Busy Gamer News: February 2009 Archives

Wii Stuff - Snowboard Riot, Sonic Chaos, Lopnos and MyDoItAll DS demo

Here's what's new for the Wii (including all the stuff that no one else reports):

WiiWare: Snowboard Riot ($10) with optional Wii Balance Board support and Lonpos ($8) geometry puzzle game
Virtual Console: Sonic Chaos for Sega Master System ($5)
Rock Band 2 tracks ($2 each; available Tuesday, Feb. 3) "Dirty Little Secret" by All American Rejects, "Hanging on the Telephone" by Blondie, and "Hitch A Ride," "Peace Of Mind," "Smokin'" and "Something About You" by Boston (alas, still no discounted packs for Wii)
DS Demos: MyDoItAll plus many repeats including Air Traffic Chaos and Big Bang Mini
Game Videos: Boing! Docomodake, House of the Dead: Overkill, Imagine: Ballet Star, Legacy of Ys: Books I & II, Lonpos, Monsters vs. Aliens, Snowboard Riot, Sonic and the Black Knight, Tenchu: Shadow Assassins and Tetris Party

Posted by Gamewatcher on February 2, 2009 5:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Mod Squad - Mirror's Edge third-person view

If you love Mirror's Edge except for all of the first-person views of falling and you own the PC version, there is a hack that will enable a third-person perspective. Sound too good to be true? It is: This view was only partially implemented so Faith looks dorky as hell without full-body animation:

But it can be a helpful tool to toggle to this view when trying for those trickier jumps. Here's how to do it:

Continue reading "The Mod Squad - Mirror's Edge third-person view" »

Posted by Gamewatcher on February 2, 2009 6:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Patch Your Xbox 360 - Dashboard patch includes unreported changes

The new Xbox 360 dashboard update released today seems to offer several small, under-the-hood improvements not mentioned in the official release. In addition to the official HDMI audio correction, we've discovered a few other apparent changes:

Some DVDs that wouldn't play without the hard drive attached now work! For example, Angel Season 3 Disc 1 would not load for us at all unless the hard drive was attached. Now it plays fine without.
Hit or miss: Navigating to Games Library seems much zippier in some situations, but can still take 10 seconds or more to load at other times. Seriously, it shouldn't take more than a second to access the same Arcade game you played last night, especially if you're offline!
This might not be new, but the contextual icons displayed on the dashboard for the A, B, X and Y. buttons flash when you press them, at least in some places. Maybe it was like that before - we can't compare now that we've updated, but we never noticed it before. CONFIRMED: NOT NEW. Thanks for the comments correcting this. Guess I'm less observant than I thought.

There might be more; let us know if you spot anything else that might be new. If I get ambitious in the next week, I might try redownloading some orphaned content from last year's console death to see whether the update fixed that rather significant DRM problem.

Oh, and if anyone on the dashboard team is paying attention, here are a couple more minor issues that remain:

Logging in with a password to Xbox Live using a remote prompts you to connect a controller. Why should this be necessary if all I want to do is stream a Netflix show or see what friends are doing? Fortunately pressing B takes you to the prompt so you can login, but it's still a glitch and minor annoyance.
Netflix streaming, at least for us, consistently pauses to adjust video quality (saying the connection has slowed) - usually within the first 30 seconds of playback. This is a real pain when you're watching a bunch of 30 minutes shows back to back and it does it every time. Seems like there should be a preference to set video quality where it most consistently succeeds, with the option to retrain if you upgrade your Internet.
Friends caching. The Friends section still consistently takes too long to load. It seems like the console should cache avatars for all of your friends so they load instantly and then stream in any avatar/clothing changes, their games being played and additional party members afterwards.

All of these are small gripes, but certainly worth addressing...

Posted by Gamewatcher on February 3, 2009 4:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Gamewatcher - Is gaming slowly killing you?

If you're like most busy gamers, you sneak in play at odd hours. Maybe a quick DS break in the bathroom and a lengthy PC or console run while the rest of the family is in bed. If it’s the only time you can enjoy your favorite M-rated games, you'll stay up at least once a week until you can't keep your eyes open.

The problem with these late night excursions is that they eat away at your sleep time, which - over many years - can severely erode your health.

Especially if, like me, you have sleep apnea.

I actually went to the doctor because my snoring was keeping awake GrrlGotGame (who's a very light sleeper), and she mentioned that she thought I had stopped breathing on occasion - a classic symptom of sleep apnea. I'm such a deep sleeper myself, I wouldn't notice if I partially awoke gasping for air - which is the extreme version of this.

The only daytime symptom I noticed was, a few years back, I started developing a particularly bad case of the late afternoon sleepies, which prompted me to get my thyroid checked. Negative. So I just corrected it in typical Seattle fashion: lots of coffee.

My doctor recommended I see a specialist to find out whether I qualified for a sleep study, an expensive proposition but one that my insurance would mostly cover. I agreed, and was promptly admitted for an overnight at Harborview Medical Center. They put me up in a faux hotel room with no windows behind the curtains and a great sleep tech who also happened to be a gamer. As he wired me up with sensors and instructed me on proper protocols, we chatted about our favorite games. He was playing The World Ends With You - his favorite pastime when not watching people toss and turn on the monitors all night - and nearly convinced me to try it.

After a bunch of calibration exercises to ensure all of the sensors were working, I plugged in my iPod and tried to drift off to sleep. It was the worst night of my life. It felt like I woke up a dozen times; the official report says I awakened 35 times PER HOUR due to a recorded 91 apneas (no breathing) and 278 hypopneas (very shallow breathing). During the worst part of the night, my poor respiration brought my oxygen levels so low that it was comparable to sleeping near the summit of Mount Everest!

Continue reading "Gamewatcher - Is gaming slowly killing you?" »

Posted by Gamewatcher on February 4, 2009 5:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

PlayStation Store - 3 on 3 NHL, Burnout Paradise Party and LittleBigPlanet Valentine's pack

Here's what you'll find newly posted to the PlayStation Store (hint: not the Killzone 2 demo unless you snag a European PSN account):

Burnout Paradise Pass the Pad Party Pack ($10, or $30 bundled with the full game)
3 on 3 NHL Arcade ($10)
LittleBigPlanet Valentine’s Day Mini-Pack ($3) with costumes and stickers
High Velocity Bowling characters Candy and Dwayne ($1 each)
Hot Shots Golf Golfasaurus-Rex B.C.C. course ($5)
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Pack 8 (free)
Rock Band/Rock Band 2 tracks Thin Lizzy Track Pack 01 ($5.50 or $2 apiece) with "The Boys Are Back in Town (Live)," "Cowboy Song (Live)" and "Jailbreak (Live)" plus "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" by Pat Benatar and "Precious" by The Pretenders ($2 each) and "Break My Heart" and "Don’t Tell Me" by Nikko ($1 each)
Guitar Hero World Tour Southern Rock Track Pack ($5.50) with "Commotion" by Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Black Betty" by Ram Jam (cover) and "Gimme All Your Lovin'" by ZZ Top (cover)
Demos: 3 on 3 NHL Arcade, MLB 09 The Show and, for PSP, Phantasy Star Portable
Themes: LocoRoco 2 (free) and Evil Clowns, Gothic Girlz and Polar Bears ($1.50 each)
Game Videos: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, LocoRoco 2, Pain and more clips from the Winter Dew Tour
Movie Trailers: 2012 and Open Season 2

Posted by Gamewatcher on February 5, 2009 6:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Xbox Live Marketplace - Halo Wars demo, R-Type Dimensions and free NBA All Star Weekend Pack

Here's the latest in Xbox Live Marketplace:

Arcade: R-Type Dimensions ($15)
Burnout Paradise 1.6 Update (free) with new event restart and in-game store, among other changes, and Burnout Paradise Party ($10) adds pass the controller multiplayer challenges
NBA LIVE 09 All Star Weekend Pack (free) with official jerseys and court
Rock Band/Rock Band 2 tracks Thin Lizzy Track Pack 01 ($5.50 or $2 apiece) with "The Boys Are Back in Town (Live)," "Cowboy Song (Live)" and "Jailbreak (Live)" plus "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" by Pat Benatar and "Precious" by The Pretenders ($2 each) and "Break My Heart" and "Don’t Tell Me" by Nikko ($1 each)
Guitar Hero World Tour Southern Rock Track Pack ($5.50) with "Commotion" by Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Black Betty" by Ram Jam (cover) and "Gimme All Your Lovin'" by ZZ Top (cover)
Lips tracks "Water Runs Dry" by Boyz II Men ($2), "Sunday Morning" by Maroon 5 ($2) and "Take A Bow" by Rihanna ($2.25)
Demos: Halo Wars and F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin
Community Games: BlockBUSTER ($5), Brain Deluxe ($10), A Game of Tennis ($2.50), Grid Chasers ($5), Miner Dig Deep ($2.50), Penga's Peril ($2.50), Slime Volleyball ($2.50) and A Wizard's Odyssey ($5)
Game Videos: Battlestations: Pacific, Fallout 3 Operation: Anchorage, F.E.A.R 2: Project Origin, Final Fantasy XIII, Grand Theft Auto IV The Lost and Damned, Halo Wars, HAWX, R-Type Dimensions and Tomb Raider: Underworld Beneath The Ashes
Premium Themes: R-Type Dimensions, NBA 2K9, Shadow Assault: Tenchu and Street Fighter IV ($3.13 each)
Regular Themes: FIFA 09 ($3.13 - so may be premium, but it doesn't say so in description)
Pictures: Halo Wars (free; enters you into sweepstakes), The Maw ($1 each) and R-Type Dimensions ($1 each)

Posted by Gamewatcher on February 5, 2009 8:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Free Stuff Friday - Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas City Guides

This week's Free Stuff Friday giveaway is not a walkthrough guide but rather an expanded travelogue of Los Santos, San Fierro and Las Venturas. It details nightlife, neighborhoods, where to shop, eateries and more.

In fact, it appears to me to be a hardback edition of the game manual, probably from a deluxe PC edition of the game. I stumbled across it in a used bookstore and thought it was in good condition and might make a nice coffee table book. To be clear, there's no game disc included - it's just the book.

Here's how to enter this week's giveaway:

Continue reading "Free Stuff Friday - Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas City Guides" »

Posted by Gamewatcher on February 6, 2009 2:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (39)

Wii Stuff - Moving Pictures for Rock Band 2, Lit and OneChanbara video

Here's what's new for the Wii this week (hint: Skip to the OneChanbara video - unless Neil Peart is your personal rock deity, in which case you know what to do):

WiiWare: Lit ($8)
Virtual Console: Wolf of the Battlefield: Mercs for Genesis ($8)
Rock Band 2 Moving Pictures album by Rush ($2 per track but no album pricing; available Tuesday, Feb. 10) with "Tom Sawyer," "Red Barchetta," "YYZ," "Limelight," "The Camera Eye," "Witch Hunt" and "Vital Signs"
DS Demos: Imagine Ice Champions plus repeats including My DoItAll and Elebits
Game Videos: Deadly Creatures, Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop, Dragon Quest V, Evasive Space, House of the Dead: Overkill, Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings, Lit, OneChanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up, Tenchu: Shadow Assassions and TrackMania DS

Posted by Gamewatcher on February 9, 2009 5:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Free Game - Secondhand Lands

If you don't mind some fairies, trolls and other tongue-in-cheek fairy tale and fantasy elements in your MMO, you can play the just released Secondhand Lands for free (mostly). The game promises a new twist - "player to player mounting" wherein you can saddle up and ride on other mountable players. (Check the date: This is no April Fool's gag!) You can even craft items such as jetpacks and butterfly wings. If this sounds like something you'd try for free, get in on the fabled action at secondhandlands.com. You'll have to decide whether to play as a wolf, sheep, catgirl or scrapper and pledge your devotion to either Little Bo Peep or Red Riding Hood. (Really!) The only catch is that some services in the game cost credits, paid for in real money, to purchase Guild Deeds and Item Binding Certificates, alter your character's appearance or participate in factional activities...

Posted by Gamewatcher on February 10, 2009 11:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Try This Game - Puzzle Quest: Galactrix

The long-awaited sequel to Puzzle Quest is due soon (on or about Feb. 24) for Nintendo DS, PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. If you can't wait for a taste, you can download the Puzzle Quest: Galactrix PC demo now. Like its predecessor, the demo only lets you advance to Level 5 and limits you to a few destinations. But you can try out the crazy new tile-dropping dynamic (much less predictable due to the anglular layout and because battling in space lacks gravity!) and decide if you'll pick this up or download it from your favorite console game store later this month...

Posted by Gamewatcher on February 11, 2009 12:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Act Fast! - Free Hello Kitty Online extended Valentine's weekend

Starting at 8 p.m. EST Feb. 14 and running for just more than three days, Hello Kitty Online - previously only available to Founders Club members - will be opened for a public stress test with Valentine's Day quests. Of course, you may "experience crashes, bugs, and other problems" and at the end of the event the entire game will be "taken down for further work." So enjoy it while you can, if you can, if you're into that sort of thing. You can sign up for a free account now and download the client so you can get into the game as soon as it's open...

Posted by Gamewatcher on February 12, 2009 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PlayStation Store - Flower, Lumines add-on, Incubus and new MotorStorm: Pacific Rift demo

This is how much I love you all: I should be playing Flower right now, but instead I'm posting a summary of all of the new PlayStation 3 and PSP game downloads for the week:

Flower ($10)
Lumines Supernova Classic Pack ($5)
NBA 09 All Star Weekend (free) with official jerseys and court
Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice Disgaea 2 Sacrebleu Character Pack ($6, or $2 each)
Guitar Hero World Tour Acoustic Track Pack ($5.50, or $2 each) with "Wonderwall" by Ryan Adams, "Drive" by Incubus and "New Slang" by The Shins
Rock Band/Rock Band 2 The Fratellis Pack 01 ($5.50, or $2 each) with "Creepin' Up the Backstairs," "Flathead" and "Henrietta"
Demo: MotorStorm: Pacific Rift
Game Videos: 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, Brain Challenge Expansion Pack, Flower, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, GTI Club+, LocoRoco 2, Tekken 6, Qore Episode 09 ($3, or $25 per year) featuring MLB 09: The Show and Resident Evil 5, and Pulse (free)
Themes: Cuboid, Flower, LocoRoco 2, Magic Ball, Mahjong Tales: Ancient Wisdom and Pain (all free) and Prier from Disgaea 2 Sacrebleu Set ($1), Anime MBM Theme ($1), Fractal Hearts ($1.50), Valentine Angels ($1.50) and Valentine Hearts ($1.50)
Wallpaper: Flower and Game Love
Movie Trailers: Rent: Live on Broadway

Posted by Gamewatcher on February 12, 2009 9:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Xbox Live Marketplace - 3 on 3 NHL, Minesweeper, Scene It? expansion and Swimsuit Calendar freebies

Here's what's new on Xbox Live Marketplace this week:

Arcade: 3 on 3 NHL Arcade ($10) and Minesweeper Flags ($5), Buku Sudoku Puzzle Pack 5 ($2.50)
Scene It? Box Office Smash! Award Winners Pack ($7) with 800 new questions and a new puzzle type called Pop Quiz
Guitar Hero World Tour Acoustic Track Pack ($5.50, or $2 each) with "Wonderwall" by Ryan Adams, "Drive" by Incubus and "New Slang" by The Shins
Rock Band/Rock Band 2 The Fratellis Pack 01 ($5.50, or $2 each) with "Creepin' Up the Backstairs," "Flathead" and "Henrietta"
Lips tracks "In My Place" by Coldplay ($2.25), "Fallin'" by Alicia Keys ($2.25) and "Building A Mystery" by Sarah McLachlan ($2), plus due Feb. 13 for $2 each are “Magic” by Olivia Newton John, “My Happy Ending” by Avril Lavigne and “Buttons” by The Pussycat Dolls featuring Snoop Dogg
Community Games: 2176 Supernova Storm ($2.50), BattleSweeper ($5), Bowling X ($2.50), Find Teddy ($5), Memorania ($2.50), Scrambled Egzz ($2.50) and Untitled Prologue ($2.50)
Game Videos: 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, Battlestations: Pacific, F.E.A.R 2: Project Origin, FIFA 09, Grand Theft Auto IV The Lost and Damned, Halo Wars, HAWX, Tekken 6 and Wanted: Weapons of Fate
Themes: HAWX Premium ($3.13), Street Fighter IV Premium ($3.13), NBA Live 09 ($3.13 each), plus Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Calendar (free)
Pictures: Buku Sudoku ($1.25), Street Fighter IV ($1.25) and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Calendar (free)

Posted by Gamewatcher on February 12, 2009 9:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Free Stuff Friday - Jam Sessions

Jam Sessions for Nintendo DS isn't exactly a game, it's a musical experience where you strum along to your favorite songs and record and save your own compositions. You can even plug it into an amplifier if you have one and the right headphone jack cable. There are 17 songs included plus you can unlock three more with a code:

"Jack-Ass" by Beck
"No Rain" by Blind Melon
"I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know" by Johnny Cash
"Surrender" by Cheap Trick
"Yellow" by Coldplay
"I Will Follow You into the Dark" by Death Cab for Cutie
"Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan
"Over My Head (Cable Car)" by The Fray
"What's Going On?" by Marvin Gaye
"Never Can Say Goodbye" by The Jackson 5
"Me and Bobby McGee" by Janis Joplin
"I'm With You" by Avril Lavigne
"No Woman, No Cry" by Bob Marley
"The Man Who Sold the World" by Nirvana
"Life Is a Highway" by Rascal Flatts
"How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You" by James Taylor
"You Know I'm No Good" by Amy Winehouse

Use the code Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, and Right during Free mode to unlock:

"Wild Thing" by Jimi Hendrix
"I'm Gonna Miss Her" by Brad Paisley
"Needles and Pins" by Tom Petty

Worth playing for? Here's how to enter:

Continue reading "Free Stuff Friday - Jam Sessions" »

Posted by Gamewatcher on February 13, 2009 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (28)

Wii Stuff - Evasive Space, Life Force, Nirvana, Rubik's World demo and C64 rumor

The big news for Wii this week isn't so much what's new, but what is apparently coming. Nintendo offered a teaser in their latest press release that most interpret to mean that Commodore 64 games are coming soon to Virtual Console downloads. Could we possibly see M.U.L.E., Jumpman or Impossible Mission - back from the days when EA and Epyx more or less ruled the gaming world? We can only hope. In the meantime, here's what you'll find:

WiiWare: Evasive Space ($10)
Virtual Console: Life Force for NES ($5)
Rock Band 2 Nevermind partial album by Nirvana ($2 per track but no album pricing; available Tuesday, Feb. 17) "Breed," "Lounge Act," "On a Plain," "Polly," "Something in the Way," "Stay Away" and "Territorial Pissings"
DS Demos: Rubik's World and many repeats including Imagine Ice Champions
Game Videos: Deadly Creatures, Evasive Space, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, House of the Dead: Overkill, Imagine Cheerleader, NASCAR Kart Racing Daytona, Pokemon Platinum, Sonic and the Black Knight, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Valkyrie, We Ski & Snowboard and World of Goo

Posted by Gamewatcher on February 16, 2009 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

GrrlGotGame - It's movie night for gamers

As a general rule, videogame movies defy physics: They both suck and blow. Sure, we all have our favorite exceptions - for me, it's the first Resident Evil. And some aren’t completely awful; I could sit through Silent Hill again... but I probably won’t. With the exception of Dead or Alive paired with a LOT of margaritas, no amount of alcohol can save you from the endemic awfulness of the typical adaption.

Uwe Boll, I’m looking at you. (What are you going to do, hit a girl?)

So what’s a gamer to do when the inevitable tendonitis splints temporarily takes her out of the game? Well, you could talk to your family (you know, those people who live with you), or go outside to see if you actually will combust in the sun.

Or you could sit down and order up one of these videogame flicks. All awesome and 100% gamer friendly. They just don’t have anything to do with videogames. Something for everyone, a comedy - or action flick - tonight!

If your game is Rock Band or Guitar Hero...

...rent This is Spinal Tap. A staple of real band touring buses everywhere, Spinal Tap chronicles the sorta ups and rather severe downs of England’s loudest band. The more you know about the music business, the harder you’ll laugh. If nothing else, you’ll see the dawning of the Christopher Guest improv films. Others may have done bigger box office, but this remains the best by far. It goes to 11.

Not in the mood for a comedy? Crank the volume and enjoy a concert flick. Led Zeppelin rocks The Song Remains the Same. R&B, rap and comedy are featured in the superb Dave Chappell’s Block Party. Art house fans will no doubt have already seen Talking Heads in Stop Making Sense. And Stones fans have a beggar’s banquet from which to choose: Young Mick (Gimme Shelter), Jerry Hall-era Mick (Let’s Spend the Night Together) or embalmed Mick (Shine a Light).

If your game is Fallout 3...

Continue reading "GrrlGotGame - It's movie night for gamers" »

Posted by GrrlGotGame on February 17, 2009 1:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

WTF?! - OneChanbara Bikini series

If you've been hearing a lot lately about something called OneChanbara (a merging of Japanese words for "big sister and sword fighting"), it's due to the U.S. release of the risque and blood-soaked zombie slasher series based on Japanese PS2 games. You might think it's some sort of anime tie-in, but you'd be wrong: The games actually came first, debuting in 2004, and then a live-action B-movie ran in Japan in 2008 (no U.S. release yet, though based on reviews it'll probably go straight to video). Here's the skinny on the newly released games:.

OneChanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad ($40) - This Xbox 360 game has rather dated graphics but offers more complexity than you'd expect, expecially after you easily one-button hack and slash through the first two levels. A free guide (PDF) explains much of what the rather skimpy manual omits.
OneChanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers ($30) - This Wii-only sequel is a new game with more modern graphics than its Xbox 360 counterpart, not surprising since it was released only a year ago in Japan.

Since both games combine sexy costumed heroines with mostly mindless and seriously bloody zombie slaying action, you can expect they'll sell well regardless. Just know what you're getting into...

Posted by Gamewatcher on February 18, 2009 4:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

News Flash - Nintendo DSi preorders have begun

Preorders for the Nintendo DSi launched today, with the new portable due to arrive April 5 in black and blue designs for $170. Do you need one? Here's what you should know:

Slimmer design with larger screens and improved speakers
No more GameBoy Advance slot, so if backward compatibility is important to you then skip this
SD Card slot supports downloadable games via a new Nintendo DSiWare store, which - similar to WiiWare - offers downloadable games for purchase
Two 0.3 megapixel cameras, one on the back and the other between the dual screens - this isn't just for snapshots as some DSi games require the cameras for play, and you can doodle on your pictures with your stylus using built-in software
Wireless WPA security, though older games will still use WEP since that's how they were programmed

Basically, it looks like Nintendo has taken a few notes from Apple's iPhone. Worth the upgrade? Maybe, eventually, if the online store takes off like Apple's App Store and you don't mind abandoning the GBA support...

Posted by Gamewatcher on February 19, 2009 10:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

PlayStation Store - Zuma, Noby Noby Boy, LocoRoco 2 demo and more

Here's what's been added to the PlayStation Store for PS3 and PSP this week:

Zuma ($10)
Noby Noby Boy ($5)
Street Fighter IV Brawler Costume Pack ($4) with alternate costumes for Abel, E.Honda, El Fuerte, Rufus, and Zangief that we apparently couldn't squeeze on the game disc
High Velocity Bowling Patches Pack Two (free)
LittleBigPlanet WipeOut Mini-Pack ($3)
Burnout Paradise Legendary Cars Collection ($8 or $2-4 each) with Jansen 88 Special, Carson GT Nighthawk, Hunter Calvary Bootlegger and Hunter Manhattan Spirit, plus the "Time Savers" Pack ($5) buyable cheat to unlock all in-game cars
Mirror’s Edge Pure Time Trials Map Pack ($10) with 9 races across 7 new or redesigned maps
Skate 2 Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Plaza Pack ($5)
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Pack 9 (free)
Rock Band/Rock Band 2 tracks ($2 each) "Wasted Again" by Turbonegro and :"Black Sunshine" and "More Human Than Human" by White Zombie
Guitar Hero World Tour Wings Track Pack ($5.50 or $2 each) with "Jet," "Junior's Farm" and "Hi, Hi, Hi"
Demos: Afro Samurai and Zuma, plus LocoRoco 2 (PSP)
Game Videos: FIFA 09 Ultimate Team Mode, Killzone 2, Lumines Supernova, MLB 09: The Show, Command & Conquer Red Alert 3: Ultimate Edition, Resident Evil 5, Resistance Connect and Watchmen: The End is Nigh
Themes: LocoRoco 2 and Zuma (both free)
Wallpaper: Command & Conquer Red Alert 3: Ultimate Edition and Watchmen: The End if Nigh
Movie Trailers: Frozen River, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist and Quarantine

Posted by Gamewatcher on February 19, 2009 9:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Xbox Live Marketplace - Grand Theft Auto IV The Lost and Damned, OneChanbara freebies, Maw expansion and lots more

There's so much new stuff for Xbox 360 this week, it's daunting - though most will no doubt start with the GTA IV expansion:

Grand Theft Auto IV The Lost and Damned Expansion ($20)
Arcade: Death Tank ($15) and The Maw Brute Force "Deleted Scene" ($1)
Xbox Original: Grabbed by the Ghoulies ($15)
Street Fighter IV Brawler Costume Pack ($4) with alternate costumes for Abel, E.Honda, El Fuerte, Rufus, and Zangief that we apparently couldn't squeeze on the game disc
OneChanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad Costume and Extra Character Data Packs (first three are free; the rest are $20 for all or $2.50 to $6.25 each)
Burnout Paradise Legendary Cars Collection ($8 or $2-4 each) with Jansen 88 Special, Carson GT Nighthawk, Hunter Calvary Bootlegger and Hunter Manhattan Spirit, plus the "Time Savers" Pack ($5) buyable cheat to unlock all in-game cars
Mirror’s Edge Pure Time Trials Map Pack ($10) with 9 races across 7 new or redesigned maps
Skate 2 Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Plaza Pack ($5)
Rock Band/Rock Band 2 tracks ($2 each) "Wasted Again" by Turbonegro and :"Black Sunshine" and "More Human Than Human" by White Zombie
Guitar Hero World Tour Wings Track Pack ($5.50 or $2 each) with "Jet," "Junior's Farm" and "Hi, Hi, Hi"
Lips tracks ($2 each) "How To Save A Life" by The Fray, "Speed Up" by Funkerman and "Swing Life Away" by Rise Against
Karoake Revolution Presents American Idol Encore 2 cover tracks ($1.50 each) "Call Me," "Holiday," "How To Save A Life," "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing," "If You Don't Know Me By Now," "In The Air Tonight," "Irreplaceable," "Killing Me Softly With His Song," "Lips Of An Angel," "More Than A Feeling," "Rio," "Saving All My Love For You," "Sister Christian," "Smooth Criminal," "Stand By Me," "Stickwitu," "Tainted Love," "Time Of The Season," "Too Little Too Late," "Twist & Shout," "Unchained Melody," "Unforgettable," "What I Like About You," "What Is Love?" and "You Can't Hurry Love"
Rock Revolution tracks ($1.50 each) "I'm Broken" and "This Love" by Pantera
Demos: Afro Samurai and HAWX
Game Videos: F.E.A.R. 2, Halo Wars, The Maw Brute Force, Mini Ninjas, Race Pro and Resident Evil 5, plus Street Fighter IV strategy guides ($5 for seven character strategies, or $1 each)
Community Games: ArkX ($2.50), Barf And Beer ($2.50), bricks4ever ($2.50), Constrictor ($5), The Gravity Effect ($2.50), Lights Off ($2.50), Micro Invasion ($2.50), percussONE ($5), Puzzlix ($2.50), Slottso Party ($5), Snax Lite ($5), Spacebrix ($2.50) and Zoomaroom ($2.50)
Themes: Battlestations: Pacific ($1.88), Mass Effect Citadel Premium ($3.13), NBA 2K9 Chris Paul ($3.13) and NHL 2K9 Rick Nash Premium ($3.13)
Pictures: Battlestations: Pacific ($1.88)

Posted by Gamewatcher on February 19, 2009 11:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Free Stuff Friday - Pick and Win: Just Cause or Guitar Hero II guide with bonuses

This week's Free Stuff Friday is another Pick and Win, which means you have a choice to make. Do you want the guide for Just Cause, a GTA-style sandbox action game, with lots of mission walkthroughs plus vehicle and weapon guidance, or the expanded reference for Guitar Hero II, arguably the best of the Guitar Hero games because back then Harmonix was still making the note charts for RedOctane?

The Just Cause guide includes a large pullout poster map of San Esperito. The Guitar Hero II guide includes "making of" interviews, note charts for all of the game's songs and a fully intact sheet of stickers that includes skulls, fire and an angry ninja cactus (seriously!).

Here's how to enter:

Continue reading "Free Stuff Friday - Pick and Win: Just Cause or Guitar Hero II guide with bonuses" »

Posted by Gamewatcher on February 20, 2009 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (18)

Wii Stuff - C64 games debut, plus MLB 2K9 and Avalon Code DS demos

This week marks the debut of the rumored Commodore 64 games as Virtual Console downloads. In addition to the three released this week, a video promoting C64 titles verified that future games include classics Boulder Dash and Impossible Mission and sports titles that look to be California Games and Summer Games II. Here's what's new on your Wii this week:

Virtual Console: International Karate, The Last Ninja and Pitstop II for C64 ($5 each)
WiiWare: Onslaught ($10)
Rock Band 2 The Cars album ($2 per track; no album pricing) "Bye Bye Love," "Don't Cha Stop," "Good Times Roll," "I'm in Touch with Your World," "Moving in Stereo," "My Best Friend's Girl" and "You're All I've Got Tonight"
DS Demos: Avalon Code and MLB 2K9 Fantasy All-Stars, plus repeats including Rubik's World
Game Videos: Nintendo DSi marketing promo (which confirms music player and Internet browser feartures!), plus Commodore 64 games teaser, Deadly Creatures, Dead Space: Extraction, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, House of the Dead: Overkill, Imagine Ice Champions, MadWorld Sports, Onslaught, Peggle Dual Shot, Pokemon Platinum, Puzzle Quest: Galactrix, Sonic and the Black Knight, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the next Tetris Party tournament and We Ski & Snowboard

Posted by Gamewatcher on February 23, 2009 2:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Patch This Game - Left 4 Dead for Xbox 360

The Left 4 Dead update previously released for PC is now available for Xbox 360 (full patch notes), which you'll get the next time you boot the game and login to Xbox Live. The other big Left 4 Dead news is that the first downloadable content pack, the Survival Pack, will be released free this spring for both PC and Xbox 360. PC owners of the game will also get an SDK to build their own campaigns...

Posted by Gamewatcher on February 24, 2009 1:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

iPhone App Watch - Payback, Silent Hill, Downhill Bowling, Pocket God and SlotZ

There are hundreds of new apps on the iPhone each week. As time permits (every week or so), I'll review a few that I've tried to either help you find the good ones or ward you off the ones that sucked me in that weren't worth the time or money. Here are some of my recent finds (prices may fluctuate):

	Payback. Billed as a Grand Theft Auto-style game, it's more about the missions than the sandbox that made this series great. If you ever played the original top-down view games in the series, this is almost actionably similar. Control is wonky since you move your person or car forward or back with on-screen buttons and aim/steer by moving the phone. Also, since it's set in London, you'll need to drive on the left side of the road. Despite the caveats, it's a good game that's worth the current $5 pricetag. Word of warning: It's a hefty 220MB, so you should probably buy it on your computer and sync rather than downloading direct to your phone.

	Silent Hill: The Escape. This game is perfect for playing in a dark room with headphones. The goal is to navigate dark twisty corridors, find a key and escape quickly. Ammo is limited, and you have to constantly spin to make sure no one is creeping up behind you (or maybe you don't, but I'm wickedly paranoid and always do!). You aim by moving the phone and can choose to tap the front or back to fire. There are only 10 levels spread across five maps, so gameplay is limited - but it's a first-person shooter on the iPhone, and a decent (and creepy) one at that.

	Pocket God. This is more of a toy than a game, though clearly inspired by The Sims and Black and White - and quite possible Smile, a classic Mac game where you sadistically tortured a painfully cute smiley face until it cried or died for your personal stress relief. You add new islanders by tapping a plus sign and then flick them into a volcano, zap them with lightning, pelt them with coconuts or whatever you want to do within the confines of the game, which is updated regularly with new features. Worth the $1 for amusement value alone, and if the developer continues adding features every few weeks as promised, you'll have good reason to revisit it often. You can even follow them on Twitter to see what updates will bring next ("Jump a shark?!").

	Downhill Bowling. The idea here is that all 10 frames of your bowling game's pins are set on a long, winding downhill path lined with bonus points and powerups. Just rotate your phone to aim for the pickups and pins - it's fast-paced and fun. There's a free demo, which may be enough for some. The full game includes 11 more levels for $3.

	SlotZ Racer. This $2 game is an innovative racer that simulates classic slot cars right down to the flying off the track if you speed too fast through the turns. There's even a track editor so you can make and share your own courses, almost as good as setting up a real track in the basement on Christmas. Certainly more portable. As a single-player game, it's a bit repetitive - the AI never seems to over accelerate and so you're essentially playing for a perfect run where you have to master the ideal speeds for each section of track and not make any mistakes. You can play with up to four real players on the same phone, each one tapping a different corner for control, though this seems awkward on such a small device - wireless online play would be better.

Accessory Notes

Here are some iPhone accessories I tried recently, with mixed results:

Griffin Clarifi iPhone Case with Macro Lens ($25). This iPhone case includes a macro lens that you can slide over the camera when you want to move in close to a subject that blurs out due to the limits of the iPhone camera lens. It does a passable job with pictures (sample pics, along with a hint to the next Free Stuff Friday!). But you're stuck using an included adhesive screen protector - which is removeable but a pain to install while leaving room for the case to slide over your phone without damaging it. I ruined mine and had to buy a 4-pack of slimmer ones from Rocketfish ($15) that work much better. Overall, I like this case more than the full AT&T clear shell I had before - especially since it fits better with my Scosche Wireless Car RF Remote (which always tells me it won't work with my iPhone when I plug it in, but really does!).
Pogo iPhone Stylus ($15). This stylus promises to help you keep your phone fingerprint free, but only works well if you don't use it with a screen protector. Otherwise you need to pound it against your screen to get it to register.
PowerDock Multiple iPhone/iPod Charger ($40-50). I ordered the four-slot version from ThinkGeek hoping it would solve our current iPod/iPhone glut. However, your devices only fit without protective cases (which all of ours have) and an array of docking adapters (one per device type). So if you, say, have two iPhones and/or want to keep them in their cases when you dock, it simply won't work. I had to send it back at my own expense - last time I order something like this online.

More mini-reviews in a couple of weeks, if I can keep enough free space on my phone to keep getting new ones. Feel free to recommend any apps and accessories that you love or regret buying...

Posted by Gamewatcher on February 24, 2009 9:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PlayStation Store - Killzone 2 demo, Metal Gear Online video and PSP news and rumors

The big news from Sony this week is that LittleBigPlanet, Assassin's Creed and an Amplitude-esque adaptation of Rock Band are coming soon to the PlayStation Portable. And then there's the rumor of a UMD-free PSP 2 due this fall. Oh, and if you want it, you can get the Killzone 2 demo now without preordering or pretending to be from Europe, you can do that NOW. Here's what's new at the PlayStation Store:

Demos: Killzone 2, HAWX and Major League Baseball 2K9
PSP Game: No Gravity: The Plague of Mind ($10), plus Prinny: Can I Really be the Hero? Flonne’s Castle add-on ($4)
BUZZ! Quiz of the Year 2008 ($6)
Disgaea 3: Demon & Detective Set ($4, or $2 per character)
Street Fighter IV’s Femme Fatale Pack ($4) with new costumes for Cammy, Chun-Li, Crimson Viper, Rose and Sakura
Skate 2 San Van Classic Pack ($5) with Community Center, Elementary School and Parkade locations from the original game
The Lord of the Rings: Conquest Content Pack #2 ($10) with two Hero Arenas, three Heroes, and two multiplayer maps each with three game modes
Guitar Hero World Tour Bob Seger Track Pack ($5.50, or $2 each) with "Get Out of Denver," "Her Strut" and "Old Time Rock & Roll"
Rock Band/Rock Band 2 Jimmy Eat World Pack 01 ($5.50, or $2 each) with "Futures," "Lucky Denver Mint” and "Sweetness," and Alt Country Pack 01 ($8.50, or $2 each) with "3 Dimes Down" by Drive-By Truckers, "Can’t Let Go" by Lucinda Williams, "People Got a Lotta Nerve" by Neko Case, "Satellite Radio" by Steve Earle and "Time Bomb (Live)" by Old 97's
Game Videos: Metal Gear Online and Pulse magazine (free) and Killzone 2 Strategy Videos ($6)
Themes: Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice Kogure ($1), Bald Eagles ($1.50), Irish Girls ($1.50) and St. Patrick's Day Theme ($1.50)
Movie Trailers: Cadillac Records, Lakeview Terrace and Rachel Getting Married

Posted by Gamewatcher on February 26, 2009 11:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Xbox Live Marketplace - Free Call of Duty: World at War map, Monsters vs. Aliens demo and the classless xFart

A light week for Xbox 360 downloads (no new videos!), though a few notable add-ons and a flood of community games:

Arcade: Exit 2 ($10) - hey, what happened to Puzzle Quest: Galactrix?!
Call of Duty: World at War Makin Bonus Map (free)
Tomb Raider Underworld Beneath the Ashes ($10) with a new level, boss and costumes
Street Fighter IV’s Femme Fatale Pack ($4) with new costumes for Cammy, Chun-Li, Crimson Viper, Rose and Sakura
Skate 2 San Van Classic Pack ($5) with Community Center, Elementary School and Parkade locations from the original game
The Lord of the Rings: Conquest Heroes and Maps Pack ($10) with two Hero Arenas, three Heroes, and two multiplayer maps each with three game modes
Guitar Hero World Tour Bob Seger Track Pack ($5.50, or $2 each) with "Get Out of Denver," "Her Strut" and "Old Time Rock & Roll"
Rock Band/Rock Band 2 Jimmy Eat World Pack 01 ($5.50, or $2 each) with "Futures," "Lucky Denver Mint” and "Sweetness," and Alt Country Pack 01 ($8.50, or $2 each) with "3 Dimes Down" by Drive-By Truckers, "Can’t Let Go" by Lucinda Williams, "People Got a Lotta Nerve" by Neko Case, "Satellite Radio" by Steve Earle and "Time Bomb (Live)" by Old 97's
Lips tracks "Amber" by 311, "The Adventure" by Angels & Airwaves and "In The Shadows" by The Rasmus
Demos: Monsters vs. Aliens and Major League Baseball 2K9
Community Games: Abronium Party ($5), Aquarium HD ($2.50), The Ballet of Light and Shadow ($5), Battle Bubbles: Four Corners ($2.50), Battle-X ($10), Bored Meeting ($5), Celebrate ($2.50), Corsair ($5), Cuadro ($5), Doodleman ($2.50), DrumKit ($2.50), The Factory ($5), FreaKick ($2.50), Jigsaw Puzzle Express ($5), Mania ($5), Pirate Cubes ($2.50), Planet Crashmania 9,000,000 ($2.50), PuzzXXI ($2.50), Revenge of the Ball ($2.50), SpaceAttack ($2.50), Spirit Whirled ($10), Tomato Blaster ($5), Trajectory ($2.50), TV Calibration ($2.50) and xFart ($5)
Themes: Pure Premium and Street Fighter IV Premium ($3.13 each)
Pictures: Street Fighter IV ($1.25)

Posted by Gamewatcher on February 26, 2009 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Free Stuff Friday - Pick and Win: Halo Uprising or Mirror's Edge comic

It's another Pick and Win, this time with comic books. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to pick between the debut issues of Halo Uprising and Mirror's Edge.

Put another way, are you into MJOLNIR battle armor or emo chicks who jump high? No judgments, at least from me - I like 'em both.

Oh, and if music games are more your thing, next week you'll get the chance to show pride for your favorite franchise: Guitar Hero or Rock Band.

Here's how to enter:

Continue reading "Free Stuff Friday - Pick and Win: Halo Uprising or Mirror's Edge comic" »

Posted by Gamewatcher on February 27, 2009 12:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (40)

Busy Gamer News

News, reviews and advocacy for gamers who have a life.

February 2009 Archives

February 2, 2009

Wii Stuff - Snowboard Riot, Sonic Chaos, Lopnos and MyDoItAll DS demo

The Mod Squad - Mirror's Edge third-person view

February 3, 2009

Patch Your Xbox 360 - Dashboard patch includes unreported changes

February 4, 2009

Gamewatcher - Is gaming slowly killing you?

February 5, 2009

PlayStation Store - 3 on 3 NHL, Burnout Paradise Party and LittleBigPlanet Valentine's pack

Xbox Live Marketplace - Halo Wars demo, R-Type Dimensions and free NBA All Star Weekend Pack

February 6, 2009

Free Stuff Friday - Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas City Guides

February 9, 2009

Wii Stuff - Moving Pictures for Rock Band 2, Lit and OneChanbara video

February 10, 2009

Free Game - Secondhand Lands

February 11, 2009

Try This Game - Puzzle Quest: Galactrix

February 12, 2009

Act Fast! - Free Hello Kitty Online extended Valentine's weekend

PlayStation Store - Flower, Lumines add-on, Incubus and new MotorStorm: Pacific Rift demo

Xbox Live Marketplace - 3 on 3 NHL, Minesweeper, Scene It? expansion and Swimsuit Calendar freebies

February 13, 2009

Free Stuff Friday - Jam Sessions

February 16, 2009

Wii Stuff - Evasive Space, Life Force, Nirvana, Rubik's World demo and C64 rumor

February 17, 2009

GrrlGotGame - It's movie night for gamers

February 18, 2009

WTF?! - OneChanbara Bikini series

February 19, 2009

News Flash - Nintendo DSi preorders have begun

PlayStation Store - Zuma, Noby Noby Boy, LocoRoco 2 demo and more

Xbox Live Marketplace - Grand Theft Auto IV The Lost and Damned, OneChanbara freebies, Maw expansion and lots more

February 20, 2009

Free Stuff Friday - Pick and Win: Just Cause or Guitar Hero II guide with bonuses

February 23, 2009

Wii Stuff - C64 games debut, plus MLB 2K9 and Avalon Code DS demos

February 24, 2009

Patch This Game - Left 4 Dead for Xbox 360

iPhone App Watch - Payback, Silent Hill, Downhill Bowling, Pocket God and SlotZ

February 26, 2009

PlayStation Store - Killzone 2 demo, Metal Gear Online video and PSP news and rumors

Xbox Live Marketplace - Free Call of Duty: World at War map, Monsters vs. Aliens demo and the classless xFart

February 27, 2009

Free Stuff Friday - Pick and Win: Halo Uprising or Mirror's Edge comic

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About February 2009