Remember Project Needlemouse a few months back?  Well, that 2D Sonic platformer has been officially confirmed today (as of 3:00 AM EST) as Sonic the Hedgehog 4 – Episode 1.  Yep, you read that right.  Sonic the Hedgehog 4 will be available on all three consoles as a downloadable game.  The gameplay is 2D, while the graphics are 3D.  From what little that was shown, the graphics look pleasing.  Then again, I would be pleased if Sega just did the graphics in a 16 bit style, ala the classic Genesis titles.  Teaser trailer after the break!
continue reading "Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Confirmed for all Consoles"

-Bayonetta-

-Review-

The genius behind games like Devil May Cry, Okami, Resident Evil 2 (I could go on and on), Hideki Kamiya, decided to grace us with yet another gem of a game.  Bayonetta sets the bar for the action genre.  It’s that simple.
continue reading "Judgement Zone: Bayonetta"

On Sega’s Bayonetta blog on IGN, special effects designer, Kudo, talks briefly about his work on Bayonetta.  We all know how special effects can really enhance a game, but have you ever seen video comparisons with and without special effects?  Kudo posted a couple of videos on the blog, one with the special effects and one without.  I think we can all agree that he did an amazing job.  Check out the videos below.

With the special effects…

Without them…

As you can see, the difference is night and day.  It’s nice to see such attention to detail, especially how Bayonetta takes damage.  Here’s a snippet from the blog:

Kamiya-san: Hey Kudo, when Bayonetta gets damaged…

Kudo: Yeah.

Kamiya-san: …We should do something special with that.

Kudo: Yeah, we should.

Kamiya-san: Maybe something like Okami’s hit effects, where flower petals flew off.

Kudo: Yep! That’s a great idea. So Bayonetta would use…

Kamiya-san: A rose, of course.

Kudo: OK. But it’s damage, right? So isn’t there supposed to be blood?

Kamiya-san: If it isn’t pretty, then it isn’t Bayonetta!! Even the blood that flows out of her body can be turned into a rose with magic!!

Kudo: Whoa!!

Kamiya-san: She just goes, “Wuhhh!!” (He’s imitating Bayonetta’s damage voice.)

Kudo: …

Kamiya-san: You know… “Wuhhh!!” (He’s really getting into it here.)

What resulted from this conversation is the hit effect below:

And here’s the video…

Were you afraid that Yakuza 3 would forever remain in Japan?  Did you think that Sega was going to abandon localization for its western audience?  Well, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume that because at the 2009 Tokyo Game Show, Sega showcased a trailer for Yakuza 4 while no mention was made for the localization of Yakuza 3.

Until now that is.

Yakuza 3 will be made available sometime in March of 2010 for North America, Europe, and Australia exclusively for the PlayStation 3.  Longer wait than usual, but it’s coming.  Be a little more patient.

Due to the success of the original Dead Space, a sequel was inevitable, especially considering that EA was the one behind the game.  Well, earlier this week EA made it official.  Dead Space 2 will be released for the Xbox 360, the PS3, and the PC.  No time frame was given though.

Isaac Clarke, the protagonist from the first game, will be returning in the sequel.  EA promises that the sequel will contain new characters, weapons, and environments.

For those of you who played Assassin’s Creed II, you know full well what an awesome experience it is.  The story is far from over though.  The first expansion, Battle of Forli, is set for January and the second, Bonfire of the Vanities, is set for February.

Pricing has not been set, but make sure you have at least 1GB of space for each download.  That’s a hefty download.  Hopefully it is packed with a lot of content.

T. Hawk and Dee Jay were already confirmed to be in Super Street Fighter IV, an enhancement of the original Street Fighter IV.  Juri, a new character entirely, was also confirmed.

And now, three more characters have been confirmed.  Guy, Cody, and Adon.  All three characters have made appearances in past Street Fighter games, with Guy and Cody actually being a part of the Final Fight series.  Guy is a skilled martial artist, Cody is a prison inmate, and Adon just looks crazy.  Watch the trailer.  It also showcases an ultra for each character.

Sony executives weren’t slacking off this holiday weekend (unlike me).  The weekly update to the PlayStation Network Store graced PlayStation gamers with a slew of new goodies.  The list is from the official PlayStation Blog and is rather long, but here it is:

PS3

Now $4.99, originally $9.99:

• Flower
• The Last Guy
• Prince of Persia Classic
• Comet Crash
• Bomberman Ultra

Now $7.49, originally $14.99:

• Smash Cars
• Invincible Tiger: The Legend of Han Tao

UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves – Eye of Indra 2 Motion Comic ($0.99)(US only)

Killzone 2 DLC Sale (Flash & Thunder now $2.99, bundle now $9.99)

Fate/Unlimited Codes Sale (now $14.99)

Downloadable Games

Gravity Crash ($9.99)

Diner Dash ($9.99)

Madden NFL Arcade ($14.99)

PSone Classics: PS3/PSP

Command & Conquer ($5.99)

Dino Crisis ($5.99)

Reel Fishing ($5.99)

Fighting Force ($5.99)

Backstreet Billiards ($5.99)

International Track & Field ($5.99)

Game Demos (free)

Gravity Crash Demo

Comet Crash Demo

Add-on Game Content

LittleBigPlanet Rare “SuperStar” Shirt ($4.99)

Borderlands Zombie Island DLC ($9.99)

DJ Hero David Guetta Mix Pack 01 ($7.99)

Dragon Ball Warriors on Earth Pack (free)

Guitar Hero 5: Neversoft Thanks The Fans Track Pack (free)

Rock Band:

• “Our Lips Are Sealed”— Go Go’s ($1.99)
• “Miss Independent”— Kelly Clarkson ($1.99)
• “Who Knew”— Pink ($1.99)
• “American Girl (live)”— Tom Petty ($1.99)
• “A Thing About You (live)”— Tom Petty ($1.99)
• “Even the Losers (live)”— Tom Petty ($1.99)
• “Here Comes My Girl (live)”— Tom Petty ($1.99)
• “Mary Jane’s Last Dance (live)”— Tom Petty ($1.99)
• “Refugee (live)”— Tom Petty ($1.99)
• Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Live Anthology Pack 1 ($9.99)

Game Videos (free)

Assassin’s Creed II Dev Diary 5

Assassin’s Creed II Factions Video

Final Fantasy XIII Special Announcement Video

MX vs ATV Reflex Announce Trailer

MX vs ATV Reflex Freestyle Trailer

MX vs ATV Reflex Variety Trailer

Resident Evil 5 Lost in Nightmares Trailer

Planet 51 Chuck Trailer

Planet 51 Gamescom Trailer

Planet 51 Lem Trailer

Dragon Age: Origins Dwarf Noble Origin Trailer

Avatar Ignite War Trailer

Polar Panic Story Trailer

Themes

Afrika Dynamic Theme ($2.99)

Assassin’s Creed II Launch Theme ($1.49)

Cavalier Warrior Theme ($1.49)

King Zumo Theme ($1.49)

Yuefeng: Fire Prince Theme ($1.49)

Wallpaper (free)

Topatoi: Wallpaper 3

PSP

Downloadable Games (also available from PS3 storefront)

LittleBigPlanet PSP ($39.99)

Tekken 6 PSP ($39.99)

PSP minis

Fortix ($4.99)

Pinball Fantasies ($6.99)

Blast Off ($2.99)

Bloons ($3.99)

Kahoots ($4.49)

Let’s Golf ($6.99)

Add-on Game Content

Disgaea 2 DLC (x7) – Hanako, Pram, Marona, Ash, Plenair, Sapphire and Almaz ($1.99 each)

PSP Themes

Cavalier Warrior PSP Theme ($1.49) (also available from PS3 storefront)

King Zumo PSP Theme ($1.49) (also available from PS3 storefront)

Yuefeng: Fire Prince PSP Theme ($1.49) (also available from PS3 storefront)

When Firmware update 3.10 arrives, expect to see a new Facebook app on your PS3.  Maybe it’s no coincidence that Microsoft just integrated Facebook with the Xbox 360 this week.

So what features should we expect?  For one, you can upload your trophies.  Why would you do that?  Bragging rights I suppose.  Also, on your news feed, your friends will be able to see content you purchased through the PlayStation Store.

The following functionality won’t be available through the 3.10 update, but will be made available “soon.”  You will be able to share in-game information with friends, like stats for example.

On March 9, JRPG fans in the west will finally be able to play Final Fantasy XIII.  Luckily for Japanese gamers. they can still expect the game about three months earlier on December 17.

We also found out the main theme song of the game.  It’s going to be Leona Lewis’ “My Hands” from her album Echo.