that, they felt that the wanted to give this game to the Destructoid community. Not up on Death Tank? Then read below.

Death Tank is a fast-paced action game requiring quick reflexes and cunning strategy. Devastating weapons and unique items give your tank unlimited destructive power. Eight separate landscapes react to tank combat, altering their shape when hit and providing an ever changing environment in which to play. Players can battle friends or the computer in single player combat. Through Xbox Live, up to eight tanks can simultaneously enter the Death Tank arena for exciting team play or a chaotic free-for-all. Crisp graphics and amazing effects, coupled with addictive game play makes each battle a visceral experience.

Now to get yourself one of the five free XBLA codes for Death Tank, all you have to do is win this contest. And since I couldn't decide what would be better, a Photoshop contest or a haiku writing one, I decide to combine them both.

For Photoshop entries, just make a pic that combines Death (death with capital D, not just things that are dead; think, reaper) with a tank. It must be a real 'shoop that you made and not something you ripped off of Google.  For the haiku, you must follow the 5-7-5 rules of haiku and use the words "death" and "tank," but you can only use them ONCE.

Contest begins now, and you have until 10pm PST on Friday the 27th to post your entries in the comments below. Haiku and 'shoops will be judged equally. One is not better than the other as long as they follow the guidelines, and are awesome.

*I couldn't resist making the Patton Oswalt reference, sorry.  

[Update: Check, check, check it out! Since the contest entries have been just as awesome as I hoped they would be, the fine folks at Snowblind Studious have supllied FIVE MORE CODES! That brings the contest giveaway total to ten free games for the awesome winners of the contest.

But here's the twist! They are loving the the crazy haiku and Photoshop action soooo much, that they asked for the contest to be extended until Sunday, 10pm PST, so that they can see even more 'shoop awesome and haiku of death insanity. 

I think that's fair, don't you? Show 'em whatcha got, guys!] 

The other day, I had a chance to spend some time on EA and Phenomic's upcoming real time strategy game, BattleForge for the PC. If you haven't heard of it before, shame on you -- go eat some glass.

I'm just kidding, glass costs money. What you can do to make up for your lack of knowledge, though, is head right over here and read Samit’s devilishly handsome NYCC impressions of BattleForge. If you would like to hear some impressions about the multiplayer in action, then carry on past the jump. 

Earlier today you may have heard about Hamza's life and death experience in the utter wastleland that is the California desert. Seriously, those ATVs are death traps, but it'll take more than that to kill Destructoid's number-one shark. 

Anyway, along with his kick-ass Ride to Hell Q&A, we also have these shiny, shiny videos! For some reason, they have no sound in some parts, so Hamza and I had an idea to get super boozed up and record ourselves over the videos while making idiotic drunken motorcycle noises. Well, we got the drunk part down, but we were a little too successful in our efforts and just plain never got around to it. 

I'm sure the folks at Deep Silver were very happy to read that last sentence, but I will give you a couple of links to use as background music if you so choose. Heck, if you really want, you can record yourselves over these and post them up in the comments section. Funniest one gets one ham sammich, courtesy of Dyson.

More videos after the jump!

Not too long ago, the fine folks at Deep Silver (the development house that is comprised of ex-Rockstar Vienna folks who are also working on the Wii title Cursed Mountain) decided to take myself and Hamza “I’m a F**king Shark” Aziz out to the dry, dusty, and majestic wastelands of Joshua Tree National Park to show us what life would be like as the protagonist of their upcoming biker-centric open world title: Ride to Hell.

I tried my best, but I could not instigate a full fledged bar brawl when we were at the event. Although, we did end up having a great time in the desert shooting guns, riding ATVs, talking to an honest to god biker gang, and drinking copious amounts of Jim Beam. (The 20 shots of Jim Beam were my idea, btw.) I feel that, even though biker gangs aren’t usually comprised of scrawny, sun starved video game journalists, we did get a good sense of what Deep Silver plans to achieve with their latest foray into open world gaming.

Pics and more fun, ahoy!

About a zillion years ago, I had the opportunity to sit down with Martin Filipp, Developer at Deep Silver, and discuss with him the company's upcoming survival-horror title: Cursed Mountain. Deep Silver, if you weren't aware, is relatively newer development house staffed by ex-members of Rockstar Vienna and they've been hard at work creating what could become a trend of titles that are aimed for the more mature Wii owners.

At least I hope so. Listening to Nick complain about Carnival Games every time someone mentions the Wii gets pretty old, and having more compelling games available that are designed for the hardcore player may just quiet him down some. 

Yeah, right.

Hit the jump for some hot Cursed Mountain Q&A action!

I'm pretty sure that everyone and their mother is playing a certain other game right now (rhymes with beers at four - poo), but, surprise, there are other releases that have come out that may be worth your attention, such as Spark Unlimited's Legendary.

As the only werewolf-hunting, griffin-killing, golem-destroying action FPS on the market, the title certainly has a big chance to bring something new to the genre. But does the game live up to its title? Hit the jump to see whether Legendary is, well, you know ...

Not prepared for the impending Awesome Apocalypse? Find yourself lacking in 100% cotton garments of WIN and AWESOME? Fret not, my dear fans of RetroforceGO! The combined powers of retro, Splitreason, and Adam "The bitches call me Welkstar" Welker have banded together to bring you this amaaaaaaaaazing news:

The RetroforceGO! official t-shirt is now available.

Yes.

Really.

Seriously! What are you still doing here?! You need to be RIGHT HERE if you want to be getting your love for all things retro on. Go now and help to spread the gospel of the pixel to the unwashed polygon masses! Show that you are all awesome all the time to those who would doubt your intense retro skills! Make a ham sammich and laugh while eating it! You can do whatever you like, but now you can do so in a sexy RetroforceGO! t-shirt!*

[*Shirt is guaranteed sexy even if you aren't. Shirt will not protect you from biblical apocalypses, zombie cancer, or mimes. As always, all monies generated go directly to the artist. Chad Concelmo is still incredibly handsome.]

[Update: In recent talks with the fine folks over at Splitreason, the RetroforceGO! team has learned several awesome pieces of information. First, the medium size shirts are in short supply. What that means is that there will be couple of weeks delay in filling those orders. Why is that awesome? Because it leads into the second piece of information: Since we're already going into a second printing, there's "no better time" to start printing up some shirts for the ladies.

Yes! Those of you with boobs should keep an eye on the Splitreason site over the next few weeks, or just keep your eyes peeled here at the 'Toid for you sexy retro wrappins to be available.]

In the "news" that the iPod touch will somehow trump the Nintendo DS Lite as the portable handheld of choice, we decided to discuss the merits of both of the systems and how they would effect each other's markets. My take?

Personally, the iPod touch thingy will sell a ton of games, but it won't replace the DS because they're two different markets. Saying that it will succeed is a no-brainer, but gamers buy video game systems, not mp3 players, for games. Making a DVD player that toasts bread will sell because people like DVD players, but it won't replace people's toasters.

Discuss! 

One of the many things that can tie a generation together is their shared memory of pop culture. One can easily distinguish another person from their generation by comparing such things as movie quotes, theme songs, cartoon knowledge, or even commercial jingles from their time.

The Star Wars franchise is one of those generational watermarks. Beginning in the late 70s, the original trilogy left an indelible mark on most of the moviegoing world. Adults and children alike shared in the knowledge of the Force and how it aided a young Skywalker in his quest to save a princess and redeem his father.

While the original trilogy will always bring about certain memories to the people from that era, the Star Wars franchise didn’t end with Return of the Jedi. Countless books, graphic novels, toys, and even four more movies have provided continuation to the universe that George Lucas built, and it has all kept alive the Star Wars mythos for newer generations. Along with these additions, there have also been many entries to the Star Wars canon in the form of videogames, which brings us to LucasArts’ latest release, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

Set in the time between Episode III and Episode IV, The Force Unleashed details the adventures of Darth Vader’s secret apprentice and the events that led to the forming of the Rebel Alliance.

Hit the jump to find out if The Force Unleashed lives up to its heritage while still providing a worthy videogame experience. 

[This review contains no spoilers]

In case you missed CTZ's post collecting all the community members' PAX stories, we thought we'd throw out one more "I <3 PAX" piece to cap off the glory that was PAX '08. Although the discussion doesn't contain all the goodness that was experienced, it does give the editors one more chance to gush about the games, drinking, games, and drinking that occurred.

Feel free to add your own two cents at the end of the post. I know that, even though it was only a week ago, our eyes are slowly turning forward to next year's PAX(es!) and all the awesome that they will contain. So, here's to the memories!

Discuss! 

Remember the Space Invaders vs The World Trade Center game that came out recently? We do, and it became the impetus for this week's installment of Destructoid Discusses! The gang takes the release of the controversial piece of art and brings a certain amount high thinking to the subject. I assure you, next week we'll have a more lighthearted romp with plenty of DMV's weird pictures.

Or maybe we won't; that's the nature of these discussions! 

This video has moved! Try our new Destructoid HD video section

 

Not too long ago, myself and other journalists were invited down to the LucasArts studios for some hands-on time with their newest IP: Fracture. Sequestered in the rather dark and scary QA multiplayer lab, several of my journalistic contemporaries and I squared off against LucasArts' Fracture QA team.

While it goes without saying that the QA team had the competitive advantage,  the entire experience helped the rest of us get past our noob-ness and into the world of Fracture multiplayer.

More after the jump. 

[Editor's note: Sorry bout the video quality. Three was some weird compression things going that we (I) couldn't figure out.  Don't worry, though, the game looks fantastic, as evidenced by the screen shots.]

The NES version of Bionic Commando isn't exactly the first title that comes to mind when people think of their favorite NES games. While it still holds a warm place in the memories of many retro gamers, the title's unique and challenging take on the platforming genre never really caught on with the mainstream gamers of the time.

Regardless of that fact, Capcom knows a good series when it sees one, and has decided to revitalize the long quiet franchise. Not only will there be a brand-new 3D Bionic Commando, but, as you know, the remake of the original NES version is currently available on XBLA, PSN, and PC.

Does the updated version live up to its predecessor, while simultaneously providing an enjoyable experience for the newcomers?

Hit the jump to find out.

Time again for this week's installment of the only conversation blog I know of: Destructoid Discusses! This week we started off with no topic, but then we were suddenly steered into the wonderful discussion of the latest and upcoming retro remakes by our own Jonathan Holmes. He and Joe Burling end up going back and forth in a display of differing points of view over Mega Man 9 and everyone chimes in with their 2¢.

Retro remakes - good or bad? Discuss! 

[Everyone loves Joe, too!] 

It's time again for another late night posting of Destructoid's (semi) weekly conversation blog. Last week I suggested that we talk about review backlash, but we just ended up talking about Eternity's Child. So this week, I just decided to cut to the chase and make the subject the only game anyone is talking about: Braid. 

Discuss!

You may have heard Jim report the other week, that the AIAS prez says that "game reviewers are lazy." I can certainly see how the whole world of game reviewing is not an exact science, but we're not here today to wax poetic on that idea (maybe).

I'm proposing that we discuss the semi-emerging trend of game developers and creators taking an aggressive front towards the people reviewing their games. Ever heard of Dennis Dyack? Remember when he lost it on the 1up show and called for the end game reviews all together? Yeah, that was epic. How about Jeff Minter, the guy who threw a sissy fit because a good game sold more than his crappy hippy fest rip-off of Tempest?

Or, how about when a game maker calls out a review that has yet to be printed? Like I said, game reviewing isn't an exact science, and no reviewer would probably argue with that, but maybe some people have to realize that what they made isn't that good.

And I just can't end this without mentioning Lair. Bad reviews because the reviewers "didn't know how to play it?" Um, is it just me, or doesn't that mean you just made a crappy game? Claiming it's the reviewers fault that he or she couldn't figure out your game because you made a bad design choice -- now that's what I call lazy.

Discuss!

[Editor's note: I held off on posting this one on Sunday to move away from the release of a certain drama fest. Also, some of the editors needed more time to get their responses in.  As always, though, nothing has been changed.]

Think you're good at fighting games? If so, you should already have your bags packed and ready to go to the EVO 2008 World Finals. That's where all the really good Street Fighter and other fighting game heavyweights will be this weekend. So, if you think that you're really, really good (or just want to meet fighting enthusiasts like yourself), I suggest you head to the Tropicana Hotel & Resort in Las Vegas, August 8th to the 10th, and try out your luck.

Sadly, luck will not help you against these people. I've personally seen them play games competitively, and all I can say is that I will never be that good at anything, ever, at all. 

The international competition that is EVO, also caters those who have a more relaxed approach, and always has machines on hand for non-competition play. Here's what Seth Killian, one of the events creators and Capcom community manager, has to say about EVO:

EVO is hardcore, but of course most of the people there aren't going to win--they know this and still turn out in droves because it's a ton of fun for anyone that loves fighting games.  The best players put on a show, there are a million freeplay stations on every fighter imaginable (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters money matches, anyone?).  EVO has the biggest cheers, the most heart, the longest history, and is basically pro-gaming the way it looks when it's driven by love and lifelong fans instead of a marketing department.

This year's EVO will have some special additions, such as Street Fighter IV, Super Street Fighter II Turbo: HD Remix (long title is long), and Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom up for anyone to play. I have it from a reliable source, that this may be the only time Tatsunoko Vs Capcom will ever see the light of day in the US. So if any of this is your bag of tea, I suggest that you get a move on!

This video has moved! Try our new Destructoid HD video section

Just the other day, it seemed EA Black Box came out with Skate. I remember playing it not all that long ago, and being pretty impressed by the analog only controls. I was a fan of the first few Tony Hawk's, but it was always kind of a chore to hit those Mortal Kombat-like button sequences to do tricks.

By looking at the success of EA Black Box's Skate, it looks like I wasn't the only one to think that, and now the videogame world will be treated to Skate 2. When, who knows? Unlike the game-a-year factory that EA usually is, the team working on Skate 2 has no set release date. They're taking their time to make sure that Skate 2 will live up to their first success.

Learn more about Skate 2 after the jump.

Once again, back is the incredible ... The thyme animal ... The incredible Dyson G! Next-gen enemy number one ... FPS said freeze! And I got numb.

Okay, so my poor attempt at quoting Public Enemy didn't go so well. In fact, it wasn't very good whatsoever. That kind of makes me sad, only for the reason that Public Enemy was one of my most favorite rap groups of their era, and I wish they were still around, and were still as awesome as they used to be.

It sucks when things aren't as awesome as they used to be. E3 used to be awesome, but from what people are saying; that awesome has passed. Will all the E3s of yesteryear be nothing more than fond memories for people like us? I don't know, maybe we should ...

Discuss! 

Well, as usual, the Dtoid community brings the sauce. The decision making was tough, but listed below are the five winners of the contest (and their winning pics are shown after the jump). To everyone else that entered: thanks for the awesome entries. It wasn't easy picking just five pictures out of all the entries, but our crack team of editors managed to pull it off. 

Winners!

• Roryzilla
• riomccarthy
• Video Cognito
• ZombiePlatypus
• sirjester

So, young winners, now would be the time to send in your contact info from the e-mail address you have on account with Destructoid, making sure to include your correct address and name. For anyone that missed the contest, check out the gallery attached for each and every contest entry. There are definitely some interesting entries.

[Update!!! The fine folks that were sponsoring the contest thought that EVERYONE did such an excellent job, that EACH OF YOU WHO ENTERED gets a copy of Overlord: Raising Hell for the PS3. The five original winners that were chosen will recieve a copy of GRiD for the PS3 as well. Are we happy now? Can we stop crying about the "around the house" thing already? You know I really love all of you, right? Just checking :)]

Once again, we'd like to bring the rest of the world into our nice little robot corner and give them a peek into our unedited internal conversations. Why would you want to read such things? Because we happen to be hilarious, and we also have some very interesting points of views when it comes to video game current events.

In this week's edition, we start off by discussing Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg's statement that the people who buy Wiis are buying them as "novelty" items. As expected, every Wii hating editor jumps on this bandwagon while the "Defenders of the Wii" editors buckle down for some hardcore Wii defense.

It literally ends with Nick Chester and Johnathan Holmes arguing over which is the better game: Rock Band, or Wii Play.

Ready. Set. Discuss! 

Hello Dtoid people! Once again, you now have the chance to scour the depths of your creativity in the hopes of getting some swag. This contest is based upon the ingenuity that was displayed by the comical minions featured in last year's game, Overlord for the 360/PS3. The sequel, Overlord: Raising Hell, is currently available on shelves, but if you're a PS3 owner and are desiring your very own copy, then you're going to have to buckle down and put on your "minion hats," if you will.

Minions - the Overlord’s dutiful servants in Overlord: Raising Hell are very resourceful in combat.  When players send them to attack a foe or to scavenge for items, the minions will take whatever they can get their hands on to make impromptu armor and helmets — be it from pumpkins, pots and pans, or even rat carcasses!  Now your site’s readers can display their ingenuity and “minion aptitude” to the world by coming up with their own stylish headgear! Five winners will receive a copy of Overlord: Raising Hell for the PS3.

So, to participate in this contest and win a copy of this game, all you have to do is grab whatever you can find around your house and come up with the most creative minion-esque headpiece that you can find. Like the minions in Overlord; creativity is key. Grab a cat, a mouse, or a cat in a mouse that's in house that happens to be on top on a pumpkin pie, and place it on your head for all to see.

Post that picture in the comment section below to be entered into the contest, but be warned, there are only five copies available for the contest (there may also be a super secret prize for an above-and-beyond entry!!). And anyone trying to rock a robot helmet is automatically beaten by our mechanical leader's already awesome chapeau -- so try for something different. 

As I've been told, this contest is worldwide. It begins NOW, and goes until Sunday, July 13th at midnight (PST). Good luck, and remember to be creative! Dyson knows you have it in you.

Sad that you're not going to E3? Frustrated that over the last couple of years, it's actually become hard to sneak into the event? Yeah, me too.

This year, though, Capcom will remedy the near-Herculean task of trying to bluff your way past security by doing something simple: opening up their doors. 

For a few hours on Thursday, July 17th, Capcom will be showing off their E3 booth to a few lucky contest winners. The only condition for entrance is that you "MUST BE ON THE LIST!"

To get on this list, and possibly see all the goods that Capcom has to offer (SFIV, maybe?), just follow this link and do as you're told. Good luck! 

The other day, the handsome CTZ and I went over to LucasArts studios, located in the Presidio of San Francisco, to go through a comprehensive hands-on with the multiple versions of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. While Hamza will be providing you impressions of the Wii version in another post, and Dale previously provided you with the impressions he garnered from CES, it's left to me to handle the hands-on of the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions.

Yes, I am very lucky -- I know. Now hit the jump to see if you should consider yourself lucky, too.

Hey everyone, this week I'm taking a suggestion from Hamsa and throwing out the dark topic of emulation. We had some good points of view in another thread when we were talking about Chrono Trigger for the SNES, so we figured there's plenty to discuss. I mean, really, is there even one of us that doesn't have an R4, a stack of "back-up" games, or a modified PSP?

I've been seriously eying the PSP for awhile since it has now become the best portable emulator for just about everything. I find that hilarious that, from what I've seen, more people I know play hacked games on the system more than actual released PSP games.

Discuss! 

Previously unbeknownst to me, the guys over at the official PlayStation blog have a sense of humor. In an effort to answer some frequently asked questions about the upcoming firmware update for the PS3, Eric Lempel has put all the answers to those burning questions into blog form.

After reading it, though, I have to wonder how frequently some of these question were really asked. Not only does Eric humorously answer up to what his favorite cheese is (mozzarella ftw!), he also answers this gem of a question:

When you get a trophy, does it make a noise?

Currently, no.

Seriously? Enough PS3 people asked this enough times for it to make the FAQ?! Maybe I'm the only one who thinks that question is equal parts hilarious and retarded, but every time I read it I imagine that there is a PS3 fan somewhere thinking, "Oh my god. Do the trophies make a noise? Tell me the trophies make noise."

Yeah, it's probably just me. Anyway, you can check out the complete 2.40 FAQ after the jump.

[Thanks, Joe!] 

[Update: Well, to quote the PS blog itself, "how quickly things can change." No less than 24 hours after the posting of this article, the fine folks over at Sony decided to, yes, have the trophies make noise when unlocked. See below.

When you get a trophy, does it make a noise?

Currently, no. How quickly things can change - there *will* be a sound effect when you unlock a Trophy.

Now I'm going to go ahead and think that it was the barrage of comments that the Dtiod readers made that caused this rather quick turnaround. I may be completely wrong in this assumption, but believing it makes me happy on the inside.]

Yeah, you should take that title with a huge grain of salt. Because, in an effort to create a new and vaguely recurring article here at the 'toid, I proposed to the staff that we discuss a random topic in our internal emailer and put it out for all to see. (Our internal emails are legendary, by the way.)

I made the suggestion that our first topic be about the new SSFII Turbo HD Remix beta that recently hit XBLA. Sadly, it seems, I was the only person on staff to pony up the cash to play me some Street Fighter. Now one may think that the conversation would have abruptly ended there, but like I said: Our internal emails are legendary. The topic ended up evolving into a frank discussion about Live, PSN, Home, and some weird thing called Qore.

So without further ado, I present the unedited, uncut discussion that was prompted  by the first ever Destructoid Discusses!

I promise that we'll stay on topic next time ... or not.

With Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots being released ever so soon, a few of us here at Dtoid started discussing what effect the game's release could have on Sony's big black console. Would it be the the system seller that so many think it may be? Will it be it the title Sony needs for the PS3 to gain mass market appeal and get a bigger foothold in the industry? And more importantly, is there a even such a thing as a "system selling" game these days?

While we didn't get around to coming up with definitive answers to all these burning questions (oh, how they burn), we did have something that is rarely seen on the Internet: An actual conversation. And after the jump you'll be able to see my take on Sony's current market position and how, if at all, MGS 4 will affect it.

[Special thanks to Joe Burling, Orcist, Samit, and Aerox]

Another Monday is upon us, along with another one of Chad Concelmo's awesome MS Paint photos. The significance of these events leads to two conclusions.

One, it's time for an new RetroforceGO!

Two, Topher Cantler couldn't make it this week.

While the more astute listener may notice that today is, in fact, not Monday (the regular release day for RFGO!), he or she will be glad to have endured the extra day wait for this week's episode. Why? Because, and this is also a warning, this week's show is all about ... the show. Yep, we do something we've yet to do here at RFGO! by giving the listeners a show about the show from our perspective.

Included in today's show we have never before heard sound clips, along with lots of reminiscing. So much so, that the show length exceeds our normally robust lengths by clocking in at 2:40! Sounds great, but remember there was a warning?

The latter part of the show is all five of us speeding through all 200 some comments that we got on yesterday's post. So by telling you this now, I hope to stave off the "talk about games" comments that may come flooding in. I assure you, next week will be business as usual. Now ...

Highlights! 

• Rev has Internet SARS -- avoid

• Chad wants his stapler!

• YARDSALE!!!

• Accents are fun

• Chad as a naughty pirate?!

• Who happens to be a scamp ;)

• Salt of the Earth

• Bunny pump 2000?

• Pizza Rolls = Pure awesome

• Chad <3s lists

• Screw you Trebek!

• Shut your whore mouth when men are talking!

Give it a listen, folks. We here at RFGO!, could not have made it this far without all of you, so we truly hope that this episode is everything you thought it would be and more. Also, feel free to leave your 2¢ below with your own favorite moments from the show! But before all that, go right over here to the official show page, and then give yourselves a pat on the back for being so awesome.  <3

[Contest winner will be announced next week, along with the soon to be humiliating results from our bet that ******* won!]

Hey everybody! Sorry everything is so late today. Dear ol' Dyson couldn't make the show last night, so I didn't get my usual eight hour head start on exciting sound editing! But they say better late then never, right? 

Anyway, since I wasn't on the show, I really don't have any of the highlights my friend Ben tells me he likes so much. To keep him happy, and to contradict something I heard while editing, I'll give you this lonely little highlight.

Highlight!

• Am I the only person that loves Castlevania 2? :(

Have a great week, folks. (Hopefully with this new episode of RFGO!) See you next week for our fiftieth  episode!

PS - We'd like for you to go check out Pixeljam's new game: Dino Run. The reason, aside from it's supreme awesomness, is that at the end of the show I reveal a secret code that the guys gave us. A code that just may allow Dtoid members to play with super special content!

That's right. This episode of RFGO! has a secret hidden code.

With all the "everything old is new again" mentality floating around the gaming world, the crew of RFGO! decided to weigh in on the current state of retro. Are companies just cashing in on the seemingly hot trend of retro? Or are the retro revivals on the horizon a signal that you can't keep a good franchise down? Maybe it's a little bit of both, who knows? That's why the gang decided to throw in our own two cents on the subject for this week's show.

Highlights!

• Dyson returns from the awesome apocalypse

• Happy birthday Topher!

• Listen to my stories

• All awesome, all the time

• The power of four is back!

• New picture trend is win

• No joke. Design my next tattoo
  

So I missed the show yesterday. Have no fear, though, the show went on. Reverend Anthony jumped in to take the fourth place and Topher ran the task of hosting. How did things go? Well, we started doing the "what have you been playing" intro as if the show were Podtoid -- that's new. And there were a few extremely off color remarks that didn't make into the final edit, but I'm sure you'll be able to hear them in the future ... Maybe on a 50th episode, perhaps?

Anyway, since all I did was edit the show, I really don't have all the wonderful highlights that I normally do. But one thing I can tell you is that the show has some guest appearances by the legendary Sean Connery, hooray etc., and massive amounts of single entendre (we're too lowbrow for the double kind).

From what I can tell, everyone did an excellent job without me, regardless of some bucket action going on. Check out the show, and enjoy your week!

P.s. Chad is totally wrong about Landstalker, it's awesome :)

I know I say this every Monday but, hooray Monday! Not too much has changed over that course of the last week, but then again, not much does in the world of retro. I hear that in the next-gen world, a 360 burned a house down, Nintendo is still on top, and Sony fans are chomping at the bit for the new MGS 4. None of that effects us in any way, but we can throw in our 2¢ by talking about the original Metal Gear games, right?

Highlights! 

• Pizza Rolls GO!
  

• Dyson = not-restraint

• This week VC is fun, fun, FUN!

• According to Toph-lette, there is no Yardsale

• Love can bloom on the battlefield

• Stupid retarded love, but love all the same

• Lone Manitee <3's Kevlar Trousersnake

Welcome to another Monday! I really don't have too much to say about this particular Monday. Aside from the usual stuff that happened during the weekend, this is a pretty standard Monday so far. So, yeah, it's pretty sunny here in San Francisco, at least by our standards. I gotta lot of sleep last night because I just went right to bed after recording the show. When I woke up today, I made some roasted chicken and edited the show, then I had some breakfast.

Wow, pretty boring, huh? Well, sometimes Dyson can't win them all, but at least your Monday can be a little more exciting than mine by listening to the new RFGO!

Highlights! 

• Chad has something to say about last week
  

• Fastest review ever

• YARDSALE!

• Rev puts the lotion in the basket

• Questions begin!

• Colette returns

• We get Chad into another laughing frenzy, the world rights itself

• Orcist, your roomie wants his money

• Dinosaurs!

As you may have heard yesterday, we here at the show had some serious recording issues with our Cancun episode. And while we try and maintain a level of quality that you have come to know us for, no amount of editing trickery could make the recording into what I would call "good."

FYI, as a group, we have personal and professional standards that we try and maintain for ourselves when we record, edit, and produce RetroforceGO! Unfortunately, none of those standards could have been met no matter how much time and effort we put into that task.  Because of that, we weren't going to release the show.

But, the episode content itself was too unique to just throw away. Not only were four out of five of the cast members present for the recording (an RFGO! first!), there was also a slew of editors, the illustrious Jim Sterling, and fifteen, give or take, insanely awesome community members present. Each and every one of them participating in the show.

So, because of the uniqueness of the show, and because of the fact that the show is almost 99% about our community, we've decided that the show should be released in a Cblog only format. iTunes and RSS listeners will be receiving a quick .mp3 message that will direct them to my personal community blog where you, if you wish, can DOWNLOAD THE SHOW.

Sincerely,

RetroforceGO! 

[Editor's note: Figures]