NBA Jam HD to see the light of day on the PS3 and 360

Breaking news out of EA offices early Tuesday morning, indicate NBA Jam will indeed be making its way to the PS3 and Xbox 360 this fall. Originally thought to be a Wii exclusive, NBA Jam will see the light of day on all consoles, but only in a packaged deal.

Starting on October 5th, buyers of EA’s NBA Elite ’11, will also get a one time use code for a downloadable version of the NBA Jam HD remake. EA has stated Tuesday that this will be the only way to play NBA Jam on the PS3 and 360 this fall. The game will not be available for download on the PS Store or XBLA.

According to the Destructoid report, “NBA Jam on the Wii will still be the only way to get the full experience, since the PS3/360 version will only come with three modes: Play Now, Classic Campaign (the traditional ladder-style tournament), and four-player Online Play (which remains unconfirmed for the Wii version, with only two months to go before launch). This keeps the all-new Remix Tour mode — which includes boss battles against NBA legends such as Magic Johnson and comprises “about 20 hours of gameplay,” according to EA Sports marketing VP Jordan Edelstein — exclusive to the Wii version”.

Many gamers will probably add this to their heated argument against EA and their DLC ways as of late. Knowing that their new NBA Elite would be in tough water against 2K’s NBA 2K11 and the Jordan cover, EA saw this as a way to give Basketball fans a shot at Jam on consoles. The problem is, only by a serious commitment of $59.99 will Jam see the light of day. It seems they have also found a way to keep some type of exclusivity to the Wii as well.

Being a HUGE Basketball and NBA Jam fan, this has pretty much sealed my purchase of NBA Elite ’11 this fall. I have a feeling EA will make a killing on this deal. No matter the quality of Elite, the nostalgic feel of NBA Jam will bring a ton of gamers into their new title when it ships on October 5th (coincidentally the same day NBA Jam drops for the Wii, and 2K11 releases).

No word yet if the NBA Jam HD title will see achievements and trophies added to the 360 and PS3 or not. More to come on this as it develops.

DiRT 3 on the way, sporting a new EGO 2.0 Engine

Codemasters seems primed to unleash its upgraded EGO engine 2.0 on the racing genre.  For those unaware, Codemasters has used the critically acclaimed EGO to power its successful racing lineup including DiRT, GRiD, and the DiRT follow-up – DiRT 2. EGO has also been used on last year’s Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising. Just over a week ago, the company confirmed that EGO 2.0 would make its debut in a “massive title” coming in 2011. Shortly thereafter, the company also announced that next year would see the releases of DiRT 3, GRiD 2 and Operation Flashpoint: Red River.





Obviously any of the 3 could be considered a major release for Codemasters. However following the events of the past weekend, it seems as if DiRT 3 will be the “massive” title that they speak of. At ESPN’s annual X-Games, Codemasters showed off the first teaser trailer for its upcoming 2011 racer. According to the lastest edition of Edge magazine, DiRT 3 will have “snow and ice, dynamic weather, YouTube uploads, fierce rides and epic tracks, splitscreen support, party modes, an open-world playground and more real-life sponsors and stars than ever.”


FIRST TEASER TRAILER

First pic from the upcoming DiRT 3

There are few gaming experiences that give me goosebumps, but some of those moments always seem to come with Codemasters racing games. I’ll admit that I have a certain passion for racers. When it comes to Codemasters’ games, I can’t figure out if it’s due to the perfect balance between simulation and arcade racing, or the incredible Ego Engine graphics put into their racing products – but they are all rock solid.

Codemasters is currently putting the finishing touches on their upcoming 4th racing title for the current generation of consoles. F1 2010 is expected to follow in the footsteps of its predecessors and use the most up-to-date EGO as its engine. F1 will use dynamic weather for the first time, and Codies’ VP of Studios Gavin Cheshire has gone on record saying “it will have the best weather and rain effects ever in a game”. Look for F1 2010 to hit store shelves in late September.

Hydro Thunder Hurricane Review

Hydro Thunder Hurricane
Vector Unit & Microsoft Game Studios - (Rel. 7/28/10) 1200 msp

Last week, Microsoft's Summer of Arcade promotion begun with the incredibly well-received LIMBO. After such a critical success, it puts the next release, Vector Unit's Hydro Thunder Hurricane, in a tough position. One may wonder if there would be some type of letdown, or there may be questions of if people should shell out another fifteen dollars so shortly after a successful game such as LIMBO. I'm here to tell you to load up on Microsoft space dollars, and put the letdowns aside. Hydro Thunder is an amazing remake, and a 'boat-load' of fun.

Hydro Thunder, originally a Midway title, has been rebooted by Vector Unit. I must admit, I've never played the original in arcade form or console form, but this title stands on its own. It managed to get so many things right, that any minor flaws seem to be washed away in contrast to the amount of fun I'm having with the game.

Hydro Thunder comes packaged with both Single player and mulitplayer events. The single player 'career' so to speak, is broken into four separate events. You’ll need to race through the four modes, including Arcade (this is pretty much your standard - “first place wins” races), Gauntlet (one of my favs, which is like a watery Split/Second type of race which sees you avoiding explosive barrels as quick as possible), Ring Master (where you race through as many rings as possible, and get time added on every time you miss one) and Championship (which features events from all three - accumulating points). Credits are earned for completing and winning events, which in turn, helps unlock boats and new races/events.

Everything in Hydro Thunder needs to be unlocked. This could have been a troublesome path to take, but fortunately it isn't frustrating. I loved how Hydro Thunder managed to strike an incredible balance in difficulty. Everything in the game seems to be challenging in one aspect (getting golds in a lot of events is tough), but not frustrating in another. The game doesn't force you to collect gold in every race, as credits pile up for anything third place and up (although there are achievement points waiting for you if you manage to do so). I found my way through the game just fine without managing gold in races. This is something most racing games fail to deliver on. I was more than happy not having to restart my race every time I made a mistake.

One of my  most positive experiences with Hydro Thunder were the loading times. First off, I know loading times may not seem like a big deal to most, but you really need to see it to believe it. I've never had a game load this quick since the cartridge days. It really help moves the game along for someone with time constraints such as myself. Going from menu to race is so quick in fact, you won't even have time to take a drink. Like 1-2 seconds quick. This was an amazing feat, and one that should be applauded. This makes Hydro Thunder one of those games that you can pick up and play in a very quick amount of time.

Another area where Hydro Thunder succeeds is the level and water design. Hydro Thunder is a boat-racing game set on exaggerated theme-park-style levels with huge statues, bugs, and monsters flying at you in a multitude of different ways. Every level was designed with several shortcuts which usually help you gain some precious time, or collect 1 of the 80 Hydro icons scattered in the 8 different levels. Every area is also scattered with power ups that help you open ramps or gain boost. Boost can be used in two different ways: as a speed boost or a boost jump, which helps you get over obstacles, other racers or helps you reach secret hidden areas. Every level seems well thought out and they are all a blast to play. There are huge jumps, caves, indoor areas, a lot of different locales to explore.

Another great element to the game is the water design. Water moves very realistic, making maneuvering your boat a challenge, but a fun one. Other boats ripple the water, and getting behind boats in their wake helps you gain drafting speed. When huge explosions happen, or huge parts of a statue fall into the water, it causes some massive waves, meaning you`ll have to try to move with them in order to reduce speed loss. Waves can even send you careening 20 feet into the air. The work done on these effects is commendable work for Vector Unit as an indie developer.

Another huge positive was the racing itself. Hydro Thunder runs smoothly and loose as an arcade racer should. The boats have a different feel, which adds to the replay value of trying to see what works best for each course. Again, I found the events to be challenging but not frustrating. Each race felt insanely fun and intense at times. My only real negative was that at times, things can get a little too chaotic. I lost visual of where I was supposed to be going at times, and a bit of the blur makes it hard to see at points during a race. Also, a  few of the boats were a little too hard to control for my liking. Some of the expert boats focus on speed, and handling becomes a bit of a chore. Overall though, it didn`t seem to deter from my positive experience.

Mulitplayer is fun as well. The game offers 4 player split-screen, and is a blast if you can handle the chaos from only 1/4 of the screen. The online component is also well made. Rubber Duck is reminiscent of a Cat and Mouse game mode, which gives you the goal of getting your slow boat (rubber duck) across the finish line first. In the games I played with fellow journalists, I had no lag whatsoever, and the frame rate held its own.

Final Thoughts:

Vector Unit really pulled through with this release. There could have been a letdown following a great game like LIMBO. Instead they offer us a great contrast to LIMBO's slow methodical pace: with fast, intense racing action. The thought is, that maybe 1200msp is too high for this title. I couldn't disagree more, and Hydro Thunder is easy to recommend. Rock solid frame rate, quick loading times and well thought out maps and water effects make this an Arcade racer that deserves to be played. This year's Summer of Arcade has started with a bang...

8.5/10

Reasons to be excited part 1 - Announced Games

17. XBLA - It looks as if Live's Arcade service is about to hit an all time high. With huge hits in the pipeline including: Limbo, Shank, Super Meat Boy, Comic Jumper, Hydro Thunder, Monday Night Combat and Lara Croft, XBLA should get a lot of your attention come late Summer, Fall.

16. Red Faction: Armaggedon - Using what made the last one so good, Red Faction will be taking full destruction to the next level.

15. Dragon Age II - While not much is known of the follow up to Origins, more of the same but with more polish and better graphics is expected.

14. Mafia II - Focusing on story telling might set this apart from other open sandbox games. Sharp graphics, and a Sopranos feel? I'm in!

13. H.A.W.X 2 - The first Tom Clancy flight game was very under-appreciated in my eyes. I had a lot of fun with it. They have added take-offs, landings and new locals to add to the 4 player co-op.

12. Fallout: New Vegas - For fans of Fallout 3, this looks to be more of the same. I haven't gotten very far in F3, but I still get excited hearing about more wasteland to traverse.

11. Bulletstorm - The game looks gorgeous, and looks to cut story telling out of the equation and give you guns, violence and more guns. With Cliffy B (maker of Gears of War) behind the scenes, expect gun porn it it's finest.

10. Batman: Arkham Asylum 2 - The surprise hit makes a return to Arkham. What will the sequel bring? Not much is known, but expect more of what made the original fantastic.

9./8. DJ Hero 2/Rock Band 3 - Ok, so music games have taken a dip in sales. That could change this fall with the releases of DJ Hero 2 and RB 3. Harmonix is putting a PRO mode into Rock Band allowing full guitar support and Keyboards. DJ Hero will bring another 100 or so mixes to the table, and are adding more turntables and mic support.

7. Gears of War 3 - More bad-assery from Cliffy B and Epic. This time they're bringing 4 player coop to close out the conclusion to Marcus' storyline.

6. Medal of Honor - A reboot of the popular EA title sees a more dramatic storyline, and complete overhaul by EA LA. The mutiplayer is being overseen by DICE, the famous Battlefield devs.

5. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood - The tale of Ezio is continued in Rome, and has the added bonus of online multiplayer. How will it stack up against the Call of Duty's and Halo's?

4. Portal 2 - I don't know 1 person who didn't enjoy the first Portal. Incredibly simple yet difficult to master. Will the cake return? Coop is in, so are outdoor levels. Expect this one early 2011.

3. Dead Space 2 - Won a ton of awards for Game of E3.  Amazing environments and graphics hope to set an atmosphere to scare the sh** out of your pants.

2. Ghost Recon: Future Soldier - The Ghost Recon series is one of my favorites. The fact they are adding a futuristic element to it has some people scares it will lean away from the series' roots. I have no such fears. 4 player online coop, a slew of new weaponry and graphics that look almost life-like, put this on the top of my list....well...almost at the top....

1. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (EA 11/16/10)- This is the reboot that the NFS series badly needed. This game looks to take us back to the time when NFS games were at their peak. Made by Criterion Games EA, the minds behind the fantastic Burnout series, expect incredible speed, destruction and intensity. Cop chases are taking a front seat, and it looks to be running at top notch already, winning a huge amount of respect and awards coming out of E3.

So there you have it...my look at the best Xbox 360 titles to expect over the next 12 months. Stay tuned, because next week I'll be taking a look at what's to come even further down the pipeline in part 2 of the series - Reasons to be excited!

Upcoming features

I'd just like to give everyone a heads up of what to expect over the next few weeks. I'm going to be running a special XBLA Summer of Arcade promotion that will include Reviews, Game Nights and possibly some contests. I'm going to be using this site as more of a review blog, and promoting games I feel as if you should be playing.

You can expect the first review next week, starting with the remake of Hydro Thunder Hurricane by Vector Unit and Microsoft Game Studios. It is available next Wednesday July 28th, as part of the Summer of Arcade promotion for 1200 ms points. You can expect the review next Monday around 12 EST.

I plan to promote my reviews with contests and game nights, and would love some help coordinating the events. Anyone who wishes to contact me for further details, or would like to help out in any way, feel free to email me.

Xbox fans have a reason to be excited!

With what many call an under-performing E3, Microsoft left a lot of fans wondering what the future held for the hardcore gamer. Sure, there was Halo: Reach and Call of Duty: Black Ops, but what else? Kinect was the star of the show, and even though I like the look of Kinect, I don't know as of yet how exactly it will warm to "couch" gamers.

So I've decided to take it among myself to show you the future of Xbox gaming, and what to expect over the next few years. I've made a two lists of upcoming games you can expect to see that will blow you away. First up, I'll detail the announced games and order them according to my anticipation level (I've decided to keep Halo and CoD off the list. These will be the highest sellers, we all know this). Next, I will list games that, while not announced, are sure bets to show up in the next year or two. Enjoy, and be excited Xbox fans!! You can expect the first of the two part series on Tuesday!

Gaming News

- COD: Modern Warfare 2 Achievements have been posted up at x360a.  Check them out here. I'm pretty happy about the Special Ops ones, as this is the one feature I'm looking forward to the most.

- It's good to see a return of the Adventure 'Point & Click' games to this generation of consoles.  After the release of the critically received Wallace & Grommit, Sam & Max and Monkey Island to the XBLA, it seems as if more are to come.  2K Play are up next with a new title on XBLA called Axel & Pixel.  It releases on October 14th, and you can check out the trailer here.  These games are a great way to relive my childhood days of Space Quest and Police Quest filling up my hours.  Speaking of, hey LucasArts, give us XBLA Police Quest already!!

- Another interesting title coming to XBLA this month is a Puzzle/Adventure Side-Scroller called Lucidity.  It looks quite original and has a great look to the art.  Check out the trailer here.  Expect some impressions this week, as the game is scheduled to release this Wednesday October 7th, alongside the South Park tower defense game.  The achievement lists can be found at x360a.  Check them out if interested.

South Park: Let's Go Tower Defense
Lucidity

-With all of the delays going into the holiday season, I'm interested in what your Most Wanted list looks like for the remainder of 2009.  It's not all doom & gloom as there is a ton of great games coming up for the end of 2009.  What games would you like to hear more about?

My Top 5 for the rest of 2009 is as follows:
1. COD: Modern Warfare 2 (I'm sure this will be in about, oh, 4 million other ppls lists)
2. Left 4 Dead 2 (I love the simplicity of the first.  The ultimate pick up & play game)
3. Assassin's Creed 2 (As long as they fix the repetitiveness of the first and mix in a good ending, I'm in)
4. Forza Motorsport 3 (The true driving sim? With 2 discs of content and 400 cars it just might be)
5. DJ Hero (As a huge hip-hop fan, this is the music game I've been waiting for)

Honorable Mention: The Ballad of Gay Tony GTA DLC, NBA Live 10, NBA 2K10, FIFA 10

- I'm hoping with my vacation this week I can get my whoring Gamerscore up to 98,000.  The goal is to have 100,000 by year's end.  With a slate of Sports titles to arrive this month including FIFA 10, NBA Live 10 + 2K10, this should be well within reach.  I'm hoping I can finish up Need For Speed: Shift and DiRT 2 this week, as well as get neck deep into the NBA releases and Operation Flashpoint.  I'm sure I'll look into Lucidity and maybe finish up my Madden DLC achievements I've been putting off.  NHL 10 might need attention as well.